Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Picture Of The Week - Small But Mighty

Not only does this picture prove the power of teamwork, it's also a testament to the amazing strength of ants! According to The Telegraph, a photograph snapped this shot of three ants carrying a dead dragonfly away after it fell out of a spider's web.

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Small But Mighty Ants

We've written before about how incredibly strong ants are, able to carry more than 50 times their weight, but it's always awesome to see it in action!

Friday, January 25, 2013

The Asian Unicorn

OK, so the saola, also known as the Asian unicorn, isn't a mythical creature but it's certainly close! One of the world's rarest mammals, this animal has only been seen in the wild four time since its discovery two decades ago.

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Saola
 
The saola was discovered in 1992 when scientists spotted three skulls, with the saolas' trademark long horns, in the homes of local hunters. Despite many attempts, no saola has been sighted in the wild by a scientist. The only saola to be captured died while in captivity, before scientists could study it and release it back to the wild.
TheJungleStore.com Blog | Saola

Found only in regions of Vietnam and Laos, the saola is a shy creature that stays in its natural habitat in the forests, never going close to farmed fields or villages. A member of the bovine family, the saola is a lives on a diet of small, leafy plants.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Picture Of The Week - Frosty Faceplant

You might notice a striking similarity between last week's Picture Of The Week and today's. No, that fox isn't actually face-planting into the snow. He's diving into, hunting for mice.

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Red Fox In Snow

This amazing photo is just one in a sequence caught by Tin Man Lee during a trip to Yellowstone National Park. He told The Daily Mail: 'I never knew the fox could jump so high and fast - I was in awe,' he said. 'The fox completely ignored my existence.'

'After waiting to see one in six days we couldn't believe it when it decided to hunt right in front of us,' he said. 'We were extremely lucky - it was a dream come true.'

See the sequence of events as they unfolded right before Lee.

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Red Fox In Snow

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Red Fox In Snow

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Red Fox In Snow

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Red Fox In Snow

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Red Fox In Snow

Red foxes typically hunt rodents. Their extraordinary sense of sound helps them hunt; they can hear mice squeaking from approximately 300 feet away and can locate noises within one degree. To read more about Lee's photos, click here.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Meet The New Brand - Wonderworld Toys

In this increasingly electronic and digital world, it’s important to remember that sometimes, you need to hit the “Off” switch. And that’s especially true when it comes to your children’s toys. Kids need the chance to be able to create and imagine their own world of play, rather than have a pre-determined one shown to them via electronic toys.

That’s why we are so excited to add Wonderworld Toys to our list of toys brands. They only make wooden toys and play sets, designed to foster creative and educational play for children.




 


Wonderworld Toys is also an environmentally-friendly brand, use replenishable materials AND they plant two trees for every one that is used for production of their products. It’s a brand you can truly feel good about supporting! Click here to see our entire inventory of Wonderworld toys.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Proof That Dragons Are Real?

What is this creature? It looks like something from a mythical realm; a dragon worthy of "Game Of Thrones". Surely it can't be real.

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Blue Sea Slug

This creature is real but, sadly, it's not a dragon. In fact, it's not even a reptile. This is the Glaucus atlanticis, more commonly known as the blue sea slug. Though it can't fly like a dragon, it can float upside down on the tension of the ocean surface.

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Blue Sea Slug

Another amazing fact about the blue sea slug? It only gets up to 3 centimeters in size! Here's a picture to give you a visual of just how tiny this creature is.

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Blue Sea Slug

Though tiny, the blue sea slug feeds on organisms much larger than itself, including the venomous Portuguese Man 'O War. The blue sea slug is immune to the Man 'O War's venom and actually stores it for use against predators.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Picture Of The Week - Dive, Dive!

There were a couple reasons why we chose this photo as our Picture Of The Week. The first is because it's timely, with low temperatures and snow and ice prevailing in many parts of our country right now. And second is because of the impressive hunting skills it showcases.


The photo is of a kingfisher plunging into the icy waters and coming back up with three tasty fish to feast upon. Kingsfishers hunt from perches not far above the water. They open their wings underwater and their eyes are covered with a transparent third eyelid. Many young Kingfishers drown during their first attempts at hunting.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Meet The New Brand - 3 Sprouts

If you're in need of getting your baby's nursery organized, our new brand 3 Sprouts can help you do it! And, they organize is some of the cutest ways we've ever seen. The brand, which will celebrate its sixth anniversary this spring, offers storage caddies, bags, boxes and more adorned with sweet animal images.

TheJungleStore.com | 3 Sprouts Storage Caddies
Storage Caddies

TheJungleStore.com | 3 Sprouts Wall Organizers
Wall Organizers

TheJungleStore.com | 3 Sprouts Storage Bins
Storage Bins

TheJungleStore.com | 3 Sprouts Laundry Hampers
Hampers

TheJungleStore.com | 3 Sprouts Storage Boxes
Storage Boxes

Seriously, can you think of a better (or cuter) way to get organized? We also have some of 3 Sprout's non-storage items, like their adorable hooded towels and mobiles, so be sure to visit their page to see our full inventory!

Friday, January 11, 2013

The Many Colors Of The Pheasant

The traditional ring neck pheasant, or common pheasant, is a very pretty bird, with red and deep emerald/blue feathers on its head and rich golden brown feathers covering its body. However, the ring neck pheasant's plumage pales in comparison to that of it's colorful cousins. It looks, well, pretty common. 

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Ring Neck Pheasant
Ring Neck Pheasant
TheJungleStore.com Blog | Lady Amherst Pheasant
Lady Amherst Pheasant

TheJungleStore.com Blog | Red Golden Pheasant
Red Golden Pheasant
TheJungleStore.com Blog | Yellow Golden Pheasant
Yellow Golden Pheasant
TheJungleStore.com Blog | green pheasant
Japanese Green Pheasant
Pheasants' plumage actually spans the color spectrum from white to nearly black. Some of these colors are natural and others are the result of captive breeding and hybridization.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Meet The New Brand - Rich Frog

If you haven’t visited TheJungleStore.com in awhile, you’ve likely missed seeing all of the new brands we’ve added to our store! Today starts a new weekly blog feature where we spotlight one of our new brands and the amazing products they make.

Today we’re spotlighting Rich Frog, a Vermont-based company that’s been in business since 1994. Our Rich Frog section features many of their products designed to make bath time more enjoyable for your baby (and you)! These products include…

TheJungleStore.com | Rich Frog Organic Bath Mitts
Organic Bath Mitts

TheJungleStore.com | Rich Frog Soap Sacks
Soap Sacks

TheJungleStore.com | Rich Frog Original Rubber Duck
Rubber Ducky

TheJungleStore.com | Rich Frog Gone Fishin' Game
Gone Fishin' Play Sets

TheJungleStore.com | Rich Frog Mom And Mini Bath Mitts
Mom & Mini Bath Mitts

With so many fun toys to keep them entertained, not only will your kids want to take their baths, they'll want to stay in the tub longer! We also have a variety of Rich Frog products for outside the bathroom, including baby booties and slippers, Tooth Fairy pillows, crinkle toys and more! With such fun and cute items, we're sure Rich Frog will soon become one of our most popular brands.