Thursday, April 30, 2009

Capybara in the classroom

Survey Results:
Should animals have to earn their treats?
What are you complaining about?
  1. She's not asking for anything that hard. (16 37%)
  2. I thought animals celebrate Halloween every day. (2 4%)
  3. If I could get my dog/cat/hamster to do that, you bet I would! (4 9%)
  4. It's humiliating what she does to you. Come live with me. (10 23%)
  5. You call that "earning?" When I was a pup/kitten/kid I had to balance a ball on my nose for a peanut! (11 25%)
43 votes total (no multiples)
Well, my readers are not very sympathetic to my plight. I am very disappointed.

Statistics:
Starting view count: 1888
Followers: 45

What a great day I had Monday! To start off, my owner stayed home for the day. I love it when she does 'cause we spend so much more time together. Then it was raining, which I love because of the mud potential. But the best part was that I got to go visit a school. I hadn't done that in a long time and I'd forgotten how fun it is.

Walking up to the school in the rain.

I went specifically to visit a fourth grade class where a student had done a science project on capybaras. What a lucky girl! It makes me wish I could really attend school instead of just visiting but I don't guess that's an option.

Sheldon, my owner and I all checked in at the school office and met our student's mother and her friend. Her friend fed me an apple. I don't know why my owner doesn't do that. Well, maybe because I wouldn't eat it last time she gave me one. But you have to keep trying.

Eating an apple in the office.

I made a big splash in the office. Naturally everyone loved me. Then we had to climb some stairs up to the classroom. I am surprisingly good at going up and down stairs. Once in the classroom, our student gave a short introduction to capybaras (good job, Skyler!). Then my owner did a question and answer session.

My introduction.
Look how cute and good I am being.

Here are some of her questions (answers at the bottom).
  1. What are the major predators of capybaras?
  2. Where do capybaras live in the wild?
  3. What do capybaras eat?
  4. What's special about capybara teeth?
  5. What is the second largest rodent?
The kids loved answering the questions.

The kids did great and I think they learned a lot. The thing they learned the most was that capbyaras are not just the largest rodent in the world, we are also the cutest.

When it was almost time to go, the original class filed out and a new one filed in. They didn't get much time with me so I felt sorry for them. Then on the way out, we stopped to visit with an eighth grade class. We were in the front of the school so other kids wandered by and I got mobbed a little bit. But I kept my cool. My owner gave a bunch of kids fresh blueberries so I just kept searching from hand to hand to find them. Some kids stuck out their hands when they didn't have blueberries and that seemed a bit dishonest but I guess I can't blame them.

Here are the answers:
  1. jaguars, anacondas, caiman, crocodiles, people
  2. eastern South America
  3. mainly grasses and water plants
  4. like all rodents, capybaras have teeth that grow throughout their lives
  5. beavers

8 comments:

  1. Good job, Caplin! That must have been fun.

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  2. Caplin, you are very lucky to visit a school! I wish they would allow cats to go to school. I would get a lunchbox and everything.

    I think you did a great job teaching the students all about capybaras!

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  3. I didn't realize beavers were larger than Patagonian cavies... maybe I was confused by their stout legs.

    Speaking of legs, Caplin, I love the... how to put it... the way your fur fans out like a symmetrical cowlick where your back meets your rear legs (notice I didn't say rump!). It's very fashionable in a retro kinda way, like a cross between Elvis and Flock of Seagulls.

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  4. I have to agree with Grumblebunny on both accounts... because I see that I'm not the only one to think you resemble a beaver!

    As for the fur fanning out on your back-end... I agree! It's definitely retro-looking and you certainly know how to rock it! (However, Pig'ums told me that he has the cowlick thing really going on, but then again, Abyssinians generally do!)

    I still think you're awesome!

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  5. That was really fun.. As i can see on the pictures that the kids were so amazed and that they also love to touch your pet..

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  6. wow very funny I like when the teacher of my son let bring some animal like this to the clas because they leanr how to care of them in certain way.

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  7. What a strange animal, I thought that it was a dog, anyway its so cute

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