Salato Field Notebook
High School
Answer Key
1.
Which reptile has a
prominent keel and a hooked beak?
Answer: Snapping
turtle (note: the alligator snapping turtle has 3 keels).
2.
When did RJ, the
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), pass away?
Answer: 1946.
What is its life
expectancy in the wild?
Answer: 15-20
years.
Find another eagle
species and compare the size.
Answer: Bald
eagle; about the same size as golden eagle.
3.
Find the Kentucky
Watersheds exhibit. How many major river basins are in our state?
Answer: 12.
To which watershed
does your city/town belong?
Answer: Frankfort and Lexington are in the Kentucky
River basin. Louisville is in the Ohio River basin. Find yours on the map.
4.
In what year did
Kentucky begin its wild turkey (Melegris galloparvo) restoration?
Answer: First
restoration 1946; modern restoration 1976.
What is the
current status of wild turkeys in Kentucky?
Answer: Thriving.
What are two ways
to distinguish between male and female turkeys?
Answer: Males
(“gobblers” or “toms”) have red on the head, sport beards, have large fans,
spurs, and their feet are bigger (4 ½ - 6”). Females (“hens”) have no red on
the head, no beards, small fans and smaller feet (up to 4 ½“).
5.
Compare the beak of
the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) and the Great-horned Owl (Bubo
virginianus). How are they different?
Answer: The heron’s beak
is long and narrow; the owl’s beak is short, sharp and hooked.
How
would these differences influence their hunting strategies?
Answer: The heron catches
swimming fish and swallows them whole; the owl hunts animals such as small
mammals and reptiles and uses his beak and talons to kill them and tear them
apart so he can eat them.
6.
Which of the venomous
snakes is found only in western Kentucky?
Answer: Cottonmouth.
Why?
Answer: Western Kentucky
has large areas that are wet and boggy, providing more suitable cottonmouth
habitat than the rest if the state.
7.
How does the shape of
deer (Odocoileus virginianus) antlers differ from elk (Cervus elaphus)
antlers?
Answer: Deer antlers
form a basket on top of the head and elk antlers sweep backwards.
8.
What are pharyngeal
teeth?
Answer: Special
teeth located in the throat of some fish used for processing food.
9.
What
foods were important to native Kentuckians?
Answer: Corn,
beans, squash, gourds, nuts and sunflower.
10.
Describe two habitats
you have observed today. Include sketches.
Answer:
