Location: Southern Africa
Status: Endangered
Population: 1400

Wild African Dog-Fun Facts
Meet Africa's most successful hunter and also one of the world’s most endangered mammals. The largest populations remain in southern Africa and the southern part of East Africa. 
African Wild Dogs are very a very social bunch, with large pack size it would be hard not to be.  The do have a hierarchy dominated by a dominant breeding pair with the female in the top rank. The work together within the pack to looking out for each other and not just when on the hunt. African wild dogs are able to take on prey much larger than themselves and their success rate is 80% - that's far more than lions, who kill successfully 30% of the time!  They are opportunistic predators. In a sprint, African wild dogs can reach speeds of more than 44 miles per hour.  Wild dogs are social and gather in packs of around 10 to 20 individuals, but some packs number more than 40+. Wild dog packs can occupy a space that spreads well beyond 386 square miles.

The scientific name of the African wild dog is "lycaon pictus", a latin term meaning "painted wolf" and a common nickname for the African wild dog.  They are are known by many other names including: cape hunting dog, painted dog, African hunting dog, painted hunting dog, and ornate wolf.  Their distinctive coats are mottled with black, brown, white and yellow, and each individual’s coat is unique, like a fingerprint!  While they do have dog in their name they are neither wolves or dogs and belong to their own genus.
 
Wild dogs communicate with one another through touch, tail wags and a variety of vocalizations that include a short bark (which can signify alarm), a howl (which rallies the wild dogs together), and a bell-like sound which can be heard over long distances.

Click on the sources below to learn more about the African Wild Dog, what is being done to help their populations, and how you might get involved. (source: WWF, One Kind Planet, Lion World Travel,  Wilderness Safaris and Aurifil)

This months Aurifil Color Builder Thread Club is focused on the Blue Throated Macaw. Can you say beautiful!  I just love that blue teal color paired with the golden yellow.

Location: Bolivia
Status: Critically Endangered
Population: 50-249

The Blue-Throated Macaw - Fun Facts
Macaws are one of the world's most recognizable feathered friends.  In Bolivia, they are known as barba azul, which means 'blue beard' in Spanish.  Macaws are the largest bird in the parrot family. They are frequently seen flying in large flocks.  Macaws are monogamous and stay bonded for life.  Bonded pairs will fly close together, with their wings nearly touching.  In the wild, macaws often flock to mountains of clay known as "macaw licks".

Macaws are playful and inquisitive and are able to mimic human vocalization.  They are probably the most vocal of the macaw species as this is their main form of communication.  When danger approaches they take to the sky, with a loud call to sound the alarm.  A group of macaws is know as a flock, or company, or pandemonium.  That last one may be surprise, but from some of their habits it sounds fitting.  Macaws  have a wingspan of about 3.5 feet and are able to fly at speeds of up to 35 mph.

Their incredibly strong beaks are specifically adapted for eating all sorts of nuts and seeds, eating primarily fruit from large palms.  The often use their beaks as a third arm, well a third foot to be more accurate.

A fact I find most interesting is the change is color of the eyes of the macaw as they age.  The eye color of a nestling is initially black, they changes to brown soon after their eyes open. Between 1 and 3 years old, their eyes will turn grey in color and then to white. As  macaws get older, the iris then turns yellow. The amount of gold increases with age after 10 years.

Macaws live to be on average 60 years in the wild, even as long as 100 years. When kept as pets, macaws are often known for outliving their owners, for this reason macaws are often noted into a persons will.   

Due to their vibrant color and patterns of their feathers make them popular in the illegal pet trade, which has devastated the wild exotic birds populations in the wild.  Their feathers were also used in tribal headdresses until recent years.

​Click on the sources below to learn more about the Blue Throated Macaw, what is being done to help their populations, and how you might get involved. (source: WWF, Animalia, Sea World,  and Aurifil)
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Location: Sumatra
Status: Critically Endangered 
Population: Less than 400

Sumatran Tiger Fun Facts
The Sumatran tiger is the smallest tiger in their family. Its stripes are also thinner than other tigers, assisting with camouflage in the shadows of the jungle. A group of tigers is known as an ‘ambush’ or a ‘streak’. Tiger cubs will start hunting from as young as one year old, but they’ll stay with their mother until they’re two years old. 

You may think that all cats hate to be in water, however unlike other cats, tigers like to swim. Sumatran Tigers have partial webbing between their toes, which makes them very fast swimmers.  Not only are Sumatran tigers good swimmers they are amazing jumpers as well, able to leap up 30 ft. ahead.

More fun facts on the sumatran tigers, they have 5 different types of whiskers that pick up different vibration and helps to make them excellent hunters. Speaking of hunting, a tiger can bite down with 1000 pounds of force.

Click on the sources below to learn more about the Sumatran Tiger, what is being done to help their populations, and how you might get involved. (source: WWF, National Geographic , ZSL London Zoo and Aurifil)

Ok, I should not pick favorites, but I think these incredible massive creatures of the sea are probably at the top of my list.    These sharks are not the man eaters you might find in killer shark movies like Jaws, they are actually considered gentle giants despite there massive size.
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​Location: Mesoamerican Reef, Coastal East Africa, Gulf of California, Coral Triangle
Status: Endangered 
Population: Approx. 7000

​Fun Facts
​Even though they have whale in their name, Whale Sharks are not whales, they are the largest fish living today.  We mentioned their massive size, they can grow to 40 feet in length, think of the size of a school bus, and 21.5 tons in weight.  The largest recorded size was 66ft!   Whale sharks can live, 70-100 the longest know living for approximate 150 years, amazing right.  Though they only swim about 3 mph, they travel massive distance each year.  

​Whale sharks are filter feeders and sieve plankton through their gills for much of their nourishment. They also sieve squid, krill, and small fish.  Although they don’t bite or chew, Whale Sharks actually do have teeth, thousands of them. Whale sharks have about 3,000 tiny teeth, less than 1-inch long, that help them eat small shrimp, fish and plankton.  While adult whale sharks are often found feeding at the surface, they have been known to dive to depths as deep as 3280 ft.

Like human fingerprints, whale sharks have a unique pattern of spots which allow individual sharks to be identified. By taking photos and cataloguing them, WWF has identified 458 different whale sharks in the Philippines. (source)

Hope you enjoyed some fun facts out the majestic Whale Shark. Click here to learn more about the Whale Shark, what is being done to help their populations, and how you might get involved. (source: WWF, Live Science, PADI, Aurifil)

Just a few more things to do and we are raring to go!!!  we are in Booth 619, right across from the entrance to the quilt show!  
Come on down to the KCRQF at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS 66211.
Show runs June 17-19 Thurs-Sat.  Can't wait to see you all!

Are you getting ready! Start the countdown, only 2 weeks till the KCRQF, woo hoo.
This is our first in person show since Covid hit.  We hope you will safely be able to join us June 17-19, Thurs-Sat, at the Overland Park Convention Center.  We are in Booth 619.
Hope to see you there and as always Hoppy Quilting!