Posts Tagged ‘Houston Zoo’

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
23

Our 24 Hour Adventure: The Great Texas Birding Classic

Posted by in Birds

At 11:45 in the evening Saturday night, five Houston Zoo bird keepers and one interactive marketing guru met in the zoo’s employee parking lot and began packing a minivan full of food, pillows, cameras, binoculars, bug spray and bird identification guides. While playing car storage Tetris, everyone simultaneously snapped their heads up to look into the sky, as the comical calls of wild Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flying into our Duck Lake exhibit rang out.  I checked my phone; it was three minutes after midnight. Our start time had silently crept by as we worried over how many bottles of water we could fit in the cooler.

“Black-bellied’s at twelve oh three! It counts!”

With that, team Jiminy Frigates started a whirlwind 24 hour Great Texas Birding Classic competition-a quest to identify by sight or sound as many different bird species as possible from midnight to midnight. Our team had never been bird watching as a group before, and no members had ever participated in competitive birding.  After studying the totals of teams from previous years, we set our goals at a respectable number, 150 species. Twenty four hours and 387 miles of driving later, the final total was 178 species. How’s that for coming out of the gate strong?

We began our birding odyssey on Houston Zoo grounds and visited 13 different sites, drove within throwing distance of Louisiana, rode a ferry, and found a new bird in a Beaumont Church’s Chicken. We saw snakes, wildflowers, alligators, frogs, dolphins, lizards, one very sleepy raccoon, not to mention a few birds.

On average, we saw 8 new species of bird every hour, or every 2 miles traveled. Armed with iPhones, we tweeted, uploaded photos, posted blogs, updated Facebook statuses, and may have even involved Tumblr at some point. We were all so happy to see Houston Zoo supporters following along on our adventure, offering advice and encouragement! When you skip a night of sleep, have soggy muddy feet, a mosquito bite on your right eyelid, and only fast food in your stomach, that kind of support really helps.

Many hours of sleep and one scalding shower later, I realize that bird watching isn’t just about staring at some eagles or sparrows through binoculars; it’s about being outdoors and everything else that entails. As soon as you begin to look around you for birds, you notice everything else you’ve been missing; the armadillo by the pond, the beautiful oak tree in your yard, the butterflies flitting around and those flowers everyone says you’re supposed to stop and smell.

Bird watching is something you can do alone, with children, your mother, with a group of friends, or on a romantic date. No matter what, it’s always a fun adventure, and you’ll see something that will amaze you.  As another Earth Day comes and goes, we encourage you to get out and look for birds. You’ll find everything else on the way.

  •  Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
  •  Fulvous Whistling-Duck
  •  Wood Duck
  •  Mottled Duck
  •  Blue-winged Teal
  •  Northern Shoveler
  •  Northern Pintail
  •  Green-winged Teal
  •  Canvasback
  •  Redhead
  •  Pied-billed Grebe
  •  Neotropic Cormorant
  •  Double-crested Cormorant
  •  American White Pelican
  •  Brown Pelican
  •  American Bittern
  •  Great Blue Heron
  •  Great Egret
  •  Snowy Egret
  •  Little Blue Heron
  •  Tricolored Heron
  •  Reddish Egret
  •  Cattle Egret
  •  Green Heron
  •  Black-crowned Night-Heron
  •  Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
  •  White Ibis
  •  Glossy Ibis
  •  White-faced Ibis
  •  Roseate Spoonbill
  •  Black Vulture
  •  Turkey Vulture
  •  Osprey
  • Mississippi Kite
  • Notherthern Harrier
  •  Swainson’s Hawk
  •  Red-tailed Hawk
  •  Clapper Rail
  •  Purple Gallinule
  •  Common Gallinule
  •  American Coot
  •  Black-bellied Plover
  •  American Golden-Plover
  •  Snowy Plover
  •  Wilson’s Plover
  •  Semipalmated Plover
  •  Killdeer
  •  American Oystercatcher
  •  Black-necked Stilt
  •  American Avocet
  •  Solitary Sandpiper
  •  Greater Yellowlegs
  •  Willet
  •  Lesser Yellowlegs
  •  Whimbrel
  •  Long-billed Curlew
  •  Marbled Godwit
  •  Ruddy Turnstone
  •  Sanderling
  •  Western Sandpiper
  •  Baird’s Sandpiper
  •  Dunlin
  •  Stilt Sandpiper
  •  Ruff
  •  Short-billed Dowitcher
  •  Long-billed Dowitcher
  •  Wilson’s Phalarope
  •  Bonaparte’s Gull
  •  Laughing Gull
  •  Ring-billed Gull
  •  Herring Gull
  •  Least Tern
  •  Gull-billed Tern
  •  Caspian Tern
  •  Black Tern
  •  Common Tern
  •  Forster’s Tern
  •  Royal Tern
  •  Sandwich Tern
  •  Black Skimmer
  •  Rock Pigeon
  •  Eurasian Collared-Dove
  •  White-winged Dove
  •  Mourning Dove
  •  Inca Dove
  •  Yellow-billed Cuckoo
  •  Black-billed Cuckoo
  •  Great Horned Owl
  •  Barred Owl
  •  Common Nighthawk
  •  Chimney Swift
  •  Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  •  Belted Kingfisher
  •  Red-headed Woodpecker
  •  Golden-fronted Woodpecker
  •  Red-bellied Woodpecker
  •  Downy Woodpecker
  •  Northern Flicker
  •  Peregrine Falcon
  •  Monk Parakeet
  •  Eastern Wood-Pewee
  •  Acadian Flycatcher
  •  Eastern Phoebe
  •  Eastern Kingbird
  •  Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
  •  Loggerhead Shrike
  •  White-eyed Vireo
  •  Blue-headed Vireo
  •  Warbling Vireo
  •  Red-eyed Vireo
  •  Blue Jay
  •  American Crow
  •  Fish Crow
  •  Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  •  Purple Martin
  •  Tree Swallow
  •  Barn Swallow
  •  Cliff Swallow
  •  Carolina Chickadee
  •  Tufted Titmouse
  •  Red-breasted Nuthatch
  •  Sedge Wren
  •  Marsh Wren
  •  Carolina Wren
  •  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  •  Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  •  Swainson’s Thrush
  •  Wood Thrush
  •  American Robin
  •  Gray Catbird
  •  Northern Mockingbird
  •  Brown Thrasher
  •  European Starling
  •  Worm-eating Warbler
  •  Louisiana Waterthrush
  •  Northern Waterthrush
  •  Black-and-white Warbler
  •  Prothonotary Warbler
  •  Swainson’s Warbler
  •  Tennessee Warbler
  •  Orange-crowned Warbler
  •  Kentucky Warbler
  •  Common Yellowthroat
  •  Hooded Warbler
  •  American Redstart
  •  Northern Parula
  •  Blackburnian Warbler
  •  Yellow Warbler
  •  Blackpoll Warbler
  •  Palm Warbler
  •  Yellow-rumped Warbler
  •  Yellow-throated Warbler
  •  Black-throated Green Warbler
  •  Wilson’s Warbler
  •  Savannah Sparrow
  •  Seaside Sparrow
  •  Swamp Sparrow
  •  White-throated Sparrow
  •  White-crowned Sparrow
  •  Summer Tanager
  •  Scarlet Tanager
  •  Western Tanager
  • Northern Cardinal
  •  Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  •  Indigo Bunting
  •  Painted Bunting
  •  Red-winged Blackbird
  •  Eastern Meadowlark
  •  Brewer’s Blackbird
  •  Common Grackle
  •  Boat-tailed Grackle
  •  Great-tailed Grackle
  •  Brown-headed Cowbird
  •  Orchard Oriole
  •  Baltimore Oriole
  •  American Goldfinch
  •  House Sparrow

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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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Apr
21

Shorebirds are a ‘Shore’ Thing!

Posted by in Birds

Written by April Zimpel, Houston Zoo Bird Keeper and Member of the Jiminy Frigates.

Right now, during the Great Texas Birding Classic, we are  searching for shorebirds at Bolivard Flats, Rollover Pass and Cameron County Beach! This is our last chance to increase our count numbers significantly!

Keep watching the Houston Zoo blogs, Twitter feed and Facebook to see how the Jiminy Frigates is doing in their quest to find as many bird species as possible in 24 hours for the Great Texas Birding Classic! Join in on the fun and cheer for us online!

American Avocets in breeding plumage.

Because Houstonians live so close to the shore, we sometimes take for granted the fact that we are able to see a wonderful variety of shorebirds year-round. The beaches of Galveston are teaming with avocets, plovers, terns, sandpipers and oystercatchers, while the marshy areas of the coast are filled with herons, ibis and even spoonbills. This area is also an important stopover for many species of shorebirds that migrate from South America hundreds of miles to breeding grounds that can reach up to Alaska.

Willet

Most shorebirds are characterized by long legs, toes and bills, built for wading into water or marsh to probe for food. They usually eat a variety of insects, mollusks and other invertebrates and most shorebirds actually time when they lay their eggs so the chicks hatching coincides with the hatching of insect species that the chick will need to grow up healthy! Shorebirds also tend to be more neutral, earth-tone colors to help them blend into their surrounding while sitting on their nest.

 

Unfortunately, because of their dependence on coastal estuaries and marshland, many species of shorebird are declining. Although habitat loss is the most serious issue these birds face today, they are also affected by oil spills and other forms of pollution. As beach-goers, we can all do our part to make sure these birds don’t have further pollutants in their environment by making sure to dispose of trash properly while visiting the beach. Shorebirds also nest on the ground, so unless it’s necessary, avoid driving on the beach to prevent disturbing nesting birds and crushing eggs. If you’re interesting in learning more about shorebirds please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Shorebird Fact Sheet .

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Apr
21

What’s Up with Woodpeckers?

Posted by in Birds

We’re currently searching for woodpeckers at The Great Texas Birding Classic…let’s hope we rack up some serious woodpecker sightings…we’re in the Big Thicket right now, which (we hope) is the perfect spot..

Keep watching the Houston Zoo blogs, Twitter feed and Facebook to see how team Jiminy Frigates is doing in their quest to find as many bird species as possible in 24 hours for the Great Texas Birding Classic! Join in on the fun and cheer for us online, or head to High Island later today today to give your support in person!

Well, actually, there’s a lot up with woodpeckers…check out these cool facts!

There are 180 species of woodpeckers in the world found everywhere but Australia, Madagascar, and New Zealand. In Texas there are thirteen different species: nine have been found in Houston.

Most of the woodpeckers found in our area have black and white feathers and some amount of red on their heads. They also have very interesting feet. Most birds have three toes up front and one toe in the back of the foot, but woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet. This means two toes up front and two toes in the back for gripping onto the bark of trees.

But the coolest thing about woodpeckers has to be their heads. They have long chisel-like beaks for drumming on, building nest holes and extracting food from trees. A woodpecker’s tongue is up to 4 inches long depending on the species, and it wraps around their entire skull.

Many woodpeckers have barbed tongues that help them extract bugs from trees and holes. A woodpecker can tap 20 times per second (8,000-12,000 times per day!) without getting a headache. They have reinforced skulls made to spread the impact force, and their brains are tightly cushioned and protected.

Not only do woodpeckers look cool, but they are also very beneficial to our environment. They eat thousands of wood-boring insects and other garden pests like crickets, ants, grasshoppers, flies, spiders, wasps, beetles, and grubs. A single flicker (a type of woodpecker) can eat thousands of carpenter ants in one day!

Having mature deciduous and coniferous trees can attract woodpeckers to your yard to take care of some of those pests. You can also attract them by hanging feeders that hold homemade or store bought suet. You can also leave dead trees, snags and stumps for foraging.  Or when planning bird-friendly landscaping, choose trees for birds that will produce the nuts and berries that are important food sources for woodpeckers.

So to summarize, woodpeckers are awesome! Follow the Houston Zoo twitter feed all day on Sunday for the Great Texas Birding Classic and see how many Woodpeckers we spot.

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