The Newton's Apple Menagerie

MUSK OX SHOW 1002

The bearded one

Eskimos called the musk ox omingmak, which means "the bearded one." A survivor of the ice age, this animal of the Arctic steppe and tundra provides people with a source of meat, warm clothing, and horn used for weapons and implements. The coat of the musk ox allows it to face Arctic blizzards without shelter. It has coarse, long guard hairs and a thick inner coat of soft, fine wool called quiviut. The quiviut completely covers the animal except on the lips and nostrils. It is prized for its softness, light weight, and ability to protect against cold and frost. Musk oxen have keen sight, hearing, and smell. How do all these adaptations--its thick coat, its keen senses, its horns--help the musk ox survive?

COUGARS SHOW 1003

Super sleuth

Long muscular legs, a flexible backbone, powerful neck muscles, a long tail for balance, large eyes that allow as much light as possible to enter, and sharp retractable claws make the cougar an effective predator. Cougars are at the top of the food chain. Their efficient hunting skills help keep the populations of other animals stable.

Observe a cat hunting for prey or playing with a toy. Look carefully at the tail, paws, head, ears, and legs. What position do cats hold before pouncing on prey? What do cats do to the prey after they have caught it?

CARIBOU SHOW 1005

Antlers, antlers everywhere

Caribou are the only deer in which both males and females have antlers. Antlers are the fastest form of bone growth known. It is actual living tissue. The blood-rich covering on the antlers is called velvet. Velvet is the only regenerating skin found among mammals. If an antler is injured while growing, it will heal, but will grow back deformed. Every year when a new antler is grown, the deformity is repeated. Why do animals have antlers or horns? What happens to male and female antlers in the fall and winter?

PENGUINS SHOWS 1006 AND 1012

Tuxedo birds

Sometimes mistaken for small porpoises, penguins are actually birds that appear to "fly" through the ocean. They weave in and out of the water, swimming at speeds of up to fifteen miles per hour. Describe an ocean environment. List some of the dangers penguins may encounter. Discuss how the following adaptations might contribute to the success of penguins living in and near the ocean: short stiff flippers instead of wings; small, hard, densely-packed feathers with shiny slightly-bent tips; a black back; a white belly; feet that radiate excess heat from the soles; a salt gland that excretes excess salt; solid bones; and a pointed tail.

WOLVERINE SHOW 1007

Devil bear

Wolverines are members of the weasel family, which includes otters, mink, and fishers. The Eskimo called the wolverine the "evil one"; early European settlers in North America nicknamed it "glutton" or "devil bear." Wolverines are able to travel far. In the winter, their large, wide feet become overgrown with frost-free hair, making perfect "snowshoes." Studies have shown that males generally stay within a 164-mile radius, but from time to time, travel greater distances.

Look at a map that includes your home or school. What could a wolverine come across if it hunted for food within a 150-mile radius of your school or home?

RHINOCEROS SHOW 1008

Hunted for its horn

The rhino has become the symbol of the plight of vanishing animals. Fewer than 11,500 are left in the world today, down from 73,000 in 1970. Despite its massive size, its thick "coat of armor," and a horn up to four feet in length, it is defenseless from poachers and habitat destruction. Hunters often kill a rhino only for its horn--a prized possession in the Far East where one horn could bring fifteen hundred dollars. The horn is considered by many to have medicinal value, and is also used for carving jewelry and other objects. Learn about the people who live in the African and Asian nations with rhino populations. Why would a village allow poaching? What benefits might there be? How might poaching be stopped? What can you do to stop poaching?

CONDORS SHOW 1009

On the brink of extinction

The California condor is an American vulture. It is the largest living flying bird. Its body structure lacks the dash and strength of typical birds of prey. And, its beak is so weak, it is unable to tear flesh until it has partly rotted. This is one of the reasons it eats carrion. What other adaptations do condors have for eating dead animals? Eating poison-contaminated carcasses, loss of habitat, and slow rate of reproduction have led to their rapid decline. Only with captive breeding has the condor survived. It costs about one million dollars annually to operate the condor-breeding project. Is this money well spent?

PIRANHAS SHOW 1010

Fang!

Would you swim with piranhas? Children in South America do. Although doing this is rarely dangerous, the children know not to swim in a river when water levels are low and food is in short supply for the piranha. Natives of the Amazon Basin use piranhas in a variety of ways. They remove their teeth and jaws before cooking them for food; they use the fish in cultural rituals; and they make tools from the teeth. Design a tool that could use piranha teeth.

In North America, some people keep piranhas as pets, although this is illegal in many of the United States. Predict what would happen if a piranha were released into a body of water near your home.

OSTRICH SHOW 1013

Megabird

The ostrich is the largest living bird. The female, on alternate days, can lay up to a dozen eggs. Each egg is six to nine inches long, five to six inches in diameter, and weighs up to 3.3 lbs. The shell is a quarter of an inch thick. It would take up to forty minutes to hard boil an ostrich egg! However, as large as the egg is, it's actually small in relation to the ostrich's size.

Complete the following math problem. If an adult ostrich weighs 260 lbs and lays a 3.3 lb egg, what percent of the adult's weight is the weight of the egg? Of the adult kiwi, who weighs 3.75 lbs and lays a 1-lb egg? Of the adult hummingbird, who weighs .05 ounces and lays a .01-oz egg? Which one lays the largest egg in proportion to its size? (A kiwi, a small relative of the ostrich, lays the largest egg in proportion to its size. The egg is 25% of the weight of the adult bird. The hummingbird egg weighs about 20% of the adult's weight. The ostrich egg weighs about 1% of the adult's weight.)