Transcript Habitats - Houston Zoo

Homeschool Web Activity
December 2013
Houston Zoo
Home Sweet
Home
Home Sweet Home

In the most recent edition of
“Homeschool Happenings”, we learned
about how animals find shelter and what
they need in their habitats

Let us delve a little deeper into how the
Houston Zoo ensures that our animals
truly have a place they can call “home
sweet home”.
First Things First
 Before
you can begin building a suitable
home for an animal, you must first determine
what animals need
 Remember:
animals get all their needs from
their habitat. They can’t jump in a car and
zoom to the store for supplies!
First Things First
 What
 All




do animals need?
animals need:
Food
Water
Shelter
Space
Know Your Tenant
 After
you have identified the things that all
animals need, it is time to look more closely at
the specific species you will be building a home
for
 Is
it a desert animal? Does the animal thrive in
the cold? What does the animal eat? Must the
animal always be near water? These are just
some of the many things that must be taken
into account.
The Basics
 When
designing exhibits at the Houston Zoo,
we must take into account how we are going
to supply the animals with the food and fresh
water they need every day.
 More
often than not, this is a bit more
complicated than setting out a bowl of
food and water.
The Basics

The exhibits at the Houston Zoo must be designed
in such a way that allows the keepers to stay safe
while placing food and water for the animals

Most of our exhibits have off-exhibit holding areas.
This means that the keepers have the ability to
bring the animals inside and close a door. After
the door is secured, the keepers may go out on
the exhibit and safely place fresh food and water.
Once the keepers are out of the exhibit and safe,
the door is opened and the animals may come
out and investigate the yummy food.
Protection from the Elements
 As
well as having access to food and
water, the animals must also have access
to shelter in their enclosures
 This
needs to be an area that allows the
animal to get out of the rain, get relief from
the sun, and even take a
moment away from public
view
Protection from the Elements

“Shelter” can take different forms
depending on the species of the animal.
Zoo designers must know a great deal
about their animals in order to provide the
appropriate shelter for that species.

For example, the shelter the
zoo might provide for a
tortoise might look drastically
different than the shelter they
would provide for a red
crowned crane.
Give Me Space!
 The
Houston Zoo must also
take into account the space
requirements their animals
need
 As
you can imagine, the
space requirements for an
elephant are slightly different
than that of a mole rat!
Give Me Space!
 In
addition to the space requirements that
different animals need in relation to area, the
zoo must also consider space requirement in
relation to population density
 While
some animals
must be kept solitary,
others thrive in group
settings
All in a Day’s Work…
 As
you can see, it is hard work ensuring all the
animals that call the Houston Zoo home have
everything they need in their exhibits!
Not Just the Zoo

You don’t have to be a keeper at the Houston
Zoo to make wonderful habitats for animals
Do you have a pet at home?
Perhaps a dog, a cat, or a fish?
These animals need the
same 4 things in their
habitats at your home that
the Zoo animals need in
their exhibits.

Not just the Zoo!
 Even
the urban wildlife that live around
our homes, schools, and neighborhoods
need suitable habitats.
Your turn!
 With
cold weather upon us, the animals
who are our neighbors can find it difficult
to find shelter, food, and water at times.
 You
can help!
Your turn!
 With
an adult, use the directions and build
your very own habitat for wildlife!
 When
you are ready to place your nest
box, you can help wildlife even further by
ensuring a water source and a food
source is near. Perhaps you can hang a
bird feeder, place a bird bath, or even
plant some native shrubs that would
provide food and shelter!