Top Photo: Otter latrine. I’ve been documenting the occurrence of otters in our wetlands since before 2010 when I saw tracks of one of the mustelids on snow covered ice in the wetlands. On one occasion during that time period I saw a large golden shiner, about 10” (they can reach 12”) floating in the water next to the Main Wetlands Overlook. It had a u-shaped mark on the middle portion of its body, as if something had grasped theRead more
Posts tagged: #Mammals
It’s all About the Snout
Top Photo: An older photo of three of our bears. Our three adult black bears can each be identified by muzzle only, though it may take a little practice. But first, how do you tell male from female in the Black Bear Exhibit? Male black bears (we have one, Gus) have longer, straighter legs, bigger heads and longer necks, and a more angular body shape. Females tend to be more rounded or rotund. Even though the photo above is tenRead more
Who’s that?
What’s that under the bench out in Explore the Wild? I saw the fox searching under the bench out in front of the restrooms in Explore the Wild as I rounded the bend from the Lemur Exhibit. I paused and watched as the little canid reached under the bench and grabbed a morsel of food, perhaps a goldfish left by one of the field-tripping schools kids earlier in the day. The fox finally spotted me and we briefly stared at eachRead more
Raccoons and Rodents
A family group of Raccoons was observed making the rounds in the Wetlands on the 29th of the month. Each day, raccoon tracks can be seen in the increasingly wide, muddy shoreline which encircles the Wetlands. Often, tracks can be seen crossing the pavement where the raccoons had, the night before, left the water and crossed over the pavement during their nightly routines. (They usually hit the trash receptacles on their way around the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind loop,Read more