Goodwin Elementary School experienced something truly unforgettable! Our students didn't just watch a presentation — they traveled the world through wildlife! From armored mammals to glow-in-the-dark creatures and animals that can fly, hiss, and hold their breath for 40 minutes, Sharon Peterson from Incredible Bats brought an experience you normally don't find even at major zoos. 

Hands-on learning came alive as students met animals from nearly every continent, discovering incredible adaptations like spiders that audibly hiss, bats that migrate in massive numbers, sloths with rainforest ecosystems in their fur, scorpions that glow under UV light, and tiny gliders that can soar half a football field. 

What exactly did they see? 

• 🦥 Two-Toed Sloth: Their fur is basically a tiny rainforest: it's grooved so algae can grow in it, giving a green tint that helps camouflage... and yes, they can hold their breath up to ~40 minutes. 
• 🦂 Emperor Scorpion: It's one of the largest scorpions in the world, growing up to about 8 inches long — and despite looking terrifying, its sting is often compared to a bee sting in intensity. 
• 🦇 Egyptian Fruit Bat: Use echo clicks made with their tongues (not typical bat echolocation) to navigate in total darkness — basically mouth-powered sonar. 
• 🕷️ Honduran Curly Haired Tarantula: They look intimidating, but they're known for being calm and docile, which is why they're often uses in educational programs. 
• 🦎Leachianus Gecko: It's widely described as the largest living gecko, and unlike many lizards it can be shockingly vocal (clicks/barks/growls). 
• 🐚 La Plata Three-Banded Armadillo: It's one of the only armadillos that can seal up into a complete armored ball, leaving predators basically nothing to grab. 
• 🐹 Sugar Glider: That "cape" is a real membrane called a patagium, and they can glide about 150 feet (half a football field!). 
• 🦊 Fennec Fox: Those legendary ears aren't just cute — within the dog family, they have the largest ear-to-body ratio, helping them dump heat and detect prey underground. 
• 🦔 African Pygmy Hedgehog: They do a bizarre behavior called self-anointing: they make frothy saliva and smear it onto their spines like a DIY "scent armor." 
• 🐲 Bearded Dragon: They can change color in different body "zones": the back shifts with temperature, while the beard can turn jet black during social displays. 
• 🐢 Eastern Box Turtle: Some have been documented living over 100 years, meaning one turtle could outlive multiple generations of students. 
• 🐍 Ball Python: When frightened, it curls into a tight ball with its head hidden in the center — a full-body "nope" button. 
• 🐍 Corn Snake: In the wild they'll climb trees and even slip into abandoned buildings while hunting for prey. (Sneaky neighborhood ninja vibes.) 
• 🐁 Dormouse: The "dorm" in dormouse is real: some can hibernate six months or longer (basically half the year). 
• 🦎 Rainwater Gecko: "Rainwater" usually refers to the Rainwater (Las Vegas) Albino leopard gecko line, founded in 1998, known for lighter/pinker tones and darker eyes than other albino lines. 

What made this so special wasn't just seeing exotic animals — it was sparking curiosity, courage, and wonder. For many students, this was their very first up-close encounter with wildlife they had only seen in books or on screens. 

Moments like these inspire future scientists, conservationists, veterinarians, and explorers — and remind us that learning doesn't always happen at a desk. Sometimes it crawls, glides, climbs... and even hangs upside down. 

A HUGE thank you to Sharon Peterson and Incredible Bats for giving Goodwin Elementary a once-in-a-lifetime experience our students will never forget!