Extreme Mammals

Last Sunday was free admission day at the Texas state history museum, so we headed over to check out the Extreme Mammals exhibit.

If you have ever wanted to see a giant sloth skeleton up close, this is the exhibit for you. I actually didn't realize giant sloths were a real thing! I thought they were more like unicorns -- an animal whose existence we only wish for.

Flying squirrel's gonna getcha!

The smallest mammal...

Indeed, very small.

The craziest part was seeing animals that looked like mutations, but were actually in existence as a species at one time in history. Did you know some beavers used to have horns?

Horns were a common theme.

Deer had fangs?!

And whales walked on land.

Sorry, Mr. Walking Whale, you are creeping me out.

The narwhal was Tony's giant sloth -- he didn't believe it actually existed, in spite of the heartwarming scene in Elf. But this horn proves otherwise.

Interactive stations kept Jackson and Olivia entertained.

The only ancient animals I'm used to seeing in museums are dinosaurs, so learning about these mammals was a nice change of pace.

Afterwards we hit up Whole Foods for an alfresco lunch. Kosmic Kombucha is Austin-based, and I think they have the best, most unique flavors of any kombucha on the market. I went with a Salty Dog -- grapefruit, sea salt, and agave.