Fresh Sheet – November 23, 2013

Our Tropical Butterfly House is not only home to butterflies but also beautiful plants and flowers. We will be closed on Thanksgiving but will return as a warm and fragrant shopping-free zone the next day.



Suriname

40 - Battus polydamas (Polydamus Swallowtail)
10 - Heraclides thoas (Thoas Swallowtail)
30 - Heraclides anchisiades (Ruby-spotted Swallowtail)
20 - Papilio androgeus (Queen Page)
35 - Heliconius melpomene (Postman)
10 - Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing)
40 - Dryas iulia (Julia Longwing)
30 - Anartia amathea (Scarlet Peacock)
40 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
10 - Mechanitis polymnia (Polymnia Tigerwing)
05 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)

Total = 270


El Salvador

20 - Archeoprepona demophoon (Hubner’s Prepona)
25 - Battus belus (Belus Swallowtail)
25 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
25 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
22 - Doxocopa callianira (Callianira Emperor)
25 - Eurytides thymbraeus(White-crested Swallowtail)
15 - Heliconius erato (Small Postman)
25 - Heliconius hortense (Mountain Longwing)
10 - Heliconius ismenius (Ismenius Longwing)
20 - Lycorea cleobaea (Large Tiger)
32 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
25 - Morpho polyphemus (White Morpho)
25 - Myscelia ethusa (Royal Blue Butterfly)
10 - Parides arcas (Arcas Cattleheart)
09 - Prepona demophon (One-spotted Prepona)
15 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)

Total = 328

Grand Total = 598

“Fresh Sheet” is our weekly shipment report of pupae on display in the emerging window. Visit Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House and meet our newest residents.


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Musings on a Sea Cucumber

A recent addition to our Puget Sound Salt Water Tide Pool is a rather lively California sea cumber. For an animal that often hides between rocks, our new echinoderm is a rambler. It may appear stationary, but check back later and – BOOM – it’s moved.

One day recently the sea cucumber was being threatened by a sea star and a thoughtful staff member covered it with a plastic “igloo”. We often use these igloos to protect sea anemones from guests’ probing fingers when the anemones are splitting. Very thoughtful. However, the sea cucumber’s flight instincts are a better protection than the igloo. So we decided to stop using the igloo.

This event inspired Life Sciences manager, Sarah Moore to pen the following rhyming directive:

What Else Rhymes with Sea Cucumber?


By orders of magnitude, we outnumber
Our California sea cucumber

Look – it’s brighter than burnt umber
Such a colorful sea cucumber

If it is sleeping let it slumber
Don’t disturb the sea cucumber

It may zoom or it may lumber
Sure can move, that sea cucumber

So with the igloo don’t encumber
The travels of the sea cucumber

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Fresh Sheet – November 9, 2013

Now that the days are getting shorter, cooler, and wetter, wouldn’t you rather be in our Tropical Butterfly House? Come visit our latest shipment of pupae from El Salvador.



El Salvador

10 - Archeoprepona demophoon (Hubner’s Prepona)
25 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
20 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
10 - Colobura dirce (Mosaic butterfly)
10 - Eurytides thymbraeus(White-crested Swallowtail)
10 - Heliconius erato (Small Postman)
15 - Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing)
20 - Heliconius hortense (Mountain Longwing)
25 - Heliconius ismenius (Ismenius Longwing)
10 - Lycorea cleobaea (Large Tiger)
60 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
25 - Morpho polyphemus (White Morpho)
10 - Myscelia cyaniris (Blue Wave Butterfly)
25 - Myscelia ethusa (Royal Blue Butterfly)
10 - Papilio pilumnus (Three-tailed Swallowtail)
20 - Parides arcas (Arcas Cattleheart)
10 - Archeoprepona demophon (One-spotted Prepona)
10 - Siderone nemesis (Red-striped Leafwing)
08 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)

Total = 333

“Fresh Sheet” is our weekly shipment report of pupae on display in the emerging window. Visit Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House and meet our newest residents.


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Sleepless in Texas

Last month when we introduced our new Naked Mole Rat Cam we figured that it would be another fascinating distraction to many people’s days. Little did we imagine that DropCam’s technology would help us solve the mystery of “The Great NMR Escape”!



Last week, Pacific Science Center's Marketing Department received an email from a nightowl in south Texas. He had been idly viewing DropCam’s featured sites when he noticed our Naked Mole Rat Cam. Our viewer watched for almost an hour as a pair of our naked mole rats pushed their way out of the habitat - with the help of a little Halloween pumpkin.

Watch:



When Animal Caretaker Chris Russell came in the next morning he immediately noticed the escapees running around the compound. After a thorough check that no one was injured in the escape, Chris returned them to the rest of the colony and secured the tubing.

The DropCam footage helps us solve a longstanding puzzle. If we knew how to prevent all escapes, we surely would. With the information we got watching this, we were immediately able to prevent any future pumpkin related escapes!

Remember, if you watch our naked mole rat cam and see anything that amazes you, drop us a line at feedback@pacsci.org.
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Fresh Sheet – November 2, 2013

The seventh annual Life Sciences Research Weekend is on through Sunday at Pacific Science Center. Bring friends and family to meet professional scientists from companies and research institutions all across Washington. And don’t forget to stop by our Tropical Butterfly House to see who’s flying.



Costa Rica

16 - Caligo eurilochus (Forest Giant Owl)
59 - Catonephele numilia (Halloween Butterfly)
03 - Eryphanis polyxena (Purple Mort Bleu Owl)
31 - Greta oto (Glasswing)
04 - Hamadryas amphinome (Red Calico)
05 - Hamadryas februa (Gray Calico)
06 - Hamadryas fornax (Orange Calico)
70 - Hamadryas laodamia (Starry Calico)
05 - Heliconius clysonymus (Clysonymus Longwing)
75 - Heliconius doris (Doris Longwing)
69 - Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing)
44 - Heliconius hewitsoni(Hewitson’s Longwing)
49 - Heliconius melpomene (Postman)
40 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
60 - Myscelia cyaniris (Blue Wave Butterfly)

Total = 536

“Fresh Sheet” is our weekly shipment report of pupae on display in the emerging window. Visit Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House and meet our newest residents.


Read more!