Archive for the ‘Primates’ 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
25

Species Survival Plans: Helping Protect Animals in Zoos and in the Wild

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Conservation,Primates

In zoos, we have many animals that are endangered or threatened in the wild, and part of our job is to make sure we help protect them. One way we do this is through Species Survival Plans (SSPs). These plans are specially created for over 300 species of animals to make sure we take care of the population we have in zoos responsibly and work to protect their counterparts in the wild.

These plans are managed by an organization called the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In order to be a member of this organization, a zoo or aquarium has to go through a rigorous accreditation process to be sure they are providing a safe, healthy environment for animals, as well as caring for them properly, among many other standards. The Houston Zoo is proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

One way we do this is to be sure we have a large enough number of animals in zoos that are as genetically diverse as possible (for example, making sure animals that breed are not related). This is especially important, because if an animal is on the brink of extinction in the wild, zoos will have animals with diverse enough genes to breed with the wild animals and help bring the wild population back. An example of a success story was the reintroduction of the Arabian Oryx, which was declared as extinct in the wild in 1972. Because of the Species Survival Plan, there are now more than 1,450 Arabian Oryx worldwide.

Arabian Oryx

Let’s take the adorable pygmy marmoset, which we learned about in a recent blog, as an example of what an SSP does. First, experts from the zoo world figure out how many marmosets are living in zoos that can be a part of the Species Survival Plan. Then, they figure out if they want that population size to stay steady or to grow. In the case of pygmy marmosets, we want their population to grow. Then, we figure out the marmoset family tree…who’s related to who, and how. Then, we make a plan to keep introducing animals with different sets of genes so they will not breed with marmosets in their same family.

So how do we do all this, especially if many of the pygmy marmosets at the Houston Zoo are related (mom, dad, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles)? We move animals from one zoo to another. So if a male marmoset at another zoo isn’t related to our female, and the SSP thinks they would be a good breeding pair, we move one or the other so they can be together, breed, and (hopefully) have adorable, tiny, pygmy marmoset babies.

Pygmy Marmoset

But while we’re learning more about breeding, it’s not always an exact science…especially with animals like pygmy marmosets. Stay tuned for another blog about them, where you’ll learn why we’re one of the most successful zoos at breeding these animals, and what we think helps them have success.

Thanks to Abby Varela, Senior Keeper at the Houston Zoo, for the great 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
16

Our Lemur Family Expands – A New Baby is Born

Posted by in Births and Arrivals - New Animals!,Primates

As many of you may remember, last July we were astonished to find our adult female Ring-tailed lemur “Cairrean” giving birth out on the exhibit in the middle of the afternoon. Most of our primate babies are born overnight, inside the nighthouse (with the exception of a few species that are documented to have more of a tendency to give birth during the day, like Pied tamarins and Patas monkeys.) Well, she’s done it again! Nine months after little “Howie” made his appearance into the world, Cairrean went into labor out in the lemur yard and produced another infant at 7 PM on April 11th.  Keepers Amy and Mary were bringing the group inside at the end of the day as usual and wondered why Cairrean wouldn’t come in, and they went outside to look and discovered right away what the issue was – a brand new baby that she was still cleaning off. The Keepers had to wait until she was finished making sure the baby was properly washed and groomed before she brought it inside, clinging to mama’s belly like a ring-tailed tick.

Photo by Dale Martin

Despite the surprise of finding her giving birth while the sun was still out yet again, we did surmise that she was pregnant prior to the happy event. Primate Keepers weigh their animals monthly, and Cairrean is typically a very svelte 2.5kg (about 5.5 pounds.) However, in the past few months she had gained a bit of weight and was 2.8kg (a little over 6 pounds) a couple of weeks prior to the birth. But, since her last baby was born in July, we really didn’t expect the next one to arrive as early as April! Our animals always have a way of making things interesting for us.

We are all quite delighted with the appearance of this new little one, as Howie very much needs a playmate these days. He has been trying to wrestle with mom and dad lately and they are not all that enthused about his hijinks, particularly when he hangs off their tails and swings like a trapeze artist. Very soon, the new infant will grow up to the size where big brother can enjoy his company and Howie will have someone equally interested in the type of rough-and-tumble play that young primates typically engage in.

Photo by Dale Martin

For now, however, the new baby is happily ensconced in mama’s lap, where the food supply is plentiful and maternal affection is infinitely available. You can visit our expanding lemur family at the Wortham World of Primates, in the heart of the Zoo.

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Mar
30

Double Point Days in the Naturally Wild Swap Shop

Posted by in Children's Zoo,Chimpanzees,Conservation,Endangered Species,Just for Kids,Primates,Spotlight on Species,Swap Shop,Uncategorized,Wortham World of Primates

How can you get DOUBLE points in the Swap Shop?  We are again offering double points for Nature Journals on the animals in the spotlight at the Houston Zoo. 

Chimpanzee

Nature Journals can be as simple as information on sheets of notebook paper.  They can be as detailed and elaborate as you like – the only limit is your imagination.  But remember, the more work you put into your journal, the more points you will get.  So, do some research and get ready for double points!  Please note that in order to get double points, the journal must be on the animal or animals in the spotlight and brought in the day of the event.

The upcoming Spotlight on the Species are as follows:

April 20 – Bear Awareness Day

May 17 – Endangered Species Day

May 25 – Chimpanzee Spotlight on the Species      

Ring-tailed Lemur

August 31 – Lemur Spotlight on the Species

Need more information on the Naturally Wild Swap Shop?  Click here.

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Mar
17

Orangutan Introductions: A Semi-Solitary Primate Gets Social!

Posted by in Animal News & Updates,Behind the Scenes,Primates

Orangutans have been described as “semi-solitary” animals for a long time now, ever since scientists started following them around in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra some 40 years ago. It was evident then and now that most wild orangutans choose to be alone for much of their time, with the exception of mothers and infants, who have the lengthiest bond in the primate world. However, the longer we study the red apes, we discover that they have the potential and the ability to be very social – when and where they want to, strictly on their own terms. The biggest reason for sociality is food. If a fruiting tree is discovered, it will be set upon by more than one orangutan, and possibly up to six or seven at a time. They will eat peacefully together – until the fruit runs out. And, we have also seen youngsters playing in the forest, when old enough to get off mom and do so. The mothers will pass each other like ships in the night, but the kids will get off and play with each other.  And, in zoos and in nature, babies will stay with their mothers for up to 7- 9 years before venturing off on their own.

Here in the zoo, we honor our orangutans semi-solitary nature by not forcing them into big groups. Rather, we manage them by using flexible social housing: that is, by keeping them in more natural social pairings of mother and infant, while allowing them some choice in whom they can visit. We can periodically test the social waters by putting up an introduction door between two rooms – a door with 2”x 2” mesh whereby two animals on either side of the door can see, smell and even touch one another. If they show no interest in visiting, we simply close the solid door between them. If they act aggressive, we close it more quickly! But, if they play or groom or share food, it tells us that a full introduction might be a good thing to attempt.

We have done introductions of various configurations throughout the years, but the ones that can be the most interesting and engaging are those between young orangutans. We are working on introducing two young females currently: Indah and Aurora. Indah is a 9 year old Sumatran orangutan who was surrogate-reared by Cheyenne, our 40 year old hybrid female. When Aurora was born and then sadly rejected by Kelly, we immediately began introducing Aurora to Cheyenne so that she would have the maternal guidance that she needed. During that time, Indah was also involved in the process and was very interested in Aurora. We hoped that they would become a happy trio, at least for a while, but once Aurora was actually given to Cheyenne, it wasn’t long before she decided that Indah needed to leave. This happens with regularity in the wild: mothers will push their older kids out once they give birth to their newest baby. At the age of 7, 8 or 9, it is time to leave the nest, both figuratively and literally. So, we were not too surprised when Indah found herself pushed out.

 

In an effort to allow Indah the experience with infants that she needs to become a good mother herself, we have begun re-introductions between her and Aurora, without Cheyenne fully in the mix. This is easily accomplished by using what we call a “creep” door. That is a door that we open only widely enough for the infant to pass through it. Cheyenne’s face will barely fit through, so she can watch what goes on, and she can also stick her arms through the open space, but she cannot pass all the way through. This has been highly enriching for both kids but a bit of a conundrum for Cheyenne, who is naturally protective of her newest charge. She frequently decides that Aurora should not pass all the way through the creep door, and holds her firmly but gently by an ankle so that Aurora is tethered to her as she plays with Indah. Enjoy the video clip here to see a bout of play in which Cheyenne controls the situation!

 


Come to the zoo to see Cheyenne and Aurora together, or see Indah and Solaris together outside some days. You also might see Solaris and his mother Kelly outdoors together, and on these days, we are introducing Indah to Aurora inside the nighthouse.  Got all that?

 

Orangutans are complex creatures and so are their social interactions, as you can see!

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Feb
25

New Baby Sifaka Gains Weight!

Posted by in Births and Arrivals - New Animals!,Primates

This post written by Lynn Killam

Zenobia grooming infant “Julius”

Our new baby sifaka, born January 28th, is gaining weight nicely. How do we know this? Well, in this species, we implement management techniques that we practice with no other primate: we weigh the infant regularly. When most primate babies are born, we have a very strict hands-off policy, unless there is a problem of some sort. Thankfully, most parents take excellent care of their babies and we have very few medical issues in most cases. And, if we EVER tried to remove a primate baby from its mother, we would be in serious jeopardy of losing a finger, or worse! Most mama prosimians, monkeys and apes are fierce protectors of their infants and would not tolerate anyone trying to take their baby away for a weight or any other reason.

However, in Coquerel’s sifaka, we have a different strategy, learned directly from the Duke University Lemur Center/DULC where most sifaka are bred outside of Madagascar. In fact, a zoo cannot receive sifaka unless they send staff to DULC to study how to manage them in the way that they recommend. The Houston Zoo has sent three primate staff members to DULC to do just that, and we came away with a newfound admiration for all the technicians there who do this on a much more frequent basis than we have to, as they have a large collection of sifaka. While there, we learned that preventing infant mortality in sifaka is directly correlated with monitoring weights. Baby sifaka are quite tiny at birth, from 85-115 grams (3 to 4 ounces) and cling tenaciously to their mother’s belly for warmth and easy access to nutrition. They can, however, lose weight easily and lose grip on mother’s fur as they lose strength. To prevent this, we know how to intervene if even a few grams are lost in the first days of life: veterinarians are standing by to give needed fluids if a weight loss is discovered. In a quick and simple process, a decline is reversed and the baby goes right back to mom.

Baby sifaka being weighed.

The part of all this that remains the most challenging is the removal of the infant from the mother, and that is done with lightning speed by the keepers. Staff has worked with Zenobia using positive reinforcement throughout her pregnancy to help her be more comfortable with this process, but it is still a daunting task. We have a team of trained sifaka-snatchers who, like Ninja warriors, go in and grab the baby safely, seemingly even before mama “Zenobia” realizes that it has been spirited away. The infant is placed on a small stuffed surrogate so that it immediately has something similar to mom to cling to, and then is weighed on a gram scale. Keepers wear masks and gloves so that no danger of cross-contamination is present, and once a weight is obtained the baby is given right back to mom. If veterinary intervention is required, it happens with delicacy and speed, and before the mom gets too impatient the baby is safely back on her belly.

All of this is done with great respect for the impressive set of teeth in the lemur’s mouth: she has sharp canines as well as needle-like grooming teeth. Safety of the keepers as well as the sifaka is always paramount in the minds of zoo staff, who are acutely aware that a primate bite can be serious. We are very grateful that Zenobia seems to accept us removing her infant and getting it back to her quickly for these all-important weigh-ins. She has allowed it after the birth of all of her three sons, and she has been a terrific mother to all of them. After the infant is returned, she sniffs and grooms her baby vigorously as if to reassure him that all is well.

As with all zoo animals, sometimes extraordinary lengths are taken to ensure the health and welfare of our collection, and the husbandry of the sifaka kids is certainly one of those examples. And, as you can see from this photo, our new family is flourishing!

Zenobia with infant Julius and papa Gaius in the background.

 

 

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