California Living Museum



CALM

California Living Museum

Joe R. Saldivar

Revised July 25, 2009

Name _________________________

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ABOUT CALM: California Living Museum is a local zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum. CALM displays a wide variety of plants and animals which are native to California. The animals are all unreleasable (that is, they would not survive in the wild) due to medical disabilities or lack of proper parental imprinting and training while young. These animals are used for educational purposes, and because of the care they receive at CALM, they will usually outlive their counterparts in the wild. Some 250 animals are on display at CALM. Over 2000 native plants are displayed at CALM, many of them in the communities in which they would be found in the wild. The fossils displayed in the education center are native to the San Juaquin Valley, and, along with the accompanying murals, give us a feeling for the local regions during prehistoric times.

Class Chondrichthyes - (Rays, Skates & Sharks)

These are fishes that have a skeleton composed of cartilage rather than bone and are known for swift movement as a result of their flexibility and lightweight skeleton. They do not have a good sense of sight, but they have a keen sense of smell and electrosensors that can detect the electrical fields of muscles in their nearby prey.

There are no live specimens at CALM but you should examine the fossil specimens and the murals in the education center.

1. Prehistoric sharks were larger than present-day sharks? What skeletal feature can be used to prove this physical feature?

2. Why do you think we have many preserved teeth of prehistoric sharks, but not

many full skeletons?

3. Name 3 animals (present or extinct) that have been found at Shark Tooth Hill that you never thought could have ever lived in Bakersfield.

Class Amphibia - Frogs, Toads, Salamanders...

The name of this class means “Double-Life.” Most species are tied to water for purposes of reproduction and keeping their skin moist, but they can spend extended periods of time on land. Amphibians are the most primitive terrestrial vertebrates. There are several species available for observation in the Reptile House. Select two different species and fill in the chart on the following page using observations and you textbook.

|Class Amphibia |Organism |Organism |

|Common name | | |

|Scientific name | | |

|Habitat | | |

|(Environment) | | |

|What do they eat? | | |

|Method of bearing young | | |

|(Eggs in water/land or Live birth) | | |

|Method of capturing prey | | |

| | | |

|Methods of protection from prey (if any) | | |

Class Reptilia - Snakes, Lizards, Turtles

[pic]

These are the first land dwelling vertebrates that can live independently of water. Observe the specimens in the Reptile House and turtle/tortoise enclosures. Fill in the chart below for two different species.

|Class Reptilia |Organism |Organism |

|Common name | | |

|Scientific name | | |

|Habitat | | |

|(Environment) | | |

|What do they eat? | | |

|Method of bearing young | | |

|(Eggs in water/land or Live birth) | | |

|Method of capturing prey | | |

| | | |

|Methods of protection from prey (if any) | | |

| | | |

7. The Gila monster brightly colored? What do bright colors usually indicate about the organism?

8. The California Mountain Kingsnake's colors are very similar that of a coral snake. Why is this advantageous for the California Kingsnake?

Tortoise Enclosure.

9. How can you determine the age of a tortoise?

10. How can you differentiate a male from a female tortoise?

[pic]

Class Aves - Birds

Birds may not look like reptiles but they have more in common with their scaly relative than they have differences. Birds are uniquely adapted for flight. They occupy a wide range of terrestrial habitats. They lack teeth, but their beaks reveal a great deal concerning their niche.

|Class Aves |Organism |Organism |Organism |

|Common name | | | |

|Scientific name | | | |

|Habitat | | | |

|(Environment) | | | |

|What do they eat? | | | |

|Shape of beak | | | |

13. Vultures have a bald head. What is the advantage of the bald head?

15. How do the beaks and feet of raptors (hawks and eagles) differ from those of water fowl and song birds seen at CALM?

Class Mammalia - Bears, Cats, Dogs, Rodents, Humans...

16. What characteristics distinguish mammals from other animals?

17. What are marsupials?

Compare two different mammals in the chart below.

|Class Mammalia |Organism |Organism |

|Common name | | |

|Scientific name | | |

|Habitat | | |

|(Environment) | | |

|What do they eat? | | |

|Method of capturing prey | | |

| | | |

|Methods of protection from prey (if any) | | |

| | | |

18. What is the scientific name of the Black Bear? Does the name tell you anything about the region where the bear is found?

19. Although the animals at CALM are still considered wild, many of the animals at CALM will never be released? Why?

20. What was the most interesting thing you learned at CALM?

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