AUSTINTOWN — When Stephanie Hughes was 8 years old, she found the skull of a seagull near her property. From that day on, she was hooked.

Hughes, an Ohio certified volunteer naturalist, presented “Skulls Tell It All” as the monthly program for the Audubon Society of Mahoning Valley on Tuesday night at the Austintown Senior Center. About 30 people attended.

Chapter president Jason Short of East Palestine opened the meeting. He said he has been president for a year.

“I love birds. My life since COVID has been birding. I stay away from people and watch birds,” Short joked.

Longtime naturalist and Audubon program developer Ray Novotny of Cornersburg introduced Hughes and said they want to occasionally switch things up and focus on other aspects of nature besides birds.

With a display table full of legally obtained skulls as well as a video presentation, Hughes, who lives in Edinburg Township in Portage County, compared the cranial structures of rodents, rabbits, possum, foxes, bears and white-tailed deer.

She pointed out qualities that can be discovered by looking at a skull. For example, predators’ eyes face straight ahead so they can latch onto their targets, while animals that are more likely to be prey have eyes farther to the side to improve peripheral vision.

She also explained various functions of the teeth. Incisors are like “the fork,” used for biting and spearing, canines are used for piercing and tearing, while premolars and molars grind food to make it digestible. The tongue acts as “the spoon” as well as “the napkin” for easy cleanup.

She also contrasted the structures of antlers on deer and elk, which are shed annually, to horns such as on cattle, which are permanent and have a continuous blood supply.

In addition to her skull collection, Hughes brought a display of pelts from animals that live in Northeast Ohio. She encouraged people to touch them and appreciate the different qualities that help each animal survive, while most observers marveled at the different colors and the softness.

Debra Bennet of Champion said she enjoyed the change of pace of focusing on mammals instead of birds. “I liked it. We got to learn about something different.”

Austintown resident Laura Yaworsky, president of the Mahoning Valley Archaeology Society, said, “This was an excellent presentation. It’s wonderful to learn about different species in Ohio.”

Hughes summed up the importance of these events, stating, “Ohio has such rich diversity and we want to maintain that. If you appreciate it, it becomes important to you.”

Next month, Novotny will lead a presentation on state birds in the U.S.

For more information about upcoming activities people can follow the society on Facebook or contact it at audobonsocietymahoningvalley@gmail.com