The Shenandoah Salamander is a small terrestrial amphibian. That means they don't have lungs and rely solely on their skin to breathe. They can only be found on three mountaintops in the Shenandoah National Park. They are mostly nocturnal (night) animals and spend their days sleeping in and under rocks and leaves. When there is no rain, the salamanders are not very mobile. They need the moisture to breathe well. If you are lucky enough to see one- LEAVE THEM ALONE. They are endangered and since they are an endemic species (only found in that place), we need to stay out of their way so they continue to thrive.

Marvin and Huck want you to share any unique species of animals or plants that live near you. Share your answers on Social Media @dacia92 #MarvinandHuck #ExpeditionsInEducation to receive your digital badge. You can also email your answers to [email protected] SUBJECT: Marvin & Huck

We will drop a new edition each week. Read through the cartoon, learn more about the content, and share with us on Social Media or via Email. You will receive access to a digital or printable badge. ([email protected] SUBJECT: Marvin and Huck) 

Reposted from "Adventures Blog Page" 
We are excited to introduce you to Marvin the Moose and Hucklebeary Bear! They will be joining our "Expeditions In Education" Team in just a few weeks. They are onboarding right now but will be up to speed with all things relating to the National Parks Expedition Challenge soon. We will tell you a little about each of them and how they will be supporting the non-profit. 

Marvin the Moose comes to us from right outside Bozeman, Montana. He was born inside of Yellowstone National Park but his parents moved to Bozeman for the good food and music. He is one of 3 brothers and loves to eat twigs, bark, roots and the shoots of woody plants. He just finished up his internship at "Moose R Us" and is ready to join the team. His experience in the wild will help him as he tells the stories of the National Parks. We know that Moose are solitary animals and move independently but he has agreed to widen his horizons and work with us. He will tell you that although he has been domesticated and is very friendly, that is not true of other Moose. Leave them alone when you see them. Enjoy them from a distance because the males have wide antlers that can measure up to 2 meters in width, from tip to tip. Welcome Marvin!!

HuckleBeary Bear comes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. His mother and father were killed a year ago and Hucklebeary has no other family to take care of him. He is about 5 feet long from nose to tail. He likes to eat herbs, grasses, honey, nuts, fruit, berries and seeds. He also eats fish, small mammals, insects, dead animals and garbage. Huck (as he likes to be called) comes from a long line of nappers. He likes to take several naps a day. He is considered to be a highly efficient hibernator. He can sleep for months without eating, drinking, or pooping. We think he will make a great addition to our team also. 

Their job will be to tell stories as they see them happening in the parks. We are thrilled that they are willing to join us. They will start out writing for our blog but if everything works out with their managers, we hope to have a book in the works, soon. We all have a lot of learning to do as we become friends. Stay tuned for The Adventures of Marvin and Huck. ​