Animal Information North America America - Animal Info.pdfWild – primarily small mammals such as...
Transcript of Animal Information North America America - Animal Info.pdfWild – primarily small mammals such as...
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Animal Information
North America
Table of Contents
Golden Eagle……………………………………………………………………………………………2
North American River Otter…………………………………………………………………….4
Canada Lynx…………………………………………………………………………….……………..6
Brown Bear………………………………………………………………………….………………….8
Mountain Lion……………………………………………………………………………………….10
Snow Leopard………………………………………………………………..……………………..12
Updated January 2019
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John Ball Zoo Habitat – Golden Eagles Aviary opened in 1988. Originally housed Bald Eagles.
Individual Animals: 2
Male – Frank/Francis
o Wild Born Est. 1987
o Arrived on March 20th 2007
Cheyenne Mtn Zoological Park (Colorado)
Male – No Name (Ernest)
o Wild Born – Unknown age
o Arrived on June 30th 2007
United States Fish and Wildlife Services
o Detached Retina (cloudy left eye)
Life Expectancy
Average Life Span: 28 years
The oldest known golden eagle lived to 46 years under managed care
Statistics – North America's largest predatory bird.
Weight – Females: 8.6-13.5 pounds; males 6.6-9.8 pounds
Length: 2.3-2.8 feet; wingspan: 6-7.2 feet
Diet
Wild – primarily small mammals such as rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, prairie dogs,
and marmots. They also eat birds, reptiles and fish in smaller numbers.
o Golden eagles occasionally capture large prey, including seals, ungulates, coyotes
and badgers. A pair of eagles will often hunt together; one chases the prey to
exhaustion, and the other swoops down for the kill.
Predators – Golden eagles have few predators.
Wolverines and grizzly bears are the only
recorded predators of golden eagle
nestlings.
Habitat
Tundra, shrublands, grasslands, woodland-brushlands, and coniferous forests. Most
golden eagles are found in mountainous areas, but they also nest in wetland, riparian
and estuarine habitats.
Region – They occur throughout Eurasia, in northern Africa, and in North America. In North
America, golden eagles are found in the western half of the continent, from Alaska to central
Mexico, with small numbers in eastern Canada and scattered pairs in the eastern United States.
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
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Reproduction – Monogamous: may maintain pair bonds for several years.
For migratory golden eagles, pair formation and courtship begin when the eagles return
to the breeding grounds, between February and mid-April.
Courtship activities in this species include undulating flight by one or both members of
the pair, chases, dives, mock attacks, presenting talons,
soaring together and circling.
Golden eagles breed from March through August, depending
on their geographic location.
The female lays 1 to 4 (usually 2) eggs, with 3 to 4 day
intervals between each egg. The female begins incubating
after the first egg is laid, and is responsible for most of the
incubation, though the male often takes part. Incubation
lasts for 35 to 45 days.
The chicks are brooded by the female with decreasing frequency for the first 45 days.
Both parents bring food to the nestlings. The nestlings begin to leave the nest between
45 and 81 days of age by walking, hopping or falling out of the nest.
They begin to fly around 10 weeks of age, and become independent from the parents 32
to 80 days after fledging.
Juveniles do not breed until age 4 to 7 years, after attaining adult plumage.
Adaptations – Powerful feet and massive, sharp talons to snatch up a variety of prey.
Behavior – Solitary or in pairs
They can fly up to 80 mph, though the average speed is 28-32
mph, and may reach speeds up to 200 mph in a dive.
Conservation Concerns
The golden eagle is federally protected under the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1962.
Many golden eagles have been electrocuted in power lines, caught in steel traps set for
coyotes and other animals, and poisoned by ranchers.
Recreational activities may also disturb breeding, migration and wintering activities.
Golden eagles are likely to abandon nests during incubation if they are disturbed.
Conservation Ask
Be thoughtful when engaging and connecting with nature
Support Global and Local Conservation Programs o Donate time/money to the zoo
Become a member, return visit, make purchase
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
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John Ball Zoo Habitat – Otter Habitat, located in North America
Otters joined the John Ball Zoo collection in 1973. They have been in their current habitat since 1982 when they replaced Sea Lions.
Individual Animals – 1 Male, 1 Female
Female – Chumani (Black patch of fur under nose) o Born March 02, 2007
At Connecticut’s Beardley Zoo o Arrived March 12, 2008
From Connecticut’s Beardley Zoo
Male – Slyde o Born March 20, 2012
At Detroit Zoological Society o Arrived November 20, 2012
From Detroit Zoological Society Life Expectancy
Average at AZA institutions: 12.1 years
Oldest recorded at AZA institutions: 27 years
Wild: 8-9 years Statistics
● Body Length – 3-4 feet ● Tail Length – 0.9-1.6 feet ● Weight – 10-30 pounds
Diet – Primarily Carnivorous ● Wild – Fish, turtles, crayfish, crabs, birds, eggs, small land mammals, and aquatic plants.
Zoo – Feline diet twice a day. 300 grams of fish which varies between smelt, trout, capelin, and herring. Sweet potatoes, and carrots in the morning. Clams for enrichment. Knuckle bone once a week.
Predators
Alligators, bobcats, birds of prey, wolves, coyotes, cougars and other large predators.
Habitat
Freshwater and marine habitats such as lakes, rivers, swamps, and estuaries. Anywhere with a permanent supply of food and water source
Region
Canada through the United States except for Mohave Desert of Nevada and Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and Southern California.
Reproduction – Polygynous: having more than one female mate at one time.
Breeding takes place in late winter or early spring.
Gestation lasts 60-63 days, but the female may delay implantation up to 8 months.
North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis
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Females give birth to 1 to 6 young per litter, with an average of 2 to 3, in a den near the water.
Pups are cared for solely by the mother until weaned around 3-4 months.
At 6 months the pups head off on their own. Adaptations
Physical shape made for quick swimming. Long slender bodies, small ears, nostrils that can close underwater, webbed feet and nictitating membranes (clear eyelids for underwater hunting and navigation).
● Sensitive whiskers help detect fish and other prey.
The North American River Otter has 2 layers of fur; the first is a thick, dense under layer and a longer over layer of guard hairs that trap air bubbles for insulating while swimming.
Their ‘playful’ behavior often serve a larger purpose such as strengthening bonds, improving hunting, or scent marking.
Behavior – Territorial
They are known as playful animals, exhibiting behaviors such as mud/snow sliding, burrowing through the snow, and water play.
Very high metabolism
Can stay underwater for up to 8 minutes
They normally hunt at night, but can be seen at all times of day. Conservation Concerns
Sensitive to pollution so will leave areas with water pollution.
They were once extirpated in many areas of their region due to unregulated trapping, habitat destruction, and pollution specifically related to coal, gas, timber and tanning industries. Reintroductions and habitat restoration efforts have been deemed successful increasing the population.
Conservation Ask
Support Global and Local Conservation Programs o Action – Participate in local conservation and citizen science efforts
Example: Local River and beach cleanups
Be mindful of wildlife and the environment as you make every day purchasing decisions. o Action – Refuse single-use plastic
North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis
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John Ball Zoo Habitat – North America – Canada Lynx Habitat
Originally constructed in 1964 to house elephants.
Renovated in 1982 to house Prairie Dogs and Coyotes,
previously housed Bobcats.
Individual Animals – 1 Male, 1 Female
Male – Thor (Larger of the 2)
o Born 03, 2013
At New York State Zoo at Thompson Park
o Arrived March 15, 2018
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Female – Norrie (Smaller of the 2)
o Born May 06, 2017
At Cheyenne Mtn Zoological Park
o Arrived February 28, 2018
From Cheyenne Mtn Zoological Park
Life Expectancy
Wild: On average 15 years
Under managed care lifespans of 26 years have been
recorded.
Statistics
Weight – 10-38 pounds (Males tend to be larger than
females.)
Length – Head-Body: 2-3.5 feet; Tail: 2-5 inches
Diet – Carnivore
Wild – Snowshoe hares, also rodents, birds, and fish.
Predators
Young kittens are vulnerable to other large
carnivores, such as wolves and bears.
Hunting by humans is managed through
regulated seasons.
Habitat
Usually mature forests with dense undergrowth, but also rocky areas, or tundra
Region
Throughout Canada, in western Montana,
and in nearby parts of Idaho and
Washington. There are small populations in
New England, Utah and possibly in Oregon,
Wyoming and Colorado.
Canada Lynx
Lynx canadensis
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Reproduction – Polygynous: having two or more mates, either simultaneously or successively.
The mating system of these animals is not well reported.
Females reach sexual maturity at 21 months and males at 33
months.
Females enter estrus only once per year, and lasts 1 to 2 days.
Mating in February and March.
Gestation lasts 8 to 10 weeks.
Females give birth to one litter a year, usually in fallen logs,
stumps, clumps of timber, or similar tangles of roots and branches.
Litters typically have 2 or 3 kittens, though the number may range from 1 to 5.
Lynxes weigh less than half a pound at birth.
Lactation lasts for 5 months, although kittens eat some meat as early as 1 month of age.
Young remain with the mother until the following winter's mating season, and siblings
may remain together for a while after separation from the mother. Mothers may help to
educate their young in hunting techniques, and cooperative hunting has been observed.
Males do not participate in parental care.
Adaptations – The paws are quite large and furry, helping to
distribute the weight of the animal when moving on snow.
Behavior – Nocturnal and solitary
Territorial – female home ranges are usually encompassed by
the home range of a male, and the home ranges of multiple
females may overlap.
They hunt mainly at night. Prey are normally stalked to within a few short bounds and
then pounced upon, although some lynx will wait in ambush for hours.
Conservation Concerns
Habitat loss, fragmentation, and trapping can reduce lynx populations.
Interspecific competition from the eastern coyote, which expanded its range into
eastern North America in the last few decades.
Conservation Ask
Support Global and Local Conservation Programs
o Donate time/money to the zoo
Volunteer
Become a member return visit, make purchase
John Ball Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan for Canada Lynx
Canada Lynx
Lynx canadensis
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John Ball Zoo Habitat – Built 1958, remodeled 2012/2013. The back wall was removed. The
remodel added a waterfall, a pool, a kids cave, natural substrate and a training wall.
Individual Animals – 1 Male, 1 Female
Male – Yogi (Smaller, darker color) o Sub-Species: Ursus arctos horribilis
Grizzly Bear
o Born February 1992 (Estimate) Wild Born (Montana)
o Arrived August 04, 1994 From US Fish and Wildlife Service
Female – Boo Boo (Larger, lighter color) o Sub-Species: Ursus arctos gyas
Peninsula Brown Bear o Born February 1994 (Estimate)
Wild Born (Alaska) o Arrived July 09, 1994
From Alaska Dept. Fish & Game Life Expectancy
Under managed care, up to 50 years of age;
average is 35 years.
Most Brown Bears die in their first few years of life
in the wild, but they can reach 20-30 years old.
Statistics
Weight – 200-1300 pounds
Length – 3-9.5 feet from head to base of tail Diet – Omnivore
Wild – grass, roots, moss, bulbs, fruits, nuts, fungus, berries, tubers, insects, carrion, and fish. They are known to hunt moose, elk, mountain sheep, and mountain goats
Zoo – Bear maintenance biscuits, apples, carrots,
and sweet potatoes.
Predators – Humans. Cubs can be attacked by other Brown Bears, Mountain Lions, and Wolves. Habitat – Desert edges, high mountain forests, ice fields, tundra, alpine meadows, and coastlines. Region – Western Europe and Palestine to eastern Siberia and the Himalayan region. Stable populations are found in Northern North America and small populations in parts of Western United States.
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
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Reproduction – Polygynandrous: Females mate with multiple males, and males mate with multiple females.
Sexually mature around 4-6 years. Estrous last 10-30 days. Mating takes place from May-July Males may guard the females for 1-3
weeks. Implantation in the uterus is delayed for 5
months. Gestation period of 180-266 days. 2-3 offspring are born blind, naked, and helpless (usually from January-March). Cubs stay with mother until they are 3 or 4 years old. Females do not ovulate for 2-4 years after giving birth.
Adaptations
Exhibit a period of deep sleep (October to December) in which they allow their body
temperature to drop by a few degrees. It is not true hibernation, it is called Torpor, and
bears can generally be aroused readily from their winter sleep.
o Store up to 400lbs of fat during the summer for use during this time.
Brown bears have an excellent sense of smell (able to follow the scent of a rotting
carcass for more than two miles), human-level hearing, but relatively poor eyesight.
Large muscle used for digging create hump above shoulders
Claws on front feet are curved and reach 4 inches in length which helps them in digging
compared to Black Bear with shorter (1.5 inches) and used for climbing.
Can run at speeds up to 40 mph
Behavior – Solitary, Diurnal
Brown bears communicate primarily through smells and sounds.
Brown bears may excavate shallow depressions in which to lie.
Conservation Concerns
Persecution, habitat destruction and fragmentation threaten them throughout their
range. Both bears here at John Ball Zoo were brought here due to repeated human area
conflict and would have been euthanized if no suitable placement was found.
Conservation Ask
Be thoughtful while engaging and connecting with Nature.
o Actions – Participate in nature friendly behavior
Only feed animals the appropriate diet in appropriate locations.
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
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John Ball Zoo Habitat – Constructed in 1982
Located in between the Bear and Snow
Leopard Habitats in the North America
section of the zoo.
Individual Animals – 1 Male, 1 Female
Female – Elsa (Smaller, lighter color)
o Born May 28, 2011
At Alameda Park Zoo
o Arrived October 20, 2011
From Alameda Park Zoo
Male – Eli (Larger, darker color)
o Born Summer 2011 (Estimate)
Wild (Oregon)
o Arrived February 08, 2012
From Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
Species – Puma concolor
Common names: Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma, Panther,
and Catamount
Life Expectancy
Average at AZA institutions:
o Male: 13.6 years; Female: 16 years
Oldest recorded at AZA institutions:
o Male: 20.1 years; Female: 21.5 years
Average life span in Wild: 8-13 years
Statistics
Weight – 64-264 pounds (males tend to be larger)
Length – 3.5-5 feet
Diet – Carnivore
Wild – Moose, elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou,
squirrels, muskrat, porcupine, beaver, raccoon, striped
skunk, coyote, bobcats, other mountain lions, rabbits,
opossums, birds, and even snails and fish.
Zoo – Feline diet 6 times per week and a knuckle bone on
the 7th.
Predators – They may be preyed on by other
mountain lions, wolves, or bears when they are
young or ill.
Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
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Habitat – Coniferous forests, lowland tropical forests, lowland tropical
forests, grasslands, dry bush lands. Dense vegetation, caves and rocky
crevices provide shelter.
Region – Ranging from areas in Canada, down through the United States,
south to Central and South America.
Historically, mountain lions had the most extensive distribution of
all American terrestrial mammals. They ranged from coast to coast
in North America, and from southern Argentina and Chile to
southeastern Alaska.
Reproduction – Polygynous: having more than one female mate at a time.
Sexually mature at 2.5-3 years
Mating occurs year-round and estrous can occur any time of year.
One to six cubs are born to a litter (average of 3-4) after 82-96 days of gestation.
The cubs are weaned at 40 days of age and remain with mother as long as 26 months.
Adaptations
Retractable claws
Mountain lions have one additional smaller premolar
on each side of the upper jaw than do bobcats and lynx.
Behavior – Nocturnal, Solitary
Mountain lions mark their territories by depositing
urine or fecal materials by trees.
The Mountain lion quietly stalks prey animals, then leaps at close range onto their back
and breaks the animal's neck with a powerful bite below the base of the skull.
Conservation Concerns
Mountain Lions are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and poaching of their
wild prey base.
They are persecuted across their range by retaliatory hunting due to livestock
depredation, and due to fear that they pose a threat to human life.
Conservation Ask
Support Global and Local Conservation Programs
o Donate time/money to the Zoo
By supporting JBZ guests are helping to care for animals injured in the
wild or displaced by human expansion.
Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
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John Ball Zoo Habitat – Constructed in 1982
Located next to the Mountain Lion habitat
in the North America area of the zoo.
Individual Animal – 1 Female
Female – Elsie
o Born June 25, 2003
At the Mill Mountain Zoo
o Arrived November 04, 2017
From Blank Park Zoo of Des Moines Life Expectancy
Oldest recorded at AZA institutions: 22 years
Wild: Unknown due to the reclusive nature of this
species.
Statistics
Weight – 77-100 pounds
Length – Body: 3.2-4.2 feet; Tail: 2.6-3.2 feet
Diet – Carnivore
Wild – Birds and mammals. Primarily Blue Sheep, but also Ibex, Markhors, and Wild Boar
Zoo – 32oz of meat (feline diet) 6 days a week. 8oz in the morning and 24oz in the
evening. On the 7th day (typically Saturday) she receives a knuckle bone.
o Enrichment/training: chicken, blood, milk, Hard-boiled eggs.
Predators
Humans and some predations with other snow leopards when resources are less
plentiful.
Habitat
Steep, rocky and broken terrain is
preferred. Mountains, savanna, or
grassland.
Region
Central Asia. This includes the entire
Himalayan mountain system and extends
to southern and western Mongolia and
South Russia.
Snow Leopard
Panthera uncia
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Reproduction – Polygynous: having more than one female as a mate.
Females are sexually mature at 2-3, while
males may take up to 4 years.
Breeding season takes place in late winter
from January to March. Gestation period of about 90-100 days.
Average litter size of 2-3 cubs. Their eyes
do not open until about 1 week of age.
The cubs are weaned at 5 months.
The mother is solely responsible for supplying the cubs with food, protection, resources,
and learning for the first year of their life.
Adaptations
Large paws, compared to other felids aids in
walking on snow.
Relatively long hind legs helps with agility and
jumping ability in their rugged habitat.
Small rounded ears minimizes heat loss.
Extremely long tail, equaling 75% to 90% of total
body length, is used for balance, but also to
cover up their extremities during harsh winter weather.
Behavior – Solitary
Crepuscular, meaning that they are most active during dawn and dusk.
Conservation Concerns
Competition with livestock, Habitat loss, declines in prey, climate change, and illegal
trade in furs, bones and other body parts.
There is a lack of awareness across the globe on the importance of this species to its
ecosystem.
Conservation Ask
Support Global and Local Conservation Programs
o Action – Join and support conservation organizations
Snow Leopard Trust
o Action – Donate time/money to the Zoo
John Ball Zoo participates in the Species
Survival Plan for Snow Leopards
Snow Leopard
Panthera uncia
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