Description of Figure/Doll

Colombian woman made with wire that is covered with felt. She has a hat made of burlap, and her face is hand-painted.  She is wearing a cotton print skirt and felt shawl. She has a scarf under her shawl and a purse around her neck. She represents the culture of Colombia.

Link to higher resolution images at ClipPix

Colombia

Location: South America

Capital: Bogota

Main language: Spanish

Currency: Colombian Peso

Figure/Doll

Construction: wire,felt

Height in Centimeters: 20

Height in Inches: 8

Life and Bats in the Andes Mountains

Reading Level: 5.30

My name is Mimi and I live in Andes mountains of Colombia. Our village is outside Bogota. I’m glad we live way out in the country – some people say the Colombian cities are dangerous.

We live a simple life, working on the coffee plantation and going to school. My favorite pastime it to listen to cumbia, bambuco, llanera, and other Colombian music. The music never fails to remind me that I live in a country full of rhythm and high spirit.

I also like to explore the mountains, rivers, and forests with my brother Miguel. I guess I’m a bit of a tomboy! There are many caves in the mountains near us, and I often see bats hanging upside down in the caves.

Miguel says the bats are important because they eat mosquitoes and other insects. Bats also help by spreading seeds.  For example, they pollinate Kapok trees and scatter the seeds of the breadnut tree.

Bats are nocturnal, meaning they fly and hunt at night. It’s not that they can see in the dark. They have the ability to send out sound waves (like radar). The sound waves bounce back letting the bats know where things like trees and insects are located.

There is a saying “blind as a bat”; however, bats are not blind at all. Research has proven that their eyesight is actually quite good.

Once I asked Miguel, “Why do bats hang upside down?” He said that although have strong wings, they have very weak legs. With over 178 different kinds of bats in Colombia, I like learning more about them.


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