Ayla the Cougar Passes Away February 9, 2010

One of the Assiniboine Park Zoo’s popular cats, Ayla the female cougar, had to be put down due to health complications of old age last week.

Ayla, at nearly 20 years of age, had a good long life here at the zoo. She spent here first 14 years with Riel (aka Buddy). Max, her mate since 2004, will certainly notice her passing and the zoo will be looking to acquire a replacement for Ayla. Ayla was born in the wild and came to the zoo here in Winnipeg in 1991 as an orphan. Sadly, this is the same story for Max, who was orphaned in 2004 after his mother was killed in the wild.

Cougars (which are also known as puma, mountain lions, catamounts or panthers) are normally solitary in the wild. In captivity however, cats are often kept in pairs or small groups to provide them with companionship. Max and Ayla were not part of a breeding program.

Ayla is will always be prominently featured on our cougar interpretive sign, which you can see here: http://assiniboinepark.ca/media/animals/pdf/cougar.pdf

Solomon Islands Skink February 7, 2010

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Recently on Zoo Knew, heard every Sunday at 7:15 am on the Weekend Wake-Up Show on CJOB 68 AM, Chris Reid and I disussed skinks!

Corucia zebrata – Also called: prehensile-tailed skink, monkey-tailed skink

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At the Assiniboine Park Zoo:

We have 1.1.4 (One male, one female, and four unknown gender)

• This consists of four adults plus two babies
• All four adults came from the Honolulu zoo in November of 2007.
• The babies were born Oct 20, 2009

Fast Facts:

• It is the largest of all the skinks.
• It is olive green with darker vertical stripes on the back.
• Their colouring is an adaptation that camouflages them in the dense canopies of these forests to protect them against predation.
• It has a grasping (prehensile) tail

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A Bit of Biology and Ecology

This skink is only found in the rain forests on the Solomon Islands.

Length: Approximately 32 inches

• Body: 40 cm (16 in.)
• Tail: 40 cm (16 in.)
• 6-9 inches at birth

Weight: Approximately 500 to 850 grams (1.1 lbs to 1.9 lbs)

• Approx 100 grams at birth

Reproduction:

• Gives birth to only one or two extremely large offspring, which may be up to one-half the size of the mother.
• Incubation is 6 to 7 months.
• These lizards show a degree of parental care not observed in other lizards. The parents will actually protect the young in a group called a circus.
• This skink is ovoviviparous. The eggs are retained and hatched in the body of the mother instead of in a nest. This also occurs in some fish (e.g. rays), snakes (e.g. garters), and some insects.

Life Span:

• May exceed 15 to 20 years
• Are sexually mature by three years age

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Ecology and Conservation

• As with many tropical species, the extensive loss of forests is severely affecting Solomon Islands skinks. These skinks rely entirely upon the trees for food and shelter. Rarely do well in the new forest growth that takes over when the primary forest is felled. They need large mature trees draped in the leaves of a creeper Epipremnum pinnatum (known as the centipede tongavine) in order to survive.

• Because of their low reproductive rates, this species is at risk due to the pet trade and losses caused by predation by introduced  (invasive) species.
• The Solomon Islands government has regulated trade on these and other reptiles to help avoid endangerment.

Life History

• Unlike other skinks these animals are arboreal, spending little time on the ground.
• Prehensile-tailed skinks are usually found in the oldest trees in the primary forest.

• Solomon Island skinks are primarily folivorous, eating the leaves of many varieties of plants. They also eat fruit, relying on scent to find food.
• These skinks are one of the few that are not able to cast off their tail in defence and later regenerate a new one.
• This skink is able to make a sharp hissing noise and can deliver a savage bite.
• It is nocturnal, spending the day curled up in a hollow tree trunk or hidden in dense foliage.

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Compiled by Scott Gray and Jenna Harrison, Zoological Society of Manitoba

References: Bristol Zoo, Sea World, Lincoln Park Zoo

Revised February 7, 2010

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Photos copyright by Darlene Stack, Assiniboine Park Zoo

Solomon Island Skink

Corucia zebrata

Also called: prehensile-tailed skink, monkey-tailed skink

At the Assiniboine Park Zoo:

We have 1.1.4 (One male, one female, and four unknown gender)

• This consists of four adults plus two babies
• All four adults came from the Honolulu zoo in November of 2007.
• The babies were born Oct 20, 2009

Fast Facts:

• It is the largest of all the skinks.
• It is olive green with darker vertical stripes on the back.
• Their colouring is an adaptation that camouflages them in the dense canopies of these forests to protect them against predation.
• It has a grasping (prehensile) tail

A Bit of Biology and Ecology

This skink is only found in the rain forests on the Solomon Islands.

Length: Approximately 32 inches

• Body: 40 cm (16 in.)
• Tail: 40 cm (16 in.)
• 6-9 inches at birth

Weight: Approximately 500 to 850 grams (1.1 lbs to 1.9 lbs)

• Approx 100 grams at birth

Reproduction:

• Gives birth to only one or two extremely large offspring, which may be up to one-half the size of the mother.
• Incubation is 6 to 7 months.
• These lizards show a degree of parental care not observed in other lizards. The parents will actually protect the young in a group called a circus.
• This skink is ovoviviparous. The eggs are retained and hatched in the body of the mother instead of in a nest. This also occurs in some fish (e.g. rays), snakes (e.g. garters), and some insects.

Life Span:

• May exceed 15 to 20 years
• Are sexually mature by three years age

Ecology and Conservation

Status

• As with many tropical species, the extensive loss of forests is severely affecting Solomon Islands skinks. These skinks rely entirely upon the trees for food and shelter. Rarely do well in the new forest growth that takes over when the primary forest is felled. They need large mature trees draped in the leaves of a creeper Epipremnum pinnatum (known as the centipede tongavine) in order to survive.

• Because of their low reproductive rates, this species is at risk due to the pet trade and losses caused by predation by introduced  (invasive) species.
• The Solomon Islands government has regulated trade on these and other reptiles to help avoid endangerment.

Life History

• Unlike other skinks these animals are arboreal, spending little time on the ground.
• Prehensile-tailed skinks are usually found in the oldest trees in the primary forest.

• Solomon Island skinks are primarily folivorous, eating the leaves of many varieties of plants. They also eat fruit, relying on scent to find food.
• These skinks are one of the few that are not able to cast off their tail in defence and later regenerate a new one.
• This skink is able to make a sharp hissing noise and can deliver a savage bite.
• It is nocturnal, spending the day curled up in a hollow tree trunk or hidden in dense foliage.

Compiled by Scott Gray and Jenna Harrison, Zoological Society of Manitoba

References:

Bristol Zoo, Sea World, Lincoln Park Zoo

Revised February 7, 2010

Snow Leopards February 7, 2010

SNOW LEOPARDS          Panthera uncia

We have 1.1 snow leopards at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.

Yashin (male):

• Born May 23, 1996

• We received him in December 2008, from the Papanack Park Zoo

Lhassa (female):

• Born July 11^th, 1994 in Granby, Quebec

• Came to us (from Granby) in December of 1997
• Between 2000-2005 she had 18 offspring, usually triplets but one time had quadruplets.

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Did you know?

The cats’ long, powerful hind limbs help the snow leopard leap more than 30 feet – 6 times its body length!

The snow leopard cannot make the low and intense “roars” of which the other big cats are capable. This is because its vocal fold is less developed than in other pantherines, lacking a thick pad of fibro-elastic tissue.

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General Information:

Status: Listed as Endangered

• Unfortunately the snow leopards numbers have been so reduced that the few remaining animals and populations are widely scattered.
• It is estimated that there are between 3,500 and 7,500 snow leopards left in the wild. It is very hard to have an exact count as their habitat is harsh and they are hard to spot.
• There are about 400 of these cats in zoos around the world according to ISIS

Threats:

• Demand for leopard pelts has been the main reason for its reduction or extermination in many regions.
• Traditional Asian medicine uses their bones and other body parts.
• Due to wars, hunting and competition with grazing livestock there is a decline in numbers of wild prey.
• Herdsmen who accuse the leopards of killing their livestock persecute them. The people, however, are actually causing the problem by bringing their livestock high up into the snow leopards’ range.
• Much of the snow leopard’s territory is along international borders, which does not make it easy for conservation of the species, since trans-boundary conservation efforts are complicated.

Distribution and Habitat:

• Arid alpine regions
• The snow leopard is restricted to the high mountain, from Afghanistan eastwards through the mighty Himalayas and north to western China and Mongolia. (Includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.)

Natural Diet:

• Over most of their range they hunt sheep, goats, marmots, and hares.
• In the Himalayas they eat blue sheep, ibex, and wild argali

Zoo Diet: Raw meat, rabbits, chickens

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Zoo Notes:

• Snow leopards have an average life span of 15 years; up to 19 in zoos.
• Snow leopards live a solitary life in the wild, except during the breeding season. Average of two-three young are born (range 1 to 5) after a gestation period of 90-100 days.
• The cubs become independent after about 18-22 months

Adaptations for living on a mountain:

• Well-developed chest
• Short forelimbs with large paws for walking on snow
• Long hind limbs for leaping
• Long flexible tail for balancing

Adaptations for cold weather:

• Enlarged nasal cavity
• Long fur with wooly undergrowth
• Thick furry tail for wrapping around body and face
• The fur on their bellies is up to 12 cm (nearly 5 in) long

Size:

• Snow leopards weigh between 75-120 pounds. Males average 45 – 55 kg and females average 35 – 40 kg.
• Body length ranges from 100 – 130 cm (39-51 inches)
• Tails measure almost as long as their bodies (length: 80 – 100 cm (32-39 inches))

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References:

www.arkive.com , www.snowleopard.org , www.snowleopardconservancy.org , www.waza.org

Compiled by Scott Gray and Jenna Harrison; February 7th, 2010

Manitoba Biodiversity February 4, 2010

Here are a couple of good biodiversity articles. The first one focuses on biodiversity issues from a Manitoba perspective:

http://www.keewatin.ca/Media/Manitoba.pdf

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The second one is an article by Bob Wrigley, the Assiniboine Park Zoo’s Curator. It’s a great introduction to biodiversity around the province with a historical context. Here’s a quick excerpt:

“There are 635 vertebrate (back-boned) animals, over 31,000 invertebrates (“lower” animals), 2433 plants, 800 lichens (a symbiotic association of fungi and algae), 3000 fungi, and a staggering 36,000 algae in Manitoba; certain of these figures will continue to rise with new studies.“

Please click here to read the full article: Buzzword Biodiversity

Polar Run February 4, 2010

The Zoological Society of Manitoba is looking for runners and walkers to participate in its annual Polar Run, which will be held this year on Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 8:30 am. All proceeds going towards the Polar Bear Conservation Fund in Tribute to Debby.

You can run, sprint, jog, walk, lop, hip-pity-hop, amble, bound, break, canter, dart, dash, gallop, lope, pace, race, rush, scamper, scuttle, spring, sprint, trot or even whisk your way along the paths of the Assiniboine Park Zoo. You will be supporting polar bear conservation and education programs at the zoo and supporting a healthy lifestyle.

You can choose from the 3K, 5K and 10K runs.

Early bird registration (until March 1st) is only $20. Regular registration is $25. The registration fee for children under the age of 13 is only $10, anytime.

Please visit www.zoosociety.com or the Running Room for more information.

Race Kit Pickup:

Wednesday, March 17th
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Kenaston Running Room
Kenaston Village Mall
1875 Grant Avenue Winnipeg, MB

Extra Information Added February 8, 2010:

The Zoological Society of Manitoba is now looking for volunteers for our 2nd Annual Polar Run on March 21^st, 2010.

The run takes place at the Assiniboine Park Zoo at 8:30 am and volunteers are requested to arrive between 7:45 am and 8:00 am for a brief orientation before the race.

We need volunteers to help with on-site registration, refreshments and be race marshals.  If you would like more information please contact Tricialynn at 982 0669 or email tzacharias@zoosociety.com

Jim and Lynda Daun

(aka Flotsom and Jetsom)

Zoo Day Camp Registration Has Begun February 3, 2010

Registration forms are now available for Spring and Summer Zoo Camp at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. These program normally sell out so getting your children booked early is recommended. If you’re child has never been to zoo camp, don’t let them miss out on a wonderfully unique venue for day camp.

The Zoological Society of Manitoba’s goal is to provide a unique forum for education about wildlife and wild places through hands-on activities, nature treks, animal discovery and behind-the-scenes tours, all while providing an exciting and enriching place to meet new friends and have fun.

Registration forms can be downloaded HERE

You can also call the Zoo Education Department at 204-982-0664 or email zooeducation@zoosociety.com

Zoo Day Camps:

Get immersed in “Animal Antics” while you learn to protect wildlife and nature!

Zoo day camps provide a unique opportunity for animal discovery and active learning. Take part in enrichment & entertainment, learning & laughter, animal encounters, zoo tours and eco-projects. 2010’s theme is Bravo for Biodiversity.

Spring Zoo Camp

March 29 to April 1, 2010

Ages 6 – 9

Zoo Member Fee: Full week: $120.75 or $32.55/day

Non-Member Fee: Full week: $136.50 or $36.75/day

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Summer Zoo Camp

July 5 to September 3, 2010

Ages 6 – 13

Zoo Member Weekly Fee: $147

Non-Member Weekly Fee: $168

($120.75 and $136.50 for the week of August 3 – 6)

(There are no single days options for summer)

All camps run 9 am – 4 pm

Drop-off between 8:30 and 9 am / Pick-up between 4 and 4:30 pm

African Dwarf Crocodiles February 1, 2010

African dwarf crocodiles were recently discussed on Zoo Knew (heard Sundays at 7:15 am on CJOB 68 AM). Here’s a recap:

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African Dwarf Crocodiles

Osteolaemus tetraspis

At The Zoo:

• We have 2.0 African dwarf crocodiles at the Assiniboine Park Zoo
• Dirk and Dagger were both born in 1994, making them 16 years old this year
• Dirk is the smaller of the two
• They are near their maximum length (5 feet long (1.5 meters)), and weigh around 50 pounds.

General Information about African Dwarf Crocodiles:

Status:

• They are listed as vulnerable but the IUCN. This is due to habitat destruction and over hunting (they are used as food and killed for their hides).

Distribution and Habitat:

• Live in swamps and slow-moving streams in tropical rainforest and savannah of west-central Africa.
• Dwarf crocodiles range across tropical lowland regions of sub-Saharan West Africa and West Central Africa (from Senegal and Central African Republic south to Uganda and Angola).

Natural Diet:

• Mainly fish, but will also eat frogs, crabs and other small aquatic animals.
• During the dry season dwarf crocodiles will switch to eating crustaceans.

Zoo Diet:

• Their zoo diet is mainly fish offered every Sunday at 2:00pm, but they also enjoy mice and rats as a treat.

Size:

African dwarf crocodiles are the smallest crocodiles.

• Maximum male weight: 80kg (176lbs)
• Maximum female weight: 20kg (44lbs)
• Length does not exceed 2 meters (6.5 ft) although they rarely reach 1.6m (5ft)

By contrast, the saltwater crocodile is the largest crocodilian and the largest living reptile, reaching weights up to 2,000 pounds and lengths up to 20 feet.

Zoo Notes:

• There are 23 species of “crocodilians”. These include crocodiles, gavials, alligators and caimans.
• It is one of the most-heavily armoured of crocodiles, with bony plates throughout the skin, even the eyelid.
• The snout is short and rather blunt. The 4^th tooth on the bottom jaw is exposed on the crocodile, but hidden in alligators.
• Juveniles have light brown banding on the body and tail and yellowish patterns on the head.
• Emerging to feed at night in the water and on land, it spends the day hidden in a burrow.
• African dwarf crocs are generally solitary. Mating pairs come together during the rainy season.
• An average of 10 eggs (laid in a mound of vegetation) take about 100 days to hatch.
• The mother not only builds a nest for her offspring, she remains close by after they hatch to defend the young from predators. She will even escort them from the nest to the water’s edge.
• The young measure 28 cm in length when hatched. Young crocodiles tend to feed on aquatic insects, crustaceans and small fish and begin to feed on more vertebrates as they grow.
• Life span in zoo may exceed 60 years.

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Croco-fun:

A group of crocodiles is called a float. Crocodiles are ambush predators that often float just below the water’s surface, waiting for fish and other prey to come close enough to catch.

Here’s a fun (pretend) recipe for a Crocodile Float from “Didyano?“, by Timothy D. Thomas. In a large bowl add:

• 2 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 2 large scoops of mint chocolate ice cream
• ginger ale
• chocolate syrup topping
• 2 crocodiles
• a cherry to top it off

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References: Arkive, IUCN, Zoo Reference Library

Compiled by Scott Gray, Jenna Harrison and Jesse Kindzierski / Revised February 1, 2010

Breakfast Television Visit February 1, 2010

Jenna and I gathered up a whole bunch of the zoo education department’s “creepy crawlies” and headed over for an early morning visit to the Breakfast Television studios this past Thursday. We joined Jon Ljunberg for an on-air segment highlighting our Zoo Tots program for children aged 3 and 4. Jon is a big supporter of the Assiniboine Park Zoo and we were thrilled to creep him out a bit with some of our less than cuddly but super fun animal friends.

In the picture below, Jenna is holding a rat while I’ve got a giant South American cockroach on my shoulder. We also brought a tortoise, a tarantula, a snake, a skink and giant land snails. We really enjoyed the visit and the show staff were wonderful. I was also encouraged but the large number of people that mentioned that they saw the segment. If you are interested in any of the information we talked about regarding Zoo Tots, please visit our website at www.zoosociety.com

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This picture is copyright by Breakfast Television and can be found at: http://www.btwinnipeg.ca/extras/photos/media.jsp?content=20100128_133309_11188

Canadian Lynx January 31, 2010

Chris Reid and I talked about lynx this morning on our weekly radio segment called Zoo Knew (listen at 7:15 am every Sunday on CJOB 68 AM). Here is a quick summary:

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We have six Canadian lynx at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Our elder pair is a male named Oscar (born in 1994) and a female named Ella (born in 1993).

• Lynx have a lifespan of 15 – 20 years.

Our breeding pair includes a male (born in 2004) named Bizhiw, which is a Cree word for “lynx” and a female (born in 2006) named Shy-anne.

Shy-anne and Bizhiw had four offspring in 2009. Each kitten was named, in Cree, after one of the four directions (east, west, …)

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Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) are closely related to the bobcat (Lynx rufus), which we have also exhibited at the zoo for many years. Both species are related to the endangered Iberian lynx and to the Eurasian lynx.

Canadian lynx can be identified by their black-tipped ears, their short black-tipped tail, long gray fur, long tufts (ruff) of fur around their face and chin, feet covered with fur, a short body and long legs.

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Canadian lynx are ambush predators, lying in wait at night for snowshoe hare, their favourite prey, to pass by.

Lynx are generally found in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska as well as ranging the Rocky mountains.

Lynx Size:

• Range in weight from 8 to 14 kg (males are larger)
• Stand approximately 60 cm tall
• Are approximately 90 cm long

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Compiled by Scott Gray with references from Canadian Geographic, Hinterland Who’s Who and the book “Great Cats – Majestic Creatures of the Wild“

Photo available here: http://assiniboinepark.ca/media/animals/pdf/Lynx_Can_23.75×18.pdf

Woodpeckers January 27, 2010

The Canadian Wildlife Federation recently announced that of the 14 species of woodpeckers in Canada, four are listed as “at-risk nationally”. Twelve are listed as “at-risk” in at least one province. Woodpeckers and other birds are facing a series of pressures on their populations including pesticide use (which poisons their prey), competition from starlings for nesting sites, climate change and loss of standing dead trees (or dead parts of living trees).

Here is some great information on how to help backyard birds survive the winter from Canadian Wildlife Federation’s backyard habitat program.

“Sunflower seeds will attract purple finches, cardinals, goldfinches, grosbeaks, juncos, chickadees, nuthatches, and many other birds. Black oil sunflower seeds are especially good due to their higher oil and calorie content. There are also plenty of commercial birdseed mixes available, but be aware that mixes containing a high proportion of ingredients such as hulled oats, rice, peanut hearts, corn and wheat can bring in pests such as pigeons, starlings and house sparrows. Suet provides a high-energy food source for woodpeckers, nuthatches and other insect-eating birds, helping them survive the harsh winter season. Just don’t leave it out in warmer weather; one study showed that partially melted fat caused problems for woodpeckers, causing matting and a loss of facial feathers. Do not put out salty, mouldy, or sugary foods.”

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If you would like to see a woodpecker at the zoo, we have a pileated woodpecker that lives with two Steller’s jays next the Native Bird Building.  You can also see downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers in Assiniboine Park and Forest. For a full list of birds in Assiniboine Park, CLICK HERE.