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urbpanI was watching a keeper at her job and asked her a dumb question, but one that showed that I was in the business. (I actually wanted to know the answer to the question: "Are you removing toxic plants, or cutting browse?" I wasn't just trying to show that I was cool guy who knows zoo jargon.) She explained what she was doing (cutting browse--though I never learned what the climbing ground cover she was cutting actually was) and asked if I worked in the field. Quite unexpectedly, Becky--a herp keeper--offered to give my dad and I a tour behind the scenes in the reptile area! Here's what we saw:
A Suriname toad, a bizarre looking amphibian with an even more bizarre form of reproduction. I'll let you google it--it gives some people the creeps just imagining it.
A pancake tortoise!
and its cage mate, a lizard of a species I've totally forgotten. Handsome devil, though!
Spectacularly beautiful baby star tortoises.
A huge Bufo marinus (Neotropical toad, marine toad, cane toad, etc.) These were introduced to Hawaii to help control sugar cane pests, but they aren't the huge problem they are in Australia. This individual found herself into one of the enclosures so the zoo decided to keep her. Then she developed some health problems and is recovering nicely from two major abdominal surgeries. She's easily bigger than my outstretched hand (damn, should have put something for scale in this picture!)
And my favorite. Favorite at the zoo, favorite all-time reptile, and the reason when I'm asked "If money were no object where's the one place on earth you would visit?" I always say "Komodo." Isn't she gorgeous?!
After we stood there for a while talking about her and admiring her, she decided to come a little closer. And me with open-toed shoes! All together this was a real highlight! The Honolulu Zoo is great--definitely the best I've been to. The people of Hawaii are lucky.
Thanks so much, Becky!
A Suriname toad, a bizarre looking amphibian with an even more bizarre form of reproduction. I'll let you google it--it gives some people the creeps just imagining it.
A pancake tortoise!
and its cage mate, a lizard of a species I've totally forgotten. Handsome devil, though!
Spectacularly beautiful baby star tortoises.
A huge Bufo marinus (Neotropical toad, marine toad, cane toad, etc.) These were introduced to Hawaii to help control sugar cane pests, but they aren't the huge problem they are in Australia. This individual found herself into one of the enclosures so the zoo decided to keep her. Then she developed some health problems and is recovering nicely from two major abdominal surgeries. She's easily bigger than my outstretched hand (damn, should have put something for scale in this picture!)
And my favorite. Favorite at the zoo, favorite all-time reptile, and the reason when I'm asked "If money were no object where's the one place on earth you would visit?" I always say "Komodo." Isn't she gorgeous?!
After we stood there for a while talking about her and admiring her, she decided to come a little closer. And me with open-toed shoes! All together this was a real highlight! The Honolulu Zoo is great--definitely the best I've been to. The people of Hawaii are lucky.
Thanks so much, Becky!
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