By Kristina Iodice skiff staff The Dallas Museum of Natural History's new exhibit has visual, hands-on activities, computer-interactive elements and more than 100 mounted and preserved specimens of predatory birds and mammals from the museum's collection. "Big Bears, Big Cats...Predators 2" is a walk-through exhibit where visitors will learn about the adaptations that allow predators to locate, kill and eat their prey. A section about humans examines how people developed tools and weapons to compensate for their lack of claws. The wolf is the center of this display because it is used to trace human predation and the move toward commercial hunting throughout history. One of the displays is a special kind of trap, triggered like a mouse trap but used to shoot cyanide bullets into a wolf or coyote. Of course, there are other interesting predators on display. Part of the exhibit is even living: lizards, tarantulas and some poisonous spiders. There is even a glow-in-the-dark Emperor Scorpion. The black lights in the tank make the scorpion glow pale green because of a secreted chemical. A special case full of carnivorous plants is also included in the display. The Venus Flytrap is the most widely known predatory plant, but others include pitcher plants and butterworts. Most of the plant predators work the same way, and it is amazing to think that a plant is able to catch a fly with little trouble. Not only can they catch swift insects, but the plants can differentiate between a clump of dirt and food. However, the main attraction of "Big Bears, Big Cats...Predators 2" is the extensive collection of mounted animals on display. Among the animals on display are some of the most dangerous predators known, including bears and all of the world's big cats. There are also many other seldom-seen and interesting predators, like the Malaysian binturong and the African aardwolf, who eats 200,000 termites in one night. There is even a Jaguarundi, also known as an otter-cat, on display. The odd-looking predator is a member of the cat family. It once ranged from Texas and Arizona to Argentina. The Jaguarundi is one of the rarest mammals in Texas, and there have been no verified sightings for several years. Many of the specimens are from the personal collection of the late Herbert Klein who collected a large number of mounted animal trophies. Klein, a Dallas oil man, big game hunter and conservationist, donated more than 400 specimens to the Dallas Museum of Natural History to encourage "an appreciation and understanding of the animals that inhabit the earth." Many of the Klein specimens are more than 40 years old and have not been shown to the public in years. The mounted bird predators were originally part of the "Birds of Texas" exhibit that opened in the 1960s. Many of the specimens have been in storage since the 1990s or earlier. Other elements in the exhibit include video footage of predators in action and activity centers where visitors can experience predator adaptations in areas of vision, hearing, smell and jaw strength. There are touchable skull models and fur samples, even some prehistoric predator history. "Big Bears, Big Cats...Predators 2" runs through May 21 and is sponsored by Microsoft Corporation - PSS Central Region, Las Colinas. The Dallas Museum of Natural History, funded in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. For more information or volunteering opportunities, call the museum at (214) 421-3466, ext. 200, or visit the museum's Web site at (www.dallasdino.org).
Kristina Iodice |
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