Monday, April 15, 2019

Varied Beasts

More panels inside the exhibit explore various themes, such as the assets a slow moving sloth has in survival.


Slow movers can go a long time without eating. This panel gives examples of how long a species might last without a meal.


Here we have more looks at those fruit bats. I'll have other looks at them tomorrow.


From slow movers who conserve energy to fast ones that burn energy. These are Gouldian finches, residents of northern Australia that feed on seeds and have a metabolism that requires them to eat up to 30% of their body weight each day. That's how much they burn off flying.


This is a fox snake. A resident of the mid-western United States, this preys on small rodents, frogs, or birds, and when frightened emits a musky odour that makes a predator think twice.


These two are in fact sculptures that one could pose by. I watched kids posing with both, and refrained from taking pics, as I try to avoid doing so when possible. 


Two different critters, both vegetarians, occupy this space. Both occupy some of the same range in the wild- parts of central and South America. The green iguana and the red footed tortoise are both slow most of the time- the iguana relies on its colours for camouflage from predators, and the tortoise is protected by its shell as it moves slowly around eating low energy food.

32 comments:

  1. ...nice displays of the natural world.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very nice displays ... I love the big, hairy tarantula! :))

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello, wonderful nature exhibits. Enjoy your day! Have a great new week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I knew that fast movers need a lot of food; interesting that slow movers can go a long time without food!

    Janis
    GDP

    ReplyDelete
  5. Normally I'm not affraid of spiders, but that tarantula is a little bit too much for me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beasts you say, and to think some people are terrified of spiders. Nice photos

    ReplyDelete
  7. Really interesting the different energy requirements for different species,,

    ReplyDelete
  8. What do you mean, you avoid taking photos? Or perhaps just of kids posing with the models? I enjoyed your collection and it looks like those bats were moving from one place to another.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I enjoy seeing sloths - they seem so relaxed and laid back!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is a good place to get information about animals from other places but to learn about some special ways of surviving.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I avoid looking at most crawling creatures.
    : )

    ReplyDelete
  12. I don't want to run into that spider in person.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love the tortoise! Especially it’s speed.

    ReplyDelete
  14. @Tom: they are!

    @Ella: quite a beastie!

    @Eileen: thank you.

    @Janis: we certainly can't go long without food.

    @Jan: there are a couple of live tarantulas at a different spot here in the museum.

    @Maywyn: thank you.

    @Laurie: quite different.

    @Francisco: thank you.

    @Barbara: it's taking pictures with other people's kids- I'm conscious that it might appear to the parents to be an issue, so I avoid it.

    @RedPat: they do.

    @Red: it is!

    @Catarina: no snakes?

    @Sharon: quite a spider.

    @Marie: it's a good sized animal.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've enjoyed all of your posts from the museum.... My oldest son loved critters/bugs, etc. --and we had to be careful when he was little since he'd bring new 'pets' into the house which we wouldn't want there.. ha.... We bought him a Tarantula (in a glass container) --which he named, fed and talked to!!!! That little guy lived a LONG time...

    I always think of the little birds I feed here... They are definitely the fastest of the fast ---and do have to eat a lot to keep their energy up. Right now, my Bluebirds are nesting --and Mom and Dad work constantly taking food to the nest....

    Thanks for sharing.
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  16. Cool turtle! I like the bilingual signage

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a fantastic collection. I think I Tweeted, but it did say that I had already done so.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've always thought sloths were kind of cute. and I love the turtle!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sounds like a place I'd like to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  20. totally cool with all critters, but snakes and spiders ... yep ... keeping it real ... i will just slide past them. lol!! ( ;

    ReplyDelete
  21. @Betsy: boys will be boys!

    @Cloudia: as it's a national institution, bilingualism is expected and welcome.

    @Mari: it is a wonderful museum to visit.

    @Bill: I certainly thought so.

    @Jeanie: the one that was hanging about here was a cute ball of fur!

    @Catalyst: you'd enjoy this museum.

    @Beth: spiders and snakes are fun.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wonderful and have had a good time looking at your photos as always.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hmmm. I'm rather slow moving at times but it doesn't seem to affect my eating.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Ha! No need for speed. That would describe me in the pool, too. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  25. I also like the big tarantula, at least in a picture I like it. Nice museum. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I might pass for a sloth except for my eating.

    ReplyDelete
  27. What a wonderful exhibit, I do like the tortoise.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  28. And spiders are not my favourite....

    ReplyDelete
  29. We have fox snakes! I thought it was a friendly one, but it bit me!

    ReplyDelete
  30. @Denise: thanks.

    @Kay: hah!

    @Revrunner: not me!

    @DJan: tarantulas fascinate me.

    @Anvilcloud: good one.

    @Jan: I liked this exhibit.

    @Klara: many have that impression.

    @Jennifer: always give a snake a wide berth.

    ReplyDelete