Mammals Two

Question 1

Are all animals in the order Carnivora strictly carnivores? Explain.

Answer 1

No/ Panda Bear - herbivores, Bears - omnivores

Question 2

Name three physical characteristics of carnivores:

Answer 2

highly specialized teeth, large brains, claws, simple stomachs

Question 3

How do predators fit into the food chain? What would happen if predators were removed from the food chain?

Answer 3

at the top of the food chain, necessary to keep herds moving, prevent overgrazing, remove sick old injured and surplus young

Question 4

Name one characteristic of a wolf that would be “appealing” to the public.

Answer 4

very social animals, mate for life, use facial signals to communicate

Question 5

Mexican gray wolves are extinct in the wild. True or false?

Answer 5

False - have been reintroduced

Question 6

In what way(s) is the BioPark Zoo involved with the conservation of the Mexican gray wolf?

Answer 6

holding facility, SSP, 5 males on exhibit, lots of education

Question 7

Polar bears are (circle one) Diurnal, Crepuscular, Nocturnal. Is this true of most bears?

Answer 7

Diurnal - daytime Polar Bears, not true of most bears

Question 8

Polar bears are (circle one) carnivores, herbivores, omnivores. Is this true of most bears?

Answer 8

carnivores - not true of most bears

Question 9

A polar bear is considered a marine mammal. Why?

Answer 9

parially webbed feet, spend a great deal of time in the water

Question 10

Name five adaptations of a polar bear and explain why each is an advantage for its environment.

Answer 10

hollow hair - to trap air to form a dead space for insulation
semi webbed feet - good swimmers
small ears to prevent heat loss
torpedo shaped body for efficient diving
thick layer of fat to add protection from the cold
oily fur - keeps water from penetrating their heavy coat

Question 11

There are many misconceptions about hyenas. They are often vilified for stealing food from lions, for “laughing” when they kill and because they are hermaphrodites. How would you debunk these myths?

Answer 11

good hunters - only a small portion of food obtained through scavenging
not hermaphrodites - external reproductive organs appear similar
laughing call is distinct and used in situations of intense fear or to call others to feed

Question 12

Choose one cat on exhibit at the zoo, and describe three adaptations that help it to survive in its habitat.

Answer 12

Snow Leopord
tail - heat - wrap around face
coat - very thick for warmth and color blends with surroundings
well developed chests help them draw oxygen from the thin mountain air

Question 13

The claws of all cats, except the ____________, are able to retract, or be sheathed.

Answer 13

cheetah

Question 14

Cheetah can run up to ______ mph for short distances.

Answer 14

65-70 mph

Question 15

Most of the people you will talk to have felt a cat’s tongue. Why do cats’ tongues feel like they do?

Answer 15

rough - efficient to scrape bones clean of flesh

Question 16

Most cats are solitary, with the exception of the African lion. True or False?

Answer 16

True

Question 17

Why is a meerkat not a cat?

Answer 17

build burrows and live underground
very social animals - live in a mob
specialized scent glands

Question 18

Name at least two differences between sea lions and seals.

Answer 18

seals - no ear flabs, swim with back fins

sea lion - swim with front flippers, spend much ore time on land then seals

Question 19

Are Pinnipeds herbivorous or carnivorous?

Answer 19

carnivorous

Question 20

Does the BioPark Zoo exhibit Asian or African elephants? Describe two ways to differentiate between these species.

Answer 20

Asian - smaller ears, domed forehead, one finger on trunk, four toes on hind feet, skin is smoother

Question 21

Name three things you could tell the public about an elephant’s trunk

Answer 21

elongated - used for breathing and as an arm
can pick up a single blade of grass or suck up 2.5 gallons of water at one time
trunk used for greeting,caressing and giving reassurance

Question 22

People often associate elephants with tusks. What would you tell visitors about tusks and elephants’ teeth in general?

Answer 22

highly specialized teeth - few in number

tusks used for digging and stripping off bark, toppling trees and fighting

Question 23

How do elephants drink water? How much can they drink a day?

Answer 23

need 25 to 80 gallons a day

suck it up with trunk and pour it into their mount

Question 24

Rock hyraxes look similar to guinea pigs yet are more closely related to elephants and manatees. How would you explain this relationship to a visitor?

Answer 24

similarities to elephants include foot structure and tusks developed from incisors rather than canines

Question 25

We have representatives on exhibit of both the Perissodactyla and the Artiodactyla orders. What is the basic difference between these two orders?

Answer 25

Perissodactyla - simple digestive system

Artiodactyla - complicated digestive system

Question 26

What are ungulates?

Answer 26

hoofed animals
herbivores
young born precocial and weaned at about a year

Question 27

Are our rhinos from Asia or Africa? How do rhinos from the two continents differ?

Answer 27

Africa - White Rhino

2 long horns, lacking front teeth, skin much less deeply folded

Question 28

What two senses are most acute in a rhino?

Answer 28

smelling and hearing

Question 29

Most Artiodactyls are ruminants. How would you explain to zoo visitors what this means and what the advantage is?

Answer 29

digestive system - 4 chambered stomach - chewing the cud - ruminating start in stomach 1 and 2 then brought back up chewed and passes through stomachs 3 and 4

Question 30

What would you tell visitors that the difference is between horns and antlers?

Answer 30

Horns - permanent, male and female

Antlers - branched and seasonal - males only

Question 31

Do giraffes have “horns” or “antlers”? Explain.

Answer 31

Horns - bony outgrowths are permanent, shor, simple and always covered

Question 32

What is the significance of the giraffe’s wonder net?

Answer 32

series of valves in neck and a network of flexible arteries in the brain to regulate the flow of blood to and from the head
gets blood to brain and control’s pressure in brain

Question 33

Giraffes are browsers. Name an adaptation they have for eating the leaves of the thorny Acacia tree.

Answer 33

lips and tongues are very thick allowing to safely grasp leaves from spiny branches

Question 34

Name two ways that hippos are adapted for their aquatic environment.

Answer 34

“Blood Sweat” - secretion that protects from the sun
Born underwater and can swim immediately
Process of surfacing is automatic - no need to wake up

Question 35

Name at least four adaptations camels have for a desert habitat:

Answer 35

survive without water for long periods of time
drink 27 gallons of water in 10 minutes
nostrils close completely
double row of interlocking eyelashes that protect from sand and sun
padded feet for walking on sand
pelleted dry feces
concentrated urine to conserve water