Sunday, February 9, 2025

Great Migrations

 The next diorama includes a bat at upper left, while a shrew is working on its prey, a mouse on the ground.


A panel looks at the tendency of some mammals to migrate.


Such as the caribou, who are featured in the next diorama.


A display case features a skunk.


While its neighbour is the porcupine.


Across from these two are small diorama cases, each featuring an animal in their surroundings.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Mountain Climbers

 I carry on with another display, this one featuring thinhorn sheep. These animals, along with other mountain sheep and goats, are superb climbers. This one depicts them in their element.


A number of specimens belong to the same mammal family, mustelidae. They are displayed together, and feature animals like weasels, minks, martens, river and sea otters, and the badger and wolverine.


The wolverine has an unfair bad reputation as a vicious animal, and has also been hampered by having its name shared by a drunken hobbit in Marvel Comics. It is a strong and formidable animal, more complicated than its reputation.


Here we have a Richardson's Ground Squirrel descending into its burrow. We'll carry on here tomorrow.

Friday, February 7, 2025

A Tense Confrontation

This particular diorama is a dramatic one, full of tension, as two wolves confront an adult bison. Other bison are painted into the background. This sort of confrontation is, by and large, best walked away from by the wolves, who have a better chance with older or sick bison than a healthy adult.


A moose dominates the next diorama.


This one features pronghorns of the western plains.


A series of skulls, some original and some bronzed casts, are found here.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Considerations For Mammals

 These two grizzlies are quite a formidable sight.


The next diorama features a mother cougar watching over cubs. Between the cubs is a vole, the subject of their attention.


Opossums are a North American marsupial mammal. 


Some mammals hibernate to one degree or another, one way to cope with cold weather.


This display features Arctic hares.


Each species adapts.


I leave off with another diorama- a confrontation between wolves and bison.