Oldest Ever
In doing some research for the upcoming Save the…Turtles! I have discovered that the oldest living land animal is a Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan, estimated to be 190 years old and with a decent chance of making it to his second century.
My editor, naturally, wanted to know if there were any marine animals that are as old or older. Yes. Including one Quahog clam who is 500.
I cannot imagine anything more boring than being a clam for 500 years.
Read MoreHappy Frog Day!
This week Save the…Frogs! will be leaping onto shelves at bookstores and libraries everywhere. Find out about frogs that fly (okay, glide) and freeze solid. Learn what it’s actually like to change from an aquatic tadpole into an adult that can hop on land. And how exactly do frogs manage to capture dinner with their tongues? It’s all here!
Prehistoric Turtles
Archelon. Cretaceous period. Scarier than T. rex.
Currently I’m researching turtles for a nonfiction chapter book. I have discovered that in prehistoric times there was a turtle with a shell thirteen feet long. IT HAD TEETH.
I am not okay with this.
Read MoreWhy Do Sloths Poop On the Ground?
One day you may discover the secret of my poops.
Just send a new manuscript off to my agent–fingers crossed that we’ll find a publisher. The working title is SCAT! Fascinating Facts About What Animals Leave Behind. Because who doesn’t love a good poop book?
(My teenaged daughter, that’s who. She’s the one who has had to listen to me chat about my topics of research over the dinner table for the last few months.)
I thought I’d share my favorite fascinating fact: sloths poop on the ground. It is literally the only time they climb down out of their trees, and it’s a fraught and perilous journey. They are in danger the whole time, vulnerable to predators that they can’t run away from. Luckily they only defecate about once a week. (Their digestive system is as slow as the rest of them.) But why would they do it this way in the first place?
NO ONE KNOWS. It is one of the great mysteries of biology.
There are theories. It sends a signal about readiness to mate! It fertilizes the tree upon which the sloth depends for food and shelter! And my favorite–it allows the moths which nest in the sloth’s fur a chance to lay their eggs in the poop! But no one is really sure.
I love that there are mysteries left in the world.
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Readers will treasure the blossoming friendship between opposites in this whimsically illustrated tale. Short chapters and plenty of action make for an accessible and appealing reading experience. . . . Touching and inspiring.”
—Kirkus Reviews