My trip to the Washington DC Zoo over the weekend was a fun and educational experience. Along with seeing the baby pandas and walking around mindlessly, I was able to visit four major houses. These houses include the Small Mammal House, the Bird House, the Great Ape House, and the Elephant House.
My first trip was to the Small Mammal House, where I studied five of several miniature mammals. First was the Rock Cavy (Kerodon rupestris) who live in dry rocky areas near mountains and hills; and feed on leaves, grass and seeds. Second was Lesser the Shrew (Tupaia minor) who live in the forests of Southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Sumatra. They feed on fruits, seeds and insects. Third was the Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis) who resides in hilly areas in the dense forests of India, Tibet, China, and Southeast Asia. They feed on birds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Fourth was the Asian Small-Clawed otter (Amblonyx cinereas) who lives in rivers, lakes and rainforests, and they feed on frogs, fish and snails. And fifth is the Golden Lion Tauarin (Leontopitheaus rosalia) who live in the tropical rainforests in Brazil and feed on fruit and insects.
My second visit was to the Bird House, where I chose five birds to write up on. The first bird was the Microresion Kingfoler (Halcyon cinnamomina) who is an endangered species. Second was the White-faced Whistling Duck (Derdrocygra vidulate) who lives in Costa Rica and Brazil, and they feed on plants, fish, shellfish and insects. Third was the Barbory Shrike (Laniarius barbarus) who lives in the open country. It uses its powerfull bills to chew on insects and small animals. Fourth is the Palm Cockatoo Probosclyer aterrimas) who lives in Australia and New Guinea. It uses its strong beak to be able to crack open various nuts and shells. And fifth is the Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota) who lives in Mexico and Argentina and feeds on flying insects.
My third stop of the day was at the always popular and always smelly Great Ape House. The primary feature of the Great Ape House was the Western Lowland Gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla). This endangered species resides in the Lowland Rainforests of Central Africa and they feed on leaves, fruits, bark, insects and stems. The Great Ape House also had the endangered Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), who live in lowlands of Borneo and Sumatra, and they feed on trees, fruit, leaves and insects. These were the only two features of the Great Ape House.
My final junction was at the Elephant house. First was the Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), who lives in the open woodland of Central and Southern Africa. They feed on twigs, buds and fruit. Second was the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), who lives in the Rainforest and adjacent grasslands of Southern Asia, and they feed on trees, grasses and various vegetation. Third was the Capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris), who lives in the grasslands and forest of Southern Panama and North Argentina, and they feed on grass and various vegetation. Fourth was the Pygmy Hippopotamus Hexaprotodon liberiensis) who live in the tropical rainforests of Sierra Leon, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast, and they feed on leaves, fruit, stems, grasses, roots and aquatic plants. And fifth were the Nile Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious) who live in the lakes and rivers of Africa, and they feed on vegetation and grass.