From the News: Stolen Shark Recovered

Stolen Shark Returned to San Antonio Aquarium

Thefts of animals from zoo collections aren't unheard - just a few weeks ago, we saw the theft of several animals from Santa Fe College's Teaching Zoo.  But this... this is a whole new level of brazen stupidity.  A shark from a touch tank in the San Antonio Aquarium was plucked from the water, stuffed into a baby carriage, and rushed out the door.  It was later determined that the suspects were attempting to sell the fish online.  Thankfully the animal is back at the aquarium and the thieves are in custody.  Still... imagine being at work on that day.

Living Fossils

"These anomalous forms may almost be called living fossils; they have endured to the present day, from having inhabited a confined area, and from having thus been exposed to less severe competition."

- Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species

"Sharks are old: there were sharks in the ocean before the dinosaurs.  And the reason there are still sharks around is that sharks are better at being sharks than anything else is."

- Neil Gaiman

When you observe a chambered nautilus or an alligator gar - or a Cuban crocodile, or a sand tiger shark - it's sometimes hard not to feel like you're glimpsing a remnant of an older, forgotten world.  In truth, these are all species which, superficially at least, appear unchanged from the prehistoric record.  Such creatures - and assorted plants, such as ginkgoes and horsetails - are sometimes described as "Living Fossils."

The term "living fossil," as explained to me by a very exasperated alligator biologist, is often misused by the general public.  It does not mean that the organism remains identical to forms millions of years old, or that evolution has stopped for that species.  Instead, it simply means that it represents a lineage which has undergone relatively little morphological change from its past forms.  None of this means that there is no change.  A great white shark bears great resemblance to a Megalodon (a real one, mind you, not the cheesy super-version which will be swimming across the big screen soon).  It is, however, much smaller, which results in other behavioral and physical changes you would expect in an animal that has seen millions of years of environmental changes.

Perhaps that most dramatic example of a living fossil is the coelacanth, a freaky-looking (that's a scientific term) lobe-finned fish that was unexpectedly hauled out of the Indian Ocean in 1938.  "Unexpectedly", that is, because it was believed to have gone extinct about 66 million years ago, or about the same time that the Tyrannosaurus Rex made its final bow.  Such rediscovered "blasts from the past" are often called Lazarus species, where the animal or plant was thought to be extinct until, surprise, it's not.

The thing with living fossils is it's really hard to tell if they actually are living fossils.  The designation is largely based on morphology and appearance, and it can be difficult to tell if the traits that look primitive actually are primitive, or whether they were seen in the fossil record, disappeared, and then perhaps reemerged in response to new evolutionary pressures.

Living fossils have a special place in our culture and fiction.  You've got King Kong, Godzilla (a mix of living fossils and nuclear radiation), the Creature from the Black Lagoon (reimagined in Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water), and The Lost World (the Arthur Conan Doyle version, not the Jurassic Park series).  It seems our science fiction is always pulling us in two directions - looking forward to the future, while at the same time imagining our past catching up with us.

To the best of my knowledge, however, no one has ever written a sci-fi novel about a giant chambered nautilus.

From the News: Cairo zoo is accused of painting donkeys to look like zebras

A Cairo zoo is accused of painting donkeys to look like zebras.  Laughter and derision ensue

Mahmoud Sarhan, 18, posted this image on Facebook after his trip to Cairo's International Garden.  The zoo claims the animal is a zebra and not a painted donkey. (Mahmoud Sarhan/Facebook)

For when you absolutely, positively, have to have that new exhibit and just don't have the budget.  The thing is, I feel like this would actually have been easier to pull off in the US, Canada, Australia, or the UK.  This is Egypt.  I mean, I know Cairo is a major city, but a feel like a lot more Egyptians have probably seen a donkey before than Americans or Canadians have. 

"A" for effort, guys...

Secrets of the Zoo

Following the success of The Zoo, filmed at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, we have a new series.  Produced by National Geographic, Secrets of the Zoo takes place at the beautiful Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.  I'm very excited - WCS is a crown jewel of a zoo, but I was worried that visitors would think that we were only showing them this one zoo because it was the biggest or best.  Not the Columbus is anything to sneeze at, but a peek behind-the-scenes at another AZA member institution helps to show that it's not just one zoo that's providing exemplary animal care and working hard for conservation.  It's a community - one that there's a good chance that there local zoo is a part of as well.

Species Fact Profile: Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius)

Chambered Nautilus

Nautilus pompilius (Linnaeus, 1758)

Range: Tropical Indo-Pacific Oceans
Habitat: Coral Reefs, Ocean Depths
Diet: Fish, Crustaceans, Carrion
Social Grouping: Semi-Social
Reproduction: Sexually mature at 15-20 years old.  Males use a set of tentacles to transfer a packet of sperm to the female.  About a dozen eggs, each 3 centimeters long, laid once per year.  Unlike other cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish), nautiluses do not have a larval stage; the young hatch from the eggs already encased in a shell.  Also unlike other cephalopods, they can breed multiple times over the course of their lives
Lifespan: 20 Years
Conservation Status: CITES Appendix II

• Shell length of up to 20 centimeters; the shell grows throughout the animal's life, adding chamber after chamber to the spiral-shaped shell and residing in the largest, outermost one.  An adult's shell may have 30 chambers
• A tube called the siphuncle runs through the shell, releasing gas to maintain buoyancy and keep the nautilus upright
• The shell is often (incorrectly) claimed to demonstrate the so-called golden spiral, a logrithmic ratio of growth.  In reality, nautilus shells do not grow in this fixed perfect pattern
• Primarily active by night.  It has poor vision, as its primitive eye has no lenses.  Swim by contracting muscle, steer by feeling for obstacles (or bumping in to them).  When not swimming, cling to rocks
• Food is seized by the ninety-some tentacles protruding from the shell, then pulled in to the parrot-like beak where it is crushed
• Predators include octopuses, sharks, triggerfish, and sea turtles
• Two subspecies - the larger emperor nautilus (N. p. ppompilius) and the much smaller Sulu nautilus (N. p. suluensis), restricted to the Sulu Sea of the southwestern Philippines
• Considered a living fossil, having existed in approximately its current form for over 400 million years.  Once there were thousands of nautilus species in the oceans.  Now only a few remain.
• Hunted for their shells, which are used for ornamentation (including as cups)and as a source of mother of pearl.  Also collected (to lesser extent) for live aquarium trade

Zoo Review: YanaCocha Rescue Centre

In recent decades, zoos and aquariums have worked hard to create more naturalistic environments for their animals.  The benefits are obvious - better quality of life for the animals, better visitor experience for the guests - but at the same time, it can be a very difficult, expensive practice.  A zoo or aquarium ma spend millions of dollars to create a habitat that may only be an approximation of the Amazon.

Imagine, then, having a zoo in the Amazon itself?

Located in the Amazon border town of Puyo, the YanaCocha Rescue Centre is a spectacularly beautiful park, located just on the edge of the world's most famous rainforest.  That's fitting enough, because all of its residents came from the Amazon - the Centre serves as a permanent home for animals that were illegally taken from the wild and cannot be released.  Along its meandering pathways through the dense undergrowth are spacious habitats that were literally fenced off sections of jungle.  The Amazon's largest residents, such as jaguar and Baird's tapir, aren't found here, but you can still see an impressive cross-section of South American rainforest wildlife.

As a rescue facility, the animals on display at YanaCocha vary from visit to visit, depending on what animals have been confiscated and are in need on homes, so these description won't be as comprehensive as a zoo that has a set collection plan.  Streams and waterways run throughout the park, creating a series of island habitats for primates, such as titi monkeys and woolly monkeys.  Keep your eyes on the water around some of these islands, as you may be surprised by an arapaima coming to the surface to gulp for air.  Caiman - spectacled and black - lounge by the edges of their pools.  Behind mesh or glass, you may encounter an assortment of small carnivores, including bush dog, crab-eating raccoon, tayra, coati, and Neotropical river otter.  More enclosures hold small primates (tamarins and marmosets are always popular in the illegal pet trade), as well as small parrots and birds of prey.  Overhead, macaws clamber over elaborate wooden jungle gyms.

When I first saw the macaws, it was difficult for me to tell if they were a part of the zoo or actual wild birds from the Amazon that drifted in for a "hello."  My guide told me that they were, in fact, zoo animals - but there were plenty of "wild" wild animals as well.  Around zoo grounds, loose and out of enclosures, I saw pygmy marmoset, agouti, cacique birds, tortoises, and caiman (the later basking right next to a visitor path).  Throughout the second half of the zoo, I was followed around by a grey-winged trumpeter... who then followed me right out the gate.  He was, the zoo staff assured me, their volunteer security guard.

Located at the edge of the Amazon, YanaCocha also is engaged in efforts to restore animals back into the wild.  It operates the neighboring Tamanuda Ecological Reserve, where animals can be released back into the forest and researchers can carry out their studies.  It also carries out ecotourism programs into the forest. 

As with the Quito Vivarium, I was pleased to see that, except for myself and my group, all of the visitors appeared to be Ecuadorians, though I'm sure plenty of tourists do stop by as well.  It's great to expose visitors to your country to your natural heritage, but it's even more important to instill an appreciation of that heritage in the hearts of your own citizens.

YanaCocha Rescue Centre

See Ya Later, Little Gator

Watching the little alligator gar slink through the fake foliage of its tank at the National Geographic Museum reminded me of another little gator - this one back at my own place of employment.  In addition to the large crocodilians housed in an outdoor enclosure, we housed a juvenile American alligator, about two and a half feet long.  No big, fancy pool with a grassy lawn and basking spots and shade trees for him (or her... at any rate, it was too small for me to feel comfortable sexing it).  Instead, we had a tub with a half log in the back of an Education Animal holding area.

Small American alligators are among the most popular of Education animal ambassadors in the zoo and aquarium world.  Their appeal is obvious - what's cooler than getting to meet the miniature form a giant predator eye to eye, maybe even getting the chance to touch its scaly hide?  Between the commercial alligator farms and the constant confiscations of illegally (and ill-advisedly) kept pets, they are in abundant supply.  Almost every facility that I've worked at has had one of the little guys. 

Lately, I've been having second thoughts about little education gators.  The more I've worked with crocodiles and alligators over the years, the more I've come to recognize them as social, intelligent creatures, deserving of better care than might be provided with a tub in a back holding area.  Which isn't to say that an education animal can't have an enriched, fulfilling existence in an adequate off-display enclosure.  It's just that I'm not sure a lot of people are viewing these little guys in that way.

There's also the question of what happens next with them.  I've heard from zoo managers that these little alligators, when kept alone, don't learn how to socialize properly, which can be problematic when they grow and are moved in with other alligators.  They just don't know how to behave around others of their kind.  The best solution for this (for zoos that are determined to have education gators) would be opt to house a pair or trio, so there will be companions to grow up with.  This would also allow alligators to be rotated on-and-off use so they wouldn't become stressed from too much handling.  It would require a much larger enclosure and that much more care, but surely that's not too much to ask for from an animal that gives so much value to our zoos and their missions.

For a long time, St. Augustine Alligator Farm had an on-going alligator exchange.  They would provide young alligators to AZA zoos and aquariums for exhibition and education programs, with the understanding that, upon reaching adult size, they would be willing to take the animals back for a retirement home in their massive gator exhibit.  This program has since been discontinued, in part as AZA and St. Augustine try to push more zoos from moving away from the very common American alligator and shift resources and facility space to more endangered species, such as the Cuban crocodile and the tomistoma.

Along that route, some zoos have started using the Chinese alligator as an educational ambassador, which - besides being endangered - as the advantage of staying a lot smaller than the American alligator.  I've used Chinese gators as education animals before and found them to work just as well, with just as compelling of a story.

Education alligators were some of the first zoo animals that I ever worked with, and I've had a lot of very found memories of them from over the years.  Moving forward, I'm not sure that I would say that I'm done with the concept, as long as they are being utilized in a responsible, respectful, and ethical manner (i.e., not letting kids sit on them, as I've seen some tourist traps allow).  I just want to make sure that we're providing these awesome little - soon to be big - animals with the care that they deserve.

Go Big or Go Home

The first alligator gar that I saw was not an especially impressive specimen.  Nor was it a very big one.  It was on display at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC, part of a special exhibit on giant freshwater fishes.  The highlight of the exhibit was a series of life-size (meaning "enormous") statues of the various fishes.  Any single one of them would have been an incredible fish to see in the flesh in the wild... or in a public aquarium. 

As it was, the alligator gar was the only species on display, and, as one would expect for a temporary exhibit in a building not designed as an aquarium, was in a small, mobile tank, so had to be a small, mobile fish.  Having a big one there would have been out of the question.

Working with fish and reptiles differs from working with mammals and birds in a lot of respects.  One that has always fascinated me is the matter of scale.  A lion is essentially a lion.  A specimen at one zoo will probably look a lot like a lion at another.  One my be a little bigger or smaller, but certainly they'll be close to one another.  With fish and reptiles, however, the variation can be extraordinary.  A Komodo dragon or a green anaconda or a saltwater crocodile may be several feet longer, considerably more massive.  Bigger individuals can make for a far more spectacular exhibit.  It's for that reason that the Bronx Zoo had an ongoing announcement, offering a reward in the tens of thousands of dollars for a live snake over thirty feet long.  It was never claimed.

Another way in which reptiles and fish vary from birds and mammals is that, since they do not (usually) care for their offspring, juveniles - sometimes even at birth - can be displayed without their parents.  This allows zoos with size constraints to display small individuals of species - an aquarium with limited tank space could display smaller sharks, for instance.  In contrast, it would be considered extremely inappropriate and unethical for a zoo to decide that, since it doesn't have a big enough enclosure for polar bears or elephants to take a few young from their mothers and house them by themselves in a smaller enclosure.

The one issue with housing smaller members of a species is that there must be a plan in place for what to do with individuals as they grow into adults.  Despite what many visitors believe, a smaller enclosure will not necessarily limit an animal's growth and keep it small.  If that were true, we'd totally have elephants the size of ponies by now and SeaWorld would have specifically bred a pygmy orca.

I personally would prefer to make sure that any species that I house at my facility can be provided with care for its entire life, from infancy to the end of its life.  I would never want to find myself holding an animal that I was unable to care for as it outgrew its environment and that I was unable to place in a more ideal situation.

Species Fact Profile: Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula)

Alligator Gar

Atractosteus spatula (Lacepede, 1803)

Range: Southeastern United States (Ohio and Mississippi Rivers)
Habitat: Freshwater and Brackish Lakes, Rivers, Wetlands
Diet: Fish, Carrion, Turtles, Waterfowl
Social Grouping: Asocial
Reproduction: Breed once annually, usually between May and July.  Tens of thousands of eggs are left stuck to rocks and underwater vegetation.  No other parental care is provided.  When the young hatch, they float to the surface of the water.  Sexual maturity may take over ten years to achieve (longer in females than males).
Lifespan: 25-50 Years (Females live longer than males)
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated

• Gray-green or brown on dorsal surface, yellow or white on the ventral surface.  Dorsal surface may have some brown spotting 
• Largest gar species and one of the largest freshwater fishes in North America, growing up to 2.5 meters long and weighing over 130 kilograms.  
• The body is long and torpedo-shaped, the tail is asymmetrical.   The thick, overlapping scales (ganoid scales) resemble chain-mail (Native Americans in the Southeast used these scales for arrowheads and shields).  The snout is long and broad with two rows of gang-like teeth
• The swimbladder serves as a psuedo-lung, allowing the gar to gulp air and breathe in waters with low oxygen levels 
• Named for their similarities to alligators both in terms of appearance and behavior, including floating at the surface of the water, mimicking a log.  They are sit-and-wait predators, relying on camouflage and using short bursts of speed to capture prey that comes within range
• Highly opportunistic, have been seem seizing ducks shot by hunters and attacking duck decoys
• Humans and alligators are the only natural predators of adults. Juveniles may be taken by larger fish, turtles, and other aquatic predators; the bright red eggs are poisonous to discourage predation
• Considered potentially dangerous to humans due to large size and powerful teeth, but no documented cases of attacks have been reported
• In decline due to habitat loss (dredging, damming) and overfishing, protected in many areas.  Have been extirpated in some areas, considered a nuisance by fishermen due to their competition for crab and fish stocks
• Captive rearing is being used to restock wild alligator gar populations, in part to control invasive Asian carps; there are also efforts underway to farm the species for food in Mexico
• Alligator gars have been found in several Asian countries, presumably released individuals from private aquariums 

We're an "Interesting Case" Alright...

Scrolling around on Facebook, it sometimes seems like almost all of my social media contacts are zookeepers, aquarists, or people who used to be or want to be zookeepers or aquarists... that and a few people from high school and college who I probably couldn't even pick out of a police line-up after all these years.  It's sometimes hard for me to remember that, in the grand scheme of things, there really aren't that many zoo and aquarium workers in this country of 300 million plus people.  A lot of people don't know a single one.

When people do meet a zookeeper, it usually leads to a lot of questions, which can get a little exhausting after a while.  I discovered early on that, whether interacting with members of the public at work or other guests at a party in a completely non-zoo environment, 99% of conversations tend to consist of the same three to five questions.  It turns out, however, that random party goers aren't the only ones who want to learn a little more about you we are and what we do.  We've managed to pique the curiosity of business school professors as well.

The following is an excerpt from Aaron Hurst's book The Purpose Economy which, to my surprise, is in part about... us.

Mr. Hurst then goes on to comment on how some zookeepers will hide the pleasure that they take in their work from their bosses for fear that it will be used against them.  "Wait, why am I paying these idiots 12 bucks an hour when they'd do it just as readily for 10?  Come to think of it, why pay them at all?  They should be paying me!"

Thanks for letting the cat out of the bag, Aaron...

The Keepers and the Kept

Zoos and aquariums have evolved enormously over the past few decades, with tremendous changes being implemented in every aspect of animal care, from exhibit design to training to nutrition. The best of American zoos today bear almost no resemblance to the Victorian-era menageries of the turn of the last century.  The primary mission of recreation has been replaced with the ideals of promoting conservation, education, and appreciation of the natural world.

One thing that has not changed - and probably never will - is that there are people who do not like zoos.  To them, zoos will always be synonymous with "prison."  There is an element of truth to it - zoos are, by their definition, places of confinement.   Traditionally, that took place behind heavy iron bars, not unlike a jail cell.  The image has stuck.  Not matter how big or spacious the enclosure is, many visitors - even ones who enjoy the zoo immensely - still refer to the habitats as "cages."

So what makes a zoo NOT a jail?  After careful consideration, I've decided on an answer.  It's the same answer that really sums up almost all of the miraculous changes that have taken place at zoos over the past several years.

The keepers.

A keeper trains a gray seal during a demonstration at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo

A zoo's budget is very important.  So is its size and its physical campus.  It is influenced tremendously by the local climate, as well as the local community and the degree to which they support the zoo.  In the end, however, I am convinced that the single most important factor that will make or break a zoo and define the quality of animal care is the keeping staff.

No prison guard, as some critics would smugly refer to us as, would spend weeks painstakingly trying to devise toys and puzzle feeders and other enrichment that make an animal's day.  Or obsess over finding out what each animal's favorite food is so you can give them a treat on their birthday (which, let's be honest, the animals don't even recognize as a thing).  Keepers ride out fires and floods and blizzards and hurricanes to protect their charges.  They cry at deaths and transfers - and cry just as hard (but with pride) when a new baby is born, or when an animal learns a new trained behavior.  When our animals cross the county to go from zoo to zoo, we stay in touch with them, communicating constantly with each other to make sure that "our babies" are settling in okay in their new homes.  And in this way, we become a community.

A keeper tries (and apparently fails) not to play favorites as she holds court with the penguins at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium

It's been said that teaching is the only job on earth where people steal supplies from home to bring to work.  Maybe it's one of only two.  The second would be animal keeper.  Keepers, who are paid very little (especially keeping in mind the educational and experience requirements to get a job at many facilities) are enormously devoted to their work.  Many put in lots of unpaid overtime (in addition to the second or third jobs they may have to let them fulfill their dreams).  Many still find a way to chip in extra money to contribute to conservation projects abroad.  And most that I've met are unfailingly selfless in their devotion to their animals, and still find time to open up a little of their world to a member of the public who genuinely seems to care about the animals too.  I can't count the number of keepers I've met who have a common "origin story" - a moment of kindness or a special encounter with a zookeeper when they were younger, which changed the trajectory of their own lives.

Sunday was the start of National Zookeeper Week.  The week got off to a bit of a rough start as our community is still reeling from the tragedy in New Orleans.  We're keeping our friends at Audubon in our hearts and minds as they go through this difficult period.  But that's part of what makes zookeepers special.  We're not just there for the animals.  We're there for each other as well.

A Bloodbath in the Big Easy

Jaguar escapes habitat at Audubon Zoo, kills 6 animals

I can only imagine the mind-numbing horror that keepers at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans felt when they came into work and found themselves down one jaguar.  Of all the big cats - and I've worked with them all - the jaguar is the tensest, cagiest, wiliest, some might even say most neurotic of the cats.  It's also the one that scares the willies out of me the most... and for good reason.

All I can say is, as so many are saying right now, is that Audubon keepers, I'm so sorry for your loss.  You're to be congratulated for getting the cat back in safely.  You can't beat yourself up for what happened to the animals that you've lost.

Oh, and do yourself a favor and stay off social media for the next few days.

A jaguar sits in the Jaguar Jungle at the Audubon Zoo Sunday, November 20, 2005 - Jennifer

Update: Unfortunately, the death toll from the jaguar's late night escapade has since climbed to nine as three other animals injured in the attack have succumbed to their injuries.  I've taken to lurking on Audubon's social media platforms lately, and have been pleasantly surprised to see how supportive and sympathetic almost all of the commentators are.  There are a few insensitive folks out there, but they're being drowned out/shouted down by the compassionate majority.  Thank you to everyone for your support.

From the News: Security Plans for the National Zoo are on Pause

Security Plans for the National Zoo are on Pause

Earlier this summer, I had an experience at a zoo that I'd never had before, and would just as soon never have again.  It didn't involve animals or keepers or exhibits... heck, it took place before I even entered the zoo.  It was a security screening, with metal detectors and bag checks.  It's a sad truth that more and more places in our society are potentially unsafe.  Among those are concert halls, sporting venues, movie theaters... so then, why not zoos and aquariums?

A Face Without Eyes

Aquatic caecilians are one of the most common amphibians seen in zoo and aquarium collections.  Presumably it's because they are the only caecilian species which readily lends itself to display in a zoo; most of the other species are fossorial (burrowing), a lifestyle which doesn't make for a very fascinating exhibit.  With its graceful, sinuous movements through the water, the aquatic species is easily visible, although it is often mistaken for an eel.

I can remember the first time that I ever saw an aquatic caecilian - unlike most zoo animals, the first time I encountered one was the day I started working with them.  In this case, I was a keeper in the reptile house of a large southern zoo.  The back holding area was filled with many tanks and tubs holding a variety of species.  Included among these was a tank of aquatic caecilians.

It was my job to feed them their preferred food - earthworms - a few times a week.  It was a tedious job, swishing the worm back and forth on forceps, waiting for each caecilian to take one.  I made up a little song that I would sing under my breath as I tried to charm each rubber eel to eat.  Occasionally, the caecilians would loose interest in the earthworm.  Instead, they would poke their long snouts out of the water and point them at me.

"Caecilian" comes for the Latin for "blind" which isn't true, but at first glimpse seems to be.  The eyes are extremely tiny, barely pin pricks in an otherwise expressionless face.  I'm not sure why, but all the time while I worked with the caecilians, I became terrified by the idea of being bitten by one.  Even though it would be harmless (and presumably not that painful based on their size), and that I worked in a room filled with snakes and lizards and crocodilians - it was the caecilians that made me shudder and pull back when they'd slither out of the water.  I think it was the eyes.  The idea of being bitten by an animal without (visible) eyes creeped me out.

As it was, I was never bitten by one of my slimy little charges.  That being said, I only worked with them for a few months before leaving that job, and never again.  Maybe if I'd spent more time with them, I would have grown fonder and more trusting of them.  Then again, maybe one of them would have finally gotten me.

Species Fact Profile: Aquatic Caecilian (Typhlonectes natans)

Aquatic Caecilian

Typhlonectes natans (Fischer, 1880)

Range: Northern South America (Colombia, Northern Venezuela)
Habitat: Flooded Grasslands, Wetlands, Rivers
Diet: Insects, Spiders, Earthworms
Social Grouping: Semi-Social
Reproduction: Viviparous.  Fetal offspring are nurtured on secretions from the walls of their mother's oviducts.  Gestation period is 6-7 months.  2-11 young are born per litter.
Lifespan: 5 Years
Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern

• Limbless body is 45-55 centimeters long when fully grown.  Smooth skin is dark-gray to black in color. Laterally flattened body ends in a small tail fin
• The eyes are tiny and vision is believed to be poor (the name "caecilian" is derived from the Latin for "blind").  Sense their environment using a small chemosensory organ on the back of the head
• Sold in pet stores under the trade name of "rubber eel", often presented as a fish
• The species is relatively common.  It faces some collection pressure for the pet trade, but still has abundant habitat remaining and is tolerant of habitat disturbance and pollution

Saving 10,000 Tortoises

Earlier this year, the Malagasy authorities intercepted a shipment of 10,000 endangered radiated tortoises, which it is believed were being smuggled out of the country for the pet trade.  The shipment was thankfully seized, but the ending wasn't an unequivocally happen one - some of those tortoises were in pretty rough shape as a result of their capture and subsequent mistreatment.

Thankfully, the Malagasy weren't left to deal with this onslaught of wildlife in crisis.  A slew of zoo and aquarium professionals rushed to the scene to help care for the afflicted animals.

This is their story.

If I Wasn't a Zookeeper...

I love my job.  I really do.  Oh sure, there are some things about it that I'm not crazy about.  The hours can be a pain, as can the scheduling.  Oh, and dealing with the public isn't always a blast.  Sometimes it's freezing cold, other days (like today) boiling hot.  The pay isn't incredible.  That and I've had a spider monkey poop in my hair before.    Still, for the most part, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

But if I did...

It's not too uncommon for me to hear about a colleague who has left the profession.  Often it's a relative newcomer who has started the job and found it not to their liking.  Sometimes, it's someone who has had to move to another city, perhaps following the career of a significant other.  Other times, it's someone who has just found the economics of the job to just be impossible, especially if there is a family to support.  Whenever someone leaves the field, it's not uncommon to wonder, what would one of us do if we were forced to seek alternative employment.

Some ideas come to mind...

A lot of keepers go into the vet field.  Not so much going to vet school as becoming veterinary technicians, helping out in a vet's practices.  Many of the skills that we acquire - restraining animals for treatment, coaxing pills down unwilling throats - translate well to that line of work.

Others go into education.  Animal professionals tend to be very passionate about issues pertaining to wildlife and conservation.  This gives them an opportunity to share their passion with the next generation.  It doesn't hurt to sneak in a little pro-zoo perspective as well...

A lucky few get to work in the field with wildlife directly.

As for myself, I think I'd settle for being a travel writer.  I could cross the world, paying special attention to wildlife sights and zoos and aquariums.  I would enjoy being able to learn more about different countries and their wildlife, helping potential visitors differentiate between those wildlife attractions that promote conservation and those that are exploitative.

Still, at the moment I doubt that anyone is going to hand me a fistful of money and tell me to start globetrotting.  Until then, I guess the zoo will have to do.

Ice, Ice Baby

It was a scorcher today, creeping into the triple digits.  When it gets this hot, the zoo isn't always a fun place to be, and a lot of effort goes into keeping the animals cool and comfortable.  For some species that means erecting shade structures or making mud wallows or putting up sprinklers to mist the animals.

One of the most popular techniques for keeping zoo animals comfortable during the heat is surprisingly similar to one that humans use on themselves.  Who doesn't love a nice Popsicle?

Kazuhiro Nogi/ AFP Getty Images - Polar Bear at Ueno Zoo

Of course, the Popsicles that zookeepers make for their charges are a little different than the ones that you'll find in the frozen food section of your local grocery store.  The flavors and ingredients vary from species to species.  For monkeys and other frugivores, fruit juice forms a nice base, along with whole pieces of fruits or nuts frozen inside.  For big cats and other carnivores, the frozen base may be blood, or perhaps fish juice.  Meat-based items, such as rats, rabbits, or whole fish may be frozen inside.  Sometimes, the treat is simply formed from plain water with food items inside.  The size of the ice treat may vary in size from an ice cube to the size of a barrel.

Ice treats have value besides being cool and (depending on your taste for frozen blood) delicious.  Freezing food items inside a large block of ice can pose a fun enrichment challenge for animals - how to extract the treat from inside?  Break it open?  Lick at it?  Simply wait for it to thaw on its own?  There is the added enjoyment factor that ice floats, making the Popsicle double-function as an enjoyable pool toy.