Our study of Israel took us to discuss the indigenous fauna of the country. Although Israel has many animals that live there, I had to pick a few to make into these fun Montessori-inspired 3-part matching cards, limited by what free photos I could find (yes, I’m cheap) and what miniatures were available.
Mountain Gazelle (Gazella gazella) – is most commonly found in Israel, but also can be found in Turkey. Both male and females have horns, and have adapted to dry dessert-like conditions. I found my miniature on eBay for a few dollars, but had to wait to have it shipped from China. You can also purchase this one from Amazon, which is similar.
Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) – this animal is found in almost all of Israel except the dessert areas. They are adaptable to many different kinds of habitat, and eat both plants and animals. I found my miniature on eBay for a few dollars, but had to wait to have it shipped from China. You can also purchase this one from Amazon, which is similar.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinu) – is a bird of prey, and famous for it’s speed while hunting, which can reach over 320 km/h (200 mph) as it dives for it’s prey; it is the fastest member of the animal kingdom. I found my miniature on eBay for a few dollars, but had to wait to have it shipped from China. You can also purchase this one from Amazon, which is similar.
Sand Cat (Felis margarita) – is the only cat know for living prominently in true deserts. It has long hairs covering the soles of its feet, so it can tolerate the extremes of a desert environment (extremely hot and cold) temperatures. I bought my miniature on Amazon, although it’s only marketed as a regular cat, it looks similar.
Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) – this animal is unfortunately endangered, and few exist today, and one of the smaller leopards in the world. These leopards are predominantly nocturnal, but they are sometimes spotted during the day as well. I found my miniature on eBay for a few dollars, but had to wait to have it shipped from China. You can also purchase this one from Amazon, which is similar.
Middle East Tree Frog (Hyla savignyi) – this frog species is endemic to Israel, and is unfortunately been declared an endangered species. They prefer a temperate climate and are found most often near water sources. I had a hard time finding a miniature for this, as most tree-frog miniatures did not match the coloring of this frog. I eventually settled for this one on Amazon, but you may find a better match if you look further.
Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) – this salamander is one of the most common in Europe. It can be easily spotted due to it’s black color with either yellow spots or stripes, although the color does vary. They can also live very long, with one living more than 50 years in a museum! I use a miniature that I got in a Yowie surprise chocolate. Since you can’t buy an exact one, I’d recommend this one that can be found on Amazon.
Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius) – is the largest camel with one hump on its back. Dromedaries are usually active during daylight hours, and live in herds of about 20 individuals, which are led by a dominant male. I found my miniature on eBay for a few dollars, but had to wait to have it shipped from China. You can also purchase this one from Amazon, which is similar.
I laminated my cards so they would stand up to little fingers.
We talked about each animal, and basic species it was (bird, mammal, reptile, insect, etc). We talked about if it was large or small. My preschooler then matched up the animals with the miniatures. After this we worked on matching the word cards to the animal pictures (I read the word cards to her, since she can’t read yet).
What fun to learn about animals that live in other countries! 🙂
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