Virginia Zoo: Herpetarium

I love a good herpetarium.  So much beauty in one place. Images from the Reptile House at the Virginia Zoo.

Fiji Banded Iguana

King Cobra

Smallwoods Anole

Green Tree Python

Speckled Rattlesnake

Plumed Basilisk

Monkey-tailed Skink

Utila Island Iguana

Red Pygmy Rattlesnake

Eyelash Viper

Cane Brake Rattlesnake & Water Moccasin (Cottonmouth)

Ethiopian Mountain Adder

Green and Black Poison Dart Frogs

Anthony's Poison Dart Frog

Red-eyed Tree Frogs

Mint Poison Dart Frogs

Siamese Crocodile

Iranian Newt

Guyana Caiman Lizard

Peruvian Red-tailed Boas

Baron's Green Racer

Jamaican Iguana

Gray's Monitor Lizard

Metro Escalators, Washington, DC

Bethesda

Woodley Park - Zoo

Union Station, Washington, DC

Virginia Zoo: Okavango Delta, part 5

The path away from (or toward, depending on how you start your journey) the elevated holding complex for most of the large mammals in the Okavango Delta habitats of the Virginia Zoo traces a loop around the large open space shared by the Masai Giraffe, Common Ostriches and Yellow-backed Duikers.  As it turns back toward the entrance, on the outer side there are a pair of habitats.  Today these are homes to two species: the Red River Hog and the Cheetah.

The original use of the Cheetah Habitat was as a home for Baboons.  As species go, Baboons are not common in North American Zoos, and when the last member of the troop died off, the space was left open until an arrangement with the Metro Richmond Zoo brought a pair of male Cheetahs to Norfolk.  The Metro Richmond Zoo is home to one of the most successful Cheetah breeding programs in the continent.  In the past 6 years over 40 cubs have been born there, and apart from the zoo itself, the Metro Richmond Zoo has a large Cheetah habitat facility that recent went from 10 spacious enclosures to 15.  There success has actually created something of a glut of Cheetahs for zoos and given them the opportunity to send animals to other zoos for holding and potential breeding.  The two males at the Virginia Zoo are brothers Chester and Rico.  Often loners in the wild, the only exception tends to be same sex siblings which will travel together for mutual protection and support.

The Virginia Zoo's Red River Hog is male, Oboi.  They are really beautiful members of the swine family, and Oboi is like a best of show ambassador for his species.

Beyond this is the expansive habitat that home to the Watusi Cattle and Hartmann's Mountain Zebra with the view off to the African Lions.

Virginia Zoo: Okavango Delta, part 4

On the other side of the holding complex are the aforementioned series of habitats for the zoo's Eastern Mountain Bongos.  They share this space with a pair of Stanley Cranes and some Egyptian Geese.

I'll be honest, the Bongo heard at the Virginia Zoo baffles me a little.  The website claims that there currently 6 members of the herd: a bull male named Bob, three mature females named Betty, Juni & Jesi; and two yearling calves, one male, Baxter, and one female, Joy.  On this visit there were four out: Bob, who is easy to identify, and three females (two of whom were adolescent).  The mature female was obviously pregnant.  The younger pair never stood up.  I don't know when a male's coat turns dark.  I suppose it is possible that the two resting Bongo were Joy and Baxter...  During a previous visit, I encountered Bob and no fewer that 6 other adult females.  Clearly, Bob is prolific.  Clearly the zoo has either sent some of their Bongo elsewhere or have an offsite facility to accommodate the overflow.  They have a good relationship with the Metro Richmond Zoo.  That zoo has a couple of herds of Eastern Bongo with numbers close to 20.  It wouldn't surprise me that when animals get to be a certain age, they are transferred to Richmond, a zoo with tremendous amounts of extra space, and large numbers--dozens of species--African of herbivores.  Clearly they go somewhere.  Clearly Bob keeps the newborns coming.

All of this notwithstanding, you have to agree, they are beautiful animals.

Virginia Zoo: Okavango Delta, Part 3

Beyond the side of the holding structure where the Southern White Rhinoceros are found the pathway in the form of a raised boardwalk continues creating a narrow wooded series of habitats on the outside, and overlooking a large multi-species habitat on the inside.  The raised boardwalk also has a couple of covered cabanas convenient on sunny hot days and warm or even cool rainy days.

The inside habitat is home to a trio of Masai Giraffe.  Of the three species of giraffe found in North American Zoos, the Masai is the second most common.  Along with the giraffe are a pair of Common Ostriches, the male has the black and white plumage while the female's is brown.  And a trio of Yellow-backed Duikers.  On this visit the Duikers were no en casa.

The last time I visited the zoo was home to 4 Masai Giraffe.  The bull is a 17-year-old male named Billy.  There are two adults females: Noel and Imara, and Iggy was Noel & Billy's 1.5-year-old female offspring.  Iggy was moved to the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York to join their herd of a male and female and eventually give her the opportunity to breed and diversify the genetic pool.  The move was precipitated by the pending birth a new calf by Imara.  In October, Imara gave birth to a baby boy.  Unfortunately, he failed to thrive and died two weeks after his birth.  In the wild, he surely would have died within hours.

Imara.

Noel

Billy

Another view of the habitat

Jack, the male Common Ostrich, getting a drink.  During my last visit, I was privileged to arrive just as Jack and Gobbles (the female) were "getting it on".  Have you ever watched Ostriches fuck?  It's a sight to behold!  

Smithsonian National Zoo: Zoolights Festival 2018