Red Rocks
The majority of the enclosures in the Red Rock area are large because the animals are large and quite mobile. There are 15 different species of animals in the Red Rock area. The habitat is baren with a small amount of trees, and a large number of red rocks separating the enclosures. The inclosures included animals from two main categories: big cats and hoofed mammals.
The Okapi is a fairly large mammal that remotely resembles a zebra. It is tan in color and has striped tan and white legs. The Okapi's taxonomic information is:
Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla* (nearly 200 species of even-toed, hoofed mammals)
Suborder: Ruminantia (cud-chewing cattle, goats, sheep, bison, giraffes and more)
Family: Giraffidae (only two species - giraffes and okapis)
Genus: Okapi (okapi)
Species: Okapia johnstoni
While we were watching the Okapis we observed what looked like the beginnings of foreplay. The male Okapi came up behind the female and appeared as if they were about to mate, but during the course of the 10 minutes they never actually did.
The Okapi is a fairly large mammal that remotely resembles a zebra. It is tan in color and has striped tan and white legs. The Okapi's taxonomic information is:
Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla* (nearly 200 species of even-toed, hoofed mammals)
Suborder: Ruminantia (cud-chewing cattle, goats, sheep, bison, giraffes and more)
Family: Giraffidae (only two species - giraffes and okapis)
Genus: Okapi (okapi)
Species: Okapia johnstoni
While we were watching the Okapis we observed what looked like the beginnings of foreplay. The male Okapi came up behind the female and appeared as if they were about to mate, but during the course of the 10 minutes they never actually did.
Karen the Okapi at the Maryland Zoo
This is a Snow Leopard in the wild. The Snow Leopards at the St. Louis Zoo were not kept in a cold and snowy environment. A Snow Leopard is a relatively large cat that has a spotted soft fur coat.
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Uncia
Species: U. (panthera) uncia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Uncia
Species: U. (panthera) uncia
This is a Black Jaguar. At the St. Louis Zoo we found the Black Jaguar in a large enclosure, with the floor of the enclosure over 20feet below the walking path, with a wire netting over the top. The Jaguar had many trees in its enclosure and was found sleeping in the shade under a tree.
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: onca
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: onca
River's Edge
The River's Edge area of the St. Louis Zoo includes the Black Rhino, Bush Dog, Capybara, Anteater, Asian Elephant, Hippo, Red River Hog, Carmine Bee-eater, Cheetah, and the Hyena. Most of the animals in the River's Edge area either had running water in their encosure or had a full swimming area in the enclosure. Most of the animals in the area were medium-sized to very large.
I observed the Hippo in the River's Edge area. The Hippo's enclosure was mainly a large swimming area in front of a glass window for viewing. The hippo was lying in the water and frequently taking breaths at the sufface and blowing air out of its nostrils.
I observed the Hippo in the River's Edge area. The Hippo's enclosure was mainly a large swimming area in front of a glass window for viewing. The hippo was lying in the water and frequently taking breaths at the sufface and blowing air out of its nostrils.
A Hippo with a girl in a zoo.
Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed hoofed animals) Note: new taxonomy for this order has been proposed and widely accepted
Family: Hippopotamidae
Genus: Choeropsis
Species: Choeropsis liberiensis (Pygmy Hippopotamus)
Subspecies: C. l. liberiensis
Subspecies: C. l. heslopi
Genus: Hippopotamus
Species: Hippopotamus amphibius (Common Hippopotamus)
Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed hoofed animals) Note: new taxonomy for this order has been proposed and widely accepted
Family: Hippopotamidae
Genus: Choeropsis
Species: Choeropsis liberiensis (Pygmy Hippopotamus)
Subspecies: C. l. liberiensis
Subspecies: C. l. heslopi
Genus: Hippopotamus
Species: Hippopotamus amphibius (Common Hippopotamus)
Lakeside Crossing
The enclosures in the Lakeside Crossing area all had a great amount of water in them. The Lakeside Crossing includes the animals of the Sea Lion Sound, Stingrays, Duck, Geese, and Trumpeter Swan. The enclosures were large for the Sea Lions because there were many of them in there, as for the rest, they were not very large.
I observed the Sea Lions in the Sea Lion Sound. The Sea Lions are slimy-looking with four flippers and whiskers around their snout. While we watched them they swam around in the water and would occasionally hop out of the water onto the rocks.
I observed the Sea Lions in the Sea Lion Sound. The Sea Lions are slimy-looking with four flippers and whiskers around their snout. While we watched them they swam around in the water and would occasionally hop out of the water onto the rocks.
This is a Sea Lion from the Milwaukee Zoo.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Otariidae
Genus: Zalophus
Species: californianus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Otariidae
Genus: Zalophus
Species: californianus
Personal Experience
I believe attending this field trip was an enriching experience. I think that seeing the animals in person is a necessity to completely understand the animals we study in the classroom. Not only was this a fun experience, but educational too. I learned what the animals act like in their own habitat and what they look and act like alive (not just dead on a dissecting pan).