Owls of South Carolina
(Puzzle Edition)
*The cache is not at the posted coordinates*
*This cache has been placed by permission of the land manager of Sumter National Forest- Long Cane Ranger District. This cache is easy to find in order to reduce the impact on the environment. Please practice Leave No Trace ethics by being respectful to the area and please do not bushwhack! You are looking for a bison tube. The difficulty ratings mostly reflect the difficulty of the puzzle. Have fun and remember to bring a pen!
KEY= ZBKQMHP
Owls:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Telluraves
Order: Strigiformes
South Carolina is the home of several species of owls. How much do you know about the owls of South Carolina? Here is a quiz to test your knowledge:
1. The majority taxonomic class of animals in a barred owl’s diet is the following:
A. Mammalia
B. Aves
C. Reptilia
D. Gastropoda
2. Which class of animals is rarely consumed by barn owls even when this class of animals is numerous and preferred prey are scarce?
A. Arachnida
B. Clitellata
C. Amphibia
D. Osteichthyes
3. Which of the following woodpecker species excavate holes into trees that are too small to be utilized by Eastern screech owls for nesting?
A. Colaptes auratus
B. Melanerpes carolinensis
C. Dryocopus pileatus
D. Sphyrapicus ruber
4. A great horned owl gains approximately _____ a day for the first four weeks.
A. 34.7 grams (1.22 ounces)
B. 28.3 grams (.99 ounces)
C. 800 grams (1.8 pounds)
D. 33 grams (1.2 ounces)
5. The most southeastern-known breeding area for the Northern saw-whet owl was found in 2014 in the following region:
A. Southern Appalachian mountains
B. Mid-Atlantic
C. South Carolina Lowcountry
D. Georgia Piedmont
6. What is the conservation status of short-eared owls per the International Union for Conservation of Nature?
A. Vulnerable (VU)
B. Near Threatened (NT)
C. Endangered (EN)
D. Least Concern (LC)
7. How many days does it take long-eared owl hatchlings to open their eyes? (It was brought to my attention that there is some conflicting information online. Use the answer with higher numbers).
A. 5-7 days
B. 1-2 days
C. 11-13 days
D. 3-4 days
Unfortunately, this puzzle may require a Ph.D. in a zoological or biological field. May the odds be in your favor!
If you enjoyed this cache; here is a fun, similarly themed cache at the University of South Carolina-Aiken: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCABHHM
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