Mountain Lion Mania

Mountain Lions (Puma concolor)

at Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo 

Mountain lions go by many names, cougars, pumas, red tigers, deer tigers, etc. They hold the Guinness Book of World Records title for having the most common names of any animal.  Called Puma concolor by scientists, the mountain lion is one of my favorite big cats. A top predator, males of this species can reach 8-feet long from nose to tail and weigh over 200 lbs. These regal cats hunt elk, deer, grouse, virtually anything they can overpower.

The majestic mountain lion. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia).

Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo (AWSFZ) is home to three precious cubs (please see Expedition: Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo for a brief introduction).  Angel and Sarah are sisters; Edward is a young male unrelated to the other two.  All three of them were born at a zoo in Arkansas and were taken in by AWSFZ to serve as ambassadors of their species, helping in educational programs and conservation efforts. They were hand-raised by Jarrod and his family and, despite having the size and power of America's top cat, are very gentle when dealing with humans.

 They love playing; jumping, chewing, and pawing at things.  This behavior is thought to help them develop their reflexes and muscles used in hunting.

Angel, one of our cougar cubs, playfully chewing on my shirt.

Sarah, Angel's sister, tries to give me a kiss.

Croc Wrangling 101

Croc Wrangling at the Zoo

Taking learning to a whole new level!

When working with large reptiles, there comes a time when you might need to restrain the animal for inspection purposes, whether for medical reasons or transportation to a new enclosure. I learned from the best croc wranglers in the US, Jarrod and Bart, and had the opportunity to help restrain a 6.5-foot Nile crocodile.

Prepared to safely transport a 6.5-foot Nile crocodile!

After jumping on the croc, the first order of business is to secure the jaws with electric tape. Once that's accomplished, the tough part begins. (Notice that in many of the photos, the large 12' saltwater crocodile in the enclosure right next to me has her mouth open!)

The croc is so powerful I have to use my entire body weight to control it

"I think I got it."

With a simple turn of its neck, the croc easily escapes my grip.  Thank goodness for the tape.

To regain some semblance of control, I gently cover the croc's eyes to keep it calm.

Taking a quick rest as Bart keeps a watchful eye in the background.

The tail of crocodiles, caimans, and alligators is solid muscle.  They use this muscular appendage to power themselves, capable of reaching 11 miles per hour on land and up to 30 miles per hour in water!  The tail also provides tremendous torque when the animal twists around to free itself.  I almost lost control!

The massive tail whips around, ripping the croc out of my grip!

BAM!!! I have no choice but to pin the croc with my body. Notice the giant saltwater croc in the enclosure behind me. She's 12-feet long and could easily rip off my leg with her jaws. Luckily for the fence, that didn't happen.

Here's some footage of the struggle. Check it out!

(The squawking in the background are macaws and cockatoos.)

I try again, knowing the full power of this "small" croc.

I make sure to control the tail with my feet and cover the eyes with my hand.

I gently secure the neck and head, while keeping control with my feet.

Up we go!

Almost there!

YES! After struggling to secure the animal, we're ready for transport!

At the end of the day, the safety and health of the animal is our top priority.  Even though the handling may seem invasive, it's a standard practice for securing large reptiles. Jarrod, Bart, and I take the handling of the zoo's animals very seriously and go to great lengths to ensure the safety and well-being of each animal.

I love crocs!

Crocs Alive!

Enter the Croc Pond

at Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo

One of Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo's (AWSFZ) specialties is crocodilians (please see Expedition: Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo page for a brief introduction). The zoo cares for one of the most diverse collections of crocodiles in the country. It is amazing to work with such a wide range of species in such close proximity. From the caiman, the smallest crocodile species in the world, to the giant saltwater and Nile crocs, the two largest reptile species in the world, AWSFZ has them all. Check out some of the beauties:

A cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer)

Sam, the zoo's 13-foot American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

A gator coming out of the Croc Pond to check us out

A west African Nile croc basking in the sun

A beautiful east African Nile croc (blond in the center)

Every Sunday during the summer, Jarrod and the AWSFZ team feed the crocs by hand in a show for the public.  The weekly "Croc Feeding" is a huge attraction.  Check out what I mean:

Jarrod taking a break to educate the public about this gorgeous east African Nile crocodile

Despite having an injured left hand, Jarrod continues the show with a smile on his face. What a trooper!

Jarrod and Sam, the alpha male gator. Look at those jaws!

Jarrod and one of the medium-sized gators. Check out the size of that reptile!

Even with his left hand out of commission, Jarrod still gives the crowd an amazing show

Jarrod and Bart are the only people allowed in the Croc Pond during feeding sessions. With over 20 years of experience working together, Bart and Jarrod depend on each other. Bart is Jarrod's only life-line and if things get a bit toothy, Bart is there to back Jarrod up.

A bunch of crocs cornering Jarrod and Bart

Jarrod trying to get chicken out as fast as he can

 Of course, when you're working with giant, toothy reptiles, there are always close calls.

A hungry east African Nile croc

A Nile croc that's more interested in Jarrod than in chicken. Check out those teeth!

Another close shave

After a successful show, Jarrod and Bart gave me unprecedented access to the giant crocs in the Croc Pond.  Having worked with giant crocs before, I was familiar with the safety precautions required. But I was still sweating bullets!

Contemplating my next move in the Croc Pond.

Me and a 10-foot Nile crocodile, the second largest reptile species in the world!

 

 

Expedition: Costa Rica Part II

Hi all,
   Find the epic conclusion of my Costa Rica adventure at my new page, Expedition: Costa Rica Part II.

Another day at the zoo

Today was a hot day at the zoo. When I arrived, the team was already busy with cleaning and preparing the animals for prime time. With our annual medical check underway, there were many animals to inspect. From scale infections to internal parasites, reptiles can be affected by a wide range of ailments. The zoo has a stellar record of healthy animals and the health and well-being of the animals are of utmost importance.  With a lot of animals to go through, there was no time to spare. Jarrod had already administered several antibiotics and anti-fungal medicines to newly acquired specimens.
 

A healthy blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua spp.) basking in his enclosure

Today, I checked to see the progress of each animal.  While checking the pythons in the back room, I noticed a classic example of convergent evolution that I had read about but never was able to compare in person.
 

The Case of Convergence
Called homoplasy by scientists, convergent adaptation is the process by which unrelated species gain similar characteristics (or analogous structures to scientists).  The emerald tree boa of South America and the green tree python of Australia perfectly demonstrate homoplasy.  Both have heat-sensing pits along their lips, live in trees, have similar coloration and habitat requirements, feed on birds, bats, and rodents, and have a short temper. Check out what I mean below:

For a closer look, check out the photos below:

Emerald tree boas (Corallus canius)

A green tree python (Morelia viridis)

Anastasia, the Gray Wolf

A few days ago, the zoo became home of a new wolf pup! She's super cute and a bundle of joy. Her teeth are so sharp that the only thing that can be her "chew toy" is an antler; she punctures through dog chew toys like there's no tomorrow. Here she is in all her glory:

Anastasia, our new gray wolf pup (Canis lupus), chewing on an antler

Notice the size of her paws; they indicate that this is no ordinary dog and that she'll grow up to be one of the top predators in North America.  With her cute, mischievous, and fun personality, it's easy to forget the strength and power she has. Take a look to see what I mean:

All Hail the Emperor

Emperor scorpions (Pandinus imperator) are some of the coolest arachnids in the world.  Their size and gentle personality make them ideal education animals. The zoo has a pregnant female, which produced close to 30 offspring in total. Check them out:

The emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator)

Mamma and her babies

The emperor scorpion is a great example of how important sensory hairs can become. The hairs along the scorpion's body can pick up vibrations from the ground and changes in the air.  Sensory hairs are also found in other animals, from the cilia in your nose and ears to the ampullae of lorenzini in sharks, and even the whiskers on your cat.

July 22, 2012

     A pretty exciting day at the zoo (for some background info, please see the Expedition: Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo page).  After the croc demo, I helped care for the mammals of the zoo, from kinkajoos to warthog piglets.  Here's a quick video of the piglets during feeding time.

The highlight of every Sunday is the 3 pm Croc Feeding demo.  If you have seen the late Steve Irwin feed crocs, you have a sense of what it looks like.  But imagine this: a man inside a croc pit that has over 30 hungry crocodiles and alligators, each about 10' or 12'. The moment he jumps into the enclosure, all the crocs converge on him, jaws snapping. The crocs bite onto anything, whether that be the chicken being fed to them or the feeder's leg. Pretty much every moment is life or death.  Here's a quick clip of the action (Jarrod, the head keeper, is the man for getting into the croc cage):

Here's a quick vid of a behind-the-scenes look at the croc pit:

San Antonio, Texas

Hi all,
  I'm now in San Antonio, Texas, for an internship with an energy company.  While down here, I've sampled some amazing BBQ, met amazing people, and had some very close encounters of a reptilian nature.  A few weeks ago, I visited the San Antonio Zoo, arguably one of the best zoos for reptile enthusiasts. It just so happens that they are running a specialty program that focuses on giant reptiles.  On display throughout the park were pythons, crocodilians, and komodo dragons. Having visited the zoo once before, I faintly remembered what some of the exhibits looked like (for example, the reptile house was basically unchanged).  However, I was struck by how much the zoo had expanded: the Africa, Amazonia, and Wet Land exhibits were new (to me at least) and very professionally done. I had the privilege of watching the zoo crew extract Tomistoma eggs from the croc's enclosure.  While I've read many papers on the Tomistoma (Tomistoma schlegelii), there's nothing like seeing the 12', flesh and blood croc defending its nest.  It was literally something straight out of the Crocodile Hunter. I talked with a staff member who was overseeing the entire operation and learned that the Tomistomas at the zoo were breeding on a semi-annual basis.  Indeed, the zoo was quite proud of their breeding program as evidenced by the front-and-center display of "Tomistoma babies born last year" exhibit in the reptile house. Even after all these years, the zoo doesn't fail to impress.

Here're some pics from my visit:

 The False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii)

 A gorgeous mountain rattlesnake (Crotalus spp.)

5/27/2012

Hello World.  My first post.