Woodland Park Zoo Field Trip
The field trip I chose was the trip to woodland park zoo on February 25th. I chose this field trip because I have always loved the zoo as a kid and it would be exciting to go with a group with an interest in the spending time at the zoo as well. It was a cold and cloudy morning, but that ended up playing to our advantage as it kept the large crowds away.
The first animal we saw on our list of Northwest animals was the Gray Wolf. I have always been fascinated with wolves in general so it was exciting to see them out and about. The most interesting part of the wolf exhibit was that they were being fed at the time with what appeared to be small rabbits. When at the wolf exhibit I had noticed the positioning of their feet which is an adaptation that allows them to walk silently while leaving only a small trail. From what I observed I would expect the skull of the would to have forward facing eyes, since it is a predator, long nasal turbinates, a common characteristic of canines, and a prominent sagittal crest, which is implied by the wolf's carnivorous diet. For the most part the wolves were minding their own business while avoiding the zoo keeper in their exhibit. When comparing the Gray wolf with our local Red fox it is easy to note the drastic difference in size, the Gray wolf being much larger; however, you can also compare the fact that wolves are far more social than foxes in that the form packs and raise their young together. During my last trip to wolf haven in 2016 I learned that the current population of wolves in the Pacific Northwest was a little over 70, consisting of around 15 packs. Wolves howl for several reasons, but the three primary reasons are to alert each other to a source of food, find a mate, and to warn off rival packs. Adult grey wolves can eat up to 14 pounds of meat a day, with most averaging around 7 pounds a day. I often wonder what derived the evolution of the wolves highly advanced and distinct communication skills.
The second animal we saw was the Great Gray Owl. The most interesting part of the Great Gray Owl exhibit was how tall the netting was compared to the snow owl exhibit. An interesting adaptation that I noticed about Gray Owls was their Gray feathers that allows it to blend in with it's environment. Three features I would expect to see on a Gray Owl's skull would be Forward facing eyes, Large Orbits, and large bullae for detecting sound; a good way to distinguish the Gray owl skull form a Snowy owl skull is the size of the orbits, the orbits will be larger on the Gray Owl. The Gray Owl was perched atop a tall tree in it's exhibit. Gray Owls are most prominent west of the Cascades. The Gray Owl's face has been designed so that it amplifies and collects sound allowing it to pinpoint prey. The average Gray Owl has is about 27 inches tall with an average wing span of 4 feet 7 inches and weighing around 2 to 3 pounds. Besides providing warmth the Gray Owl's feathers provide camouflage allowing it to blend in with its surroundings. I often wonder if Gray Owls share nesting locations with their young.
The next animal we saw was the Porcupine. The most interesting part of the Porcupine's exhibit was the log that it used as shelter, during the time we observed it the Porcupine kept walking between the log the and the shelter connected to its cage. With Porcupines being a member of Rodentia I would expect its eys to be located further back on it's skull, large front incisors, and a small sagittal crest. The closest relative to the porcupine is the hedgehog, both hedgehogs and Porcupines have quills along their back. Porcupines live on the ground and in the trees. During the winter months Porcupines primarily consume the tree bark and branches of conifers. Porcupine quills are special in that the are lined with barbs which make pulling them out very difficult. After visiting the porcupine exhibit I am left wondering how the porcupine evolved its quills.
The 4th animal we saw was the Snowy Owl. I found it interesting that the net surrounding the exhibit was much lower than the one surrounding the Great Gray Owl exhibit. One of the interesting adaptations I learned about Snowy Owls is that they make their nest on the ground which is different compared to the Great Gray Owl which makes its nest in the trees. On the skull of a Snowy Owl I would expect to find forward facing eyes, small orbits, and large bullae. There where two Snowy Owls in the exhibit both of them appeared to be either sleeping or resting. Snowy Owls are mostly located in Alaska, however during their winter migration they can be found as far south as the Northern edge of Washington State. Snowy Owls rely primarily on their sight in order to hunt prey. If you were to stumble upon a completely whit snowy owl it would most likely be an adult male.
The fifth animal we saw was the Brown bear. The most interesting part of the Brown Bear exhibit was a small building that allowed us to see both the above and beneath the water in the exhibit. Three characteristics I would expect to see on a bear skull would be a large sagittal crest, forward facing eyes, and the presence of both molars and incisors. We were able to see both of the brown bears however they were both, for the most part, asleep. Brown bears are much larger than our local Black bears, but their diets are very similar. Male brown bears have longer legs then female brown bears. A female Brown Bear typically raises tow cubs at a time; however there have been some documented cases of a female raising three cubs at one time. The brown bear's diet consists primarily of berries and vegetation. After viewing the Brown Bear exhibit I am curious as to what leads to great success of brown bears size wise compared to the black bear.
The first animal we saw on our list of Northwest animals was the Gray Wolf. I have always been fascinated with wolves in general so it was exciting to see them out and about. The most interesting part of the wolf exhibit was that they were being fed at the time with what appeared to be small rabbits. When at the wolf exhibit I had noticed the positioning of their feet which is an adaptation that allows them to walk silently while leaving only a small trail. From what I observed I would expect the skull of the would to have forward facing eyes, since it is a predator, long nasal turbinates, a common characteristic of canines, and a prominent sagittal crest, which is implied by the wolf's carnivorous diet. For the most part the wolves were minding their own business while avoiding the zoo keeper in their exhibit. When comparing the Gray wolf with our local Red fox it is easy to note the drastic difference in size, the Gray wolf being much larger; however, you can also compare the fact that wolves are far more social than foxes in that the form packs and raise their young together. During my last trip to wolf haven in 2016 I learned that the current population of wolves in the Pacific Northwest was a little over 70, consisting of around 15 packs. Wolves howl for several reasons, but the three primary reasons are to alert each other to a source of food, find a mate, and to warn off rival packs. Adult grey wolves can eat up to 14 pounds of meat a day, with most averaging around 7 pounds a day. I often wonder what derived the evolution of the wolves highly advanced and distinct communication skills.
The second animal we saw was the Great Gray Owl. The most interesting part of the Great Gray Owl exhibit was how tall the netting was compared to the snow owl exhibit. An interesting adaptation that I noticed about Gray Owls was their Gray feathers that allows it to blend in with it's environment. Three features I would expect to see on a Gray Owl's skull would be Forward facing eyes, Large Orbits, and large bullae for detecting sound; a good way to distinguish the Gray owl skull form a Snowy owl skull is the size of the orbits, the orbits will be larger on the Gray Owl. The Gray Owl was perched atop a tall tree in it's exhibit. Gray Owls are most prominent west of the Cascades. The Gray Owl's face has been designed so that it amplifies and collects sound allowing it to pinpoint prey. The average Gray Owl has is about 27 inches tall with an average wing span of 4 feet 7 inches and weighing around 2 to 3 pounds. Besides providing warmth the Gray Owl's feathers provide camouflage allowing it to blend in with its surroundings. I often wonder if Gray Owls share nesting locations with their young.
The 4th animal we saw was the Snowy Owl. I found it interesting that the net surrounding the exhibit was much lower than the one surrounding the Great Gray Owl exhibit. One of the interesting adaptations I learned about Snowy Owls is that they make their nest on the ground which is different compared to the Great Gray Owl which makes its nest in the trees. On the skull of a Snowy Owl I would expect to find forward facing eyes, small orbits, and large bullae. There where two Snowy Owls in the exhibit both of them appeared to be either sleeping or resting. Snowy Owls are mostly located in Alaska, however during their winter migration they can be found as far south as the Northern edge of Washington State. Snowy Owls rely primarily on their sight in order to hunt prey. If you were to stumble upon a completely whit snowy owl it would most likely be an adult male.
The fifth animal we saw was the Brown bear. The most interesting part of the Brown Bear exhibit was a small building that allowed us to see both the above and beneath the water in the exhibit. Three characteristics I would expect to see on a bear skull would be a large sagittal crest, forward facing eyes, and the presence of both molars and incisors. We were able to see both of the brown bears however they were both, for the most part, asleep. Brown bears are much larger than our local Black bears, but their diets are very similar. Male brown bears have longer legs then female brown bears. A female Brown Bear typically raises tow cubs at a time; however there have been some documented cases of a female raising three cubs at one time. The brown bear's diet consists primarily of berries and vegetation. After viewing the Brown Bear exhibit I am curious as to what leads to great success of brown bears size wise compared to the black bear.
This field trip has helped reinforce what I have learned in biology so far as it provides an opportunity for me to see the adaptations that we talk about in class. This field trip has shown me that my biggest strength in biology is seeing and identifying the different features of all kinds of animals. The most interesting thing I learned on this field trip was how global warming has impacted juvenile turtles, by turning the male eggs into females.
Great job with your post! I like how thoroughly you explained what characteristics you'd expect on each animal's skull and why. What was your favorite animal at the zoo? I've always made a point of trying to see the red panda. The name is misleading; red pandas are an organism entirely in their own family, even though they look similar to pandas, raccoons, and wild cats. It's fascinating to study organisms that act as both predator and prey, like many members of the Rodentia family.
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ReplyDeleteSo for this trip you went to the zoo and saw the porcupine as well. What I found interesting was that they could eat tree bark. How do you think this evolved. Do you think it was ancestral or derived. Also I think I missed turtle part of the zoo, I remember Gwen talked about it but I didn't get to see it. What was interesting about that exhibit, let me know!