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Meet the Animals: Below are some of the amazing animals that star in our outreach presentations and birthday celebrations.
Click on the pictures to see a larger view then click the back arrow to get back to this page. A complete list of our presentation
and exhibit animals is found on the bottom of the page. If you have an interest in having specific animals for your presentation
let us know and we will bring them when possible.
Murray River Turtles - Emydura macquarrii
House names : Sydney, Brody,
and Petunia
Description : Murray river turtles have an olive or brown carapace (upper shell). Adult shell length may reach 12 inches.
Range : Southeastern Australia from south-central Queensland to northern Victoria and southeastern South Australia
Habitat : Murray river turtles are found in large rivers and lagoons.
Diet: Wild: Fish, aquatic worms, crustaceans, insects, and aquatic plants Zoo: turtle pellets, earthworms, crickets, minnows
Reproduction: Following breeding females lay a clutch of 6-24 eggs in a riverbank during the months of Oct. to Dec.These eggs hatch in about 66-85 days.
References:
Ernst, Carl H. and Roger W. Barbour. 1989. Turtles of the World.Smithsonian
Institution Press, Washington D.C.
Cogger, Harold G. 1994. Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia Fifth Edition.Reed
Books, Chatswood.
Wilson, Steve and Gerry Swan. 2003. A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Reed New
Holland, Sydney.
House name : Kraken
Description : Alligator snapping turtles have a rough, brown or gray carapace (upper shell) with three high keels. An adult shell length may reach 31 inches, with a record weight of 251 lbs.
Range : Mississippi River valley from Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois to the Gulf and from southeastern Georgia and northern Forida to east Texas
Habitat : Alligator snapping turtles are mostly found in the deep water of rivers, lakes, and canals
but are sometimes found in ponds or brackish water.
Diet: Wild: Fish, worms, crustaceans, insects, frogs, snakes, turtles, and aquatic plants Zoo: turtle pellets, earthworms, crickets, minnows
Reproduction: Alligator snapping turtles breed from Feb. to May. Nesting takes place from Apr. to July with females laying a single clutch of 8-52 eggs up to 50 meters from the water. These eggs hatch in about 100-140days.
Fun Fact : This turtle ambushes its prey by lying on the river bottom with its mouth open wiggling a pink, wormlike appendage on its tongue. As fish enter the mouth to prey on the apparent worm, the turtle snaps its jaw shut with incredible force.
References:
Ernst, Carl H. and Roger W. Barbour. 1989. Turtles of the World.Smithsonian
Institution Press, Washington D.C.
Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. 1998. A field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the Eastern and Central
North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.
Collins, Joseph T. and Travis Taggart. 2002. Standard
Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians (Fifth Edition
2002).
Description : Eastern box turtles have a keeled, elongated, high-domed carapace that may reach lengths of up to 8 inches. The carapace is brown with variable patterns or yellow or orange. Most males have red eyes while most females have yellow or brown eyes.
Range : Southern Maine south through Georgia and west to Michigan, Illinois, and Mississippi.
Habitat : Eastern box turtles are found mostly in open woodlands, but can also be found in pastures and marshy meadows.
Diet: Wild: Slugs, snails, worms, crustaceans, insects, frogs, salamanders, lizards, snakes, carrion, and plant matter Zoo: chopped vegetable/fruit diet, earthworms, crickets, minnows, and an occassional rodent
Reproduction: Eastern box turtles breed from spring through autumn. Nesting takes place from May to July with females laying multiple clutches of 3-8 eggs in sandy or loamy soil.These eggs hatch in about 75-90days. Female box turtles have been known to lay fertile eggs up to four years after breeding.
Fun Fact : The box turtle derives its name from its ability to close its shell up tightly like a box. This is due to hinged plates on its plastron (lower shell) that allow the turtle to close its limbs and head inside its shell. This gives it excellent protection from predators.
References:
Ernst, Carl H. and Roger W. Barbour. 1989. Turtles of the World.
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.
Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. 1998. A field
Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.
Collins, Joseph T. and Travis Taggart. 2002. Standard
Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians (Fifth Edition
2002).
Wood Turtle - Glyptemys insculpta (Clemmys insculpta)
Description : Wood turtles have a gray or brown carapace (upper shell) which rmay reach up to 9 inches in length. The plastron (lower shell) is yellow with dark spots on each scute. The skin is dark brown usually with red or orange pigmentation on the back of the neck and front legs.
Range : Nova Scotia south to northern Virginia and west to southern Ontario and from New York to northeastern Ohio, Michigan, eastern Minnesota, and northern Iowa.
Habitat : Wood turtles are mostly terrestrial. They can be found is deciduous forests, woodland bogs, and marshy fields.
Diet: Wild: Mollusks, worms, insects, carrion, and plant matter Zoo: chopped vegetable/fruit diet, earthworms, crickets, minnows, and an occassional rodent
Reproduction: Wood turtles breed from March to OCt. Nesting takes place from May to June with females laying a clutch of 4-18 eggs in sandbars, riverbanks, or hillsides, which hatch in about 58-80 days.
Fun Fact : Wood turtles have a unique method of hunting worms. They have been known to stomp their front feet on the ground to imitate the sound of rain. This causes the worms to surface where they are quickly eaten.
References:
Oldfield, Barney and John
J. Moriarty. 1994. Amphibians & Reptiles Native to Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.
Ernst, Carl
H. and Roger W. Barbour. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.
Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. 1998. A field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the Eastern and Central
North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.
Collins,
Joseph T. and Travis Taggart. 2002. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles,
Reptiles, and Crocodilians (Fifth Edition 2002).
Red-footed Tortoise - Geochelone
carbonaria
Description : Red-footed tortoises have a highly domed, black carapace with the center of each scute being orange. Adults have a carapace that may reach lengths of up to 20 inches. The head scales are yellow, orange, or red with dark jaws. The front scales of the forelimbs have large red scales present.
Range : Panama, Columbia, Venezuela, the Guianas to Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina
Habitat : Red-footed tortoises are found in moist savannahs and humid forests.
Diet: Wild: grasses, succulents, fallen fruits, and carrion Zoo: chopped vegetable/fruit diet, and an occassional earthworm or rodent
Reproduction: Red-footed tortoises breed and nest throughout the year with females laying multiple clutches of 2-15 eggs.
References:
Ernst, Carl H. and Roger W. Barbour.
1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.
Yellow-footed Tortoise
- Geochelone denticulata Description: The largest tortoise on the mainland
of South America with a carapace up to 32 inches. The head scales are are yellow or orange with dark jaws. The
limbs have large yellow scales present. Range: Venezuela, Guiana to Brazil and throughout
the Amazon Basin Habitat: Found in the tropical rainforest Diet: Wild: grasses, succulents, fallen fruits, and carrion Zoo: chopped vegetable/fruit
diet, and an occassional earthworm or rodent. References:
Ernst, Carl H. and Roger W. Barbour.
1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.
Description : Savannah monitors have more of a box shaped head compared to most other monitors. They are dark brownish gray with lighter spots on their back and sides.
Range :Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Ethiopia
Habitat : Savannah monitors occur in a variety of habitats including open woodland, savannah, and semi-desert regions.
Diet: Wild: worms, insects, frogs, lizards, snakes, birds, rodents, and carrion Zoo: earthworms, crickets, minnows, rodents, and a meat diet
Reproduction: Savannah monitor nesting takes place approximately 50-70 days after breeding. Females lay a clutch of 15-46 eggs in a burrow dug into the ground or the side of a termite mound. These eggs hatch in about 140-180days.
References:
Coborn, John. 1994. Savannah Monitors. T.F.H. Publications Inc., Neptune City.
Frilled Dragon - Chlamydosaurus kingii
House Name : Darwin
Description : Frilled dragons are a gray to reddish in color with a darker pattern on the body. The frill can have red or orange coloration.
Range : Northern regions of Western Austrailia and the Northern Territory, and northern and eastern regions of Queensland.
Habitat : Woodland and dry sclerphyll forest.
Diet : Wild: insects Zoo: crickets, mealworms, earthworms
Fun Fact : When threatened by predators, frilled dragons make themselves appear larger and more ferocious by expanding a large frill of skin up to a foot across around their head, and open-mouth gaping.
References:
Cogger, Harold
G. 1994. Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia Fifth Edition.Reed Books, Chatswood.
Wilson, Steve and Gerry
Swan. 2003. A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia.
Reed New Holland, Sydney.
Banded Basilisk - Basiliscus
vittatus
Range:
They are native to Central America but have also been introduced into Florida.
Diet:
Wild:Basilisks
prey on insects, small invertebrates, flowers, and small vertebrates. Zoo: Crickets
Fun Fact: Basilisks are also nicknamed the "Jesus Lizard" because when fleeing from a predator they can run so fast and have such long toes that they can run on top of the water.
Eastern Corn Snake - Elaphe guttatta
Description : The belly scales of the corn snake are checkered with black on whitish, while the back of the snake is orange with black bordered brown or reddish blotches. The record length is 72 inches.
Range : S. New Jersey to southern Florida and southern Louisiana
Habitat : Corn snakes are found in a variety of woodland habitats.
Diet: Wild: rodents, frogs, and bird eggs Zoo: rodents, meat diet
Fun Fact : This snake derives the name corn snake from the harvest corn pattern found on its belly scales.
References:
Conant, Roger
and Joseph T. Collins. 1998. A field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the Eastern and Central NorthAmerica.
HoughtonMifflinCompany, NewYork.
Collins, Joseph T. and
Travis Taggart. 2002. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles,
and Crocodilians (Fifth Edition 2002).
Dumeril's Boa - Acrantophis dumerili
Description : A heavy-bodied snake with a reddish- brown back fading to a gray color on the sides. Dark blotches are present on the sides conncting wtih a narrow band over the back. Large adults may reach seven feet in length.
Range : Primarily southern and south-western Madagascar and the Mascarene islands.
Habitat : arid regions to humid rain forests
Diet: Wild: rodents and birds Zoo: rodents, meat diet
Reproduction: Dumeril's boas breed from Oct. to Apr. giving birth to 2-21 young between May and Oct. .
References:
Glaw, Frank and Miguel Vences A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar Second Edition. 1994. Moos Druck, Leverkusen, and Farbo.
Koln.
Mehrtens, John M. Living Snakes of the World. 1987. Sterling Publishing
Co., Inc. New York
Ross, Richard
A. and Gerald Marzec. 1990. The Reproductive Husbandry of Pythons and Boas.
Institute for Herpetological Research. Stanford.
Boa Constrictor - Boa constrictor
Range: Boas
are found from northern Mexico to Argentina.
Diet: Wild:This boa feeds on large
lizards and small or moderate-sized birds and mammals. Zoo: Rats and mice.
Fun Fact: This species of boa has a large dark, brown spot
on the side of its head that it wants you to think is its eye to scare other animals, but really its eye is in front of the
dark spot.
Burmese Python (Python
molurus)
Description: Burmese pythons can reach a length of 28 ft. They are a heavy bodied with a pattern of large,
reddish brown blotches outlined in cream of gold overlay a ground color of pale tan, yellowish-brown or grey.
Region: North eastern India east through
southern People’s Republic of China and south through the Malay peninsula and East Indies.
Habitat: This snake has a wide variety of habitats, such
as grasslands, swamps, marshes, rocky foothills, woodlands, “open” jungle, and river valleys.
Diet: Wild: They mainly prey upon mammals, birds, and reptiles. Zoo:
Rodents are commonly fed.
Reproduction: They are oviparous
and can lay up to 100 eggs in one clutch. Females will incubate and protect her eggs.
Nelson's
Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni
Description : A red, black, and white banded snake reaching up to 42 inches
in length. They can be distinguished from other milksnakes and kingsnakes by their white snout scattered with black
pigment forward of their prefrontal scales, the remainder of the head scales are black. Generally the first black ring is
more than one scale length behind the angle of the jaw and is either incomplete or narrowly connected around the throat.Their
red and white scales lack black tips.These snakes possess 13-18 red rings.
Range : The Mexican states of Colima, Jalisco, Guanajuato,andMichoacan
Habitat : Tropical deciduous forests to more arid habitat, generally at lower elevations.
Diet: Wild: rodents, lizards, and snakes Zoo: rodents, meat diet
Reproduction: They are oviparous (egg-laying) snakes.
Fun Fact : Like other milksnakes and kingsnakes they mimic the red, yellow, and black coloration of the venomous coral snake to deter predators
References:
Markel,
Ronald G. 1990. Kingsnakes and Milksnakes. T.F.H. Publications Inc., Neptune City.
White's Treefrog - Litoria
caerulea
Description: A large treefrog
with a broad body. They are green with white spots and have enlarged parotoid glands.
Range: Northern Territory of Australia and southern New Guinea.
Diet: Wild: insects Zoo: earthworms and crickets
Reference:
Tyler, Michael J. and Margaret Davies.1986. Frogs of the Northern Territory. G.L.
Duffield, Government Printer.
Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)
Range: Atlantic lowlands and foothills from southern Veracruz
and northern Oaxaca, Mexico, southward
through Mexico, Guatemala,
and Belize to eastern Panama. It also occurs in the Pacific lowlands of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Description:
Can reach a total length of 2.75 in. The dorsal surfaces of the head, body, forearm, hind limbs, fingers and toes
are green often with white spots on the dorsum. The sides are bluish with three to eight vertical cream bars, and the venter
is cream.
Habitat:
This frog inhabits tropical, wet moist, and dry forest.
Diet: In the wild this frog feeds on insects and in captivity, crickets are the main source of food.
Reproduction:
Female lay 5 clutches of about 14-90 eggs under leaf litter
Fun Fact: Their bright colors can sometimes fool predators into believing
that they are poisonous.
Cuban Treefrog - Osteopilus septentrionalis
Description : Cuban treefrogs range from gray to tan in color, with breeding males taking on a bright yellow cloration, and have areas of darker mottling on the back and sides. Females may reach lengths of 5 1/2 inches while males are about half this size.
Range : They are native to Cuba and other Caribbean islands, but have been introduced into FL where they have been spreading northward, often as stow-aways on greenhouse plants.
Habitat : Cuban treefrogs occur in a variety of habitats including pinewoods, mesic-tropical hammocks, and urban areas to which they have rapidly adapted.
Diet: Wild: insects, smaller frogs Zoo: earthworms and crickets
Reproduction: They breed in the winter, spring, and summer with females laying up to 130 eggs which hatch out into tadpoles in two days.
Not So Fun Fact : Cuban treefrogs create real problems for the native treefrogs of FL often outcompeting them or even feeding on the smaller ones.
References:
Ashton, Ray E. Jr. and Patricia Sawyer Ashton. 1988. Handbook to the Reptiles
and Amphibians of Florida Part Three The Amphibians. Windward Publishing Inc. Miami
Bartlett, R.D. and Patricia
P. Bartlett. 1999. A Field Guide to Florida Reptiles
and Amphibians. Gulf Publishing Co. , Houston
Collins, Joseph T. and Travis Taggart. 2002. Standard Common
and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians (Fifth Edition 2002).
Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. 1998. A field
Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the Eastern and Central NorthAmerica. HoughtonMifflinCompany,NewYork.
Rad Zoo Animal List
Amphibians
Salamanders and Newts
1. Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum
2.
Peninsula Newt - Notophthalmus viridescens piaropicola 3. Paddle-tailed newt - Pachytriton brevipes 4. Narrow-striped
Dwarf Siren - Pseudobranchus axanthus
5. Fire Salamander
3. Paddle-tailed newt - Pachytriton brevipes
4. Narrow-striped
Dwarf Siren - Pseudobranchus axanthus
5. Fire Salamander
Frogs and Toads
1. American Toad - Bufo americanus
2. Great Plains Toad - Bufo cognatus
3. Cane Toad - Bufo marinus
4. Southern Toad - Bufo terrestris
5. Red-eyed Treefrog - Agalychnis callidryas
6. Green Treefrog - Hyla cinerea
7. Squirrel Treefrog - Hyla squirella
8. Cuban Treefrog - Osteopilus septentrionalis
9. White's Treefrog - Pelodryas caerulea
10. African Bullfrog
- Pyxicephalus adespersus
11. Leopard Frog
12. Green Frog
13. Wood Frog
14. Chubby Frog
Reptiles
Crocodilians1. American Alligator – Alligator mississippiensis
2. Dwarf Caiman - Paleosuchus palpebrosus