Label: Video

April 26, 2011

This photograph, taken in the wild at night, is of a Yellow Cricket Tree Frog (Dendropsophus microcephalus) in the middle of his mating call. 

These tiny frogs can be found throughout most of Central America, and some South American countries. It lives on the edges of the rainforest, mostly in marshy areas, ponds, and other pools of water.

This species of frog experiences metachrosis (meh-tah-CROW-sis, which means "color change"). During the night, its back is a light yellow color with various brown or tan markings. During the day, it darkens to a light brown with darker brown or red markings. We can tell that this is a photograph of a breeding male, because of his yellow vocal sac (the balloon-like bulge under his chin).

During the mating season, the male frogs gather in large groups of thousands of frogs around the breeding areas and call out from grasses at the edge of water. When they really get going, humans sometimes think the quick "creek-eek-eek-eek" call is being made by crickets. These frogs work hard when they are looking for a mate, producing between 200 to 380 notes per minute at their peak! Even though there are thousands of them making so many short noises, scientists have found that each male is careful to avoid having his calls overlap with others, because he wants to stand out from the other males in the group.

If you want to hear the sound of the calls of the yellow tree frog (and other frogs at well), click on this link. There are seven different frog calls captured in this video, which is a little dark because it was shot in the wild, at night. This frog is the last one on the clip (about 2½ minutes in).

Photo: Brian Gratwicke

Video: Nick Sly 

February 28, 2011

Here’s a question that I am often asked: If water is constantly being cleaned and recycled through the earth’s water cycle, why do we need to conserve it?

The answer is simple: We use up our planet’s fresh water faster than it can be replenished by nature.

And here’s the critical fact about water: About 75 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water, but only 1 percent of this is available for people to use. The rest is salt water or is frozen in polar ice caps and glaciers. 

NOW, do you see why it is important to conserve water?

Water is an essential resource for life and good health. According to WHO (the World Health Organization), 1 in every 3 people in the world does not have access to clean, safe water that meets their daily needs.

I decided to write about this today because I was inspired by this magical and beautiful film, made by an artist in Brazil. 

We all need to be part of the effort to conserve water, use it sparingly and only as we need it. We must protect this precious resource, without which life is not possible.

February 23, 2011

Since my new book (coming out in August) is BUTTERFLIES, I was very excited to be able to visit Aruba’s Butterfly Farm. It is a large garden, all enclosed by netting, with cocoons, caterpillars, and thousands of delicate butterflies from all over the world. Have you ever seen a black and white butterfly? This beauty is called a Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea leuconoe), and they were quite curious, fluttering around us the whole time that we were there.

Readers often ask me what my favorite animal is, and I always reply that it is whatever animal I am writing about at the moment. I do a lot of research when I am writing a book, and the more I learn, the more fascinated I become. So, my favorite animal at the moment is the butterfly, and it was SO exciting to be in this relatively small space and surrounded by fluttering creatures! 

The one on the right is called a Scarlet Swallowtail (Papilio Rumanzovia) - isn’t it beautiful? Any butterfly that has the two long, trailing pieces at the bottom of their wings is some kind of swallowtail.

Butterflies protect themselves from predators in many ways. For example, when it is a caterpillar, the Monarch butterfly eats a leaf that is poison to many animals. By storing the poison in its body, the adult Monarch butterfly is avoided by predators who would otherwise eat it. Other butterflies protect themselves through an amazing natural phenomenon called "mimicry" - they appear to be something else altogether, like a leaf, a stick, or a piece of bark. While we were there, my wife Liz shot a video of a Dead-Leaf butterfly. Click on this link to play the video and you will see exactly how mimicry works.

Dead-Leaf Butterfly Video.

The scientific name for the Dead-Leaf butterfly is Kallima inachus. Whomever gave this genus of tropical butterflies the name Kallima must have been looking at the topside of the wings, since it comes from the Greek word for "beautiful"!

January 21, 2011

I had a great time at Eagle Springs Elementary school in Humble, Texas yesterday. Donna Smalley, the librarian at Eagle Springs Elementary school was so quick - click here to see the video full of great photos from our day together. Her note read:  "So many positive and enthusiastic comments (from the students)!"

Thanks, Donna. Your kids were obviously well prepared, and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Eagle Springs!

January 20, 2011

Reader Mary Spezzano sent a note this week to tell us how excited she and her boys are that Lily the Black Bear is due to give birth again very soon (probably within the next week). "Everyone is excited, nervous and eager to see how it will all play out since Hope (1 year old cub from last year) is in the den with her," Mary writes. "This will be a rare glimpse into a mixed age litter!!!!!" Mary and her sons Patrick, Sean and James are watching Lily and Hope on a webcam placed in their den by biologist Lynn Rogers of the Wildlife Research Institute near Ely, Minnesota.

Although Dr. Rogers’ intention was to conduct a long-term, scientific study of black bear ecology and behavior, he also ended up creating ursine Internet celebrities! More than 25,000 viewers watched live as Lily gave birth to her cub, Hope, last January. Hearts melted as Hope’s tiny paw reached out to touch Lily’s nose just after the birth.

Click here to watch the bears live on the webcam, and while you are on the website you can also read notes from Lynn Rogers, the biologist. In yesterday’s post he described what is likely to happen when the cubs are born. "With birth(s) about to happen, there are so many things to think about. What to look for? Likely 1-3 cubs, each about ¾ pound and 9 inches long, covered with sparse fur and looking light-colored because of their white skin. They will have little sucking mouths with no teeth. Is there room in the den? The den is 5-6 feet long. The cubs will mostly be under Lily.  They are too small to take up much room."

To learn more about bears and this bear research visit the North American Bear Center and read Dr. Rogers’ blog on the Wildlife Research Institute page.

January 19, 2011

There’s a new video that showcases Seymour Simon’s books as you’ve never experienced them before - animated to a Breakbeat music track!

Shelly Puckett, the Library Media Specialist at Meadows Elementary School in Meadows Place, Texas, wanted to get her kids excited about Seymour’s visit to their school.  So she used Animoto to make this very hip animation. Click here to view and dance along to beat of Seymour Simon’s world. Wonderful!

(Music track: "Montreal" by Seattle drummer KJ Sawka).

October 27, 2010

Look at this entry in Seymour’s Go Gorilla! Contest. This is Olivia doing her best imitation of Gorilla behavior. What a cutie!

If you or your class haven’t yet entered, it’s easy. No fancy video equipment needed — you can even use a cell phone that records video. Then click on the “Send Us Photos/Video” link at the top of Seymour’s home page. The instructions are clear and simple (we designed it that way, so that a kid can do it!).

This contest only runs through the Fall semester, so enter now to win personally autographed Seymour Simon books, have your video showcased on the website for the world to see, or if you’re the Grand Prize winner, a Seymour Simon SKYPE session (that’s a conversation over computers, using a web cam) for your class.

You’ve got to be in it to win it. Study up on gorilla behavior, point your camera and GO GORILLA!

September 30, 2010

This is something that I have been meaning to post for awhile. When Seymour spoke at the Literacy Conference at  San Angelo State University earlier this year, he was introduced by district education specialist Dedra Carter. Dedra had been up very late the night before making this wonderful "animoto" slide show - complete with text and music - to introduce Seymour. It is very touching, and the emotion reflects the way we felt about our week there. Lots of love right back at you, San Angelo! 

CLICK HERE to view Dedra Carter’s animoto video introduction to Seymour Simon’s speech. 

September 1, 2010

Just in time for Back to School we are running a funny contest on SeymourSimon.com. We want to see entrants "Go Gorilla!" by uploading videos of themselves imitating real gorilla behavior.

(Photo: Reuters)

The Grand Prize Winner earns a free Seymour Simon Skype session with their class — now there’s a way to get in good with your new teacher! And, there are lots of other great prizes.

o  

 o   THIRD PRIZE: Twenty randomly chosen videos will receive personally autographed photographs of Seymour Simon.

o   SECOND PRIZE: Ten randomly chosen videos will receive personally autographed copies Seymour Simon’s GORILLAS book. 

o   FIRST PRIZE: The top five best videos will be posted on the Seymour’s website for everyone to see.

There is nothing to lose, and a lot to win! Click here to find out how to enter, study up on what gorillas do, and send us your video today!!

August 17, 2010

I don’t know about you, but many of us here on the East Coast of the U.S. never caught a glimpse of last week’s Perseid meteor shower. After all the excitement about what a great year it was going to be for viewing because of the new moon keeping the sky very dark, the weather here was cloudy, and we didn’t see a thing.

Do not despair! Henry Jun Wah Lee shot this incredible time lapse video from California’s Joshua Tree National Park, editing several segments together into a montaged view of not only the meteor shower, but also of the Milky Way galaxy as it rotates in the night sky (well, actually, WE are rotating, but it looks like the stars are moving overhead).

Check this out. It is absolutely breathtaking.

Joshua Tree Under the Milky Way from Henry Jun Wah Lee on Vimeo.

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