Archive for the ‘Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends’ Category

May
07

Julius the Sifaka Grows by Leaps and Bounds!

Posted by in Births and Arrivals - New Animals!,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Primates

Remember that tiny Coquerel’s Sifaka infant that was born on January 28th?  Well, Julius is growing by leaps and bounds!  When he was born, he weighed only 96 grams (3.4 ounces).  He is now a whopping 394 grams (13.9 ounces)!  You can often see him riding on his dad, Gaius, or mom, Zenobia’s, back.  He is getting brave and starting to build his muscles by leaping around his parents as they keep a watchful eye on him.

Julius is also starting to eat on his own.  While he is still reliant on his mother’s milk until he is about 6 months old for most of his nutrition, he has grown quite the appetite for edible leaves we call “browse”.  Be sure to keep an eye out for the keeper chats in Wortham World of Primates focusing on Sifaka as well as  Spotlight on Species event featuring all of our lemurs at the end of August.  These are great times to see the Sifaka up close and get all of your questions answered!

Photos by Tina Carpenter

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Apr
26

How Do You Convince a Pygmy Marmoset to Have Babies?

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Primates

Pygmy marmosets. Those cute little monkeys found in South American rainforests. The tiniest on the planet. Wouldn’t it be just adorable if they had babies? Why yes, it would…but it’s a tricky business.

Pygmy marmosets: yep, they’re adorable.

As you may have read in recent blogs, pygmy marmosets have some unique characteristics, including what they eat and the way they parent. You may have also learned that pygmy marmosets, as well as 300 other species of animals, have a special plan for breeding in zoos to make sure they don’t breed with others in their family tree and that there is enough space for them.

Now let’s take that a step further: what is the Houston Zoo doing to breed them responsibly so we make sure that we’ve got enough marmosets in zoos, especially if the wild population takes a turn for the worse? Our pygmy marmosets happen to be some of the most successful at having babies of any zoo, so let’s take a look at what we think we’re doing right.

It all goes back to April 2006. Pygmy marmoset pair Per and Mia were both 4 years old and new to the Zoo, so before putting them out to roam with other animals in our Natural Encounters rainforest exhibit, we figured they needed some quiet time to get to know each other. And get to know each other they did…in a few short months, sure enough, twins arrived. We suspected that it was because they were kept in a quiet, smaller area, but at this point we weren’t quite sure.

Then came Bobby and Tilly. This pair was introduced when they were both 4 years old, which seems to be prime time for marmosets to get a mate. They turned out to be the most successful family the Zoo has ever had! They had a total of 8 offspring that made it to maturity.

Bobby, Tilly, and one of their offspring

The secret? We think it’s the same thing, which we called the “closet method” – let them get to know each other in a small, quiet space with no interruptions, and then they have babies. Once they have a couple births, we can introduce them to other animals and let them all frolic together in our rainforest exhibit.  This makes sense, because pygmy marmoset families don’t move around much in the wild – they have a small range where they live and they don’t venture out much beyond it.

To test the “closet method” theory, we’re working with the SSP coordinator to reach out to other accredited zoos and seeing how successful they have been in breeding marmosets, and also finding out basic information about how their marmosets live, what they do for enrichment and training, and even what they eat. If we understand how people are housing and managing them, and also what success in breeding they’ve had, we hope to establish a pattern and then help zoos around the country become successful with their marmosets.

So where are our marmosets? Right now, they’re all behind the scenes so they can relax and get to know each other. You never know when they’ll be ready to be in the rainforest, though, so keep an eye out when you visit.

Thanks to Abby Varela, Senior Keeper at the Houston Zoo, for the fantastic information and photos!

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Apr
24

Pygmy Marmosets: Small but Mighty Monkeys!

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Primates

If you’ve never seen a pygmy marmoset, just try to imagine the tiniest, most adorable, most delicate monkey you can think of – and you’re just about there. These tiny animals are literally the smallest monkeys in the world (about as heavy as a small pear), and they live in rainforests in parts of northern South America like Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, and Peru.

In the wild, pygmy marmosets dwell in trees and scurry up and down tree trunks and across branches and vines. They have nails resembling claws that help them hang onto trees while they use their teeth to munch through branches to access their favorite meal, which is tree sap (they also eat insects). When they have babies, they usually give birth to non-identical twins. They live in groups, usually ranging from 2-9 marmosets each: this includes a monogamous pair with offspring from the last 4 litters.

A unique feature of pygmy marmosets is called “alloparenting.” Alloparenting is when individuals that are not the parent help care for offspring (for example, siblings). Mom typically carries the babies for the first couple of days of their lives, then hands them off to dad most of the time, and often you will see brothers and sisters carrying the little guys around and caring for them. While alloparenting is pretty common among primates, marmosets and tamarins are unusual in that the males are involved in the care of infants – this isn’t the case among other primates. Pygmy marmosets are sometimes compared to gorillas in how they parent, keeping an incredibly watchful eye and letting the family eat before dad gets to eat. Sound familiar?

At the Houston Zoo, you can sometimes find pygmy marmosets in our Natural Encounters building. They live in the rainforest area with a host of other incredible animals, including golden lion tamarins, and even a sloth. Sometimes, though, you can’t see them, and for good reason – they need peace and quiet to breed and have babies, so we have a comfy off-exhibit area for them to stay while that process is happening.

How do we and other accredited zoos decide what animals should breed? It’s a highly calculated choice that is made to ensure both the survival of a species and that there’s enough room in zoos to house pygmy marmosets and many other kinds of animals. It’s called a Species Survival Plan (SSP). More on that coming soon in a future blog! In the past couple of years, the Houston Zoo has been one of the most successful zoo at breeding pygmy marmosets – it’s a tough thing to do. We’ll also tell you what we learned about breeding marmosets at our zoo and what we’re learning as we go.

Thanks to Abby Varela, Senior Keeper at the Houston Zoo, and the National Primate Research Center for the fantastic pygmy marmoset information!

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Apr
23

A Day in the Life of Cali the Sea Lion

Posted by in Enrichment: Keeping it Interesting,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Sea Lions,Training

This post is written by Alicia Kemery, Sea Lion Keeper, through the eyes of Cali, one of the Houston Zoo’s resident sea lions.

Kamia, my sea lion sister, and I are early risers. We are up and swimming around before the sun rises and our keepers arrive. Our male sea lion, Rockie, on the other hand, prefers to lounge around behind the scenes. Sometimes we sleep outside on exhibit, and sometimes behind the scenes in our bedroom…I just go with the flow because that’s just how I am.

Yep, it’s me – Cali!

When our keepers arrive, they always check in on us and say good morning.  Our keepers change things on us all the time: we never know if they are going to clean our exhibit first, play music, give us enrichment, or do class time first. I really get into class time & enrichment! Enrichment is like recess; it’s anything that changes our environment…and that we typically play with. My favorite enrichment is ice, but Ozarka bottles with fish & fish pops are a close second. There’s lots of other enrichment too, like bubbles, water play, toys, scents, music…the list is endless!

When I’m in class, I get to play with the keepers and learn things too. Sometimes I go into the keeper area and give kisses, hop up on the cart, learn a new behavior, work on research, play & goof off, and do husbandry behaviors too.

For those of you who don’t know what a husbandry behavior is, I will school you. It’s a medical behavior or any behavior that helps them take better care of us. They brush our teeth, look into our eyes with flashlights and they will listen to us breathe with a stethoscope. They’ve been getting us more comfortable with more complicated behaviors too, like x-rays, taking blood, and ultrasounds. These behaviors are highly positive and I will tell you why…for anyone who knows me, I’m a “wiggle worm!” So, the keepers’ give me a bunch of food and play with me for being still. They get really excited which makes it fun for me.

The vets are also very nice and feed me too. I like all the subjects in class because I get lots of fish, but most of all, play time with the keepers. I really enjoy interacting with them and seeing what crazy things I can get them to do…they think they’re training me, but really, I am training them…it’s great! They all love us very much. I’ve heard them say they spend more time with us than their own kids.

Check me out! I know how to recycle and help teach others too.

After the shows and class time, the keepers start wrapping things up for the day because they go home to their human companions. We will typically swim and play for a couple more hours before snuggling up for bedtime. Some people don’t know this, but we sleep on land and can be out of water for 8 plus hours at a time.

Oh! That reminds me…sometimes we take naps underwater. Guests always get worried… it’s okay! We can hold our breath for up to 20 minutes! So, sometimes we will lie on top of the drain or under a pipe to make it easier to stay at the bottom of the pool then snooze for a little bit. Cool, huh?

Speaking of all of you, our guests, we enjoy people watching and warming your hearts. So, please come by and visit us; we would love to see you! Well, that’s all I can think of for the moment. So, on that note, I’m going to go see what my keepers are up to. See you later!

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Mar
07

Meet Max, the Elephant Barn Dog

Posted by in Elephants,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends

This post first appeared in the Spring 2013 edition of the Houston Zoo members-only Wildlife Magazine.

Maximus, known to everyone as Max, is the official elephant barn dog at the Houston Zoo. A handful of zoos around the country boast having barn dogs, and while we’re not sure how this unlikely pairing began, we are happy to continue the tradition! These animals can help hone training techniques, help with herding, and provide companionship. But let’s focus our story on Max, the people-loving terrier mix who went from a hard beginning to a life of comfort and play.

On December 24, 2008, one of the Houston Zoo’s Keepers spotted a three-month-old Max along the side of the road. She picked up the pup and took care of him while looking for a permanent home for him. Around this same time, the elephant team was looking for a barn dog, and soon began the process of determining if Max would fit the bill.

Now four years later, Max is an integral part of the elephant team’s day-to-day routine and a part of the Zoo family. He keeps the elephant staff company as they clean the yard (by playing alongside them with his favorite ball), tests the waters in the elephant swimming pool (only during the hot summer months – when there are no elephants in it), and  he even attends the occasional meeting. According to Martina Stevens, Elephant Manager, “Max has quite the social calendar.”

While he doesn’t enter elephant space unless the Keepers do, Max has a great relationship with his giant companions too. He is described by Martina as a very rule-oriented canine who likes to occasionally help the Keepers teach manners to Baylor and Tupelo. He has a special bond with these two youngest of the herd, and was in attendance for both of their births.
Make sure to look for Max next time you’re at the Houston Zoo. “Max has never met a person he didn’t like,” says Martina. We think that’s probably why Zoo guests and staff like him so much too.

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Nov
26

Spotlight On Species Featuring the Red Panda This Weekend!

Posted by in Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Spotlight on Species

Please join us at the front of Carruth Natural Encounters and the Red Panda Exhibit for Red Panda Spotlight on Species

 

Saturday and Sunday, December 1-2
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 
Join Houston Zoo in assisting the Red Panda Network’s mission to build awareness for the beautiful endangered red panda (aka firefox) and its habitat – both are disappearing due to human pressures: road building, tree cutting, cattle grazing and many other factors.

 Events and Activities:

  • Games
  • Meet the Keeper Talks
  • Enrichment & Training Demos
  • Face painting & temporary tattoos
  • Red Panda merchandise for sale

Funds Raised Donated to The Red Panda Network

The Red Panda Network is committed to the conservation of wild red pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities by adaptive community-based research, education, and carbon mitigation. Their efforts currently extend to 4 of the red panda home ranges in Nepal, India, Burma and China.

The Red Panda Network is the only conservation organization solely dedicated to the red panda.  Currently they are fundraising in order to train additional ‘forest guardians”, conduct awareness-building programs in schools and continue to expand the protected red panda habitat.

Many species that are found within red panda habitat, including the clouded leopard, takins and rare assamese macaques langurs, will benefit from Red Panda Network’s ongoing habitat protection program.

**All proceeds raised during our Red Panda Spotlight on Species Weekend will go towards Red Panda Network’s mission.  

 

 

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Nov
16

A Lion Legacy Draws to a Close

Posted by in Animal News & Updates,Carnivores: Spots, Stripes and Sharp Teeth!,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends

Celesto

We are deeply saddened to report the passing of a revered long-time resident.  Celesto, a female African lion was 22 years old.

Celesto was the last of a lion legacy that began in June of 1989 with the arrival at the Zoo of Bruno and Kili, Celesto’s mother and father, and Lindi.  The three lions had been seized by sheriff’s deputies and federal authorities executing a search warrant for illegal drugs on a Kansas farm on October 31, 1988.

Bruno, Kili, and Lindi arrived at the Houston Zoo in June, 1989 on loan from the Franklin County, Kansas sheriff’s department by way of Topeka Zoological Park.  Celesto was born at the Houston Zoo on June 1, 1990.

Celesto

Every keeper that has worked with Celesto over the years agrees she was feisty, stubborn, strong willed, tenacious and a fascinating personality.

The dynamics of the social structure of the Zoo’s lion pride was important to her and she made it clear to everyone who cared for her that her presence was going to be respected if they were going to work with her in that group of lions.

Over the past two years, the Zoo’s carnivore keepers and Zoo veterinarians monitoring Celesto’s health had recorded a marked decline in her kidney function; a condition that is not uncommon in African lions of Celesto’s advanced age.

Lions in zoos generally live into their late teens but have a much shorter life expectancy in the wild.Despite a continuing veterinary regimen and the compassionate care and attention of her keepers Celesto’s quality of life continued to decline and the grande dame of the Houston Zoo’s lion pride was humanely euthanized late this morning.

Celesto with her Playmates, Patti and Boris, as Cubs

 

 

Oct
18

Saki Toumi! Baby saki monkey in Natural Encounters

Posted by in Animal News & Updates,Births and Arrivals - New Animals!,Mammals: Our Furry (and Hairy!) Friends,Natural Encounters,Primates

Post written by Natural Encounters Supervisor PJ Jones.

On the morning June 16th the keepers in Natural Encounters discovered a new addition to the Rainforest exhibit. A baby Saki Monkey was born overnight to parents Harry and Jolene. We had suspected that Jolene was pregnant; she had been gaining weight over the past several weeks and we had seen a tell-tale swelling of the lower abdomen. However without an ultrasound, sometimes we just have to wait and see what happens. We were especially excited with the timing of this event since the new baby was born on Father’s Day and this was the first baby that Harry has sired.

Toumi Saki Monkey with mom Jolene

Toumi Saki Monkey with mom Jolene

Over the past couple of months, the baby has developed well. When baby primates are born, the best thing that you can do for them is to let nature take its course and not intervene with the mother-infant bond unless there is a medical need. Jolene has proven herself to be a wonderful mother. She’s allowing the baby to cling to her at all times and to nurse. At this point all we have to do is observe and watch for developmental milestones. And we have seen some already! At about 2 weeks of age we saw the baby moving around enough to be able to determine that it is a male. At about 5 weeks we started to see him trying to get off his mother. He is now getting brave and beginning to venture away from his mother when she lets him.

We’ve named our new little bundle of joy Toumi and we are excited for you to come and see him. Look for him in the Rainforest exhibit in the Natural Encounters building. He’s not the only baby there either. Recently the pygmy marmoset family had babies too. Both groups might be observed spending time together on exhibit if you happen to come by at the right time. There are 4 different species of primates that call the Rainforest exhibit home: Saki Monkeys, Pygmy Marmosets, Golden Lion Tamarins and Cotton-top Tamarins. At any given point, you may see almost any combination of these monkeys together on exhibit. Come on by and see the newest additions!

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