Discovering the Continents

South American Animals

A lap-n-note book

About the animals of South America

© Copyright Koumi Books 2009

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Welcome to the wonderful world of South American Animals. For the sake of printing ease, we have placed all the information Pages in one file, and then the printable Lap-n-Note pages in another file. The information pages (this file) may be printed double sided on normal paper, or read on your computer to save printing costs. The Lap-n-Note pages (File 2) should be printed on good quality paper and only single sided. These pages are folded in half and when the book is completed, the pages are bound together with a spiral binder, Proclick or similar binder. The pages can also be completed and glued in a file folder, storing the notebooking pages in a pocket if the traditional lapbook format is preferred. Each page that will become part of the completed book comes first, and then the lapbook components follow. Each page comes with instructions on how to compile that page. The files included in the zip file are:

1. Information Package 2. Lap-n-Note pages (The lapbooking pages as well as the notebooking

pages.) 3. Number Fun 4. Alphabet Cards 5. South American Adventure Game 6. Journal Pages

Please feel free to contact us with any questions, comments or suggestions you have, by sending us an email at:

koumibooks@yahoo.com

We truly hope you enjoy your studies! Heidemarie Swanepoel

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Table of Contents: The Table of contents for the Information Package and the Lap-n-Note Components are the same.

1. Habitats 2. Climates 3. Forests under Attack / Rain Forests 4. Waterways 5. Mammals 6. Reptiles 7. Amphibians 8. Birds 9. Bugs and Insects 10. Information and Notebooking pages for 42 of South America’s

most common animals. Number Fun Alphabet Cards A South American Adventure Game Journal Pages Below follow a few sample pages from this project, as well as pictures of the completed Lap-n-Note.

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Page 2: Climate Climate: The habitats available to the people and animals of a region are totally dependent on the weather patterns. The more rainfall in a region, the more varied the vegetation, and, the more varied the vegetation, the more varied the animal life it sustains. The temperatures also play a defining role in the fauna and flora that have adapted to survive in those conditions. A polar bear would not survive the heat of the equatorial countries, and a jaguar would be hard pressed to survive in the Arctic Circle. What animals could it hunt there? Warm Climate with regular rainfall This area receives good rainfalls, but it has dry summers. This is perfect for the shrublands, woodlands, grasslands and drier forests that grown in this region. Cool Dry Climate Because of the Andes blocking most of the rain, this area receives little rain, but fogs, along with cooler weather prevent this area from becoming a desert. Hot Climate with Regular Rainfall The Amazon River basin receives an average of 198cm (78 inches) of rain in a year, and in some areas it is as much as 406 cm (160 inches) of rain in a year. The hot, wet climate supports the greatest variety of plant and animal life of the Amazon Rainforest. No other habitat is like it anywhere else on earth. Warm / Hot Climate with Little or No Rain The Andes Mountains in the South, along with the air pressure changes on the ocean alongside which cause the El Nino phenomenon, create dry conditions along these stretches of South America. The desert receives practically no rain all year round with rainfall being limited to every few years at times.

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Page 3: Deforestation The truth about the matter is that the human race is consuming forests and rainforests at an alarming rate. A lot of the damage done cannot be reversed, but we can all do our bit to help protect the earth God gave us. Why: People cut down forests to use as building material, homes, furniture, toys and fire wood. Through carelessness, forests are burned down when fires are started and left unattended. How: Land is bulldozed to make way for new building properties. Logging is done indiscriminately. Forrest that is too young to be logged, is logged and discarded to get to better trees deeper in the forest. Often, no regard is given to the effects of logging methods on forests with detrimental effects. Effects: The negative effects include erosion, loss of habitat for wild life, and loss of clean oxygen if there are not enough trees to convert the carbon dioxide to oxygen. What Now? Trees need to be replaced when logged. Where logging needs to happen, the area needs to be secured against erosion, and new trees need to be planted in a favorable position for the future.

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Morrocoy tortoise (Redfoot tortoise) Description: Redfoot tortoises have red scales on the limbs, as well as red, yellow, and/or orange facial markings. Redfoots will normally reach between 25.4 and 35.6 cm in carapace length, although in rare cases may grow up to 40 cm. There is also a smaller phenotype commonly called the 'cherryhead' Redfoot, which can be identified by its' bulbous nose and darker plastron. This phenotype, which does not bear subspecies classification at this time, ranges in size as an adult from 25 - 30 cm. The male is generally bigger than the female, weighing up to 9 kg. Diet: Red Foots eat most vegetable and fruits, especially dark green leafy vegetables. Occasionally they have been known to eat carrion. Habitat: The Redfoot occupies a number of habitats within its extensive range. It occurs in all types of forest habitat (rainforest, temperate forest, and dry thorn forest), and also dwells in savanna areas, including man-made grasslands resulting from ranching and slash-and-burn agricultural practices. Forest edges and savannas seem to be the preferred habitat for this species. Interesting Facts: The Redfoot tortoise lays clutches of 5 to 15 eggs between July and September. They are generally buried in a nest in the ground in typical tortoise style. However, some authors report that locals in Panama have observed eggs laid in leaf-litter on the forest floor. Eggs are oblong (about 5 x 3 ½) and have brittle shells. The hatchlings are round and flat, and are about 3 – 4 cm in diameter. Redfoot tortoises are capable of producing eggs at any time during the year, although seasonal activity may be noted. It is important that more than one male be included in a breeding group, male to male combat is important in inducing breeding in Redfoots.[ Male to male combat begins with a round of head bobbing from each male involved, and then proceeds to a wresting match where the males attempt to turn one another over. The succeeding male (usually the largest male) then attempts to mate with the females. The ritualistic head movements displayed by male red-foots are thought to be a method of species recognition. Redfoots are collected and shipped to many different South American cities to be sold as a delicacy, to be eaten as “fish” during the Catholic Holy Week. They are also captured and sold as pets.

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Print all the pages, and fold the main page in half. Cut out the pages of the booklet. At the bottom, place the Canopy Page. Position the Emergent Page underneath it, with the tall tree emerging in the right place. Next place the Understory Page on top of the Canopy Page, again lining it up with the previous pages. Next comes the Clearings Page, and then the Floor Page. Right on top place the Cover Page. Glue the pages together, or staple them along the bottom tab. Glue the book into place on the main page. Write the information onto the pages of the booklet using the information following.

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Instructions Print all the pages, and fold the main page in half. Cut out the pages of the booklet. At the bottom, place the Canopy Page. Position the Emergent Page underneath it, with the tall tree emerging in the right place. Next place the Understory Page on top of the Canopy Page, again lining it up with the previous pages. Next comes the Clearings Page, and then the Floor Page. Right on top place the Cover Page. Glue the pages together, or staple them along the bottom tab. Glue the book into place on the main page. Write the information onto the pages of the booklet using the given information. Sa

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We are a bright And poisonous three.

If you look very closely, You’ll find us in a tree.

Count the seals lying in a row: One, two, three and four. If you go to the beach,

You can count some more.

We are Saki Monkeys And we number five.

Only swinging in the trees Makes us feel alive.

We are Angu lizards And we hide beneath the sticks.

See if you can find us all, Right up to number six.

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J j Is for

Jaguar

K k Is for

Kinkajou

L l Is for

Llama

M m Is for

Macaw

N n Is for

Nandu (Rhea)

O o Is for

Ocelot P p

Is for

Peccary

Q q Is for

Quetzal

R r Is for

Red Footed Tortoise

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Dear Nana We arrived this afternoon in Rio Gallegos after an

uneventful trip. Well uneventful for us, but poor Joey was fairly sea-sick.

We had a great time in Australia, and now we are looking forward to getting up close and personal with South America. We already had a stop-over on the Falkland Islands. When you see the beauty there, it is difficult to imagine that these Islands were ravaged by war not so very long ago.

We will be traveling though Argentina first, up to Buenos Aires, and then cutting across to Santiago, Chile.

Well, the boys want to go and spend some time with Oscar and Joey, so let me be off,

Sleep tight, Marie

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Journal Entry 1 By Michael We have been traveling for a few days now, along the eastern coast of South America. It is funny to see, that on the sea side, it is lush and green, but just inland there is a dry desert like area. We have crossed more rivers already than we did in our whole travels through Africa and Australia in the same amount of time. I think South America has the more fresh water than any other country in the world. More than 6 million gallons of water per person each year.

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Journal Entry 2 By Christopher J We saw a lot of Armadillo’s today. They are such funny creatures. When I frightened one of them, it rolled up in a tight little ball, and I could have played soccer with it. We were told about ancient dwellings that have been found all over South America. There used to be a giant armadillo that lived here, and the people used their shells for homes. Shells have been found with signs of living in them. That sounds like they had the first mobile homes.

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