Camera Critters 64

It's Saturday and that means it's Camera Critters time. Today is Part 3 of the Behind The Scenes Tour of the Reptile House at the Houston Zoo and the star of the show, the Komodo Dragon.

I wanted to get a good photo of Judith's beautiful blue eyes. She is the head keeper of the Reptile House. She was a delight. She loves her animals and it shows. She is holding one of two small Komodo Dragons. The small guys are two years old.

The little guys are nephews of Smaug, the Houston's Zoo eleven year old Komodo Dragon.
The nephews were born at the San Antonio Zoo.

Their scales feel like tiny little beads.

Here is Smaug (named after Smaug the Golden, the dragon in The Hobbit).
He was born September 24, 1998 at the Miami Metro Zoo.
He weighs approximately 110 pounds and is 8 feet long.
You don't get a true feel for how large he is from the photo.
It was quite an experience being eyeball to eyeball with him.

Mr. Dragon adopted Smaug for me for my birthday in May.
I was visiting my adopted boy!

Judith gave Smaug a treat while we were there -- three white rats each around a foot long (not counting the tail). It took at most two gulps for each one and they were gone. Only dead prey are fed to the reptiles at the zoo (the exception - crickets for those who have them in their diet). This way they don't hurt themselves trying to catch the prey.

This gives you some idea about how large Smaug is with the reflection of the little boy in the window.

This is the only photo we didn't take ourselves.
This is Smaug's official zoo portrait.

There are over 3,000 lizard species, but the Komodo dragon wins the prize for being the biggest living lizard in the world. It is a type of monitor lizard, an ancient species of reptile with ancestors that date back more than 100 million years. These large lizards have stubby, bowed legs, clay-colored, scaly skin for great camouflage, and a huge, muscular tail. The yellow color of the Komodo’s long, forked tongue reminds people of mythical dragons that spit fire.

Most lizards are omnivores, but not Komodo dragons. Meat is what they seek. Dragons use their long tongues to pick up smells in the air, even if they’re a mile (1.6 kilometers) away. They aren’t too picky about their food, and will eat wild pigs, deer, wild buffalo, snakes, and fish that wash up on the shore. An adult dragon will hide along a trail and wait for an unsuspecting creature to walk by. Then, with long claws and short, sharp teeth, the dragon attacks. If the prey escapes, the dragon will simply follow it at a leisurely pace. That’s because the dragon’s bite contains deadly bacteria that will eventually kill its intended meal.

An adult dragon leads a life of leisure. It will emerge from its burrow in the ground to look for a sunny spot to warm up. Then it’s off to find breakfast, followed by a nice long nap in the shade during the hottest part of the day. After a late afternoon meal, the dragon is ready for bed, sleeping soundly in its burrow until a new day begins. It is a solitary creature that lives and hunts alone.

Life for a young dragon is not so easy. As soon as the baby hatches, it scrambles out of the nest dug by its mother and scurries up the nearest tree so it won’t be eaten by the adults. That’s right—adult dragons think of the hatchlings as easy meals. Fortunately for the babies, the adults are too heavy to climb trees. Youngsters live in the trees eating eggs, grasshoppers, beetles, and geckos. When they are about 4 years old and 4 feet long (1.2 meters) they are ready to try life on the ground.

They are endangered in the wild due to reduction in habitat and loss of prey animals.

I hope you'll enjoy Judith talking about Smaug on this You Tube video from the Houston Zoo.

Camera Critters 63

It's time for Part 2 of our Behind The Scenes Tour of the Reptile House at the Houston Zoo. I've had several emails asking why the reptile house. I've got several answers! First, it's hotter than Hades this time of year in Houston and the reptile house is indoors and air-conditioned. Second, I like reptiles and amphibians. 2008 was the year of the frog and my interest in these critters grew. It was a lot of fun for me to hold the Giant Waxy Monkey Tree frog.

Just a little about the Year of the Frog 2008:

The Global Amphibian Crisis Why do we need amphibians?

We need amphibians. Humans have discovered antibiotic and anti-tumor properties, analgesics, anti- inflammatory compounds, and natural adhesives from amphibians. We have used them to learn anatomy and for medical research and tests. Changes seen in amphibians have often been heralded as an indicator of changes in ecosystems because of their semi-permeable skin, which makes them particularly sensitive to changes in their terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Where are the amphibians?

The Problem
Frogs and toads are disappearing, along with salamanders, newts, and the unusual caecilians. Older than the dinosaurs, recent studies show that almost one-third of all known amphibian species (and there are over 6,000 of them!) are faced with the possibility of extinction, while 120 species are thought to have gone extinct in recent decades. No other class of organisms – birds, mammals, or plants – has faced such a high risk of widespread extinction.

The Culprits

- Habit loss

• Chemical pollutants -

• Invasive species -

• Disease - A mysterious fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (“Bd”), is the culprit behind both current and historic, dramatic and rapid amphibian population declines throughout the world, including “pristine” mountain areas.

I urge you to Google and learn more.

Meanwhile, back to our Behind The Scenes Tour!

Most of our tour really was behind the scenes, in areas the public doesn't see. We were surprised by the number of critters that are never placed on display. There were many critters that were confiscated at airports that now have permanent homes at the zoo and will never be on exhibition. There are snakes that have simply gotten too old to be out -- one has cataracts, another has a bad back, and other animals simply get too stressed to be placed on exhibition.

Cage after cage of venomous snakes.

Blue Poison Dart Frog

Dart Poison Frogs from the rain forests of the Americas come in a dizzying array of colors and patterns. Some are used by native tribes to poison the tips of blow-darts for hunting. Poison dart frogs, in general, are safe from predators because their bright, bold colors serve as a warning signal to birds and other animals that might eat them. The colors warn about potent toxins in the skin strong enough to kill almost any animal that eats it. Complex compounds in the skin secretions of dart frogs are now being studied by scientists for potential medical use. These hopping pharmacies have already provided a possible substitute for morphine which is non addictive and 100 times more potent.

Rhinoceros Iguana

Rhinoceros Iguanas, like all squamates, must warm themselves from external sources. Clever solar collectors, they shift position as the sun moves to fine-tune internal temperature.

Like all squamates, this Rhinoceros Iguana is covered in scales—small, hard, platelike thickenings of the skin. Scales protect bodies and help reduce water loss. Unlike fish scales, squamate scales are specialized folds of skin.

SIZE

These big, heavy-bodied iguanas were once the largest animals on the Caribbean islands where they live. Their only enemies were—likely—birds of prey, such as hawks. Today, they are food for humans and their pets.

HORN

No one knows the function of the horns that give the Rhinoceros Iguana its common name. Bigger in males than females, they may be useful in combat among males and in displays such as head-bobbing.

A few of the 40 or so species in the family Iguanidae are medium-sized lizards, between 15 and 30 centimeters (six inches and one foot) long. But most species are large, and none is larger than the Rhinoceros Iguana. These animals have successfully crossed ocean barriers; several species live on remote islands.

Panther Chameleon

When Judith placed the Panther Chameleon in my hands she kept saying "he has claws. They may scratch you. I can't leave him out long. He gets stressed easily." Let's just say ... he stayed out longer than I think Judith imagined! We got along quite well. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of Judith picking him up from me and putting him back in his cage -- he curled his tail around my fingers. Too cool!

Panther Chameleons are very finicky creatures, who require a precise environment which almost exactly mirrors that of a jungle, and are time consuming. They also require a lot of particular vitamin supplementation and have a demanding diet, consisting of mostly crickets. They also eat mealworms, super worms, wax worms, and butter worms, though the latter two are not recommended for sustained periods of time, as they are very fattening.

Panther Chameleons can live up to 10 years in captivity. Females, if bred often, usually only live 2-3 years after laying eggs (between 5 and 8 clutches) because of the stress put on their bodies.

Like most species of chameleons, the Panther Chameleon is very territorial. They spend the majority of their life in isolation, apart from mating sessions.

Parsons Chameleon

This Parsons Chameleon was one of the confiscated animals and will never be on exhibit.

The Parson's chameleon (Calumma parsonii) is a very large species of chameleon that is endemic to isolated pockets of humid primary forest in eastern and northern Madagascar. It is listed on CITES Appendix II, meaning that trade in this species is regulated. As with the majority of chameleon species from Madagascar, it is illegal to import Parson's chameleons from their native country.Despite their large size, these animals are very delicate in captivity. They may live to 20 years of age in the native land.

Parson's in Captivity
Because of their striking appearance, Parson's Chameleons were once imported to the United States of America in fairly large numbers. Sadly, because of their delicate nature, suceptability to stress, and lack of care on the part of the importers, nearly all of these animals died shortly after arrival in the USA.

Between January of 1988 and June of 1994, over 4000 C. parsonii were reported to have been imported to the USA. Most people agree that the actual number of animals entering the country was significantly higher. Not accounted for are animals smuggled on the black market or which were not accounted for in shipping documents.

Some people estimate that the total number of Parson's Chameleons imported for the pet trade in the USA could exceed 10,000 animals. Actual numbers are impossible to calculate, since records prior to 1988 are not available.

Of the estimated 10,000 animals imported, all but a few have died. A recent project by CIN to document all known captive Parson's turned up fewer than 200 imported animals. This suggests a deplorable survival rate for an animal whose life expectancy is estimated to be greater than 20 years.

Behavior
Parson's are very stationary animals. Adults may go for long periods without moving except to eat, drink, mate or deficate. They also do not spend much time basking, like many other true chameleons. They will, however, sit in the sun for short periods and slightly flatten one side of their body toward the sun. These sunning sessions are rarely more than 10 - 15 minutes long and usually take place early in the morning as soon as sun is available.

Next week Part 3 and the real STAR of our visit!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Camera Critters 62

It's Saturday and that means Camera Critters
and time for a behind the scenes tour
of the Reptile House at the Houston Zoo.

Here's the Limo waiting to take us behind the scenes.
Our two favorite ladies at the zoo -- Ginger and Lona.

Before we get to the Reptile House we make a quick stop to see the giraffes. The big, tall guy staring at us is Kiva. He sees the cart and thinks he's going to get a special treat. He watched us carefully to see where we were going.

Thai is the big guy, Asian elephant, in his hot tub!

You will see some hands in the photos. The hands above belong to Judith, our guide and one of the keepers of the Reptile House. She is holding an Eyelash Frog. If you look closely you can see the eyelashes!

The Solomon island eyelash frog is a moderately robust frog that hails from the Bougainville and Solomon Islands in the south Pacific. The species inhabits the forest floor and with its triangular head and “eyelashes” it is thought that they perhaps mimic leaves and rely upon camouflage to avoid predators and wait for prey. Eyelash frogs breed by direct development which means they lay eggs that have no tadpole stage. Instead, they larval amphibians completely undergo metamorphosis within the egg and hatch as tiny versions of the adults. Researches say that this frog is able to tolerate a wide range of different habitats, even popping up in people’s gardens. Likely as a consequence, it is fairly abundant throughout its range.

These are Tomato Frogs and it's easy to see where they got their name.

Range: Eastern coast of Madagascar (off the eastern coast of Africa)
Habitat: In and around shallow pools, marshes, drainage channels, flooded meadows
Conservation Status: Near threatened
Scientific Name: Dyscophus antongillii

Aptly named, this colorful species can be found peering out from under leaves and logs. The female is larger and a brighter red than the male, while babies are a dull brown. Although we associate frogs with water, this species is a poor swimmer. In fact, in captivity, special precautions are taken to keep the froglets from drowning as they develop from the tadpole stage.

This is the Giant Waxy Monkey Tree Frog.
(My hands.)

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Scientific Name: Phyllomedusa bicolor

Range: Amazon Rain Forest Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Guianas, Guianian region of Venezuela

Habitat: Tree branches in the rain forest canopy, usually above water

Diet: Wild: This species is a carnivore. Primarily eats various insects and worms.
Zoo: Crickets, nightcrawlers, superworms, occasional 'pinky' mice and vitamins.

Gestation: Incubation: 7-10 days

Litter: Clutch size: up to 350 eggs

Life Span: 10 years (in captivity)

Description: Their bodies are bright green, with cream spots bordered in black along their sides, and a gray throat, chest and underside of legs. 'Waxy' refers to lipid secretions they spread over their bodies to prevent water loss. Also known as Monkey Tree Frog - 'monkey' refers to the opposable thumb they use to better grasp the branches they live among.

Behavior: Nocturnal. Walks or runs, rather than jumping, hand over hand through branches. Sleeps in the daytime high in the canopy. Easily seen in exhibit perched on vines.

Reproduction: At the height of the rainy season, males will call to attract females several miles away. If the female likes what she hears, she will spend up to an hour tracking him down. As they lay up to 350 eggs, their back feet cup the leaf edges together creating a funnel-shaped nest. Seven to 10 days later, the tadpoles hatch and fall into the water below.

* These frogs may be able to aid in the development of medications that would alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer's, depression and other brain disorders.
* Many Amazonian people refer to this frog as 'sapo mono' which translates to monkey frog.

I loved this frog and watching him walk hand over hand -- very deliberate. His toes look like little suction cups. Because there is a pharmacologic interest in this frog, while there are lots of them right now, they are being caught and taken out of their native habitat.

This is part one. Part two next week!