THE APPALACHIAN COVE FOREST

The Appalachian Cove Forest exhibit recreates a small, remote forest found high in the Appalachian Mountains. The Tennessee Aquarium's glass-covered exhibit is home to an array of interesting animals and beautiful plants. This exhibit is unique because it is a seasonally progressive temperate forest being maintained under glass. The Cove is an immersion exhibit. This means it is designed to immerse the visitor into the habitat, thus making them feel as though they are in a forest somewhere high in the mountains. The Cove exhibit appears just as it would in nature, from the free-flying birds, frolicking river otters and flowering plants to the natural light entering through the glass pyramids. The wildflowers bloom sequentially, carpeting the exhibit with a variety of colorful flowers throughout the year and the trees progress through the four seasons. Cold-tolerant fishes and other aquatic life are found in the Mountain Sink and Mountain Stream exhibits. Visitors will experience the sights and sounds of the cascading forest waterfall. From the canyon-side of the Mountain Sink and Mountain Stream, visitors can see an underwater cross-section view of these exhibits featuring their resident wildlife. Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains extend from central Alabama nearly 2,000 miles northeastward to Newfoundland, Canada. Mount Mitchell in North Carolina is the tallest peak in the Southern Appalachians, reaching a height of 6,684 feet. European explorer Hernando De Soto named the mountains after a tribe of Florida's Gulf Coast Indians.

The Appalachian Mountains represent an amazing overlap of forest habitats. Almost every forest type that occurs in the eastern half of the continent is represented in this relatively small mountain range. The lowlands are home to various deciduous trees (shed leaves seasonally) as well as pine trees; spruce and fir trees can be found on the cooler ridges. Even though it is rare to find any tree or shrub that can survive in all these different environments, oaks and hickories are the exception and can be found throughout the area.

THE SMOKIES The moisture created from rainfall along with the moisture given off

by the plants through respiration help create the smoke-like haze that gives the Smoky Mountains their name.

Rainfall varies from 80 inches per year in the lower altitudes to a rainforest-like drenching of more than 100 inches per year in the higher elevations. Droplets of dew that form when mists and clouds roll by also contribute to the high water total. One of the major tourist attractions in this region is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The Park attracts approximately 10 million visitors annually. On June 15, 1934, the Smokies came under federal protection because of the extensive logging problems in the Appalachian mountain area. Fortunately, most of the woodlands in the area were protected before major harm could be done.

Animals of the Forest There is a large diversity of animals found in the cove exhibit. This exhibit features the Aquarium's only mammals on exhibit, the river otters in River Otter Falls. Three species of trout and many smaller fishes swim in the Mountain Sink and Mountain Stream exhibits. Several species of birds can be seen here, including the Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the Gray Catbird. Reptiles live in special places located in two smaller exhibits within the cove. Some animals will be easily discovered as you stroll along the boardwalk, but others will be seen by only the most observant visitors and volunteers! Sharpen your observation skills -- and experience the Cove's vibrant sights, sounds and smells.

RIVER OTTER Lutra canadensis The North American river otter is a member of the weasel family. It has an elongated body, short legs and a long stout tail. The large neck is about the same diameter as the head and the otter's face is broad. As of Spring 2014, we have 7 adult otters in this exhibit, 6 males and 1 female. The river otter is active both on land and in the water. On land it walks with a humpbacked gait, often sliding on its belly on snow or muddy hills. However, this seemingly awkward animal becomes one of the most graceful in the water. The otter swims by dogpaddling at the surface. Diving deeper it undulates its entire body, pushes with its webbed feet, and steers with its long tail. Special nose and ear valves close when the otter goes underwater and its thick fur acts as insulation against the cold. The fur is a combination of two different types of hair. The long outer hairs, or guard hairs, are oily and water

repellant. The guard hairs protect the downy fur which is closer to the animal's skin. Warm air can be trapped in the thick downy layer, and their skin stays totally dry underwater. The otter grooms its fur often as its coat must be clean and well-kept to stay waterproof. The river otter finds most of its food in the water using its sharp senses of sight and touch. The sensitive fingers are used for feeling for prey under stones and in mud and the whiskers can sense the movement of potential prey in the water. Hunting from dusk to dawn, the otter feeds mainly on fish and crayfish. Other favorite foods include frogs, salamanders, snails, snakes, turtles and aquatic insects.

Prime habitat for otters includes streams, rivers and lakes near wooded areas. Otters often live in burrows built by muskrats, beavers or woodchucks, or under fallen trees or rocky ledges. There may be several openings to its den in the summer, but the only entrance in the winter is below the water's surface. Fun Facts you "otter" know...

• Otters can stay under water for up to 4 minutes on a single breath. Their heart rate slows as they go underwater and oxygen remains in their bloodstream longer. This enables them to spend more time on the bottom of a river, lake, or stream and search for crayfish, mussels, clams, etc.

• Otters can swim at speeds of up to 7 mph and can run as fast as a man. On hard snow and ice they can reach a speed of 15 mph by alternating running and sliding.

• Otter’s have excellent eyesight underwater. Their sense of smell is also very keen. They use their whiskers to detect prey in murky water.

• Otters breed in late winter and spring. Females give birth to 1-5 pups that are born toothless and blind. Females teach the baby otters to swim when they are about 2 months old. Otters can live up to a maximum of 25 years in captivity.

• Otters are crepuscular - they are most active during the morning and early evening hours, sometimes feeding through the night. They actually spend half of their lives asleep!

• Our otters are involved in a training program that is designed to assist our staff and veterinarian in routine physical exams. They need to shift on and off exhibit, shift among their “condos” and through the condo tunnel, station train to go to a specific shape and touch with their nose, getting on a scale, showing feet, show teeth, stand up, show their bellies, crate train, etc.

• River Otter Falls is home to six male river otters and one female as of June, 2014.

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The river otter was once considered a pest that stole fish away from fishermen. The otter was

trapped and killed for both its fur and to eliminate it from competing for fish. Habitat loss and pollution have also taken their toll,

virtually eliminating the otter from East Tennessee by the 1980’s. Otters have been

introduced back into this area with hopes that the population will increase.

Mountain Sink

The slow moving water of the mountain sink is an ideal habitat for tiny aquatic insects and many different types of fish. The larger fish tend to gather in this area because there is ample cover such as big rocks and dark overhangs. This cover provides protection against larger predators and helps hide the animal in its pursuit of prey. Because the water in the sink is deep, the temperature varies from top to bottom depending on the season. In the summer, the water near the top is warmed by the sun, and the cool water sinks to the bottom and stays there. In the winter the water "turns over" as the warmer surface water cools and falls to the bottom. Mountain Stream The composition of the streambed is constantly changing under the influence of the flowing waters above. The topography surrounding the stream and the amount of rain and snow it receives are two major determining factors in how much the streambed fluctuates. Larger vegetation and sediments are washed downstream in the fast-moving water, but much aquatic life holds on and thrives here. Unlike the mountain sink, the water temperature in the stream is almost uniform. It varies little throughout the year due to the shallow depths of the water and its rapid current. Some species of fish, like the brook trout, prefer the rushing water of the streams over any other habitat

Brook trout Creamy white stripes border all but the dorsal and adipose fin. The sides of its body are sprinkled with yellowish spots.

Brown trout The tail and paired fins are not spotted. Its body is speckled with red along the lateral line.

Rainbow trout This trout’s head is more rounded and shorter. The tail fin is slightly forked and it it has a prominent pink, red or silver lateral line.

Conservation Note There has been a

steady reduction of the brook trout population

in the Appalachian Mountains area. One reason is the

competition that resulted from the

introduction of the rainbow trout.

Extensive logging has also been a force that

has increased soil erosion and

consequently decreased the quality of the clear streams in which brook

trout thrive.

RAINBOW TROUT Oncorhynchus mykiss

Native only to the western United States, the rainbow trout has been introduced into many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs to provide both food and sport. “Rainbows” get their name from the reddish iridescent stripe that extends along the side of their bodies. Their back is olive-colored and their belly is white.

This relative of the salmon family can be found in many parts of the eastern United States, including streams in the Appalachian Mountains where a diet of insects, crayfish and fish eggs are available. The rainbow is one of the most adaptable of all the trout, able to be stocked in warm lakes and large ponds where other trout would not survive. While most trout prefer temperatures well below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the rainbow trout can withstand temperatures up to 83 degrees Fahrenheit if the oxygen content is high enough.

BROOK TROUT Salvelinus fontinalis The brook trout is native to the eastern part of North America from Georgia to the Arctic Circle and is the only trout native to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The back and sides of this fish have a yellowish tint marked with lighter wavy lines and distinctive red spots surrounded by blue halos. A white stripe borders all fins but the adipose and dorsal. This trout prefers fast-flowing streams with gravel bottoms for spawning. Water temperature is critical for the brook trout. Their preferred temperature range is a cool 56-60 degrees Fahrenheit (as compared to a range of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and higher for the rainbow trout).

Aquatic and terrestrial insects are the primary food for the brook trout, but snails, clams, fish eggs, frogs, spiders, salamanders and small fish are also eaten. Because the brook trout takes baits and lures eagerly, it gives a hard fight when hooked. This trout is not only one of the most popular and respected game fish in North America, but one of the tastiest on the table as well!

BROWN TROUT Salmo trutta

A native of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, the brown trout was introduced to North America in 1883. Today, it is widely stocked throughout the United States and southern Canada. Brown trout are olive to dark brown in color with rust red spots sprinkled along the lateral line.

Cove Fish Many of the fish in Appalachian Mountain streams are small. Aside from trout, the average length of most fish is six inches, including some that reach a maximum length of only 3 inches. Below are general characteristics of the smaller fish groups. We may have some or all of these represented in the Cove exhibits. CHUBS SHINERS Chubs can be found in almost The shiners get their name every stream in North America. from their silvery sides that Most grow to be about 6 inches flash when they turn in the in length and prefer clear rivers water. Most of the shiners are and streams with a sand or gravel slender with fins that are large bottom. In some species, the males compared to the rest of the body. gather stones by pushing them with The largest group of shiners are their head to form a pebble nest for found in the genus Notropis, which the female. The diet of the chub is the largest genus of freshwater consists of algae, crustaceans, and fish in North America. Creeks, aquatic insects. Some chubs are used lakes, swamps and rivers are for bait by fishermen. common habitats of the shiner.

CARPSUCKERS Carpsuckers are detritus feeders found DARTERS in many large rivers. Fish in this group The darters get their name from the include river carpsuckers, quillbacks, highfin way they “dart” about in the water. carpsuckers, and white and blue suckers. The There are 125 species of darters. suckers develop breeding tubercles along the Darters are very small, averaging entire length of their body that they use to only 3 inches in length. They are easy stimulate females into breeding. to recognize as a group, but the species are difficult to distinguish from one another. The male and female darter differ in color; the females are dull brown while the male is very brightly

colored (especially during breeding season).

STONEROLLERS Stonerollers are the most widespread and numerous stream

fish in Tennessee. They are found in flowing water in both large and small streams. Also known as “hornyheads”, males display conspicuous breeding tubercles on their heads.

A DIFFERENT LOOK Many fish change color or develop outward signs that

distinguish the male from the female during the spawning season. The spawning male brook trout develops a hooked lower jaw called a kype. The colors on his sides intensify and the belly

becomes bright red-orange. This difference in appearance between the male and female is known as sexual dimorphism.

Cove Birds Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

The cardinal is one of the most beautiful songbirds found in the United States. The male is a brilliant red with a black face and the female is a brownish red with red markings on the crest, wings and tail. This member of the finch family can be found throughout eastern North America. The cardinal's preferred habitat is brushy swamps, thickets and wooded areas. They are easily attracted to bird feeders and home gardens. The cardinal is one of the few birds that not only mate for life, but one that stays with its mate all year. The female builds the nest and sits on the pale green eggs while the male feeds and protects her. Cardinals often occupy one area throughout the year and will defend that area against any other birds. Unlike most birds, both sexes of the cardinal are excellent songbirds.

Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

The cedar waxwing is a migratory bird that spends summers in Canada and the northern United States, then flies south toward Panama during the winter months. It is known for its unpredictable movements and may be found in any state during any time of the year. The cedar waxwing is a striking bird with a sleek brown crest, black mask, yellow band at the end of its tail and red wing tips. The sexes are typically similar; however, males may have a slightly darker throat. Cedar waxwings prefer to live in flocks and feed on berries of cedar and mountain ash trees as well as palm berries, mulberries and privet. A flock can strip a tree of its berries in a short time as these birds will gorge themselves until they can barely fly. They also feed on many types of insects. Courting waxwings may be seen passing a berry or a flower petal back and forth before one swallows the gift.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Cardinals get their name from the scarlet robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals.

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus

The Hermit Thrush is one of five similar thrushes in the genus Catharus. It is the only one of these species that lives in the U.S. in the winter. This bird lives in the understories of northern forests in summer, rummaging the leaf litter for tasty invertebrate treats. Its rich brown upper body, which makes for good camouflage, along with spots on the breast and a reddish tail helps to set it apart from other similar species.

Veery Catharus fuscescens

This very small forest thrush gets its name from the chorus of “veer” notes that make up its song, especially vocal at dusk and dawn. It is smaller than an American robin but similar in shape. Most Veeries are a rich cinnamon brown above and has delicate spots on the throat. They hop through the forest understory foraging for insects and fruit. Veeries spend their winters in South America.

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus The male Grosbeak is a beautiful bird with a splash of black, white and rose-red that is found at the forest edges and woodlands. Females and immatures (below right) are streaked brown and white with a bold face pattern and enormous bill. It is beneficial to farmers, consuming many potato beetles and larvae as well as weed seeds, wild fruits and buds.

Common Catbird Dumetella carolinensis The catty mewing of this bird is hard to forget! This gray bird with a black cap and bright rusty feathers under the tail is active in thickets, vine-covered areas and old fence rows. Gray Catbirds are relatives of mockingbirds and thrashers, and they share that group’s vocal abilities, copying the sounds of other species and stringing them together to make their own song. The Gray Catbird declares his territory with a loud song and uses a softer version near the nest. Dumetella means “small thicket” and that is exactly where you should look for this bird. They eat ants, beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, moths, holly berries and blackberries.

REPTILES

Black rat snake Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta Hatchlings of the non-venomous black rat snake have a pale grey background with black blotches along the back and are often mistaken for copperheads because their patterns are similar. As the snake matures, the color gets darker until the snake is completely black except for a white chin. Adults, like other snake species, will sometimes vibrate their tails in dead leaves to simulate a rattle when confronted but more often will try to avoid human encounters. Rat snakes are excellent swimmers. These snakes are useful around barns because they help to control the pest population.

FIT FOR FLIGHT For many birds the pursuit of prey or escape from predators is accomplished by flight. To furnish the high amount of energy that it takes to fly, birds have a high metabolic rate (which means that they can convert food into energy very quickly). Their body temperature is a high 110 degrees Fahrenheit and blood races through their body at tremendous speeds to efficiently furnish oxygen to their muscles. To keep that blood pumping, the average bird has

an incredibly high heart rate of nearly 600 beats per minute (compare that to the average human heart rate of 75 beats per minute!).

Northern Pine Snake Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus

Wild Northern Pine snakes have a lot of variation in their color pattern and adults can average between 4 and 7 feet long. These snakes are found from New Jersey to Alabama but are regionally rare in Maryland. Pine snakes spend most of their time underground in burrows and lay large eggs with hatchlings measuring almost a foot long. They like to inhabit pine “barrens” and sandhill regions throughout their range.

Sandy substrates are essential to their successful breeding. They have small heads and thick necks well adapted to burrowing. This constrictor eats prey such as mice, moles, gophers, chipmunks, squirrels, and small rabbits. Several states have the Northern Pine Snake listed as threatened but as of 2014, they have no federal protection. Plants of the Forest

The forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains are the most diverse of any biome in the temperate zone. The trees in the forest are typically divided into three categories: the overstory, middlestory and understory. The larger trees that make up the overstory consist mainly of oaks, hickories, poplars, maples, hemlocks and birches. The middlestory consists of smaller trees and shrubs that can tolerate shaded conditions. Wildflowers and evergreen vines make up the understory, as well as dogwoods, rhododendrons and mountain laurel. In our cove we have dogwoods, serviceberry, and the umbrella magnolia, one of the deciduous magnolias in our region.

The Eastern Hemlock is in danger due to an introduced insect, the hemlock wooly adelgid. Unless biologists can figure out a way to control this infestation, Hemlocks throughout the southern Appalachians may go the way of the Chestnut.

CHESTNUT BLIGHT

One tree missing from the forest today is the American Chestnut. Once dominating the eastern forests of the Appalachians, the American Chestnut is now practically nonexistent. This large tree was the victim of the chestnut blight, a fungus introduced from Asia. The disease is

thought to have started in New York City in 1904. Within 40 years the disease had virtually wiped out the once abundant species.

Cove Forest Wildflowers There are nearly 1,500 varieties of flowering plants found in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Quite a few of those are found in the Cove Forest exhibit. There are wildflower blooms for all seasons, from earliest spring to late autumn. SPRING EPHEMERALS (short-lived)

Many early blooming wildflowers are known as spring ephemerals. They are adapted to bloom before the deciduous trees leaf out. This assures they get the sunlight they need. By the time these wildflowers are shaded out by newly-opened leaves in the forest canopy, they have finished blooming, and set seeds to assure the next generation. Examples of spring ephemerals found in the Cove Forest are Bloodroot, Virginia Bluebells, Dutchman’s Breeches, Hepatica and Wood Poppy.

WILDFLOWER NAMES

Quite a number of wildflowers have very descriptive and interesting names. Bloodroot, seen below, is one of the earliest spring blooms, and gets its name from

the thick underground roots about the size of a small carrot. If one of these roots is broken, it “bleeds” a red sap that looks just like human blood. Dutchman’s Breeches sports several small white blooms that look just like britches hung upside-down on a clothes line to dry. Hepatica has another common name that dates from medieval times. Medical people of those times thought the leaves of the hepatica looked like a human liver. In those days healers believed in the

Doctrine of Signatures, which said that if part of a plant resembled a human organ it must be useful in treating illness’ or diseases in that organ, thus the name “liverleaf” was used for hepatica. We have several species of trilliums, members of the lily family, in the Cove Forest Exhibit. The first part of their name, tri, means three. This stems from the fact that they are constructed on a threefold plan and have three leaves, petals and sepals.

MOSS

Moss has been added on the ledges and other rocky areas to give the feeling of being in a cool mountain cove. Moss needs constant moisture so we have it on ledges at the entryway where there is a fogger spraying mist or in the areas where we have a seep near the wooden bridge.

COVE FOREST SHRUBS

Leucothoe is an arching, low-growing shrub with sweet smelling white flowers. It is often found in quite large patches and it has an interesting growth habit. A stem will arch over and finally touch the ground at its tip. When this happens the tip roots in the ground, arching up again and eventually rooting at the new tip, on and on, making it very hard to walk through a patch. Mountain men running their dogs after game came up with an interesting name for this plant. They called it “dog hobble” because it continually tripped their dogs when they entered a patch!

Strawberry bush or hearts-a-bustin’ is a shrub of the euonymus family. The spring flowers are greenish and easily overlooked. The names strawberry bush and hearts-a-bustin’ come from the brightly colored fruits that resemble strawberries from a distance. They are reddish-purple, and burst open to reveal day-glow orange, heart-shaped berries.

Insects in the Forest A plethora of insects make the real Appalachian Forest their home, some of which are damaging to plant life. Instead of using harmful pesticides to keep the lush vegetation of Aquarium’s Cove Forest exhibit healthy, the Aquarium has used “biological pest control,” which controls harmful insects by using their natural insect enemies. These natural predators have been released into the Cove Forest periodically. Some, like the predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) are too tiny to be seen with the naked eye, yet each one eats up to 30 spider mite eggs or 10 spider mites each day! As of 2014, we are no longer releasing any insects to control pests since there does not appear to be a need. In the past we have used ladybug beetles and praying mantis to combat damaging insect pests.

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We hope you take the time to enjoy all the sights and sounds of the Appalachian Cove Forest exhibit with a leisurely stroll. Whether it’s in the warm summer months or brisk winter days, this exhibit takes you on a realistic tour of our beautiful southern mountains without having to hike at all! Otters, fish, flying birds, reptiles, wildflowers or blooming shrubs and trees -it’s all there for you to enjoy.