Posts Tagged ‘Children’s Zoo’

Nov
27

A Rainbow in the Swap Shop??

Posted by in Birds,Children's Zoo

Yes indeed there was a rainbow in the Swap Shop.  But this was Rainbo the Electus Parrot.  Rainbo is one of our animal ambassadors here at the  Houston Zoo and often comes out for presentations.  He knows quite a few behaviors and recently spent some time in the swap shop, to the delight of our guests.

Rainbo painting with trainer Amber Zelmer

One of his favorite learned behaviors is painting.  His trainer dips the brush in paint and then Rainbo holds it in his beak and sweeps the brush across the canvas.  He is quite artistic and has his own distinctive  style.   Rainbo is also quite a talker and knows more than a dozen different words and phrases.   He does several animal imitations including cat, dog, snake, and his newest imitation, monkey. 

An interesting thing about  the Eclectus Parrot is that the male and female are VERY different in appearance.  While you can see Ranbo is a beautiful green – the females are a bright scarlet red.  This is called sexual dimorphism.  Electus parrots are so sexually dimorphic that they were thought to be two different species for a long time.

 

You never know who you will see in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop.  Don’t know about the Swap Shop?  Click here for more information. 

 

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Nov
21

Thanksgiving and Turkeys

Posted by in Animal Info,Children's Zoo,Gift of Grub,Holidays

Thanksgiving and Turkeys. It is hardly possible to think about one without thinking about the other. Since we are nearing Thanksgiving, I’d like to introduce you to the resident turkeys in the J.P. McGovern Children’s Zoo – but first, a little bit about turkeys in general.

Beautiful Turkey feathers

There are only two species of turkeys in the world and both are found in the Americas. The Ocellated Turkey is primarily found on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico as well as the northern parts of Belize and Guatemala. The Ocellated Turkey’s cousin, the Wild Turkey, is found in North America and Mexico.  It is heavier than the Ocellated but they share almost all the same characteristics. Both species are omnivores feeding primarily on berries, seeds, grasses, and insects. They will occasionally eat snakes, snails, and lizards.  Both species were domesticated by Native Americans for food, but it was the Wild Turkey of North America that became the originator of all our modern breeds of domestic turkey.

Jim the Wild Turkey hen

In the Children’s Zoo, we have a true Wild Turkey as well as two domestic turkeys. Our Wild Turkey is a hen and her name is Jim. Yes, it’s a boy’s name - it’s hard to know what sex they are when they are poults (babies)!  Jim lives with the chickens in the goat yard.

Our two domestic turkeys are both males which are called toms. They are Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys and their names are Benjamin and Franklin. Benjamin Franklin wanted the Wild Turkey to be the national bird, so we named our toms in his honor. Ben and Franklin live on exhibit with the deer.

Ben and Franklin

 
 
 
FUN FACT:
Believe it or not, when Europeans first settled in the Americas and started taking turkeys back to Europe, the turkey was so rare and tasted so good, that only royalty was allowed to eat them!
We hope you will come visit our turkeys!
 
Give the Gift of Grub this Thanksgiving to help provide tasty meals for our resident turkeys and the rest of the Zoo’s 6,000 animals.  From now until December 31, your gift could go twice as far thanks to a generous matching gift challenge by TXU Energy.  All gifts, up to $25,000 total, will be matched dollar for dollar in an effort to help the Zoo provide for its growing animal family. 
 
Thank you in advance for your support and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Nov
13

Who is trading in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop?

Posted by in Children's Zoo,Just for Kids,Memories,Swap Shop

Meet Peter and Jason Zhao.   The Zhao brothers have been trading with us since early 2011. 

Jason and Peter Zhao

 These two fabulous brothers have brought in many interesting items to the shop such as shells, seeds, cones, rocks, and even a dead spider.  When it comes time to pick something to spend their points on they usually pick from our shell or rock and mineral section. 

 The trips to the zoo are usually a family affair for the Zhaos.  We not only get to see Jason and Peter but their mom and dad too!  The entire family has a love of nature and we all learn when they come in.

Peter and Jason are just two of over 1400 kids 18 years old and younger that are trading with us now.  Don’t know about trading in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop?  Click here for more information.

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Oct
01

The Swap Shop Mystery Box Revealed

Posted by in Children's Zoo,Contest,Giraffes,Hoofed Stock,Just for Kids,Swap Shop

 

Mystery Box

Many of you who have been in the Swap Shop recently have seen the very large mystery box.  We are happy to finally announce what was in it!  Thanks to a generous donation from The Junior League of Houston, Inc.,  we now have a complete giraffe skeleton.  This was a 9 foot tall  juvenile male giraffe from Florida and died.  The crate was quite large 6′x3′x2′ and had to be brought into the Shop by fork lift.  The articulator (an expert that assembles skeletons) was here on the evening of Saturday September 17, to put it together. 

Articulator Mike working on the skeleton

 

During the week the box was here we held a contest to let kids guess what was in the box.  The only clues they had were: 1.  It is a skeleton 2. It is an entire skeleton 3. It may or may not be put together already in the box. 4. It is not an extinct animal.  We had so many wonderful guesses- everything from alligator to long horn to zebra.  We held a drawing Friday September 16,  and Cody Molandes was our winner – guessing that it was a giraffe!  He won 100 points to spend in the Swap Shop for his efforts! 

The finished skeleton

You never know what you’ll see in the Swap Shop.

Dont know about trading in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop?  Click here for more information.

 

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Sep
18

Who is Trading in The Naturally Wild Swap Shop?

Posted by in Children's Zoo,Just for Kids,Swap Shop,Uncategorized

In today’s blog we are spotlighting one of our regular traders, 8 year old Jayden Schexnider.  Jayden has only been trading since March of this year but he has been busy in those 6 months of trading.  One of his favorite things to bring in are nature journals as he loves to draw pictures of animals.  He doesn’t limit himself 0n the animals he draws either!  His journals have featured animals at the zoo, from the wild, and even extinct animals.   Dinosaurs appear in his journals quite often. 

Jayden at The Naturally Wild Swap Shop

 On a recent visit, he brought in some wonderful finds from his trip to Pensacola, Florida.  His items included a Gafftop Sail Catfish skull (also called a crucifix fish due to the bones of the lower part of the skull resembling the form of a crucifix) and sand dollar pieces- along  with an excellent journal on sand dollars reflecting the research he had done.  Jayden, and all of our traders, get extra points for knowledge when they have learned about the item they bring in and can tell us about it.

 The Swap Shop is growing and we now have over 1200 young people trading with us! 

Dont know about trading in The Swap Shop?  Click here to find out more.

 

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Sep
10

Get Out and Play and The Naturally Wild Swap Shop

Posted by in Animal Info,Children's Zoo,Events,Just for Kids,Swap Shop

On Saturday, September 17 from 10AM – 3PM, the Houston Zoo will be hosting a zoo wide event to challenge everyone to GET OUT AND PLAY!  Many of the children and young adults of this generation are plugged into the electronic world and out of touch with the nature and world around them.  This is known as Nature Deficit Disorder and it can actually be linked to several childhood health issues.    The zoo’s goal for this event is to inspire children and adults to Get Out and Play more often and explore the natural world around them.

The zoo will be filled with exciting and challenging games and activities for children and adults.  The Houston Texans, KICKSTART KIDS, and other community groups and organizations will also be here, showing guests how and where they can be active and enjoy nature year-round in the city.

The Naturally Wild Swap Shop

One great way to become more active in nature is to get involved in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop in the McGovern Children’s Zoo.  The Swap Shop is designed for kids 18 years old and under to bring in things they find in nature and exchange their items for points. The points can then be swapped for items in the shop.   

  A very important part of the swap is knowledge.  If the trader has researched and learned  about the item they have brought in, and can tell us about it,  they get extra points for their knowledge. 

For more information about The Swap Shop and a list of items that can and cannot be brought in click here.

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Aug
09

Who’s the Artist? A GOAT?!?!

Posted by in Children's Zoo,Hoofed Stock

One of the popular attractions at the McGovern Children’s Zoo is the contact area, also known as the petting zoo.  On any day, children can be seen with their parents petting and brushing the Children’s zoo’s friendly goats.

But on some days, petting zoo guests can see goats exhibiting a very different behavior – painting.

That’s right — you’ve now seen it with your own eyes.

The first goat at our Children’s Zoo who learned who to paint was Domino, trained by keeper David Suttinger.  Domino is the black and white goat, a 2-year-old.  But soon keeper Andrea Pohlman  taught Peep, the orange and white goat, and keeper Amber Zelmer trained Trent, who is gray and black, to take up the brush and express their artistic talents too!

The finished canvasses have been popular at Zoo fund raising events such as Bowling for Rhinos.

So next time you visit the McGovern Children’s Zoo you just might see one of our petting zoo goats creating their next masterpiece.

Written by Brian Hill

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Jul
31

Whats New in the Swap Shop?

Posted by in Animal Info,Children's Zoo,Insects,Swap Shop

Meet Edward Scissorhands, our Tailless Whip Scorpion.  He now lives in the Swap Shop full time!  Edward is not a true scorpion, but is in the Arachnid family and is a variety found in Africa.  He is harmless to humans but, if you are a cricket or worm, it’s a whole different story.  Tailless Whip Scorpions are nocturnal so they are active at night.  During the day they can be found hiding in leaf litter, logs, bark or under stones.  At night they come out to hunt and then it’s crickets beware.  They don’t have venom like a true scorpion but instead use their pinchers, called pedipalps, to crush their prey.  As in some other arachnid orders, Edward’s first pair of legs are modified to act as sensory organs or whips.  While Edward walks on the other six legs, these two legs are held out in front of his body as he moves to probe terrain and find prey. Come in to swap with us and visit Edward while you are here.  Don’t know about the Swap Shop?  Click here for more information.

Edward the Tailless Whip Scorpion

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Jul
28

Passport to Bright Futures

Posted by in Children's Zoo,Events

Join Collaborative for Children and the Houston Zoo at Passport to Bright Futures, an event that celebrates early learners, ages  0-6, with a kid-friendly musical performance by The Non-Toxic Band!  Performances will take place at the Butterfly Pavilion from 10-10:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

The fun, yet educational journey begins in the John P. McGovern Children’s Zoo with a passport that leads families through three interactive stations where they will learn about the importance of play, learning and nurturing their children. After receiving a stamp at each station, passports can be redeemed for a signature gift.

Head to Passport to Bright Futures on Saturday, August 27 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. This event is FREE with your paid Zoo admission. This event is FREE for Zoo Members. Visit Collaborative for Children for details.

 

 

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Jun
11

1000th Trader in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop!

Posted by in Children's Zoo,Just for Kids,Swap Shop

We made it to 1000!  On June 4, 2011, Taylor Albrecht was our 1000th new trader.  In honor of this milestone he was awarded 100 extra points!    Taylor’s first trade  included a mule deer antler and a white-tailed deer skull – he started his trading in grand style. 

Taylor Albrecht - Trader # 1000!

He and his parents had a great time looking around the Swap Shop and Taylor decided to spend some of his points to start an insect collection.

We hope that this will be the first of many, many trades Taylor will make as he explores nature. 

The Naturally Wild Swap Shop has been growing by leaps and bounds.  Not only do we now have over 1000 individual traders, but the number of trades has increased too.  For 2011, each month the number of trades per month has increased at least 200% from the same time last year.  Dont know about the Swap Shop and trades?  Click here to find out more.

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