Fozblog

Tuesday Trivia!

It’s “Tuesday Trivia” time! This week, the focus turns to our river otter, Stache, who has been cooling off in the pool with her pups.

E-mail your answer and mailing address to trivia@dickersonparkzoo.org by midnight tonight. We'll draw from the correct responses for a winner, who will receive a pair of one-day admission tickets to Dickerson Park Zoo!

Check out FOZblog.org tomorrow to read more information about this week's animal and see the correct answer to "Tuesday Trivia."

True or False: The River Otter can remain submerged under water for three to four minutes.

Tuesday Trivia Answer - The Hippopotamus!

Facts about the Hippopotamus

Scientific Name: Hippopotamus amphibius

Range & Habitat: Grasslands, wetlands and rivers throughout Africa

Size: Weighs 2½ to 5 tons; body length is up to 15' long; stands 5' tall

Life Span: Can live up to 49 years in captivity

Gestation: 210-255 days, usually single births; calf weighs about 100 lbs. Wild Diet: Aquatic plants, grass and foliage

Zoo Diet: Hay, grain, produce (watermelons and cantaloupes as treats)

Habits: Hippopotamuses live in groups of females and their young, and the bulls live separately. Mating, birthing and nursing usually take place in the water. A hippopotamus can remain completely submerged for up to five minutes. Its eyes, ears and nostrils are situated on top of its head to remain above the water while the hippo stays underwater. When diving, its nostrils and ears close.

Hippos spend the day in the water and the night foraging on land. On land, they are good walkers and relatively fast runners. The hippo's skin has glands which secrete a viscous reddish-pink fluid that moistens the skin during dry periods and provides protection from the sun. Before the purpose of the fluid was determined, it was once thought that hippos sweat blood

Hippopotamus is a Greek name meaning "River Horse."

Tuesday Trivia!

Welcome back to "Tuesday Trivia!" Considering the heat index, we decided to choose an animal that was "temperature appropriate."

E-mail your answer and mailing address to trivia@dickersonparkzoo.org by midnight tonight. We'll draw from the correct responses for a winner, who will receive a pair of one-day admission tickets to Dickerson Park Zoo!

Check out FOZblog.com tomorrow to read more information about this week's animal and see the correct answer to "Tuesday Trivia."

To moisten and protect skin from the sun, Hippopotamuses excrete a(n) __________-colored fluid.

a. pink
b. blue
c. green
d. orange

Tuesday Trivia Answer - The Ostrich!

Facts about the Ostrich

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Struthio camelus

RANGE & HABITAT: Deserts, savannahs and grasslands of East, West and southern Africa

SIZE: Up to eight feet tall and 300 lbs. Hatchlings are up to one foot.

LIFE SPAN: Can live up to 25 years in captivity

INCUBATION: 40 days; up to 20 eggs

WILD DIET: Berries, succulent plants, occasionally insects and reptiles

ZOO DIET: Ratite grain

HABITS: Largest of all birds. Too heavy to fly, but can run up to 45 mph. Each foot has two toes, and it can defend itself by kicking. Several females lay eggs in one nest, producing clutches of up to 30 eggs. Females share daytime sitting duties - male sits at night. Eggs are the size of cantaloupe, weighing up to 3 lbs. Males have black and white plumage; females are brownish. Males make loud, booming calls and perform elaborate displays during the breeding season. After the eggs hatch, the male is solely in charge of the young for about 40 days.The ostrich is semi-nomadic and will travel long distances to find grass and other plant food.

New feature: Tuesday Trivia!

Welcome to the first "Tuesday Trivia" post. E-mail your answer to trivia@dickersonparkzoo.org by midnight tonight. We'll draw from the correct responses for a winner, who will receive a pair of one-day admission tickets.

Visit FOZBlog.org tomorrow to read more information about this week's animal and see the correct answer to "Tuesday Trivia."

The ______ is the largest of all birds, standing as tall as 8 feet and weighing up to 230 pounds.
a. Emu
b. Rhea
c. Mute Swan
d. Ostrich

"America's Best Zoos" co-author visits DPZ

Jon Wassner, co-author of "America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families," visited Springfield's Dickerson Park Zoo last Friday. Today, he posted his impressions of our park to his America's Zoo Scoop blog with very favorable comments.

Very often, when travel writers and other journalists visit the zoo, we provide a guided tour with a few behind-the-scenes opportunities. We're grateful for these opportunities which usually come via the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

But, Jon's visit was different. He specifically asked to tour the park unaccompanied because he wanted to experience Dickerson Park Zoo as our guests would. We provided him a media kit with background information and photographs and welcomed him as we would any other member of the general public.

Thank you, Jon, for a very complimentary review.