Oak Park Conservatory puts on “Be a Tooth Sleuth” exhibit

Learn the eating habits of mammals now through Aug. 28.

There’s a little more than a month left to make your way over to the Oak Park Conservatory (615 Garfield St., Oak Park) and earn your proverbial “tooth sleuth” badge.

The conservatory, in a joint effort with Purdue University’s Agriculture Exhibit Design Center, is putting on “Be a Tooth Sleuth” at the Oak Park Conservatory now through Aug. 28. The exhibit is designed to teach children between kindergarten and fourth grade about mammals and their eating habits. Kids learn that mammals are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores and that there are different types of teeth for accommodating each habit.

Animal skulls—and lots of teeth—are on display, as well as other cool attractions kids will want to dig their teeth into, such as touch-screen games and other components to test their knowledge at the end of the exhibit. The “tooth sleuths” can even look in a mirror to determine their own eating category.

"Unraveling the mystery of wildlife behavior can be a fun and exciting venture," said Robert N. Chapman, a Purdue Extension wildlife specialist. "There are many things we can learn about how a mammal lives just by looking at a skull, like how they see and hear as well as what they eat and whether they are a predator or prey. The Tooth Sleuth exhibit shows how you can take the first step in becoming a detective into the secret lives mammals."

Chapman created the exhibit with Rod N. Williams, an assistant professor of forestry and natural resources at Purdue University.

The exhibit is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Although admission is free, a $2 donation to the conservatory is appreciated. For more information about the exhibit, visit www.oakparkconservatory.com.