Posts Tagged ‘The Houston Zoo’

Feb
02

Big Cats Don’t Make Good Pets, Part 4

Posted by in Carnivores,Conservation,Endangered,Keepers,Mammals,Zoo News

A student at Texas A & M University at Galveston where she studies marine biology, Kaitlin McGraw interned at the Houston Zoo last summer.   “When I came to the Zoo, I heard stories about the animals, and where they came from,” said Kaitlin. “I was surprised to learn how many of the animals in the Zoo’s Carnivore Department came from private owners who had kept them as pets,” Kaitlin added.   “I wanted to do something to help people understand that keeping big cats as pets is not a good idea,” Kaitlin added. The result was a series of video presentations profiling the ‘rescued cats’ at the Houston Zoo and recounting their individual stories. The videos were produced using a Canon PowerShot camera and edited on the iMovie platform.   “In the future, I hope to work with an organization like the Houston Zoo, promoting conservation education or traveling to new locales, working with marine and wildlife sanctuaries,” said Kaitlin.

 

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Jan
04

Mangabeys Munching

Posted by in Primates

Mangabeys munching are a fun sight to see at the Houston Zoo. We have Red-capped mangabeys, native to central Africa; they are the most colorful of the mangabey species with a bright red “cap” on the top of their heads. These are very social animals that usually live in a harem, which consists of one male and several females and their offspring. These monkeys eat lots of fruits, nuts and leaves and occasionally bugs, small birds or lizards. When one member of the group finds a fruit or nut tree, they will alert the rest of the group where they are, so the entire group can have a snack too.

At the Houston Zoo, when the mangabeys see the keepers coming with their food, they will do a similar vocalization; we call it the “happy cackle” because they usually are excited about their food. In the wild, they usually cooperate and can sit together eating food peacefully, but in captivity, sometimes they aren’t too keen to share (especially the males – for some reason they think they should get all the good food! – sound familiar?), so keepers have to make sure to spread the food around as much as possible so that all group members get an equal share of the food and to prevent any “arguments”. Also, mothers will often share their food with their offspring, so they can learn what is good to eat and what isn’t.

Often keepers will hide some of the food, so the monkeys have to spend time finding their food, we call that foraging. In the wild, monkeys spend many hours foraging for food, so keepers try to recreate that in captivity. Sometimes the food can be hidden in pine bark, a paper bag, or in a cardboard box to name a few; it will be something different everyday.

 

When the mangabeys aren’t eating they are engaging in lots of social behaviors. When you visit the exhibit, you will most likely see them grooming
each other. Grooming isn’t just for removing dirt (and no, they don’t have fleas –those are just on dogs and cats) it is also very socially bonding. A subordinate animal will gain favors by grooming a more dominate animal. The mangabeys also have a strict social order and when one of the subordinate animals steps ‘over the line’ the dominate animal will have to discipline them; usually by way of chasing and screaming…you may have seen that too since it happens several times a day. Next time you are at the zoo, spend 15-20 minutes watching them; there’s a lot going on with the mangabeys…in addition to munching!

Written by Dena Strange, Houston Zoo Primate Supervisor

 

 

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Dec
23

12 Days of Grub: Day 11 – Eleven Meerkats Mobbing

Posted by in Gift of Grub,Holidays,Meerkats,Natural Encounters

On the Eleventh Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Eleven Meerkats Mobbing, Ten Chimps a Chasing, Nine Fruit Bats Flying, Eight Giraffes a Galloping, Seven Snakes a Slithering, Six Mole-rats Mining, Five Golden Frogs, Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

One of the most popular exhibits at the Houston Zoo is our meerkat yard. Located just outside the entrance to the Carruth Natural Encounters building, the meerkats are fun to watch as they go about their lives. And if you need a break from walking, the benches are a great place to sit and watch them.

Meerkats are small, African mammals related to the mongoose. They live in groups called “mobs,” which can have up to 40 meerkats, but it is more common for a mob to have 10 to 15 individuals. There is an alpha pair which includes the dominate members of the mob responsible for reproduction. When there is a new litter, each meerkat contributes to caring for the young by helping to find food, digging new burrows, and even babysitting the new litter. Acting as a lookout, called sentry, is another important job for meerkats. A sentry helps to protect the colony by looking out for predators and will sound the alarm if any threat is present.

In the wild, a meerkat will eat mostly insects, but it will also catch and eat reptiles, birds and other small mammals. A mob will even work together to catch venomous snakes and other larger prey.  The meerkats at the Houston Zoo love spending their days digging new burrows, exploring their enrichment, play wrestling with each other and sunbathing on exhibit. The next time you’re at the Houston Zoo, take a few minutes to enjoy the antics of the meerkats. Our meerkat yard is definitely an exhibit that is fun to see again and again!

Written By Kamryn Suttinger

Help provide tasty and nutritious grub for the Zoo’s meerkat mob and the rest of our animal family this holiday season: Give the Gift of Grub!

Thank you to TXU Energy for generously matching the first $25,000 in donations this year.  Our mob says that’s an offer you can’t refuse!

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Dec
21

12 Days of Grub: Day 9 – Nine Fruit Bats Flying

Posted by in Bats,Gift of Grub,Holidays

On the Ninth Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Nine Fruit Bats Flying, Eight Giraffes a Galloping, Seven Snakes a Slithering, Six Mole-rats Mining, Five Golden Frogs, Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

At the Houston Zoo, Straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) can be seen in the Bat Cave area of the Carruth Natural Encounters building. These are one of the largest species of fruit bats in the world and the Houston Zoo has 24 of them on exhibit! Just as their name implies, Straw-colored fruit bats love to eat fruit. In fact, at the zoo, they eat 15lbs of fruit every day! In the wild, these African bats roost high up in treetops during the day and at night fill the sky as they forage for figs and other types of fruit.

When you stop at the bat exhibit, look for bats with their mouths full of the 3 different types of fruit they get each day. Their favorite fruits to eat are grapes, bananas and cantaloupe, but they also have mango, apple, pear, papaya and honey-dew melon. When a bat finds a tasty piece of fruit, it takes the biggest bite it possibly can and swallows all the juice from the fruit as it chews. When there is no more juice, the bat spits the remaining pulp, seeds and skin out onto the floor. In the wild, this habit is crucial to the forests’ health. The pulp and skin from the fruit decays on the forest floor, which helps enrich the soil, and by spitting seeds out, bats help more plants grow. If a bat happens to swallow a seed, it will pass, undamaged, through the bat’s digestive tract and, eventually, be deposited on the ground in one of the world’s best fertilizers: bat feces. In this way, the bats ensure that there will always be a plentiful supply of their preferred foods.

You may not know it, but many different species of bats help us get some of the foods we like to eat too. Bats are important pollinators. Fruit bats, like the ones in Natural Encounters, help spread pollen from one plant to another while foraging for fruit in the tree tops. Without bats, a lot of things we like to eat would be much more difficult to produce. Foods like avocado, peaches, carob and many others are all pollinated by different types of bats.

Like many other animals, wild bat populations are suffering due to things like habitat loss, disease, and even the pet trade. To learn more about native Texas bat populations and how you can help bats worldwide, visit Bat Conservation International or stop by the bat cave in the Carruth Natural Encounters Building.

Written by Kamryn Suttinger

Give the Gift of Grub for the holidays to help feed our fruit bats and the rest of the Zoo’s 6,000 animal residents! 

Our thanks to TXU Energy for generously matching the first $25,000 in donations this year!

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Dec
20

12 Days of Grub: Day 8 – Eight Giraffes a Galloping

Posted by in Gift of Grub,Giraffes,Holidays

On the Eighth Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Eight Giraffes a Galloping, Seven Snakes a Slithering, Six Mole-rats Mining, Five Golden Frogs, Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

What is the best thing to do after your afternoon snack?  Well if you are Asali, the Houston Zoo’s nine-month-old Masai giraffe, the best thing is to gallop.  Nothing feels better than to stretch out those long, long legs.

While it was too hot that afternoon to get the rest of her family involved in the fun, the heat was of no concern to Asali.  Even the ostriches watched in amazement as Asali worked off those calories.

Dinner Time at The Houston Zoo

What is on the menu for the Masai giraffe at Houston Zoo?  Our giraffes enjoy hay, fruits and vegetables, and romaine lettuce.  However, their most favorite food of all time is the vast array of different plant material provided by the horticulture staff at Houston Zoo.  The horticulture staff will search the entire zoo looking for tasty treats for the animals, and since they are so tall, the giraffes are able to see them bringing the food from across the zoo.  The giraffe keepers will then place the branches up really high so that the giraffes have to reach up high for them.

This behavior is exactly the same in the wild.  Giraffes are able to reach very high up in the trees to get the tastiest leaves.  Please come by The Houston Zoo’s African Forest exhibit and watch our herd of Masai giraffes as they explore their exhibit, look for food, lounge in the shade, and of course, stretch out those long giraffe legs.

Written by John Register, Hoofed Stock Supervisor

 

Help provide tasty and nutritious grub for the Zoo’s giraffes and the rest of our animal family this holiday season: Give the Gift of Grub!

Our thanks to TXU Energy for matching the first $25,000 in donations this year.  That’s a LOT of lettuce!

 

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Dec
19

12 Days of Grub: Day 7 – Seven Snakes a Slithering

Posted by in Gift of Grub,Holidays,Reptile House,Snakes

On the Seventh Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Seven Snakes a Slithering, Six Mole-rats Mining, Five Golden Frogs, Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

The 2900 species or so of snakes are incredibly diverse in terms of colors, size, and habitat.  However, they all share certain common characteristics.  One of these is that all snakes are carnivorous and must consume whole prey.  Snakes have a very highly modified skull which allows them to consume very large prey items.

The type of prey consumed and method of capture is quite diverse.  Some snakes are sit-and-wait ambush predators while others actively hunt for their food.  Some, like boas and pythons, kill their prey by constriction.  Contrary to popular thought, venomous snakes use their venom as a prey capturing device, and not as a means of defense. Next time you are visiting The Houston Zoo, please visit the Reptile and Amphibian building.  Check our keeper chat board and you might be able to see one of our staff feeding some of our snakes!

Aruba Island rattlesnake (Crotalus unicolor)

Some snakes are generalists, and will eat a wide variety of other animals; others are more specialized and consume only specific prey items.  For example, wild King cobras consume only other snakes.  They have even been known to eat each other on occasion!  Others, like the Aruba Island rattlesnake pictured here, will eat several types of different lizards and rodents.  Several species of snakes are known to eat only eggs, while one species eats only snails.

Angolan python (Python anchietae)

Although snakes in the wild consume live prey, here at the zoo we have trained most of our snakes to accept previously euthanized food items.  Most eat rats and mice while our large pythons eat rabbits.  While the amount varies, the Herpetology section uses around 165 rats and 588 mice of all sizes to feed our animals each month.

The size of the food item and the amount depends upon the species of snake we are talking about.  Snakes have a lower metabolic rate than mammals or birds, so consequently they need less food.  Most of our snakes eat only once a week, while others might go several weeks to a month between feedings.  During periods of hibernation, snakes may go several months without eating.

Speckled kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulus holbrooki)

Some of our snakes are more finicky or are more specialized in their diets.  In addition to rodents and rabbits the Herpetology Department also receives dietary items such as quail, lizards, frogs and toads, and even other small snakes!  For these species, a detailed knowledge of the snake’s natural history and considerable training in methods of herpetological husbandry is required.  This is where the skills of our highly experienced and knowledgeable staff are employed.

Written by Stan Mays

Give the Gift of Grub this holiday season to help provide tasty meals for our snakes and all of the animals at the Houston Zoo!  Our reptilian friends thank you in advance for your support.

Thank you to TXU Energy for generously matching the first $25,000 in donations this year!

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Dec
15

12 Days of Grub: Day 6 – Six Mole-rats Mining

Posted by in Gift of Grub,Holidays,Natural Encounters

On the Sixth Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Six Mole-rats Mining, Five Golden Frogs, Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

Here at The Houston Zoo we know Mole Rats are clearly the original miners. They dig tunnels, they dig out feeding chambers, they dig out a chamber for their queen, and also one for a latrine. And they do it all in a termite-like social setting known as eusociality (meaning truly social). There are only two known eusocial mammals in the world and we have them both in Natural Encounters: The Naked Mole Rat and the Damaraland Mole Rat, both from Africa.

The Naked Mole Rat is the better known of the two but it is neither truly naked, truly a mole nor truly a rat, which just adds to the mystique of this animal. Naked Mole Rats spend nearly their entire life in darkness of underground burrows. Our pink, buck-toothed ( their incisors are on the outside of their mouth which help them dig) friends tunnel beneath the arid African soils constantly looking for food such as roots and tubers and evading predators such as snakes.

Their colonies are structured with a Queen running the show who only reproduces with a select few males. Below them are the soldier mole rats that defend the colony. Due to extremely poor eyesight, they use odors to distinguish friend from foe and since a colony all uses the same latrine chamber, they typically all smell the same and that is all I will say about that but since I used latrine and smell in the same sentence, you get the idea. At the bottom of the colony are the smaller workers who dig the tunnels, maintain the burrows, find the food and are for the Queen and her pups, lots of pups – like up to 25 in a litter every 90 days.

This species has evolved over time to live in colonies of up to 200 animals, all nearly genetically identical, in an environment devoid of normal levels of oxygen, complete darkness. Oh, and they do not drink water – ever.

There are 37 species of Mole-rats, all equally amazing, so come by and learn more of what lies, crawls, eats and sleeps beneath the ground.

Give the Gift of Grub for the holidays to help feed our mole-rats and the rest of the Zoo’s 6,000 animal residents!  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.  Our mole-rats really dig that.

Written By Peter Riger

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Dec
12

El Final/ The End

Posted by in En Español,Guest Blogger Series

This is the last of my Spanish/English blog series that started in October and had been doing as an intern. You will find the English version below the Spanish version (Versión en Ingles ofrecida debajo de la versión en español). I hope you will enjoy it, and spread the word, post it on your Facebook page, and Tweet it!  Please leave any comments for me after the blog post below. I’d love to hear from you.

Este es el ultimo en una serie de blogs en español e ingles que empecé en octubre. La versión en español se encuentra arriba de la versión en ingles. Espero que te guste y que me ayudes a compartir mi experiencia con otros a través de Facebook y Twitter. Favor de dejar tus mensajes o preguntas al final, me encantaría oír de ti. 

Me & The Renaissance crew during their visit to The Zoo

Toda jornada tiene su fin. Desafortunadamente ha llegado el fin de mi jornada con el Zoológico de Houston.  Primeramente quisiera darle las gracias a toda la gente que trabaja en el Zoológico por ser parte de mi experiencia y por ser siempre tan buena gente.  Ha sido un placer conocer a todos y aprender mas sobre la organización y todos los animales.

Jamás se me olvidara la experiencia que tuve aquí. Desde el día que llegue siempre me han recibido bien y me han ayudado con cualquier cosa que se me ofrezca. Hasta tuve la oportunidad de ir a las citas donde planeaban todos los eventos y aprendí cuanto tiempo se tiene que tomar para hacer un evento y que tienen que hacer para asegurarse que no les falte nada a los invitados.  También ayude a pensar en ideas para promocionar las diferentes cosas por Facebook, Twitter, y los blogs.  Lo que mas me gustaba hacer durante mi hora de almuerzo era ver a los animales relajándose o jugando con los demás.  Aunque se me haya acabado el tiempo como estudiante aquí jamás dejare de visitar el Zoológico.

Antes de irme quisiera invitarlos a un evento muy especial.  Es para toda la gente que le guste tomar fotos con paisajes bonitos o de animales preciosos.  Este evento se llama Photo Day y se tomara acabo el 17 de diciembre de 7 a 9 de la mañana.  Al comprar un boleto el Zoológico les dará un desayuno y la oportunidad de explorar el Zoológico como nunca lo haz hecho.  En las mañanas es cuando nuestros animales tienen mas energía y también es cuando les dan de comer entonces podrás ver todo eso y mas. Si quieres darte una idea de que tan especial es este evento VE Y MIRA las fotos que tomaron los previos visitantes del evento.

REGISTRATE POR INTERNET o compra tus boletos al llegar al evento a las 7 de la manana.  Para mas información sobre Photo Day VISITANOS AQUÍ.

Si aun no has leido mi serie de blogs puedes leerlos AQUÍ o si quisieras leer los otros blogs ofrecidos por el Zoologico los puedes ver AQUÍ

Now, in English!


During Zoo Boo I took a big bite of candy corn

 

There comes an end to every journey and unfortunately, I have come to the end of my journey with The Houston Zoo’s Marketing Department. SAD FACE!  First of all, I’d like to thank the entire Houston Zoo staff for being a part of my experience and always being so kind and helpful.  It’s been a pleasure getting to know everyone and learning more about wildlife.

My experience as a Web Intern has been one I’ll never forget.  Since day one everyone was so helpful and I was even able to sit in on meetings and see what it takes to plan and execute all event details.  I also helped come up with ideas to promote events and increase our visitors’ interactions on our social networks such asFacebook, Twitter, and our Blogs. One of my favorite things is that I got the chance to eat my lunch as I watched the animals relaxing and playing around.  Although I will no longer be an intern, I will still be around visiting the Zoo whenever I get the chance.

Before I go, I’d like to invite everyone to Photo Day! If you enjoy capturing great pictures and would like to snap a few when our animals are most active then this is perfect for you. It will take place on December 17, 2011 from 7-9 am.   With your purchase of a ticket you’ll get a continental breakfast and will get to take pictures of zoo grounds and several animals in their habitats.  Just TAKE A LOOK at some of the pictures taken by past Photo Day visitors!

REGISTER ONLINE or buy your tickets in person at 7 am that same morning. For more information check this out.

If you haven’t already read my previous blog posts or would like to see what other blogs are offered Click HERE!

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Dec
10

Meet the Staff: Erica Lemon

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Featured,Meet the Staff

Hometown: Houston, TX

Department/Title & Description: Ranger – Ranger/Guest Services – we help zoo guests and learn about animals

Quote – “It wasn’t worth it if you didn’t work hard for it.  – My mom

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?: I worked two months in Guest Service Relations manning the Dinosaur exhibit and have been with the Rangers six months now

Favorite animal: Jaguars are my favorite but I find all of our animals interesting!

Special interests/hobbies: I work hard and then I like to go home and relax

What made you want to work at a zoo?: I like being around people but I find office work too boring.  Everyday is different and you get to meet lots of different people. 

Education/training: I had law enforcement training in High school.  I am waiting to be certified to get more confident in helping people. 

Advice to anyone wanting to enter the your field:  Do it!  It is a lot of fun.  The heat doesn’t bother me.  So, if you don’t mind working in the rain or shine, apply online!

Something you want people to know about your job: Our team is really strong.  They are very welcoming and make you feel comfortable. 

 

 

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Dec
09

12 Days of Grub: Day 5 – Five Golden Frogs

Posted by in Amphibians,Gift of Grub,Holidays

On the Fifth Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Five Golden Frogs (these endangered amphibians are WAY more priceless than golden rings), Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

The Golden frog, Atelopus zeteki, is a species as important to the people of Panama as the Bald eagle is to citizens of the United States.  Their cultural significance dates back to Mayan times, and even today they are considered to be symbols of good fortune.  In Panama, the Golden frog (also known as the Rana dorada) has become a national symbol of nature.  Golden frogs are still used as advertisements for restaurants and hotels, and even appear on lottery tickets. You can also find some of those great Golden frogs here at The Houston Zoo!

Golden frogs are small frogs that range in background color from brilliant gold to greenish yellow with highly variable black markings.  They are endemic to cloud forests with clear running streams and prefer cooler temperatures.  Females are larger than males.  Wild frogs have a unique skin toxin, zetekitoxin, which is used for defense much as in other poison dart frog species.  The basis for this toxin comes from the food they eat in the wild; captive animals lose their toxicity.

Unfortunately, very few Panamanians have ever seen a wild Golden frog.  Habitat destruction, agrochemicals, and over-collection for the pet trade have all played a part in the decline of the Golden frog population.  The worst threat, however, has been the appearance of a recent fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (also known as “chytrid”) which is highly contagious and fatal to both adult and larval Golden frog.  In response to these threats, the Houston Zoo has joined a conservation initiative called Project Golden Frog along with a group of other zoos and scientific organizations whose primary goal is to preserve this species.

The Golden frog diet in the wild consists of a wide variety of different species of arthropods.  In captivity adults receive primarily two week old crickets that have been fed a highly fortified diet and are dusted with vitamin and calcium powder.  They are also given flightless fruit flies and occasional silkworms and small hornworms.  Newly metamorphosed frogs receive fruit flies, day old crickets and small arthropods known as springtails.

Maintaining not only the Golden frog, but also the other amphibians at the Houston Zoo is a challenging task.  These animals eat a lot of insects! Did you know that the Houston Zoo feeds over 18,000,000 (no, I did not make an error in the number of zeros) crickets per year to the animals in our collection?  The zoo amphibian species consume a significant part of this number.

Written by Stan Mays, Herpetology

 

Help provide tasty and nutritious grub for the Zoo’s Golden Frogs and the rest of our animal family this holiday season: Give the Gift of Grub!  TXU Energy is matching all donations through December 31, up to $25,000 total, so your gift could have TWICE the impact.  Don’t miss out on this truly GOLDEN opportunity.

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