Camera Critters

Camera Critters is hosted each Saturday by the lovely Misty.

I'd like you to meet a Patas monkey from the Houston Zoo.

The Patas monkey is probably the fastest primate on earth, its long legs giving it a tremendous loping stride. Speeds reach up to 35 mph. They are highly terrestrial spending most of their time on the ground. The species has a wide distribution in the savanna and woodlands areas across sub-Saharan Africa from the western tip of Senegal to East Africa.

The conservation of patas monkeys is critical because of their already small population size, limited geographic range and the current destruction of their habitats. Hunting by humans has increased progressively, especially in West Africa. Hunters kill patas monkeys for meat in the Ivory Coast. The mountain Nuba people and tribal groups also hunt patas monkeys. Many farmers and plantation owners shoot these monkeys when they raid their crops. Patas monkeys are collected and sold as pets or they are sold to medical research institutions. Over 1000 patas monkeys are collected per year.

I think I'm in love!

Happy Critter Day!

Wordless Wednesday

Camera Critters

It's Saturday and that means Camera Critters time!

The lovely Misty is our hostess for Critters. Be sure to visit!

Back to the Houston Zoo and giraffe feeding.

I'm not too sure about feeding this guy, Dad.
He seems friendly enough.

Grandpa gets into the act.

Mom seems to like feeding the giraffes.

Let me think about this.
He looks friendly enough.

Let's go for it!

Joy to You!

Camera Critters

Misty is our wonderful hostess for Camera Critters.
Be sure to go and visit.

Today I want to show you the portrait of the animal I fell in love with many years ago on my very
first visit to the Houston Zoo-
the beautiful and shy Okapi.

The okapi (pronounced oh-COP-ee) is an unusual animal. With its white-and-black striped hindquarters and front legs, it looks like it must be related to zebras! But take a look at an okapi’s head and you’ll notice a resemblance to giraffes.

The okapi is indeed the only living relative of the giraffe. Like giraffes, okapis have very large, upright ears, which catch even slight sounds, helping them to avoid trouble. They also have long, dark prehensile tongues, just like a giraffe’s, to help them strip the buds and young leaves from the understory brush of their rain forest home.

Okapis are hard to find in the wild. Their natural habitat is the Ituri Forest, a dense rain forest in central Africa (northeast region of Democratic Republic of Congo - formerly Zaire). Okapis are very wary, and their highly developed hearing alerts them to run when they hear humans in the distance. In fact, while natives of the Ituri Forest knew of okapis and would occasionally catch one in their pit traps, scientists did not know of the animal until 1900. The secretive nature of okapis and the difficulty most humans have of traveling in their habitat have made okapis hard to observe in the wild. Therefore, researchers can only estimate how many okapis live there. It is believed that there are currently about 25,000 okapis in the wild.

The okapi’s dark purplish or reddish brown fur feels like velvet. It’s also oily, so water slides right off, keeping the okapi dry on rainy days. Only the males have horns, which are covered by skin and are short so they won’t get tangled in forest branches.

The changing politics of central Africa and the continued loss of habitat threaten the beautiful okapi. Fortunately, in 1952, one-fifth of okapi habitat in Africa’s Ituri Forest was set aside as a wildlife reserve. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve, with support from zoos and conservation organizations, and the local people, continues to protect and to support study of this rare and unusual forest dweller.

Happy Camera Critters!

(Information about the Okapi from the San Diego Zoo.)

Camera Critters Happy New Year!

A Happy New Year to all my Camera Critters friends.

The wonderful Misty brings Camera Critters to us each week.


This week I'm sharing some photos of THE grandson
feeding the giraffes at the Houston zoo -- mainly Myles.

It took awhile before THE grandson got comfortable,
but then he didn't want to stop

and Myles didn't want him to stop.

If you look carefully at this photo,
on Myles neck, near the top right,
one of his *spots* is heart shaped.
Too cool!
We'll always know which giraffe is Myles -- look for the heart!

Camera Critters

Misty brings us Camera Critters every Saturday.
Be sure to stop by and visit.


One of my favorite animals at the Houston Zoo
is the Wart Hog.
They are so funny and shy.

Neither graceful nor beautiful, warthogs are nonetheless remarkable animals. They are found in most of Africa south of the Sahara and are widely distributed in East Africa. They are the only pigs able to live in areas without water for several months of the year. By tolerating a higher-than-normal body temperature, the warthog is perhaps able to conserve moisture inside its body that might otherwise be used for cooling. (Camels and desert gazelles have developed a similar mechanism for survival in hot, arid environments.)

The warthog is a tough, sturdy animal. Males weigh 20 to 50 pounds more than females, but both are distinguished by disproportionately large heads and “warts”—thick protective pads that appear on both sides of the head. The warthog's large tusks are unusual: The two upper ones emerge from the sides of the snout to form a semicircle; the lower tusks at the base of the uppers are worn to a sharp cutting edge. Sparse bristles cover the warthog's body, although longer bristles form a mane from the top of the head down the spine to the middle of the back. The long tail ends with a tuft of bristles. The warthog characteristically carries its tail upright when it runs, the tuft waving like a tiny flag.

Diet
The warthog is mainly a grazer and has adapted an interesting practice of kneeling on its calloused, hairy, padded knees to eat short grass. Using its snout and tusks, it also digs for bulbs, tubers and roots during the dry season. They may eat earthworms and other small invertebrates during the wet season.

Predators and Threats
Outside of protected areas, the warthog’s range is declining. They are killed for raiding wheat, rice, bean or groundnut fields. People in some agricultural areas also eliminate warthogs as they can carry African swine fever.

(Wart Hog information from awf.org)

Camera Critters

It's Camera Critters time!
Misty is our wonderful hostess over at Camera Critters.
Be sure to visit.

Another visit to the Houston Zoo.
This time to see the Spectacled Bear.

The Andean or spectacled bear of South America gets one of its common names from the rings of white or light fur around its eyes, which look like eyeglasses (or spectacles) against the rest of the black or dark brown fur. These markings often extend down the chest, giving each bear a unique appearance (and helping researchers identify bears by their "mug shots!"). The markings also give the bear its scientific name: Tremarctos ornatus, or decorated bear.

Normally diurnal, very little is known about these bears in the wild. They are shy, tend to avoid humans.

The habitat of the Andean bear is being destroyed for mining operations, farming, and lumber. The construction of new roads fragments bear habitat as well. As their habitat shrinks, bears may stray onto farmland, feeding on the crops that replaced their natural diet. These bears have been hunted in the past for their meat, fat, and body parts, but they are now protected from international trade.

The Andean bear is one of the flagship species of national parks in the Andes. This means that the bear, an animal that people recognize easily, is used as the symbol of the parks. Local people in bear habitats are being educated about the benefits of preserving habitat for the bears for tourism, for the protection of water sources, and for the natural heritage of future generations.

Camera Critters

It's Saturday and it's Camera Critters time!

Off to the Houston Zoo again
and a visit to one of my favorite lemurs
and one of the Zoo's newest:
the Coquerel Sifaka.




The Houston Zoo is one of only a handful of places in the world where you can see this highly endangered primate from Madagascar, made famous by the PBS television series Zoboomafoo, featuring the Kratt brothers and their Coquerel's sifaka, (cock-er-al's she-fak) mascot.

Sifaka differ from other lemurs in the way they move, using a form of locomotion called vertical clinging and leaping. They leap in an upright position from one vertical branch or trunk to another, using their powerful back legs to propel them over twenty feet in one jump. When they move on the ground, they skip or bound on their hind legs. They look like they are jumping with a pogo stick (remember those?)!

Sifakas are plant-eaters. Leaves are their favorite food, and make up most of their diet in the dry season (along with tree bark). In the wet season these primates also eat fruits and flowers. They find much of their food in the treetops, but also occasionally search for food on the ground.
When eating, sifakas rarely use their hands to handle their meal. Instead, they usually grab the food directly with their mouth. The Houston Zoo's sifakas have a favorite treat -- the chickpea or garbanzo bean. They love them.

Like many other types of sifaka, the Coquerel's sifaka is in danger of extinction in the wild. These animals suffer from continued habitat loss, as their forest homes are logged for timber and turned into farmland.

Here's a video from You Tube and the Houston Zoo:

Camera Critters

It's Saturday so it must be time for Camera Critters!

One of my favorite animals at the Houston Zoo
is the meerkat.

I could watch them all day long.

The meerkat or suricate Suricata suricatta is a small mammal and a member of the mongoose family. It inhabits all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan". A meerkat clan often contains about 20 meerkats at a time, but some superfamilies have had 50 or more. Meerkats have an average life span of 12 to 14 years.

Here he is on sentry duty.

He caught me taking his portrait!
He turned his head as I snapped.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

Be sure to visit Camera Critters to see other wonderful critters.

Camera Critters

It's Saturday and that means Camera Critters time!

It's back to the Houston Zoo.

This time for a little something different:
Feast With The Beasts.

An evening with 50 different restaurants,
live entertainment (animals and a band).

Money raised from this event goes to feeding the zoo animals.

We were greeted at the front gate by these little critters.

A zebra first.

How many lions have you seen like this one?

Just look at this really talented giraffe!

Some of the zoo animals got special treats.
The wild dogs were given a hide to munch/play on/with.

He really does look like a wild dog!

Be sure to visit Camera Critters for more critters.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Camera Critters

It's Saturday and that means Camera Critters!

Back to the Houston Zoo Photography Day in the rain
and another kitty -- this beautiful leopard.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Camera Critters

It's Camera Critters time and
it's Halloween.

That calls for a special post.
It's back to the Houston Zoo photography day.
It rained lightly all morning.
I met this gentleman early that day and thought
Halloween!

CINEREOUS VULTURE
(EUROPEAN BLACK VULTURE)

A large bird, the cinereous vulture can measure more than three feet in height and has a wingspan that can extend up to ten feet. Cinereous vultures have dark brown feathers with a dull blue head, neck and bill.

Their status is seriously threatened globally due to hunting, poisoning, habitat destruction and improved stock management. The international trade of this species is regulated by law, since it may become endangered without regulated trade.

These vultures build their nests in trees and on cliffs high above the ground, using sticks and twigs as building materials. Males and females cooperate in rearing young.




This particular vulture was hatched in captivity in a special breeding program. The Houston Zoo is well known for its amazing birds, many of which are never on display -- behind the scenes in special breeding programs in an attempt to maintain the particular species.

If you enlarge on the photos, you'll see this bird liked the rain!

Happy Halloween

Be sure to check out other critters at Camera Critters!

Camera Critters

It's Saturday so it must be Camera Critters time!

It's back to the Houston Zoo and Photography morning.

These are photos of the zoo's newest Masai Giraffe,
Hasante
(Handsome).

The Houston Zoos Masai giraffe herd has grown to 7 with the addition of a bouncing baby boy. The calf was born to mom Tyra shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday, August 10. Tyra went into labor around 6 in the morning and the calf was standing and nursing by 9 a.m. Tyra always delivers big babies but this big boy stands a bit over 6 feet tall. Tyra is 11 years old. Kiva, the father is 13 years old.


While Masai giraffes are not threatened or endangered in their native habitat, there are only 88 of them in North American zoos. Giraffe breeding at the Houston Zoo follows guidelines established by the American Zoo and Aquarium Associations Population Management Plan (PMP) program. PMPs have been developed for selected groups of animals to manage breeding of captive populations in order to maintain healthy, self-sustaining populations that are both genetically diverse and demographically stable.



Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrial animal. When full grown, this little guy will be about 17 feet tall and can weigh in at 3,000 pounds, while an average female is over 14 feet tall. Cute little fella! He posed for us for a very long time.

I've included the You Tube video of this little gentleman's birth. If you are squeamish, don't watch!

Having Fun!

A short post to let you know we are all having fun!

We have been to the zoo every day.

Kids feeding the giraffes.

Grandpa and HIMSELF on the carousel.
HIMSELF on the Eland.
(The carousel is all zoo animals ... really cool.)

See you soon!

Joy!

Camera Critters

It's Saturday so it must be Camera Critters time.

Be sure to visit to see other critters from around the world.

We are going back to the Houston Zoo

for more of Photography Day

and cats.

This beautiful little cat is the Margay.

The Margay is about two feet tall from feet to shoulders, three feet long and weighs about five to twelve pounds. It has gray to golden-brown fur with black and brown spots. The spots on its sides are often different shapes and are often black with a brown center. Its undersides are white. The Margay has a small head, large ears and eyes and a long tail.

The Margay can be found from Mexico to Argentina. It was once found in the United States in Texas. The last Margay seen in the United States was spotted in Texas in the 1850s.

(Please excuse the blur ... between the rain and this little guy being in constant motion it made getting a really good shot a little beyond my capabilities.)

The Margay makes its home in tropical and subtropical forests.

The Margay eats a wide-variety of food including birds, bird eggs, small mammals, reptiles and fruit. It hunts primarily in trees.

Margays mate year-round. Females give birth to one or two young three to four months after mating. The kittens begin to eat meat when they are about eight weeks old.




The Margay is nocturnal. It is a very good climber and jumper. It has joints in its ankles that rotate 180 degrees. This helps it climb down vertical trees headfirst. It is the only cat in North America that can do that! It can also hang from tree limbs by one hind foot. It spends most of its time in the tree canopy hunting for birds, small mammals, reptiles and eggs.

The Margay is near threatened because of loss of habitat.



We spent a lot of time just watching this little guy. He was in constant motion -- up, down, around and do it all again and again.


Here's a video from the zoo on You Tube. The keeper will talk about enrichment for the cats and this little guy is in the video -- constant motion! You'll also see the Fossa, Leopards, Tigers.

Enjoy!

Todays Flowers

Visiting Today's Flowers will take you to a virtual flower garden from around the world.

Last weekend, the zoo had a photography day. They opened the gates early for around 150 of us with our cameras and umbrellas. We had the zoo to ourselves until the regular admission time.

You can see the first animal photos we took in the Camera Critters post below. But it wasn't only animals we were looking at. This shrub stopped us dead in our tracks. It was quite impressive. In other words, the WOW factor was off the scale!




The shrub with its stunning blooms was over five feet in height. I just had to know what kind of plant it is and the zoo folks were happy to find out for me.



Megaskepasma erythrochlamys ‘Brazilian Red Cloak’, ‘Brazilian Plume’, ‘Red Justicia’
‘Brazilian Cloak’ is a herbaceous shrub that is very showy and fast growing.

A blazing mixture of flaming red and vivid pink flowers, is what Brazilian Red Cloak in full bloom looks like. In spite of its name, this splendid plant comes from Venezuela where it is found naturally in tropical woodland. An evergreen shrub with boldly veined, shiny green leaves, it bears from early autumn into winter spikes of very showy, 12 inch, crimson flower spikes. (Actually white or pink flowers in the cloak of the very conspicuous crimson bracts.) The showy ‘flower’ consists of red bracts surrounding the white true flower. The growth habit of the Brazilian red cloak is considered by horticulturalists to be a shrub. It does not grow compactly as many shrub's do but instead is tall and lanky (an average of approximately 10 feet) while yet full. Under ideal growing conditions the plant can hit fifteen feet (4.5 meters) in height.

Where flowers bloom, so does hope - Lady Bird Johnson

Camera Critters

It's Saturday and that means Critters Day!
Be sure to visit Camera Critters to see the other participants.

Last weekend there was a special photo day at the zoo.
The zoo opened early for about 150 folks with their cameras and
umbrellas in hand. It rained (lightly, thankfully) most of the morning.

Under the umbrella, the first animals we came across
were the cheetahs.
They seemed to love the light rain.

They have become real favorites at the zoo.

Just look at that face!
WOW!

Did You Know ...

Did you know that September is National Honey Month? Just a thought!

***

(Image from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project Annual Report)

What do you know about gorillas? Mr. Dragon and I learned about Mountain Gorillas at a recent wildlife lecture at the zoo. I’d like to share this from the yearly report from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. “The story of the mountain gorillas begins like many other conservation stories: only 700 left in the wild, threatened by poachers, habitat destruction, and disease transmission from domestic animals and human. But unlike so many other stories of threatened species, this one has taken an optimistic turn: the numbers of Mountain Gorillas are increasing. In fact, mountain gorillas are the only great ape population that is growing, despite the challenges. What explains this success? A focused effort by governments and conservationists working together to overcome the odds. Key to this effort is the work of Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, which not only provides veterinary care to the mountain gorillas in their wild habitat, but also champions the “One Health” approach to conservation. The One Health approach recognizes that to sustain the wild Mountain Gorillas, the health of their environment, including their habitat and the human and domestic animals with which they interact, must be maintained. This approach is the key to the hopeful future for this species, and may provide the most promising prototype for conservation projects elsewhere.”

We spent an evening listening to Dr. Mike Cranfield the Project Director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project talk about the Mountain Gorillas. It was amazing the work these volunteers are doing, not only for the health of these wonderful animals, but also the health of the people living near them -- vital to the well being of the gorilla. More information can be found at their public web site: Gorilla Docs. It is an amazing story.

It is very apparent, from this lecture and the others we have attended on wildlife that the greatest ape of all -- man -- has not been a very good steward of the earth and its inhabitants. Have you noticed the number of stories in the press lately about tainted water and that its getting worse, right here, now? Will man ever learn? Is it already too late? Mr. Dragon often looks at me and says “What makes you think this is the first time man has been on this earth? He’s probably been here before, destroyed it, returned and didn’t learn again. Perhaps this cycle has been repeated many times.” Our own science fiction story?

***

I thought I’d share with you what our veterinarian believes happened to our little Rocky. There is a syndrome in male cats that causes cardiomyopathy. It is completely without symptoms. No murmurs. No nothing until there is a catastrophic incident. Just like what happened to our little dumpling boy.

I suppose we are getting better. The house is still too quiet. I cry everyday, but can now look at his pictures or remember little things without completely breaking down. Ms. Riley, his litter mate, misses him the most -- her brother, her playmate. Looking at Riley will always remind us of Rocky.

We normally write a check to our local SPCA and Humane Society when one of our companions passes from this life and we will do the same for Rocky. But, Rocky was too special. There was something about him --- perhaps a look on his face that said "I know everything that is of importance in this world"! We decided we need to do a little more in his memory. So, we have arranged for Rocky to have a brick at the entrance to the zoo. It will be at the zoo long after we are gone and will be engraved with the following:

ROCKY

Little Dumpling Boy

We Miss You

Rest

I will leave you with this thought sent to us by our wonderful veternarian and friend.

We were indeed blessed.

***

I am thankful for another day on beautiful Mother Earth.

Joy to You!