This is our female red wolf (1794). It’s now breeding season. It seems as though she is spending more time out in the open than she had been in the most recent past. The male, as is usual, gets excited at her appearances, perhaps even more so now that the season for breeding is upon us. He follows her, walks past her as she’s rests, glancing over at her as he goes, and sniffs the air around her as ifRead more
Posts filed in: Mammals
Red Wolf Howl
We don’t often hear our red wolves howl. Since he arrived in the fall of 2014, I’ve heard the male howl perhaps three times. I’ve not heard our female howl. Previous wolves that have resided at the Museum, particularly the pair we had prior to our current residents, howled frequently. Nearly every ambulance or fire truck that passed by on their way to some emergency, or had been making the delivery of patients to the hospital just a 1/4 mile toRead more
Quick Look at Red Wolves
A pair of white tail deer legs were tossed into the red wolf enclosure by the animal keepers last weekend. The legs were donated by an employee here at the Museum who also happens to be a hunter. The wolves seemed to enjoy the treat. The female, lured out of her den by the smell of meatballs (typical daily offering – the keepers had just been in the enclosure), and perhaps the odor of deer, found one of the deer legs andRead more
Pumpkins for the Wolves
The animal keepers here at the Museum often place objects in the animal exhibits as enrichment. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Behavior Scientific Advisory Group defines enrichment “as a dynamic process for enhancing animal environments within the context of the animals’ behavioral biology and natural history. Environmental changes are made with the goal of increasing the animal’s behavioral choices and drawing out their species-appropriate behaviors, thus enhancing animal welfare.” Enrichment can be anything from food or browse, wool, balls or otherRead more
Maypops
I noticed a partially eaten maypop on the ground as I walked past a passion flower vine in Catch the Wind. Except for the fruit high up on the vine, the maypops have been steadily disappearing from this vine. I didn’t know at the time whether people had been picking the fruit or local animals were filling up on the green ovate shaped passion fruit. I now suspect it was the local fauna. Curiously, this particular fruit, or maypop, was onlyRead more
A Weasel in Our Midst
This past Saturday, I was standing at the northwest corner of the Wetlands gazing out through the shrubs, trees, and grass between the edge of the water and myself. Something moved in the brush, a mammal. It was deep, dark brown in color. At first I thought it a muskrat. I’ve seen muskrat in the Wetlands before, rarely, but muskrat was the safest bet for a small dark mammal plying the Wetlands during daylight. As it moved closer I realized it wasRead more
An Unexpected Turn
She’s back! After over a month and a half of peaceful coexistence (downright playful coexistence) between our two red wolves, the female has resorted back to her aggressive behavior towards our male red wolf. I watched this morning as the male pawed at a small tree just outside the den in which our female spends much of her time. He was obviously trying to get the female’s attention. He did. The female emerged with a most unfriendly greeting. Let’sRead more
The Lemur Boys
As you probably already know, our ring-tailed lemurs have been released to the outdoor viewing area at the Lemur House. Our five male ringtails, up until very recently, have been indoor lemurs. I’ll leave it to others to tell you about their lineage, their family ties, and where they came from. I’m here to show you images of our lemurs and what you may see if you decide to take the short hike out to the Lemur House and have aRead more
Birds, Insects, Reptiles and Mammals Too!
If you keep your eyes and ears opened while hiking the Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind Loop you’re likely to see and hear all sorts of wonderful sights and sounds. Birds that have spent the winter in the tropics are back home and full of song. Insects that have spent the last few months or longer in pupal or larval states are entering the next phase of their lives. Reptiles are taking advantage of locally plentiful food andRead more