Be an archaeologist for a day (photo by RUDY LIWANAG)

Did you know that a stallion has almost the same number of bones as human beings? (Or a bone away.) Each human being has 206 bones while an adult horse has 205. Jellyfish, meanwhile, is an invertebrate, which means it has no bone.

Bones are essential parts of the body. Both humans and animals rely on them for support. The skeleton supports the softer tissues and protects various organs of the body such as the heart, brain, and lungs. Bones provide a frame for the body to induce motion and movements. They store important minerals such as calcium and phosphorous as well as fatty acids.

In the Zoocology Skin and Bone Museum of the Manila Ocean Park (MOP), children and adults alike will learn many things about animals’ skins and bones while having fun.

The museum has five biospheres:  Asia, North and South America, Africa, Middle East and Europe, and Oceana. Each biosphere features remains of the animals which inhabited the area.

An Asiatic black bear greets visitors to the Asia biosphere. Along the way, there are preserved pot-bellied and warty pigs, crocodile, sea turtles, and Bengal tiger.

On the other side of the bridge lies the Bone yard. Here, they can see skulls of tigers, miniature and thoroughbred horses, and sheep, among others. There’s also a section where kids can see different kinds of eggs. They can even play a game by distinguishing which animals lay the eggs.

In the North and South America biosphere, guests can have a feel of the Wild, Wild West as they look at the bone structure of an adult male horse as well as skins of fallabella horse and alpaca.

The Interactive Room allows the children and guests to become an archeologist or a taxidermist for the day as they dig through the piles of bones and find out what parts go to which animal, or excavate animal remains in the “ruins.”

There’s also a spinner puzzle which they can solve to reveal a picture of an animal. Don’t forget to look at the Dino Walls and be enthralled with the monstrous creatures. Or catch the environmental videos which educate the public about the preservation and conservation of the Earth. Live shows are also featured where animal mascots interact with the children.

Go on a Safari and meet some members of the Big Five at the Africa biosphere. The term “Big Five” was coined by hunters referring to the cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino which are difficult to handle because they become ferocious when cornered.

Stuffed heads of lion — which is the second largest cat (next to the tiger) in the world — and the African buffalo hang in the wall. There are also the Kalahari goat, the giraffe, and the cheetah that provide for a unique African experience.

An enormous skeletal form of a camel is the centerpiece in the Middle East and Europe biosphere; while an ostrich, the largest flightless bird, is the main attraction in the Oceana biosphere.

Don’t worry about the animals being harmed or killed for this exhibit because Sophia Lorenzo Serapio, museum head and operations manager, affirms that they weren’t.

“All the animals here died because of natural causes, old age or diseases,” vows Serapio.

Dancing sea creatures

A stone’s throw away from the Zoocology is the Jellies, the Sea Dancing Fairies Exhibit. The exhibit takes guests to an under-the-sea journey to discover one of the most spectacular undersea creatures — the jellyfish — and learn a thing or two about it.

Do you know what jellies are made of? Or how they breathe? What they eat? Do they have muscles? These are some of the things that one can learn at the jellies exhibit.

A colossal replica of the Arctic Lion’s Mane Jellyfish welcomes the visitors. This jellyfish is considered the largest specie and can only be found in the Arctic. Its body can grow as big as eight feet and its tentacles can grow as long as 200 feet or larger than a blue whale.

It took a year to launch the exhibit, from the planning to constructing the facilities and collecting species. The exhibit features 17 tanks filled with jellies in vibrant colors with their tentacles trailing as they pulse gently and dreamily through the water.

They have to specifically design tanks, the kreisel tank, for the jellyfishes. The circular aquarium is designed to hold delicate animals such as the jellyfish because it has no sharp corner and edge and keeps the animals away from the plumbing. The tank provides slow, circular water flow that keeps the jellyfishes suspended.

“If you use ordinary tanks/ aquariums, the jellyfishes tend to settle at the corner because there is a lack of water flow. And when they get stuck at the corner, they would eventually die. Water in the kreisel tanks move continuously which helps keep the jellies afloat and alive,” said Jappy Lim, MOP program development specialist, who adds that all tanks have chillers with varying temperatures depending on which type of jellies resides in it.

On the first tank reside the blubber jellyfishes which the MOP caught in Manila Bay. This type of blubber jellies is distinct for its red color. Jellyfishes don’t have eyes and brains. They don’t have blood, too. They have no respiratory organ, but they need oxygen to survive. They use their skins to gather oxygen. They eat planktons or brine shrimp using their tentacles.

The exhibit also features another type of blubber jellies which were captured in the waters of Cavite. Blubber jellies differ depending on the location and the water quality.

They also have the purple-stripe jellyfish. These jellies develop purple stripes at their bell when they reach their mature stage. These can be found in the US. But MOP has a laboratory where they culture the jellies so that they don’t have to import them continually.

Be amazed with the infinity tank which is designed with the latest technology in lightning and multimedia special effects. Two mirrors are positioned on both sides of the tanks to give an illusion of eternity.

Another attraction is the Moon Jelly Room wherein one walks into a swarm of milky-white translucent creatures in tube tanks in a room surrounded by mirrors with cool, low light design. As the moon jellyfishes drift dreamily in the water, they look exotic and ethereal, a far cry from the frightening creatures that are often washed ashore.

Although jellies sting, they don’t prey on humans. Truth is, they would much rather keep to themselves. They only sting to defend themselves when they accidentally come across predators. So don’t be afraid to see these dancing sea fairies as well as the bones and skins of the animals at Manila Ocean Park.

(Manila Ocean Park is located just behind the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila. For inquiries, log on to www.manilaoceanpark.com.)

Fun facts

• African elephants have only four teeth which they use to chew their food.

• The bee hummingbird found in Cuba is considered the smallest bird in the world.

• The pig is rated as the fourth most intelligent animal, but it is mentioned only twice in the Bible. The sheep, on the other hand, is mentioned 45 times; goats, 88 times; dogs, 14 times; and, lions 89 times.

• The tongue of the giraffe measures 50 cms (20 inches) and it can be used to clean its ears.

• The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world. It weighs as much as 40 rhinos. Its heart is the size of a small car and its tongue is as long as an elephant.

• The jellyfish belongs to the Scyphozoan class. The class name comes from the Greek word Skyphos which means drinking cup.

• The smallest jellyfish species is the Irukandji. Its size is roughly no larger than a fingernail of an adult’s little finger. Its bell measures up to 0.8 inches, and its tentacles, 1.65 feet.

• The turritopsis nutricula jellyfish is known as the immortal jellyfish. It has the ability to return to its juvenile or polyp stage after attaining its medusa/adult stage. It has a diameter of about 4.5 millimeters and has a bright, red big stomach with cruciform shape in its cross section.

• The most dangerous jellyfish is the box jellyfish, also known as the sea wasp. Each tentacle has about 500,000 cnidocytes, harpooned-shaped needles that inject venom. The venom could kill a person in just four minutes. A bottle of vinegar comes in handy when you get stung by a box jellyfish.