Techno Critters appeared in Kids Imagination Train, an online magazine published by Randi Mrvos.
Hurrah! Finally dear readers, a poem I wrote entitled “A Squirrel’s Lucky Day” was submitted to Kids Imagination Train and accepted for publication in their online children’s magazine. I am most grateful to Randi Mrvos, Editor of the former magazine Kids Imagination Train who worked with me and never gave up hope that this poem would meet the requirements of their excellent children’s magazine.
They call me Rylai and I’m a chinchilla. My name rhymes with Hi-Lie! I live with the Faranda family in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. Josie Faranda makes sure I have enough to eat. My diet consists of fruit,nuts and seeds. We are herbivores and eat mostly plants In the wild I eat grass, roots, leaves and bark.
Guess how old I am?
Forty-one million years ago my ancestors were some of the first rodents to appear in South America. You could say we chinchillas are 41 million years old!
Brrr. It’s chilly here in Chile!
In the wild I live in the Andes Mountains of Chile, South America where the temperature can dip as low as -5 degrees Centigrade (that is 23 degrees Fahrenheit, or below freezing). That’s why I need very thick fur to keep me warm. I have on the average 65 hairs per follicle; that’s a sac or gland holding each hair in place. Humans only have between 2-3 hairs.
Yipes! Is that a Snake?
We like to stick together in herds of between 14 and 100 to warn each other about snakes, birds of prey and other predators. Yes, we have big ears, but we rely on them to keep us safe. Our strong sense of smell also protects us from skunks.
I’m in Trouble
People love our soft fur and that’s why there are not many of us left in the wild. Only chinchillas should wear chinchilla coats! No one else. We don’t want to become extinct. Do you know any other animals that are endangered?
No Water Baths Please!
If you want me for a pet, I need special care. Chinchillas don’t take water baths. We like to take special dust baths in pumice, a kind of gray volcanic stone used to clean. You have to dry me off right away if I get wet. Otherwise, my fur can develop a fungus or an infection.
I’m a Natural Acrobat!
Chinchillas have tails that help us balance and we can climb tall mountains and rocks in the wild. I can jump from high places, up to 6 feet! How high can you jump?
The Better to See You!
My eyes look big, but they are not well-developed. Luckily, my whiskers help me move around and feel things. They are almost half as long as my whole body.
If I Get scared
I hope you won’t scare me if you see me. We lose clumps of fur if we are stressed. You can calm us down and soothe us though and we’ll be all right. You can pet me, but I don’t like to be picked up by strangers. I like to be by myself in a cage and hide in my nesting box that’s filled with hay. I like to gnaw on the hay and eat it for roughage like you eat salad.
We love the Night Life!
We sleep a lot during the day and are active at dawn and dusk. We like safe wooden toys to play with and chew on. We need exercise like you do, so we enjoy running around in our cages.
How was your Day?
Josie sometimes asks me, “How was your day Rylai?” I can’t talk, but I love to nuzzle and bury my soft fur in people’s arms when they pick me up. We also like to nibble. That’s how we show our affection. If I nibble too hard, Josie says gently, “No, Rylai!” Then I get a raisin if I behave. I’m lucky to have the Faranda family take care of me. I’m a very happy chinchilla.
Bibliography
In 2012 author Corinne Ruff and Illustrator Lisa Benjamin put together a collection of contributions from those who have loved and lived on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. In “Life Lessons” some lucky entries from “island children” of all ages were chosen and showcased for the book. My paragraph was chosen in the chapter subtitled “Starfish.” I am most grateful to my friends JoAnn and Don Fannon who have shared their beach house in Ship Bottom on LBI with me. It continues to feed my soul every time I am there.
When I walk along the shore of the Island, I never tire of seeing myriad numbers of sea creatures – from the channeled whelk to the sand dollar to the thousands of colored shells deposited on the shoreline. I stop and look in awe and think of the long journey they took before these sea creatures arrived at the water’s edge. The lesson I learn is to admire the beauty, the symmetry and the utter uniqueness of each of these small miracles of nature. On my walk I hope to be inspired to go deep within myself to create something of beauty so that I, too, may leave something behind in my creative journey – just like the ocean does every minute of every day, 365 days a year. And I hope my art will inspire others just as the Island continues to inspire me and attract people of all ages to come, look, listen and take in every aspect of its beauty.
Beetle Bob: Good Morning, Wolfgang. Nice to meet you. Aren’t you a famous composer?
Earthworm Wolfgang: Hello. No, I am a decomposer, like yourself. Say, weren’t you a member of that famous rock band in the 60’s?
Beetle Bob: No, I wish I were though. They spell their name with an “a.” I’m a regular here too. How do you like their menu?
Earthworm Wolfgang: The food here is really rotten. My friends and I give it 5 Stars! We especially like to order the banana peel on toast, apple cores and shredded lettuce. How about yourself?
Beetle Bob: I’m partial to the coffee grounds and egg shells for dessert. Friends of mine love to munch on specials they have like woods chips and leaves, especially now that fall is here.
Earthworm Wolfgang: Yes, I love this time of year since it’s still warm. I need to burrow down today and give my setae some exercise. They’re like tiny bristles that help us earthworms get around. We create lots of tunnels underground which helps water flow and aerate the soil. And our slimy skin helps us wiggle through the dirt. At least you beetles have legs, don’t you?
Beetle Bob: Yes, beetles have 6 legs. We’re pretty lucky that way. I’m hoping some of the microbial decomposers like fungi, bacteria and protozoans get going. Those fellows work hard too and generate the heat we need to break down a lot of organic material in the compost.
Earthworm Wolfgang: Beetles are lucky. You have eyes and ears. We earthworms have no ears and no real eyes, just cells that detect light. We prefer the dark and shy away from light. If we dry up, we die. Did you know there are over 1800 species of earthworms?
Beetle Bob: I had no idea. That’s amazing. We all do our share churning up this soil, moving the earth around. People don’t realize how hard we work while they’re asleep.
Earthworm Wolfgang: Right and even when they’re awake, walking around on top of us, we’re busy. Thanks to the strong muscles in our mouths, we can munch on leaves, banana peels, apple skins, corn cobs and a host of scraps people feed us. Then our alimentary canal detoxifies the materials and out come our castings (also called worm poop!) That’s the black gold used by gardeners and farmers. Castings are rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, along with small amounts of iron, calcium, copper and magnesium.
Beetle Bob: Wow, that sure is a magical combination you are producing! And the best part is all the compost doesn’t go into landfills and increase the gas they call methane. It’s harmful to the environment.
Earthworm Wolfgang: Absolutely! I think the humans are finally catching on. That famous guy Charles Darwin was a wormologist and studied us earthworms for over 40 years.
Beetle Bob: I’ve heard of Darwin. He wrote about evolution, but I had no idea he was into worms! Amazing. So I hope we can connect here again. I hear their Sunday brunch menu is very appetizing. Look forward to seeing you Wolfgang.
Earthworm Wolfgang: My pleasure, Bob. I’ll definitely see you here again soon. Here’s to us Movers and Shakers!
