DMNS dioramas - Predation displays

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The dioramas at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science focus on the taxidermy mounts and on the manufactured and painted habitats. But there is also behavior featured. Predation is an ecological process that results in a +/- situation. One individual gets a net benefit, and the other receives a net loss. Think of the situation in the photo above. The mountain lion and her cub are receiving a benefit from the deer. The deer, on the other hand, is experiencing a loss. Predation is not limited to encounters that result in nature "red in tooth and claw." Herbivory and parasitism also result in a +/-. But herbivory and parasitism don't catch an audience's attention like classical predation. Predatory behavior captures the "oohs" and "aahs." Here's what you'll find in the dioramas on the second and third floors of the DMNS.


Arctic fox beginning a pounce to catch a rodent under the snow.

A golden eagle brings a cottontail to the nest.

Bald eagle preparing to feed on a fish.

American crocodile preying on a eastern diamondback. The rattlesnake is not going down quietly.

The dioramas also feature photographs and drawings. Here, a leopard takes stock of its dinner.

A leopard climbs a tree to hide this common duiker from hyenas and lions.

A cheetah chasing an impala. Below, a photo of a capture.


A pair of maned wolves prepare to feed on an...egret or ibis. "The maned wolf is not closely related to canids found outside South America." It is a distinct canid.

Sketch of a black-crowned heron catching a fish.

Sculpture of a bobcat catching a type of wood pigeon.

Canada lynx ready to munch on a rock ptarmigan.

American mink feeding on a trout.



Polar bears after capturing a ribbon seal.

Brown bears catching fish.

Of course, predation as an ecological process occurs elsewhere in the museum. Here, an allosaurus approaches a stegosaurus with hungry intent.

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Note: The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent positions, strategies or opinions of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

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