This Week's Featured Animal! 4/26 - 5/2

So I have noticed a lot of news articles about animals of this species making an escape from their pastures. So I decided that this week's featured animal will be: The American Bison

We do have some bison at Wildlife Safari. 

Anyways. Bison bison, or the American Bison, is native to North America. They can live 12-20 years on average. You don't even want to know how heavy they get, other than really, really heavy. These guys have fur coats so thick, that snow doesn't even melt when it lands on them. Talk about good insulation! Now I know why the natives used these guys for bedding.

They are considered Near Threatened by the ICUN Red List, as opposed to how it used to be (Critically Endangered). For the most part, these guys stay in fairly small family groups. But they congregate into the huge herds that they are famous for during the summer, which is mating season. 

Males will fight each other for mating rights. Females are only fertile during a 2-3 day period, which is only the one time for the entire mating season. So if a male doesn't find her, she doesn't get pregnant. If a male does find her, then a calf will be born about 9 months later. 

They used to  be far more numerous, before white settlers came. Afterwards, they were slowly killed off until there were only a few hundred in the world, most of which were in captivity. But thanks to conservation programs, they are back to a healthy population and staying that way. While they likely won't be at the same numbers as they used to be, they are doing a lot better now. 

sources:

• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/american-bison/
• http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/classify/2815/0

2015 Earth Day Special

So everyone is probably celebrating Earth Day. So I might as well post a special post on Earth Day. On an Endangered Amphibian.

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum

So these guys live in Central Mexico. But, unfortunately, there aren't very many of them. They capture less than 100 individuals from the wild population when trying to get an idea of how many there are, and the population numbers are decreasing each year. 

They need deep water to live in, with lots of plants to lay eggs on. They never leave the water, nor do they go through a complete metamorphosis. They can live 10-15 years in the wild, and can get up to a foot long. They are often studied by scientists, because they have the ability to regenerate lost limbs. 

• Sources: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/classify/1095/0
• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/axolotl/

Boas VS. Pythons

Do you know what a boa is, or a python? If not, you are about to find out. Boas, and pythons, are snakes. They are not venomous. Instead, they are constrictors. That is, they squeeze their prey to kill them. Every time the prey takes a breath, they squeeze harder. The animal can't breath, blood pressure is getting ridiculously high, and eventually their hearts practically explode from the blood pressure. Not a very pleasant way to die.

First up, we have boas. These guys are generally New World snakes. They also tend to get a bit longer, though they aren't the longest snakes in the world. They are found more in Central America and South America than North America. We have some examples of these guys, in the form of Red Tailed Boas, at Wildlife Safari. We also have an Amazon Tree Boa as well. Off display, Village has a Rainbow Boa as well, and she is gorgeous.

Next up are pythons. These guys are Old World, more seen in Africa than anywhere else. Weight wise, they tend to be bigger. We don't have many examples of this side as I personally would like, but whatever. One of the examples that we have is a Royal, or Ball Python. J.R. would be that example. 

Turtles VS. Tortoises

Do you have any idea how often people get turtles, tortoises, and terrapins confused? Pretty often, actually. It drives zookeepers crazy with frustration, so I am going to go ahead and explain some of these differences to you.

So first a definition. What is exactly a turtle, tortoise, and terrapin? Well, a turtle is technically what you find in the oceans. Like this leatherback sea turtle! Leatherbacks are considered an endangered species. Turtles are generally omnivores, eating seaweed and jellies for the most part. They can get fairly large, and their shells are usually more flat. They live in either salt or fresh water.

Then we have tortoises. These guys are utterly adorable, in my opinion. While turtles get fairly big, tortoises really vary in size. You have the smallest, at the Speckled Tortoise, which aren't even 1/2 of a pound heavy when adults! They are teeny tiny!

But then you have the biggest tortoise, which is the Galapagos Giant Tortoise. Unfortunately, those guys are on the verge of extinction. But there still might be some salvation: about 100 hatchlings had recently been discovered. They can get to be 4 feet across their shell, and over 450 lbs! That is a big tortoise. All tortoises have more of a domed shell, and are strictly herbivores. They can't swim, either. If you put them in water, they will sink like a rock. 

Finally, we have terrapins. These guys tend to stay fairly small, but you have the occasional exception. Terrapins prefer to live in brackish water. That is, the water has too much salt to be fresh water, but not enough salt to be ocean. They vary in diet, like turtles. Many of the turtles that you can buy as pets are actually terrapins. 

Sources: Click on links, mainly. I also used National Geographic as a source. The ICUN Red List is also a great source, if you know how to read their fancy stuff.

This Week's Featured Animal! 4/19 - 4/25

This week's featured animal is the Nile Monitor Lizard! As you may or may not have heard, these guys are taking over the Everglades along with the snakes. So let's look at some info about them.

Varanus niloticus

These guys mainly live in Central and Southern Africa, usually near a source of water. There are 31 total species, all carnivores. 

They prefer eggs, but will eat small birds, reptiles, and mammals that they can catch. They can hold their breath underwater for up to one hour, and they are excellent climbers. Crocodiles and pythons are their biggest threats. 

They are solitary creatures, meaning that they don't like company. They only breed one time of year, and the mothers do not care for their young. They become sexually mature at 3-4 years, and can live between 10-20 years in captivity. 

Their size depends on the species. The ones in the Everglades vary from 3.5 feet to 5 feet. But usually they are between 5.5 to 7 feet. 

When these guys are still fairly young, their teeth are small and very sharp. But as they get older, they get blunter and get ridges. This is because of the shift from fast, but weak prey to slower but more protected prey (i.e. fish to eggs).

Sources: 

• http://www.oregonzoo.org/discover/animals/nile-monitor-lizard
• http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/reptiles/lizards-and-tuatara/varanus-niloticus

4/17/2015 Sad News

Bruce, one of our dear lion cubs, has passed away.

No one really knows what happened. All we know is that he passed due to a fractured skull/eye socket. He may have fallen, he may have been bitten, or maybe one of the adults played too rough. All we know is that he is gone. RIP, Bruce.

On a lighter note, one of our new Asian Elephants, Liz, has had her first time playing in the pool. 

4/12 Ferret Trauma

Did you know that ferrets are in the Mustelidae family? That is the same family that skunks, badgers, and otters are in. As I'm sure the skunk tells you, this family is known for having a fairly foul smell. 

 Even when pet ferrets are descented, they still carry a smell. A foul one. Males tend to smell more than females, but the scent is still there. Always.

 To prevent our ferrets from smelling everything up too much, we give them a bath once a month. To them, this is very traumatizing and horrible. To us, it is a chore that needs to be done. They are just being difficult. Needless to say, they do not make any attempt to make it any easier for us. 

After packing everything that we need to bathe the ferrets, we take them to the horrible place that they get bathing. This is the same room where Village keeps their Blue & Gold Macaw known as Nikki, a hairless rat, and a regular rat. It is rather smelly in there. 

We try to do one ferret at a time. It is easier that way. Today we started with Coco. After getting her into my grip firmly, we started on her ears. They build up chunky wax, which is disgusting, but needs to be cleaned out. 

After the ears have been cleaned, we attempt to trim the ferret's nails. There is usually much protesting in the form of wiggling crazily and scratching my hands to bits as they struggle. 

Nails done, it is time for the actual bath. They get wet. And become very, very unhappy. With a quick shampoo and rinse, they are already halfway done. Next is conditioner and another rinse. Afterwards, they are dried and returned to the crate. 

Next ferret, please! We finish with both ferrets and reward them with a special vitamin supplement that they LOVE! They are returned to their house/enclosure, and they rub against everything to try and get their smell back. Ferret spa day is complete.

This week's featured animal! 4/12 - 4/18

This week, the first week of existence and first week with a Featured Animal, has an animal from Africa! Oryx dammah, or the Scimitar-horned Oryx, is extinct in the wild. As a matter of fact, they haven't been seen in the wild for over 15 years!

They live in savannas, shrub lands, and deserts. Agriculture is a major threat to this species, along with hunting. It is thought that they probably existed mainly in Northern Africa, but is now only found in zoos around the world. We have one at Wildlife Safari! There are some attempts at reintroduction to the wild in a few countries in their former range. But so far, none of the captive populations are really considered to be ready for release.

These guys are usually around 4.6 feet tall at the shoulder, so I am taller than them by about 0.4 feet. Its not much, but I'll take what I can. They can be 4.9-7.5 feet long from head to butt, with a usually long tail. They can weigh anywhere between 220 to 460 pounds. While I may be taller than them, I am most certainly not heavier. They love grasses, herbs, roots, and buds. 

After a pregnancy period of about 8.5 months, females will give birth to one calf. They  like to live in herds of 20-40 individuals, with one male as the boss. But in times of plenty, it used to be that herds of up to 1000 were seen. 

What's really cool about these guys is if there isn't enough water, they actually raise their body temperature! Some animals, like bears, will lower that and their metabolism during hibernation. But these guys raise it, so they don't sweat away water, if there isn't enough drinking water.  Cool, huh?

My sources were

1. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AfricanSavanna/Facts/fact-oryx.cfm
2. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15568/0

Meet the Animals!

So to start off, I should probably introduce myself. For safety's sake, I will simply have myself known as D.W. I volunteer at a zoo in Winston, Oregon known as Wildlife Safari. They are one of the leaders in cheetah breeding in the US, with 173 cheetah cubs (and counting!) under their belts. I am in the Education Department, where we have many interesting members. For reference, I have two bosses mainly. There is the Director of Education, Leila. Then there is the Second in Command (I forget her official title), Julianne. Both are very nice, and funny! Now, for the animals!

First, we have Arthur. 

Arthur here is a Argentine Red Tegu. He is dirt old, about 14 years in human years. That is really, really old for tegus. From his nose to the tip of his tail, I would say he is about 3-4 feet long. The tail that he currently has is the tail that he originally hatched with. Those big lumps that you see on his face are his cheeks. They are nothing more than rolls of pure fat, meant for attracting the ladies. Attractive, right? People always want to poke his cheeks. Seriously. Anyways, these guys aren't listed on the ICUN red list, but that might not necessarily mean anything. Leila told me that they are commonly poached for their skin, to make leather goods. I can see that, his coloration is gorgeous, especially after he has just finished shedding. It is legal to keep one of these fellows as a pet in Oregon, but only if it is captive bred. You literally have to have proof ready at all times that your tegu was captive bred.

Next up, we have Bell.

Bell was what we know as a Blue and Gold Macaw, also called a Blue and Yellow Macaw. A mouthful, am I right? On January 21, 2015, Bell passed away. Results from tests ran indicated that she was perfectly healthy, as a 9 year old parrot should. But the autopsy revealed an abnormal liver, not unlike a human's when they were alcoholic. Strange much? Either way, she is in a better place now. Blue & Gold Macaws are listed as Least Concern on the ICUN red list, and are commonly kept as pets. I can easily see why, given their bright colors and ability to talk. However, most people do not realize that these birds live 70-80 years, and are a lifetime commitment. They require lots of fresh veggies and fruits to stay healthy, and things to chew on too. They can cause a lot of damage to furniture. They also needs lots of toys and attention. These guys have the intelligence of a 4-5 year old human. So they require just as much attention and playtime. If they don't get it, it can lead to aggressive or destructive behaviors, or even plucking! Not fun.

Ophelia

Ophelia is a black rabbit, obviously. If you asked me what kind she was, I wouldn't be able to answer. All I know is that she was supposed to be a meat rabbit, and on somebody's dinner plate. 

Brandi

Brandi is what is commonly known as the Russian Tortoise. These guys are about cheeseburger size, and live 50-60 years on average. They are commonly found in central Asia. Brandi was somebody's pet, but was not properly cared for. Her shell is more fragile than it should because of this. Like Blue & Gold Macaws, these guys are of Least Concern on the ICUN red list.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

We have a colony of these guys. We keep the males and females separated. They are of Least Concern on the ICUN red list.

Coco & Swiper

These guys are ferrets, if you haven't figured it out yet. Coco is the one on top, with the black. Swiper is the bottom one, curled up. He is an albino. These two are not brother/sister, but they act like it. They were given to us after being kept as pets and not cared for properly. Coco recently had a surgery to remove a chronic wart growth on one toe that kept coming back. She is fully recovered, however.

Millie

Millie is a Nubian Goat, and an absolute sweetheart. She and one other goat are the only survivors out of an entire herd. The story is that the herd was in the mountains when they were attacked by a cougar. All but Millie and one other died. Millie fought off the cougar while the other goat hid. She and that other goat are best buds now, and are in the Petting Zoo section with our other goats in Village.

Huckleberry

Huckleberry is a Barred Rock chicken. She has started to lay eggs, and loves people food. She is worse than my dog when it comes to begging. Seriously. We got her from the DC Co-Op. She also loves to run around outside and find things that only a chicken would find delicious.

J.R.

J.R. is what is commonly known as a Ball Python. They are of Least Concern on the ICUN Red List, and average 3-4 feet long. I'd say this lovable snake is 3.5 feet long. However, J.R. is blind and all scarred up. Why? Owner ignorance. His past owner, before we got him, had tried to "help" him shed. This pulled off the specialized scales over his eyes, making his eyes pop out of the sockets and rendering him blind. He has scars because he was fed live mice. Bad idea. If the snake isn't hungry when you put the mouse in, it won't eat. But the mouse will get hungry, and try to eat the snake. What's more, even if the mouse is eaten, it will probably try to fight back. J.R. has a condition that commonly occurs to these guys called Mouth Rot.

Kermit

Kermit is the other goat that survived the cougar attack.

Madrone

Madrone is a Red-Tailed Boa. He is about 7 feet long, and weighs 25-30 pounds on average. He is just a big lump of love, however. 

Kotori

Kotori is a Western Screech Owl (excuse the terrible picture). She is missing half of one of her wing. I was told that while hunting, she was hit by a truck. They tried to salvage the wing, but the damage was too much and had to be amputated. So, now we have her. She hates everyone, by the way. These guys are of Least Concern.

Shakespeare

Shakespeare was a rescue from the local shelter. I have no idea what kind of rabbit he is, or anything. He is best friends with our other rabbit, Ophelia.

Shrek

Shrek is our Cane Toad. He doesn't really do anything interesting. They are of Least Concern.

Indian Walking Sticks

We have a colony of Indian Walking sticks, and one Australian Walking Stick.

Ponderosa & Willow

You can't really tell, but there are two snakes in that picture. Ponderosa and Willow. Brother and sister, bred and hatched at Wildlife Safari. Both are 3-4 feet long at the moment. Like Madrone, they are Red-Tailed Boas. Just babies. 

We also have an American Badger, named Bandit. 

He hibernates during the winter, but is awake during Spring, Summer, and Fall. During the months that he is awake, we try to take him for daily walks. If we don't, he tends to get a little grumpy. Badger was a pet before we got him. That is about all I know about him, though.

We also have a Striped Skunk, named Thistle.

Thistle came to us from a lady who had her as a pet. Thistle was 8 pounds overweight, and the woman bragged about dying her pink and washing her with whitening shampoo. What's worse, she didn't feed poor Thistle a proper diet! She got dehydrated veggies most of the time, with cat food. She is doing much better now.

Another member of the Education Family is a Patagonian Mara, or Cavy, named Paddy!

Paddy was a pet before we got her, and hand raised. When she was weaned, she was weaned the same way a bummer lamb is, so she loves to suckle on fingers. She is an absolute sweetheart, wanting nothing more than to spend time with people and get love and pets. And suckle on fingers, of course. She makes a variety of sounds, many of which sound like guinea pigs. 

Finally, we have Dumbledore. He is a Chinchilla!

Chinchillas have such dense fur, that they can't get wet. If they did, they would never dry out. Instead, mold and bacteria would start to grow. So in order to keep clean, they take dust baths.