St. Patrick's of the Southern Hemisphere

Years ago, when I was little, my parents took me on a trip to Ireland, where, among the historic and cultural sights, I was able to cajole a trip to the Dublin Zoo.  Among the exhibits was a reptile house, where I remember seeing a rock python.  My father, thinking of St. Patrick, made the joke that what we were looking at was the only snake in Ireland.

Imagine a country that doesn't even have that.

I learn something new everyday in this field.  Today I learned that there are no snakes in New Zealand.  Not "no wild snakes" - that I knew - but none period.  None in pet stores.  None in zoo collections.  Now, one zoo curator is looking to change that.

I get where people are coming from - all you have to do is look at Guam and the havoc caused by the invasive brown tree snake.  Still, New Zealand's bird life has already been battered by rats, cats, and weasels - I doubt that a snake or two in a regulated, carefully managed zoological park will pose much of a threat.  Especially when lizards are already allowed, and what is a snake but a lizard missing a few bits?

Should Snakes Be Allowed In Zoos?

Save the Red Wolves? Didn't We Just Do This?

This is exhausting...

The following was posted by the Alt National Park Service.  I've verified it from several sources.

Attn: Tucked away in the Senate report accompanying the funding bill for the Department of the Interior is a directive to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to end the Red Wolf recovery program and declare the Red Wolf extinct. The red wolf is the world's most endangered canid and currently can only be found in five counties of North Carolina. Thanks to recovery efforts, red wolf populations peaked at 130 individuals. Tomorrow please call and email your Senators about this issue. #SavetheRedWolf

There are so many challenges that we face in saving endangered species.  That we have to actually fight with the agencies that are SUPPOSED to be leading the efforts to protect those same animals is just absurd.  I feel like I have spent an exhausting amount of time sending emails and making phone calls to uninformed politicians (or, more often, their aides), and have even managed to corner one or two at an event once.  The lack of damns given is just breathtaking....

Species Fact Profile: Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula (Brachypelma smithi)

Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula

Brachypelma smithi (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897)

Range: Mexico's Central Pacific Coast
Habitat: Desert, Scrub, Deciduous Forest
Diet: Insects, Small Vertebrates
Social Grouping: Solitary
Reproduction: Breed during the summer rainy season.  Male deposit sperm under female's abdomen using his small front limbs.  Hundreds of eggs laid in the spring in a mass of silk, with eggs hatching three months later.  Young spend a few weeks in the egg mass after hatching, then disperse from the burrow two weeks later.  Males mature at 4 years old, females at 6-7 years old
Lifespan: 5 Years (Males), 25 Years (Females)
Conservation Status: IUCN Near Threatened, CITES Appendix II

• Body length (excluding leg-span) ranges from 1.5-2.5 inches, with males smaller than females (though males tend to have longer legs)
• Dark brown body and legs with orange-red coloration at the leg joints
• In captivity, females are known to kill and consume the male shortly after mating.  It is uncertain if this occurs in the wild.
• Spend most of their lives in burrows, with entrances just large enough to allow the spider entry.  When vulnerable - molting, laying eggs - the spider may block up the entrance of the burrow with a combination of silk, soil, and leaves.
• Hunt at night from an ambush position, sensing the presence of the prey by feeling for vibrations.  Prey is held in the front limbs, then injected with venom, which paralyzes the prey and initiates digestion
• If threatened, will flick hairs off the abdomen, which can cause temporary blindness if they hit the eyes or rashes if they hit the skin.  Some predators, such as coatis, counter this by rubbing the fur off of the spider before consuming it
• One of the most commonly used spiders in movies due to its large size, striking coloration, and docile, tractable manner
• Scientific information about this species is somewhat jumbled, as historic reports (and even some contemporary scientific papers) confuse it with other Brachypelma species, some of which look fairly similar
• Historically one of the most popular pet tarantula species, collected by the thousands from the wild.  Now protected for trade by quota system, though smuggling still occurs.  Habitat loss is the new major threat

Thankful for the Zoo

It might be an oversimplification, but an argument could be made that I became a zookeeper so that my dad and his siblings could better appreciate their pumpkin pie.

I should probably unpack that for a moment.

Growing up, I saw my mother's side of the family fairly regularly, but only saw my father's side on a few holidays - mostly Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving.  They lived in the middle of the city in an old neighborhood... not so far, as it happened, from the city zoo.  Back in those days, the zoo was open to the public on Thanksgiving.  That situation has since changed, to my disappointment but, I'm sure, to the delight of the non-animal care staff, who now have a day they can spend with their families, instead of waiting around for the half dozen visitors or so that would show up that day.

With the zoo being so close, and with most of my father's siblings having memberships, it became customary to eat Thanksgiving dinner, then go to the zoo for a stroll to burn off a few calories and settle digestion, all in an effort to make room for dessert when we returned.  It must have worked.  I don't ever remember anyone coming back from the zoo and being too full for pie.  That being said, I don't remember anyone who didn't go to the zoo not having room for pie either...

I went to the zoo a lot as a kid, but the Thanksgiving visits were always my favorite.  The late November weather was perfect for most of the animals - not yet cold, but crisp, the kind of air that makes you feel energized just walking out your door.  Apparently it had that impact on the animals as well; creatures that would be melting balls of sleeping fur during the summer visits were now active and playful.  It didn't hurt that we also largely had the zoo to ourselves - no jostling crowds, no glass-banging, no screaming.  There was actually time to stand still and watch things unfold.  Some of my best memories of zoo animals (as a visitor, at least) came during those visits -  a snow leopard stalking an unwary squirrel that was obliviously feeding in its enclosure, or a chimpanzee climbing to the tallest structure in its habitat, then sprawling out in the sun.  I once spent several minutes watching a hippo drink - I don't know why, but the sight of an animal that spends most of its time completely submerged in water actually drinking fascinated me.

I loved the zoo as a kid.  So did most of my friends and classmates, especially when it was presented in the form of a field trip, a break from scholastic routine.  I sometimes wonder if those Thanksgiving visits, however, are what started to tip me over from casual enthusiast to future professional.  They gave me a glimpse of the zoo and its animals that none of my friends ever saw - a private, intimate view of a world full of exciting animals.

Those late fall walks shaped my view of zoos and animals, and made me decide to make them a permanent part of my life.  And the pumpkin pie afterwards never tasted better...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thar She Blows

Just a few yards from the entrance of the New England Aquarium, Boston Harbor is lined with booths.  They offer a variety of cruises and tours of the harbor and the surrounding islands.  Among the boats are two belonging to the Aquarium itself.  These vessels serve to carrying visitors out to sea for a chance to view some of the ocean's largest creatures in their natural habitat.  It's an experience that could never be replicated in even the largest of aquariums.

It's about a two hour boat ride out from the harbor to the feeding grounds where the whales can be found.  The cold, nutrient-rich waters provide an abundance of food needed to sustain the massive creatures.  The ship is staffed by experienced naturalists who are skilled at spotting the slight rises of a whale's back as it breaks the surface.  The crew members have an encyclopedic knowledge, not only of whales in general, but of the individual whales themselves.  They can recognize many of the whales on sight and know their particular stories, which they are happy to share with the passengers.

It's a delicious irony that, centuries ago, the Massachusetts harbors were full of whalers that sought to kill whales.  Now, whale watching - the opportunity to see whales, preferably up close - is a major tourism business on the coast.  Wildlife viewing is an extraordinary experience, but it has the potential to have negative consequences for the wildlife being viewed.  Overzealous tour operators can get too close to animals, disturbing them and altering their natural behavior, perhaps even putting them at risk.

When I made the decision to go whale watching, I knew I wanted to do it responsibly.  To me, the best way to do that was to go under the guidance of leading wildlife biologists who could be trusted to lead tours that would not harm or bother the whales.  I would love to see additional wildlife tourism opportunities led by zoos and aquariums, working with conservation partners to help introduce visitors to the actual wild.  Doing so could better cement the relationships between zoos and in situ conservationists, while at the same time promoting responsible ecotourism.

Zoo Review: New England Aquarium

For all of its centuries-long history, Boston has been a harbor town, a city built on fishing and trade.  With such an intimate history with the sea, it's no surprise that the city boasts a world-class aquarium, located directly on the waterfront.  Opened in 1969, the New England Aquarium is one of the great aquariums of the northeastern United States.

The fun of exploring the aquarium begins before a visitor has even purchased his or her ticket.  Outside of the main building is a stand-alone habitat for harbor seals.  The handsome little pinnipeds, natives of the Boston area, can be observed above or below the surface of the water.  Training demonstrations occur frequently, allowing visitors to watch as aquarium staff interact with the marine mammals to practice behaviors which allow the seals to assist in their own care and management.

More seals and sea lions can be seen in the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center, adjacent to the main aquarium.  Here, California sea lions can be observed in an open-air pavilion where, like the harbor seals, frequent training demonstrations occur.  The sea lions are joined by northern fur seals - a species that is very seldom seen in American collections.  These were the first fur seals that I'd ever seen, as I was completely taken in by them - so much smaller, sleeker, and (to shed objectivity) so much cuter than the more common Californians.  They also looked so soft and touchable... which, as a nearby docent was happy to point out, using a sample pelt as a prop,  is exactly what led to their massive decline as they were hunted for their namesake furs.

Stepping into the main aquarium, the eye is immediately drawn to the literal and metaphorical heart of the aquarium - the Giant Ocean Tank.  Reopening in 2013 after extensive renovations, this 200,000 gallon habitat forms the core around which the rest of the aquarium is built.  Spiraling walkways encircle it, allow visitors to get eye-to-eye with loggerhead turtles, bonnethead sharks, moray eels, and a host of other ocean-dwellers in a recreated Caribbean reef.  The climb eventually ends at the top of the tank, where you may watch divers enter the tank of feed and service the enclosure, or listen to an educational presentation.

Huddled around the base of the Giant Ocean Tank are three separate habitats for penguins from around the world.  African penguins, rockhopper penguins, and little blue penguins - the world's smallest species - inhabit pools studded with rocky islands for them to climb across.  Little blues are uncommon in zoo collections - this was only my second time ever seeing them, which was a treat... although I was unfortunately there during their annual molt, which meant that most of them looked like they had just fallen out of a laundry machine after a double-spin cycle.

Other galleries line the various levels of the aquarium - guests progress up the central ramp around the Giant Ocean Tank, hopping off as the mood strikes them on one floor or another.  The Temperate Gallery has an attractive display of schooling bait-fish, but the stars in the eyes of most visitors are likely either to be the massive Goliath grouper (which looks like it could - and maybe just did - swallow a kindergartner for breakfast), as well as the ethereal sea-dragons - both the weedy and the leafy - drifting in a rounded tank among strands of kelp.  The Northern Waters Gallery is dominated by a massive giant Pacific octopus, as well as lobsters (this is Boston, after all), and an attractive aviary of non-releasable shorebirds.  The Freshwater Gallery displays creatures of the Amazon, including such aquarium favorites as anaconda, piranha, and electric eel, as well as salmon.  There is also a touch tank replication of sea life of the New England coast.  Also present is an exhibit of Asian arowana, I species I first learned about through Emily Voigt's excellent book, The Dragon Behind the Glass.

As with many aquariums, New England tries to engage its visitors with rotating exhibits - at the time of my visit, the theme was "The Science of Sharks", with a touch tank of small sharks and a series of interactive exhibits on the ocean's most famous predators.  Past rotating displays have featured jellyfish and turtles

Like most of the larger, AZA-affiliated aquariums, the New England Aquarium is active with the rehabilitation of marine life. most of which is done off-exhibit.  It also maintains a specialized rehab center for porpoises, located outside of the city.

As a final treat, New England Aquarium boasts of a spectacular wildlife viewing opportunity that makes it very worthwhile for a whole day of enjoyment.

Boston is a fine old city with many exciting historical and cultural attractions to enjoy,  A visit to the city, however, wouldn't be complete with an exploration of its natural heritage as well, and the New England Aquarium is fine place for that exploration to begin.

New England Aquarium

Species Fact Profile: Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus)

Sand Tiger Shark (Gray Nurse Shark)

Carcharias taurus (Rafinesque, 1810)

Range: Temperate and Tropical Oceans Worldwide
Habitat: Shallow Waters, Bays, Reefs
Diet: Fish, Crustaceans, Cephalopods
Social Grouping: Solitary, Small Groups
Reproduction: Breed in October and November.  Gestation period 6-9 months.  Females give live birth (eggs hatch within the mother's body) in sheltered areas, typically breeding once every two years. Believed to be mature at 4-10 years (females take longer to mature than males)
Lifespan: 35 Years (Wild Estimate)
Conservation Status: IUCN Vulnerable

• Maximum length up to 6 meters and weighing up to 300 kilograms, but 3.5 meters long and weighing 95-110 kilograms is more typical.  Females are usually larger than males
• Grey coloration, fading to dirty white on the underside, with some metallic brown or red spots on the sides
• Snout is pointed and slender, and long teeth are visible even when the mouth is closed.  This gives the shark a fierce appearance, which results in their having a reputation for being more dangerous than they actually are
• Although only two pups are usually born, a female may have hundreds of eggs inside their uterus,  The first pups to begin growth will eat the other, less-developed embryos in what is known as intra-uterine cannibalism
• Populations at northern and southern extremes of the species range will migrate towards the equator in the winter and back towards the poles in the summer
• Sometimes hunt cooperatively, working together to herd fish into congregations where they can be more easily seized
• The first shark species to be granted legal protection.  Believed to be in decline, primarily due to overfishing for meat and fins, as well as accidental entanglements in nets set for other species; during 18th and 19th centuries, their liver oil was used in lighting

Zookeeper's Journal: Compared to the great white shark and many of the other large, predatory shark species, the sand tiger shark is a relatively placid fish, which adjusts well to life under human care.  As a result (and bouyed by the popularity inspired by its fearsome appearance), they are one of the most commonly kept large sharks in aquariums - they certainly were the first shark species that I ever saw growing up, and remain my archetypical "shark."  For large sharks, however, "easy" is a relative term with respect to captive care.  Large sharks don't swim in the wild as much as they glide; in an aquarium tank that is too small, they may have to swim much more actively than they would in the wild.  This sometimes results in a somewhat hunched posture for a shark.  The best tanks are the biggest ones which facilitate the constant motion that these sharks would employ in the wild.

From the News: Chester Zoo successfully breeds rare Catalan newts

Earlier today, the news broke that the removal of a ban on the import of African elephant trophies into the United States has been reversed; the ban is now back in effect.  One good news item deserves another.  Here's a story that is not going to be getting social media all fired up or drawing lots of celebrity star-power, but is just as deserving of attention: the first captive breeding ever of the rare Montseny newt!  Congratulations to the Chester Zoo!

Chester Zoo successfully breeds rare Catalan newts

 Experts have created a purpose-built breeding facility for the newts to ensure their bio-security. Photograph: Chester Zoo

Elephant Trophy Ban Lifted

Trump admin. to reverse ban on elephant trophies

Not a zoo issue in particular, but one which many keepers are discussing today.  Today, the Trump Administration announced that it will be lifting a ban allowing the import of elephant hunting trophies from some countries in southern Africa. 

The announcement has been met with widespread condemnation from the keeper community.  There is a fear that this measure could promote the feeling that elephants are worth more dead than alive, that it could serve as a backdoor to smuggling ivory, or that monies supposed to be going to be conservation could be funneled elsewhere. 

The fact that one of the countries involved in this arrangement has undergone a coup this week isn't helping matter.  Nor is the fact that the President's sons are known to engage in the odd trophy hunt.  Maybe someone was hoping for some new decor for the Oval Office...

Just Because It's On the Internet...

This was making the rounds with a fury earlier this month.  A woman in Virginia was purporting to have evidence of a red panda (which, incidentally, looks not much like a red fox) in a suburban backyard.  Sure, it was a heck of a haul from Norfolk, where an red panda went missing from the  Virginia Zoo months ago, but crazier things have happened, right?

Right, but not in this case.  In this case, it was a prank that spread a little too far and a little too fast.  Someone took a photo of a red panda at a zoo and jokingly sent it to someone else as a "Hey, look what's in my yard!" joke.  That person immediately posted it on the Internet where, it is said, a lie can run around the world before the truth gets its shoes on.

Not that it was a deliberate lie, and I'm sure no one wanted it to build up and then dash the hopes of the Norfolk keepers.  It just goes to show that once something is online, it can definitely take a life of its own.

I have an annoying suspicion that this is going to keep popping up for sometime...

Species Fact Profile: Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum (Shaw, 1789)

Range: Central Mexico
Habitat: Lake Xochimilco
Diet: Algae, Aquatic Invertebrates
Social Grouping: Solitary
Reproduction:  Breed from March through June in the wild.  Sexually mature at 12-18 months.  Males dance to initiate courtship, deposit sperm packets for females to pick up.  Hundreds of eggs laid in mucous envelopes, glued to rocks and other substrate.  Hatch after 2-3 week incubation period.
Lifespan: 10-15 Years
Conservation Status: IUCN Critically Endangered, CITES Appendix II

• Body length 30 centimeters.  Weight 125-180 grams.  Females larger than males
• Demonstrate an extreme form of neoteny, in which salamanders do not fully undergo metamorphosis and retain their larval features, most notably their branch-like gills
• If the habitat dries up, the normally larval-like axolotl is capable of undergoing metamorphosis and turning into a "normal" salamander.  Metamorphosis can be induced in captives by thyroid hormone injections
• Coloration is dark brown or green, often blotchy.  Albinos are frequently bred and seen in captivity, but are not seen in the wild.
• If wounded, they are capable of converting the affected cells into a stem-cell like state and regrow missing tissue, including whole limbs
• Herons and other marsh birds are the primary natural predator; larger fishes have recently been introduced to the lakes where axolotls live, adding to the predation pressure.  They are aso consumed by local peoples
• Common name means "water dog" in the Aztec language, referring to the Aztec god Xolotl, god of the dead and resurrected, as well as ugly beings 
• Commonly used in biomedical research due to their unique properties.  Breeds very well in captivity; before breeding was established, capture of wild axolotls was a major form of population decline.
• Major threat causing the decline of the species is habitat loss (one of the two lakes where tis species occurred no longer exists) and pollution from agriculture and sewage disposal, as well as the introduction of predatory fishes

A Leave of Absence

Due to some personal matters which have popped up, I'll be taking a brief leave of absence from the Blog - I expect to start up again in the second half of this month.  Hope to be back refreshed and ready in a few weeks!