Archive for the ‘Hoofed Stock’ Category

May
21

The Mighty Blue Duiker

Posted by bschaefer in Animal Info,Funny,Hoofed Stock,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Primates

 

Anyone remotely following what’s going on at the Houston Zoo knows by now that dinosaurs will be visiting the zoo this summer.  You can’t miss the advertising.  There are billboards all over town, it’s posted on the website, and even the  zoo wide PA system give out a mighty roar to let everyone know the dino’s will be here soon!

Well, it seems all that great advertising didn’t get through to our golden lion tamarins (GLT’s) living at Natural Encounters.  Apparently we forgot to warn them about all the dinosaur excitement. But they found out in a big…or was that small…..way when we put them in the outdoor rainforest a few days ago. 

The GLT’s have been living in the indoor rainforest for a couple of months now because of work being done in the area and also because we introduced a blue duiker named Gouda to the outdoor rainforest area.  If you haven’t seen him yet, blue duikers are hoofed animals from Africa.

Hoofed animal, you think to yourself.  That could mean anything from the fairly small Thompson’s gazelle to something like the might eland.  Well, blue duikers are on the smaller end of the hoofed stock size scale. Fairly diminutive really. Tiny even.  Gouda stands a towering 13 inches at the shoulder and weighs in at all of 7 pounds. 

Here at Natural Encounters, whenever we introduce a new animal to a mixed species exhibit we usually take it slowly, adding one species at a time for the new kid to meet and get used to.  We thought the GLT’s would be a pretty simple introduction with Gouda because these monkeys are generally fairly laid back and not aggressive to the other animals.

When the GLT’s first spotted Gouda they were a bit unsure but curious.  They can be territorial so they are always wary of new animals in their home.  But Gouda did not seem at all bothered by these bright orange monkeys watching him so he decided to get up and go for a stroll.  As luck would have it, with unplanned, yet impeccable timing, the dinosaur roar on the PA system went off  just as the monkeys were warily watching Gouda getting up. The huge roar combined with this new thing actually moving was more than they could take.   The GLT’s are now quite sure that this tiny animal has a mighty roar and clearly should not be in their area.  They spent the rest of the day vocalizing angrily at an indifferent Gouda.

It was an amusing moment for the staff, if not for the GLT’s.  Only time will tell if we can convince the monkeys that Gouda is not a roaring, fearsome creature, but hopefully his sweet ways and gentle eyes will win them over in the end.

Mar
19

Watch LIFE

Posted by Rochelle Joseph in Amphibians,Birds,Carnivores,Conservation,Endangered,Events,Hoofed Stock,Mammals,Marine Mammals,Primates,Reptiles

“We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.”

—H.G. Wells

When the extraordinary Planet Earth series debuted on TV in February 2007, it grabbed attention around the world. 65 million of us had a regularly scheduled date in the living room for 11 weeks in a row, and sat riveted by breathtaking photography and the miracle of nature. Shot in the fairly new medium of HD, it took us to places and allowed us to bear witness to things we’d never seen before.  Everyone everywhere was talking about it — at the dinner table, via e-mail and around the water cooler (imagine, no one was tweeting yet!).

Starting this Sunday, March 21, Discovery Channel and the producers of Planet Earth bring us a new series called LIFE. Last night I was invited to watch a screening of the first episode, Challenges of Life, at the Landmark River Oaks Theatre, hosted by Target and BBC.  It is a particularly dramatic theme: The instinct to survive inherent in all living things and their ability to adapt to sustain the species.

LIFE, Discovery Channel's new series to begin this coming Sunday night

LIFE, Discovery Channel's new series to begin this coming Sunday night

Narrated by Oprah Winfrey, the visuals remain spectacular, the stories engaging and the educational value excellent.  With this first ep covering foxes, whales, seals, reptiles, insects, plant life, primates, octopi, big cats, hippos and more, there is something for everyone.  Standouts to me were the way a small population of common bottle nose dolphins have learned to teach fish to jump right into their mouths, the lengths that a strawberry poison dart frog mother goes to ensure her babies grow and thrive, and how a primate species use tools.  With the latter, it’s at once uncanny and unsettling to see their arms and legs making the exact same motions as our own, and their faces frown and show the same exasperation as we do in learning how to wield a large rock as a hammer.

This strawberry poison dart frog is an immensely dedicated mother

This strawberry poison dart frog is an immensely dedicated mother

All show considerable intelligence and drive that can only encourage new or heightened respect for the creatures we share the planet with. While these examples take place in exotic locales, it can’t help but remind us that to those who take the time to look, there is drama and spectacle going on all around us, all the time — in any tree or on a simple blade of grass.

It makes you think twice about burying yourself in your hand held device 24/7.  Hopefully.

Overall, the subject matter is nothing short of motivating.  Simply by making it this easy and appealing to explore the world we live in at a deeper level, the conclusion is this: We live in a gorgeous, fantastic, miraculous, wonder filled world. As the dominant species, we should and must do everything in our power to conserve and preserve it and all that lives.  There is nothing like the awe inspired by a show like LIFE to jolt us awake to this fact, and fuel a passionate desire to honor and protect our forests, oceans, plains, and mountain ranges, and all of their inhabitants.

Now there’s something to tweet about.

polar

So clear your schedule to again be enchanted, amazed and inspired, brought to you by mother nature… and the producers at BBC and Discovery Channel! 

LIFE starts this Sunday, March 21, on Discovery Channel. It runs through April 18 and treats us to double episodes each time (8-10PM ET/PT). And stay tuned after the final show on April 18 for a special called, The Making of LIFE at 10 PM.images

Written by Rochelle Joseph. Visit me at my animal and nature blog at:www.naturegirrrl.blogspot.com

Thank you to Discovery Channel and BBC for all photos but the dart frog from Michigan Science Art.

Jun
22

When in Rome, Call Them Camelopards

Posted by admin in Featured,Giraffes,Hoofed Stock,Mammals

The giraffes are pretty hard to miss here at the Houston Zoo, and even in the wild, for that matter. Being as they are the tallest mammals in the world, certainly their tall necks, looming above everyone and everything else, are the first things visible to guests at their exhibit.

There is much more to giraffes than meets the eye.

There is much more to giraffes than meets the eye.

Giraffes seem so docile and friendly, and well, they really…are, even in the wild. Most animal species’ males attack and gore each other while in competition for a mate; giraffes only slam their huge necks into one another, rarely harming their foe. And how do they end these oh so “terrible” fights? Well, one of them gets so sick of it that…he turns around and walks away.

From birth, baby giraffes need to hit the ground running to survive in the wild, literally. Mom gives birth standing up, baby falls over five feet to the ground, 30 minutes later he or she can stand up, and, finally, a mere ten hours later, the little guy or girl is off and running with Mom. How’s that for no-nonsense parenting?

These animals’ large size, a benefit for many reasons, makes bending down to quench their thirst quite tricky (think about it! that neck!) and leaves them wide open to an attack from behind. But hey, that’s okay, because due to their leafy diet, giraffes only have to get a drink once every few days.

Tallest Mammal in the World

Tallest Mammal in the World

But perhaps the most unique thing about these “camelopards,” as they were once called by Ancient Romans, who believed they were a cross between a camel and a leopard, is that they sleep for just 30 minutes every day! Because in the wild they must be constantly aware of approaching predators, they only take five-minute naps about six times daily. Maybe these guys’ true coolest feature should be that they aren’t constantly cranky!

Writer: Stefanie Hanselka

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