|
|
|
Celebrate the
Year of the Frog with the
Museum of Discovery and Science!
LIVE frog exhibit
Frogs: a chorus of colors leaps into the
spotlight on May 22, 2008
Fort
Lauderdale, May 23, 2008 – From May 22 – September 7,
2008, the Museum of Discovery and Science invites South Florida
to celebrate the Year of the Frog at its new LIVE frog exhibit,
Frogs: a chorus of colors. The summer traveling exhibit will
introduce visitors to the amazing and colorful world of anurans
– the frogs. The exhibit features a colorful assortment of
exotic live frogs from all over the world, including some
poisonous frogs. During opening weekend, May 23 – 26, 2008,
museum guests will meet the exhibit’s Frog Keeper, witness a
live frog feeding, participate in a frog dissection, see
traditional West African fishing dances and hopping activities
for the whole family.
Frogs live almost everywhere, from tropical forests to frozen
tundra and scorching deserts. Brilliant orange, bright blue,
dazzling red, frogs come in an astonishing array of colors which
provides only a glimpse at the remarkable diversity that exists
among the frog species inhabiting the globe. Their voices have
filled the night with song since the dawn of the dinosaurs. But
the chorus is fading. As humans change natural environments,
frogs around the world are disappearing. Many efforts are
underway to reverse this downward trend globally and in our own
backyards.
Frogs: a chorus of colors will allow visitors to experience the
beauty of frogs in 15 live frog habitats and 12
interactive stations. Although most people have no
aversion to frogs, their beauty and elegance are often
overlooked. These amphibians are among the most visually
stunning, vocally pleasing and adaptively remarkable life forms
on earth. If you’ve never thought of frogs as beautiful, this
exhibit will change your mind!
Visitors will learn that not all frogs look like the common
American bullfrog. Green or blue, large or small, and smooth or
bumpy, 15 varied species of frogs will call the Museum of
Discovery and Science home in self-contained, custom habitats
featuring waterfalls, rock ledges, live plants, and other
nature-inspired settings.
The exhibit allows visitors to get eye-to-eye with frogs from
around the world, including gravity-defying tree frogs, chubby
bullfrogs, stout toads, elegant dart poison frogs and
saucer-shaped ornate horned frogs. The amphibians on display
come from Madagascar, China, Africa, Vietnam and other exotic
locations. Their biology, natural history, importance to
ecosystems and role in human culture also is explored.
At first glance, many visitors may only see green moss when they
look into a lush habitat. But with a discerning eye, they’ll
soon realize that some of the “moss” has eyes as the Vietnamese
mossy frog reveals how these amphibians are masters of disguise.
To the contrary, visitors learn that dart poison frogs use their
bright hues to warn predators that they should not be considered
as part of the typical food-chain menu. As with many brightly
colored species in the natural world, a brightly-colored frog
often means it’s hazardous to a predator’s health.
Frogs: A Chorus of Colors includes interactive
components that make the exhibition a hands-on,
minds-on adventure. From “Froguts” to a “Create a Chorus,”
visitors can perform a virtual frog dissection or compose a
musical sing-a-long by overlapping a series of recorded frog
calls. “Frogsperts” can also test their Frog IQ, check their
field of vision against a frog’s, guess the differences between
frogs and toads, and watch videos of frogs jumping, swimming,
walking, gliding and climbing.
A collection of spectacular, close-up photographs
by world-renowned wildlife photographers Joe and Mary Ann
McDonald, John Netherton, and Michael and Patricia Fogden are
featured in panels alongside the live animals to offer a
stunning glimpse into the diversity and habitats of frogs.
Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, an institution accredited by the
American Zoo and Aquarium Association, created Frogs: A Chorus
of Colors. The exhibit is sponsored locally by Ameriprise
Financial with media support provided by WSVN. |
|
|
|
|
