The exhibits are laid out so that you walk through the halls from one exhibit to another. The animals are shown in their natural environments. The owners have taken great effort to make the museum as natural as possible. Kids do not seem to like the bugs and butterflies very much, but enjoy the many animals because they can get much closer to them than they could in a zoo.
The first stop was the butterfly room, which not only has examples of butterflies and moths, but a bunch of other insects and bugs from all over the world. Some of these are absolutely huge, especially those from other countries. There are many I would not want to see in real life.
These insects must come from the United States, since the description of them does not state a specific country.
All of these insects come from other countries, such as Thailand, Borneo, Argentina, and Malaysia.
These insects come from Thailand and Malaysia. (These things were huge. I would not want to run across any of them.)
These insects come from Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Costa Rica. (I recall when Josh had to go to Columbia on business and he sent us a picture of a bug - it must have been about 3-4" long. Yuck.)
These insects come from Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand, and Java.
The majority of these insects come from Thailand with two from Argentina.
These insects come from Colombia, Borneo, Costa Rica, Malaysia, France, Java, Thailand, and Chile.
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| Luna Moth & Elegant Sphinx |
These insects are from Colombia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brazil, Solomon Islands, Sumatra, and Chile.
These insects come from Bangkok, Thailand, USA, and Uganda. This is the end of the insects.
The rest of the pictures are butterflies and moths. They come from all over the world, so if you click on the pictures and increase the size, you will see the labels showing their country of origin. There are a lot of frames with butterflies and moths. I was amazed at the quantity of species on display.
This is the end of the butterflies and moths. We are now on the way to the animal exhibits. On the way to the animals, we passed the Black Hole:
The mystery of the black hole. Imagine a star made of matter so dense that enough to go into a small matchbox would weigh 10 billion tons. The gravity of this star is so enormous that there is no escaping from it even at the speed of light. Indeed light itself would be unable to escape, making the star forever visible. Roll any coin down the chute and see the effect the black hole in space has on anything orbiting within its gravitational pull.
We put a couple of coins in the Black Hole and they went around and around and then near the hole went round at a great speed while traversing down further into the hole and then dropping with a ping.
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| Musk Ox |
The musk ox is a stocky, shaggy beast of the polar region. Sometimes called the polar buffalo. They grow to about five feet at the shoulders and weigh as much as 850 pounds. Musk Ox are covered with the longest hair of any north American animal and underneath with the hair is a coat of silken wool so dense that neither cold nor moisture can penetrate it. Their natural range includes Greenland, the plains of Arctic Canada and Alaska. This guy was taken from a herd of about 800 by the Alaska Fish and Game Division.
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| Penguin |
Penguins are unusual birds, well adapted for a life on and under water. The wing like flippers are not large or powerful enough for flying but they are excellent swimmers. The Humboldt Penguin is more tolerant of warm climates than other species found in the Antarctic region. Penguins come ashore and build their nests with small stones where they lay two eggs and raise their young.
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| Mule Deer |
The Mule Deer is a western species slightly larger than the White Tail and has a different arrangement of antlers. They feed on twigs, leaves, grass and wild fruit. Twin fauns are born in late spring, staying with their mother through the next winter.
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| White Tail Deer |
The White Tail Deer is the most common deer, one of the best known, and the most admired game animals of America. They are actually the most hunted big game animal in America. They are reddish brown in summer and turn grey in winter. They feed on twigs, leaves and acorns. The deer family contains the only mammals with antlers of solid bone that grow from the skull under a layer of living skin. Each year bucks shed old antlers and grow new ones.
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| Reindeer |
The reindeer is a close relative of the caribou and live in the artic regions in Alaska. The Eskimos have large herds of reindeer which provide them with milk, meat and skin for clothing. They also use them for pulling sleds. This reindeer is crossed with a Lapland reindeer of Finland which was white in color and a caribou from Alaska which was brown in color. This reindeer came from a herd in Alaska and was killed and skinned by an Eskimo specifically for this collection.
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| Caribou |
Caribou belong to the deer family and live in the northern regions of north Alaska. Both male and female have antlers. Their hoofs are heavy and broad and prevents them from sinking in the snow and swampy ground. Caribou spend the summer in small groups high in the mountains where they stay cool. In fall and winter they migrate from the mountains to the lower grounds forming large herds, sometimes numbering in the thousands.
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| Elk |
The Elk are also called Wapiti and are a large American deer with wide spread antlers which they shed annually. Females are smaller and have no antlers. The Elk have features that resemble three distinct animals. It has the ears of a mule, the walk of a camel, and a cow-like body. They migrate more than other deer, forming herds and moving into the mountains in summer. They never graze at night and when attacked, scatter in all directions. Elk are hunted for their delicious meat and their hide can be used for shoes and other articles. Elk are found in Western United States and Canada.
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| Moose |
Moose are the largest animal in the antler family with the males growing to a height of about six feet and the females much smaller. Moose inhabit the lowlands of Canada and Alaska. They usually feed on underwater plants around lakes and swamp lands. They stay close to the forest in winter. They have a clumsy walk but can move through the forest with ease. Their young are born in late spring and stay with their mother for almost a year.
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| Black Bear |
The black bear is a North American species and vary from brown to black in color. They feed on insects, small animals, fruits, fish, plants, wild berries, and are very fond of honey. They usually have two cubs born in late winter and stay with their mother until the following fall. This mother and her cubs were killed near Winnipeg, Canada in 1967. The black bear is not usually as wild as other bears and often visit camp areas in most of our national parks.
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| Glacier Bear |
Glacier bear, like the cinnamon bear, is not a true species, but a color variation or gray phase of the American black bear. It lives along the west coast of Alaska where there are many glaciers, so that's why it's called the Glacier bear. The males do not associate with the family when the cubs are small.
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| Grizzly, Alaska 1968 |
Grizzly bears are tremendously strong and can smash an Elk with one blow of its paw. His eyesight is very poor, but he has a keen sense of smell and hearing. They were once widespread but now only a few are left in the Rockies, Alaska and Canada. They feed on wild berries, game and catch salmon as they go up stream.
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| Toklat Grissly |
Toklat Grissly are similar to the western grissly, but a smaller species. They are usually lighter in color. The habits are the same as the western grizzly and are found in Alaska.
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| Kodiak Bear |
Kodiak bears are a sub-species of the Alaskan Brown Bear found on Kodiak Island in Alaska. Until recently, it was thought they were the largest of the bear family, however, people now think the polar bear may be larger. Weighing less than one pound at birth, they grow to a weight of several hundred pounds. Their diet consists of animals, fish, fruit and berries.
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| Polar Bear |
Polar Bears live in the arctic regions of the snow and ice fields. They are always traveling and travel long distances in search of food. They feed mostly on fish and seals. It has been said that they can smell a dead seal for 20 miles. They are excellent swimmers and enjoy water in winter as well as in summer. This polar bear was killed in the arctic regions by an Eskimo.
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| Mountain Goat |
The mountain goat is a rare animal found in the northern Rockies and parts of Canada. They prefer high mountain regions and make the top of the world their castle. They have sturdy legs and rubbery hoofs which make it possible to climb rocks and ledges that seem almost impossible. One or two young are born in the spring and remain with their parents for a year. No flocks are seen except for mother, father and young. They do not shed their horns as other animals in the antler family do.
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| Bison |
They are also known as buffalo, they have shaggy heads and humped backs. They are the largest wild animal in North America. Both male and female have horns. The Plains Indians killed the bison for food, sport, hides and bones. They depended on Bison for shelter and clothing. The tepees and their clothing were made of the skins. In 1885 the Bison was almost extinct, but are now protected on reservations. They mate during the summer and one to two calves are born in the spring. They stay with the mother during the next winter.
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| Dall Sheep |
Dall Sheep are found in the rugged mountains of northern Canada and Alaska. They venture down to the valleys in spring but never for long as they feel safest from wolves and coyotes when they are on the mountain tops. They are usually hunted only by fully equipped parties and the hunter who acquires one of these trophies has really earned it. The Dall Sheep as well as the Bighorn are facing extinction.
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| Bighorn Sheep |
Bighorn Sheep live in the western mountains of North America. No other animal can move over the rocky terrain so swiftly and easily as the Bighorn. They feed on grass, shrubs, twigs and plants. In the coldest Rocky Mountain winters they manage to find food. They are brownish gray in color which make them almost impossible to see against the rocks. Both male and female have horns. They travel in bands and move frequently. One or two young are born in the spring.
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| Stone Sheep |
Stone Sheep live high up in the rugged mountains at altitudes of 12,000 feet. They are sure footed as they leap and bound over the mountain sides. If the scent of a cougar, wolf, or man, the entire herd is off on trails that few enemies can follow. These sheep are also facing extinction.
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| Pronghorn Antelope |
Pronghorn Antelope are found on the plains and plateaus in the Rocky Mountain area. They can see moving objects easily and their hearing is unusually sharp. They give birth to two or three fawns in May or early June. The mother has been known to kill coyotes and wolves to protect their young. The adults depend on their speed for safety. The antelope are truly American and belong to no other group; they shed the outer layer of their antlers annually.
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| Ground Hog |
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| Various Ducks |
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| Hawks |
There are several species of hawks. Some feed on small animals and birds; others feed on mice, frogs and snakes. Some feed only on fish. Grasshoppers are also eaten by hawks. The Red Shouldered Hawk is one of the most valuable birds to the farmer because of its diet. It is estimated that 90% of its diet consists of mammals and insects.
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| Lobster |
This is a 34 year old, 17 pound Maine lobster. One claw is very large and heavy and is used for crushing. The other is smaller and toothed for holding and tearing food. If the lobster were to lose a leg or claw, it would be replaced when the lobster next molts. This lobster was purchased for this museum from the Scottsville Road Kroger in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
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| Snapping Turtle |
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| Giant Clam |
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| Skunks |
There are three species of skunks in North America. This mother and her young kitten are striped skunks. Skunks make their dens in old buildings, fence rows, and open meadows. They are nocturnal and hunt for mice, rats, chipmunks, and all kinds of insects. Three to eight young are born in early spring and if they are de-scented while young they make excellent pets.
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| Raccoon |
Raccoons are identified by black mask and ringed tail. It is one of the best known eastern mammals. Raccoons eat rodents, insects, wild fruits and corn. It is said to be one of the cleanest animals because they wash their food when near water. They often make their dens in hollow trees. They have three to six young in the spring, which remain in the den for two months and with the parents until the following spring. They are curious and mischievous.
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| Jack Rabbit |
The Jack Rabbit is a native western hare. They feed on almost any kind of vegetation. They can get along with very little water. Occasionally the damage alfalfa and grain fields. They can run with powerful leaps of 15 to 20 feet at a measured speed of over 40 mph. Jack rabbits are the main thing coyotes eat.
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| Badger |
Badgers are fierce, powerful fighters with very few enemies. They burrow and tunnel after small rodents. Sometimes they eat snakes and birds. They make their nest of grass. Three or four young are born during May or June. By fall the young are able to care for themselves.
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| Wolverine |
The wolverine is the largest member of the weasel family. They feed on gophers, rabbits, birds, and other small animals. Their range is the western mountains but is also common in Canadian forests and Alaska.
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| Golden Marten |
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| Black Mink |
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| Beaver |
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| Peccary |
The Peccary is a wild pig-like animal with sharp tusks. It is found in South America and as far north as Arkansas. It is also known as the musk hog as when it is angry the hairs on its spine are raised exposing a scent gland on the lower back that gives out a musky odor. Their litter consists of one to four, normally two. They eat roots, berries and nuts.
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| Pangolin |
The Pangolin is sometimes referred to as a scaly anteater.
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| Lesser Anteater |
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| Porcupine |
Porcupine are clumsy rodents and easily recognized. They are barbed and can easily injure or kill an attacking animal. They feed on wood and inner bark of many different kinds of trees and eat other plant food in the summer. Their range is in the western and northern states and Canada.
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| Opossum |
The Opossum is a small animal that lives in trees and moves mostly at night. Their den is a bed of grass or leaves made on the floor of a hollow tree trunk. They eat insects (ticks), frogs, small rabbits, wild berries and has been known to rob a bird's nest of its young. The young of an opossum are so small at birth that a litter of 16 might easily fit into a tablespoon.
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| Two Toed Sloth |
Sloths are bizarre mammals that spend nearly all of their lives hanging upside down. It eats, sleeps, mates and gives birth in this position. Sloths are the slowest animals on earth and may spend their entire lives in one tree. The hair lies in the opposite direction to that of other mammals - from belly to back so that rain water will run off of it. Sloths eat mainly leaves and fruit. Their home is South America.
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| Armadillo |
Armadillo is our oddest animal covered by bony plates, except for their ears and legs. They are most active at night. They use their long sticky tongue to catch bugs and insects. For protection they curl up into a ball. There are four born to a litter in early spring (always being of the same sex). Armadillo meat makes good eating.
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| Toucan |
The Toucan use their canoe shaped bills, which is almost half the length of their bodies, to skin fruit, drill wood, probe in mud, or tear flesh. When the Toucan sleeps, it turns its head so that its bill rests on its back, then folds its tail over its bill.
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| Macaw |
The Macaw are about 30" long. The range from northern South America. They are very alert, intelligent, and are sharp voiced mimics. They are such active fliers that they must be given plenty of room to exercise when in captivity.
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| Parrot |
These parrots are native to Mexico but sometimes they sneak across the border for a spell. In Mexico they make their habitation in trees, sometimes 80 feet off the ground. Since the extinction of the Carolina Paroquet, the United States can claim a member of the parrot family.
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| Cock of the Rock |
This is a South American bird and one of the more expensive birds. The male is a dark scarlet while the female is lighter in color (this one being the female).
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| Road Runner |
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| Flamingo |
The Flamingo is found along the Atlantic coast of subtropical and tropical America. They feed exclusively on small mollusk. They are about 42 to 46 inches and their wing span is about 56 inches. They inhabit shallow bays, lagoons, and mud flats that are flooded at high tide. In captivity they are fed a mixture of carrot juice, paprika, boiled beets, and raw shrimp to preserve their bright color. Without this, their color fades to a pale pink.
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| African Crowned Crane |
The crowned crane is native to Africa, living in marshy areas. They eat insects and reptiles and have been tamed and kept in gardens for this purpose.
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| Pheasant |
Pheasants are old world birds. They were first successfully introduced in 1881. The male is more colorful and larger than the female. They feed mainly on waste grain, weed seed, wild fruits and insects.
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| Wild Turkey |
Turkeys are the kings of North American game birds. They were used by Indians and were domesticated before Columbus arrived. Wild turkeys are darker in color and more slim than tame turkeys. They roost high in trees, feeding in early morning and late evening on acorns, fruits, seeds and insects.
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| Great Horned Owl |
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| Barred Owl |
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| Barn Owl |
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| Snowy Owl |
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| Ocelot |
Ocelot are still common in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas but are most abundant in South and Central America. Their chief prey consists of monkeys, but they also eat other small animals such as mice, wood rats, rabbits, lizards, snakes and birds. They also eat small lambs and pigs. Their favorite technique is to drop from a tree limb on its victim's back.
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| African Lion |
Lions range mostly in Africa but formerly from India to Greece. A few remain in India. Lions prey mainly on hooved mammals such as zebras, antelopes, wildebeests, and even buffalo. They hunt and travel in groups called prides. Lions are noted as king of the forest.
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| Bengal Tiger |
Tigers are large cats with prominent black or brown stripes. They are found in the jungles of India and Java and as far as the forested snowy mountains of Siberia. They are very powerful animals and attack animals such as elephants, water buffalo, and crocodiles.
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| Cheetah |
The cheetah is the most unusual of the cats. They have a dog like appearance and make barking howls. Cheetah live in open country from southern Asia to Africa. They are the fastest running animal of the world and have been clocked at a speed of 70mph.
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| Snow Leopard |
This cat inhabits the cold parts of the Himalaya and Altai mountains. They have long and dense furs. Eight or ten a year are taken for zoos or museums as this is one of the rarest cats on earth.
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| Leopard |
Leopards, sometimes called panthers, are forest inhabitants of Asia and Africa. They are good hunters and do most of their hunting at night. Leopards vary in color, but are most commonly yellowish with four or five dark brown spots in rosettes. They usually weigh from 100 to 200 pounds.
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| Lynx and Bobcat |
Closely related to the bobcat, they Lynx are much larger and its thick, soft fur is paler in color. They have large feet which help them to walk in snow without sinking. They eat birds, snakes, and snow shoe rabbits. They do most of their hunting at night. They have one to four young which are born in late spring. Their den is a hollow tree or among rocks.
Bobcat are also called wildcat as it is a small fearless hunter that often attack animals many times its size. The bobcat prefers hunting on the ground but can climb trees. They usually feed on birds, rabbits, ground squirrels and mice. They have smaller ears and feet than a Lynx. It is usually darker in color. Its range is over most of the United States. It dens in hollow trees or other protected places and is rarely seen.
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| Mountain Lion |
Mountain Lions are also known as panther, puma, or cougar and are Americas second largest cat. Their color varies from light tan to brown. They feed on deer, small animals, and sometimes cattle. They attack their victims by leaping from trees or rocky ledges. They have a litter of two to five born in late spring and stay with their mother for two years. They normally fear and avoid humans. They are found in North and South America.
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| Jaguar |
Jaguar is America's largest and most powerful cat and can roar like a tiger or lion. They feed on a variety of animals, including fish. They are excellent climbers and leapers. They prefer dense thickets and live along waterways in jungles of tropical America. They are rare in North America. This jaguar was killed near Fellsmere, Florida in 1968. It is the only one ever known to be killed in Florida. This jaguar's main diet was wild hogs.
We know exactly where Fellsmere, Florida is as we drive through it when we are traveling from the west coast of Florida to Sebastian on the east coast. In addition, one of the RV parks we stay at is about 3 miles away from Fellsmere. I wonder how this cat got up there? Was it someone's pet and got too big? Very curious.
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| Timber Wolf |
The Timber Wolf is also called a Black Wolf and are similar to the Arctic Wolf but prefer the wooded areas of the northern region. They are still found in Canada and Alaska but not in most of the United States. Wolves, coyotes and foxes are all members of the dog family. This wolf was killed in Alaska.
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| Arctic Wolf |
The Arctic Wolf lives in the cold regions of North America and are now more abundant in Canada and Alaska. They feed on birds, cattle, deer, moose, and rabbits. They attack their victims from the rear tearing out pieces of flesh while the victim is still alive. During the summer months when food is plentiful they make fresh kills for each meal. The litter is three to 13 pups which stay with their parents for a year or more. Wolves are believed to mate for life.
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| Coyote |
Coyotes are related to the wolf and are sometimes called prairie wolves. They are most abundant in the west. They sleep during the day and hunt at night. They will eat almost anything. In summer they feed on birds that nest on the ground, rabbits, mice, and gophers. In winter when small game is scarce, they packs and kill sheep and cattle. They mate in February and a little of three to 12 pups are born in April.
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| Gray Fox |
The gray fox prefers the warmer regions and open country of the United States. They feed on poultry, rodents and other small mammals. They dig their dens in sandy banks and in spring give birth to four or five young. Kit foxes are small with big ears and are the smallest of the fox group.
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| Arctic Fox |
The range of the Arctic Fox covers all of the arctic region of many countries. It has different color forms such as red, blue and white. In summer the white coat is a greyish yellow and become all white in winter.
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