New Creatures and Critters Around Town

Looking for a place to see some cute little critters? These three are living at three different locations. Meet them all!

Gray Tree Frog

Have you ever seen a tree frog in Michigan? Odds are slim: The only type we have is an expert at camouflage. But now, you can spot one at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum’s new gray tree frog exhibit in the Michigan Nature gallery.

The display is a 3-by-3-foot replica of the frog’s natural wetland habitat. Visitors learn all about these frogs – which live in eastern North America, eat small invertebrates and lay eggs in fresh water – while they try and find one.

Built in collaboration with Ann Arbor’s Leslie Science & Nature Center, this exhibit is part of the ongoing “Critters Up Close” program. It isn’t exactly hands-on, but it’s super interactive, says AAHOM executive director Mel Drumm.

“It can take time to find him enjoying his new habitat,” he says in a press release.

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Address: 220 E. Ann St., Ann Arbor
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday-Saturday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday
Admission: $12/person
Contact: 734-995-5439

Library Hedgehog

The newest “edition” at Wyandotte’s Bacon Memorial District Library is a hit with patrons. His name is Casper. And the 5-month-old hedgehog has been calling the desk behind the reference counter home since January.

This tiny guy, whose name was chosen by library patrons, spends most of his day sleeping – but takes breaks to play or listen to a story. Kids and grown-ups can’t hold him, but they can look at and pet him with permission. Please, just don’t tap on the glass!

“He’s trying to sleep,” explains youth librarian Nicole Lesperance, “and it’s only polite.” Casper came from Eternal Hedgehogs in Oxford. He’s up and about at 10-11 a.m. and 7-9 p.m. The library has a bank set up so his friends can contribute to his care.

Bacon Memorial District Library

Address: 45 Vinewood St., Wyandotte
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Contact: 734-246-8357

Baby Foal Arriving

On May 25, a peppermint-loving horse at Carousel Acres in South Lyon is due to give birth. Fittingly, mom’s name is “Anticipation.”

Annie, as pals call her, is a black-and-white Gypsy Vanner. She became pregnant after two years of trying. Originally, Annie was bred twice with a mostly black stallion. No luck. Then, she met Mr. Biker Conner. The pair conceived immediately, reports Tammy Iaconelli, Carousel Acres’ owner. Sadly, Mr. Biker was lost to colic just one day after Annie’s ultrasound. But mom is doing well. The sex of the baby has yet to be determined.”I just hope that, whatever it is, it has a black tail,” Iaconelli says. Visitors can see the foal with Annie shortly after birth.