New Arrivals

Early Baby New Year

A new Virginia Zoo resident came into the world here Dec. 20, 2011, a baby Rio Cauca caecilian.

This was the first caecilian born at the Zoo. At just over 6 inches long, the baby caecilian has been moved off exhibit to a separate holding tank away from the adults. It’s still too early to tell if it is male or female. When it gets closer to adult size, it will be moved on exhibit, though that could take months.

Resembling large earthworms or small snakes, caecilians completely lack limbs and swim like an eel. Their skin is smooth and a dark-matte blue-grayish-brown in color. Their eyes are small and covered by skin for protection, and caecilians have poor eyesight, which is limited to light and dark perception, but have a great sense of smell.

Also referred to as "blue worms," the Rio Cauca caecilians are aquatic amphibians that give live birth in the water. They range from western and northern Colombia to the Lake Maracaibo Basin in Venezuela, where they live in drainage systems, rivers, marshes and lakes, thriving in polluted water.

African Crowned Crane Chicks

Two African crowned crane chicks were born August 22 and were introduced to their outdoor habitat in the Virginia Zoo's Africa – Okavango Delta exhibit in late September.

The chicks and their parents share their habitat at the Zoo with bongos, a large forest antelope. They still spend the night indoors, and will continue to do so until they are nearly full grown.

Named for what appears to be a crown of golden pins on their head, which are actually modified feathers, African crowned cranes are native to the savannah south of the Sahara. The birds stand just over 3 feet tall and weigh nearly 8 pounds, with the males tending to be slightly larger. They feed on insects and other invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals and seeds.

The African crowned crane is known for a breeding dance involving bowing and jumping. They build a nest platform from grass and other plants in wetland areas, laying a clutch of two to five eggs. Both males and females incubate the eggs for 28 to 31 days. Adult cranes catch food in their beaks and hold it out for the chicks to come and take.

Although common over much of its range, the African crowned crane’s habitat is threatened by drainage, overgrazing and pesticide pollution.

Updated 10/13/11

Tiny Elephants?

Two new baby rock hyrax were born July 6 and can now be seen with the four adults in the hyrax habitat, if you're stealthy enough...

If they see you coming, they may wedge themselves into a crevice to hide. Even the adults can be difficult to spot, because they sit high on the rocks and freeze in place. The babies are expected to develop similar behavior as they grow older.

Hyraxes come from Africa and the Middle East. They are small, heavy-set mammals. Adults range between 1 and 2 feet in length and weigh from 5 to 9 pounds. They eat a variety of plants, mainly grasses. Hyrax feet have rubbery pads with numerous sweat glands, which together form a kind of suction cup that helps their grip when climbing steep rocky surfaces. Their efficient kidneys retain water, helping them survive arid climates. Hyraxes live in small family groups dominated by a single adult male.

Hyraxes' ancestors gave rise to elephants and manatees, and modern hyraxes have many features in common with elephants, including excellent hearing, sensitive pads on their feet and good memory. Their upper incisors are enlarged, forming continuously growing tusks.

Updated 8/4/11

Smallest New Residents

Two tiny William's dwarf geckos hatched here July 7.

At roughly an inch long, they could be the smallest animals ever born at the Zoo. They have been moved to an enclosure off exhibit for rearing.

William's dwarf geckos are found only in the Kimboza Forest in eastern Tanzania and their habitat is rapidly shrinking due to deforestation. Adult males are bright blue – they are sometimes referred to as electric blue geckos – while females range from brown to bright green. Males can also turn brown when stressed by their environment.

Ranging from 2 to 4 inches in length, these geckos eat small insects and drink water from leaves. They make a variety of interesting social gestures, including puffing a throat pouch, head shaking, head bobbing and tail wagging.

Females lay a small number of pea-sized white eggs, which are stuck to a surface in a hidden location and hatch in 60 to 90 days.

Updated 8/4/11

New at the Virginai Zoo: Prairie Dog Pups!

The Virginia Zoo is delighted to announce the debut their new prairie dog pups.

The pups were likely born six weeks prior to emerging from their burrows May 29, 2011. Visitors can see the pups at the prairie dog habitat in the Zoo's North American exhibit, just outside of the barnyard.

Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents from the North American grasslands, primarily west of the Mississippi River. Black-tailed prairie dogs are resident at the Virginia Zoo, but there are four other species: white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. Ranging from 12 to 16 inches long and weighing 1 to 3 pounds, prairie dogs are herbivores, eating a variety of vegetables and fruits.

They are named for their warning call, which is similar to a dog's bark.

Tiny Hands, Tiny Feet, New Friends for You to Meet

Two new baby squirrel monkeys are now receiving visitors at the Virginia Zoo’s Exhibit Building.

Monkey mommies Marie and Madonna gave birth to Cheetah and Babalu Jan. 8 and 12, respectively. The tiny primates join their mothers, proud papa Jeebes and another adult female named Elvira. They are the 16th and 17th squirrel monkeys born at the Zoo since 1967.

Adult squirrel monkeys range from nine to nearly 14 inches, plus a 13 to 17-inch tail, and weigh in from one to just over two pounds. The males are usually larger. Squirrel monkeys are found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. They spend most of their time in trees and are primarily active during daylight hours. The tiny primates live together in groups of up to 500 males and females. Squirrel monkeys are omnivorous, eating primarily fruits and insects. They live roughly 15 years in the wild, but can reach 20 years old in captivity.

Squirrel monkeys have the proportionately largest brain of all primates, with a brain to body mass ratio of 1-to-17. Humans, by comparison, have a 1-to-35 ratio.

Updated 2/11/11

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