In the Invertebrate Exhibit I first saw the Giant Pacific Octopus.  This octopus uses its eight arms to open their prey, which include small crabs, scallops, and snails.  If they are unable to open their prey, the octopus releases salivary secretions that soften the shell of the prey.  I also saw the Goliath bird-eating tarantula.  This is one of the largest species of tarantulas in the world, reaching almost one foot in length.  The Goliath bird-eating tarantula makes noises by rubbing bristles on its legs together.  This hissing noise, called stridulation, can be heard up to fifteen feet away.  I really liked the Coral-banded shrimp.  These shrimp are referred to as "cleaner shrimp" because they will rid coral and will rid coral and fish neighbors of parasites and debris, and are vital to coral reef ecosystems.

The next exhibit I went to was the Bird Exhibit.  This exhibit was also very interesting as it is home to hundreds of birds from all over the world.  The flamingo exhibit was amazing.  All of the flamingos were sleeping with their heads tucked away and balancing on one leg.  We also went into the Bird House.  The Bird House consists of a variety of smaller exhibits that make up a large indoor jungle with free-flying tropical birds.  One of the birds that caught my attention was the Toco Toucan.  This type of bird is found in the lowlands of South America.  I also saw a Mottled Owl which can be found in northeastern Argentina in dense forests and open woodland.  One of the birds, called the Bali Mynah, that I saw, is endangered.  They are being exchanged with other zoos as part of their Species Survival Plan (SSP) breeding recommendations.  Four mynahs at the Conservation and Research Center's breeding facility in Front Royal, Virginia, will be sent to other zoos for breeding and three new mynahs will be arriving from Baltimore and Houston zoos. There were two females on display that will not be bred.

Overall, my trip to the zoo was a lot of fun especially because I got to see the pandas!