Internship Reflections

Looking back on this summer, I spent 46 days at the zoo, worked 366 hours, prepared over 1000 salads, and helped clean up and wash over 2000 salad bowls. While the numbers are fun to look at, this summer cannot be summed up in a couple of statistics. My experience this summer is hard to quite describe effectively in words, but it was absolutely amazing. I finally found a place where I could wake up every morning (usually before the sun was fully up) with a smile on my face and with excitement to go to work, where I also left every day with a smile on my face and excitement to go back again. Working at a zoo is hard work, you get dirty, sweaty, and exhausted, but I still loved every minute of it. I think that one of the keys to happiness in life, regardless of what you are doing, is to do what you love and love what you do. That way, even if the work is hard, or if a task is daunting, you are still happy to do it and love the job along the way. Since I practically grew up at the Saint Louis Zoo, I had always had a childhood fantasy of being a zookeeper. Sometimes I found myself smiling in the middle of a task because it would sink in again that I am doing what I have always wanted to do. While I know that one day I will be working near/on a beach with sea turtles, I loved being able to spend time in the zoo world. This internship has even made me consider returning to the zoo world in the future.

Not only did I learn about many different species of animals, I feel as if I grew as a person this summer as well. I gained confidence as a biologist and even consider myself a growing herpetologist now too. This experience helped me discover what I really want to do for a Master's degree and it has opened the doors for future travel and even career options. Without this internship I would have never realized some of the biology opportunities that I now plan on pursuing.

I also was reminded of some valuable life lessons:

• You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
• This summer I realized how true this saying is. When I went on the behind the scenes tour last summer with the giant tortoises, I had no idea that I was meeting my future manager. I did not think of much more than hanging out with giant tortoises for a while. Yet, from our brief conversations, I came off as a responsible, hard-working, passionate biology student. That first impression drastically aided in me getting this internship. 
• Don't be afraid to ask questions.
• If you don't know something, ask. Asking questions shows that you want to understand and that you care about learning. Sometimes asking a simple questions leads to a very meaningful and in depth conversation that leads to a wealth of knowledge. Asking questions is important to facilitate your own learning.
• Ask to do things.
• What I mean by this is ask to be involved. Ask questions for knowledge, but don't be afraid to ask if you can help with or do something. I was able to go to the animal hospital twice and quarantine just because I asked to do so and showed interest. By asking to do more than just the daily intern chores, I got to take part in other activities,  such as feedings and remodeling enclosures. This is important in more than just internships though.  I have found that if you show true interest in something and ask to get involved, then doors will open up. There are so many opportunities that are opening up for me just because I ask, and when presented with an opportunity I take it.
• Networking
• While career success is directly dependent to a degree and past work, I feel that it also helps to know the right people. I understood the power of networking with this internship, but was also reminded of it during the symposium I went to. By talking with people with similar interests and expressing my future plans, I now have a list of people that I can contact in the future about getting involved in their research or in their organization. 
• Be passionate about what you do.
• This ties back to what I said earlier. Find a career path you are passionate about and then follow it. As someone who is passionate about conservation and animals, it was amazing to be in a work environment focused on animals and conservation while being surrounded by people with the same interests. Having a job (or even hobby) that you are passionate about is a key to happiness.
• Be curious and stay curious.
• Being curious ties into asking questions, but I feel that it goes deeper than just that. Being curious leads to knowledge and therefore growth. Just because formal schooling may end, it does not mean that learning does. I heard someone say this summer that you should do something as long as you are learning and if you reach a point where you are not learning anything else, find something new. I was also told by someone that I met at the symposium to "stay curious". As someone who is young and is watching a world of opportunities open up, staying curious is easy. As careers get more solidified I'm sure it may seem harder to stay curious. Staying curious though allows you to stay engaged, find opportunities, and never stop learning.

I am sad that these last four months went by so fast, but I am incredibly thankful for the time I did have as an intern. I am also so thankful for the support of my family, faculty members at UNF, and the staff at the herpetarium for making me 'part of the family' and taking the time to truly teach me about the animals, conservation issues, and how things work at the zoo (just to name a few). This internship has helped prepare me for my future career and helped me discover that I am a herpetologist at heart as well as a marine biologist and conservationist. I have many stories and memories from this summer to carry with me and share with others. I am sad to move on, but I am also excited to see what new adventures will come my way!

Baby Snake Birth Announcement!

Back on August 16th, I wrote about watching a snake give birth. If you missed that blog: day-44-baby-snakes. Now since there has been a public announcement from the zoo, I can now happily inform you that the nine baby snakes are Ocellate Mountain Vipers (Vipera wagneri)! 

Here is some information from the Saint Louis Zoo's Facebook page:

"The babies were born at the Saint Louis Zoo on August 16, an important event for this highly endangered species from northeastern Turkey. The venomous snake was thought to be extinct for nearly 140 years but then was "rediscovered" in eastern Turkey in 1983. Once the word got out, the news led to severe over-collecting by European and Turkish snake collectors. This is a serious threat for the future survival of the species, which has already been wiped out in much of its very small range. The breeding of the Zoo's vipers was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan. The Zoo is a participant in this cooperative program, working with other conservation organizations to ensure the survival of the species."

9 Baby Snakes!

Photo by Mark Wanner, Zoological Manager of Herpetology and Aquatics

Here is a link to a segment of the local news:
Fox 2 Now St. Louis
The short video explains some of the history about the snake and you get to see footage of one of the babies!

Word even got out to USA Today:

Since we are one of only three zoos in the country to even care for these snakes, this birth is a huge success! I am so glad that there is so much publicity about these new snakes. It was definitely exciting to see snake #9 be born and watch it experience the world for the first time! 

Day 46: My Last Day

Tuesday, August 20

Since it was (unfortunately) my last day interning, I started off the day passing out thank you cards to all of the zookeepers. They all really appreciated the hand written cards and it was fun reminiscing about fun summer stories with them. I started off cleaning the giant tortoise exhibit and then collected salad bowls from the building. Since I did not have time to do so yesterday, I changed the shavings in some of the rodent cages. I then had time to make sure the crickets had food and cricket quencher before break. After I was done with dishes I then got to watch some keepers get the Komodo Dragon that was off exhibit ready for transport to another zoo. The Komodo cooperated really well and then she was on her way with two keepers from the other zoo. While I was changing water bowls, two of the keepers came down and told me that they were taking me out to lunch since it was my last day. I was really honored that they wanted to bring me out to lunch to thank me and as a send off for school!

Almost all the zookeepers and I went out to Lion's Choice for lunch which I really enjoyed. It was funny because we were all in tan zookeeper uniforms, so we definitely drew some attention. One couple that walked in behind us asked about the penguins going off exhibit briefly for construction and later I saw a mom bending down to her child and telling them that we were zookeepers. Back at the zoo, I cleaned out the four snake enclosures that I worked with this summer and then started helping another keeper clean out a turtle exhibit and the Komodo exhibit. Our curator was in the building in the afternoon, so I was able to talk with him for a little and give him his card as well. After cleaning out the exhibits a little more, it was time for break.

The other day I had been asked by one of the keepers if I wanted to do anything on my last day that I hadn't done yet. As I thought about it, I could not come up with something that I had not done at some point during the summer. I was able to work with many different types of animals and help out with many different husbandry practices. I later realized that on my last day what I really wanted to do was spend some time with the giant tortoises. They were the species that I probably spent the most amount of time with and they have such different personalities it is fun to be around them. I also wanted to spend some time with Othello before having to leave. One of the keepers went out with me at first and then I was left to have some one on one time with the giant tortoises. Of course, Othello wanted attention, but I was also able to spend a little time with some other tortoises as well. Kelly, the Galapagos tortoises, actually came out of the mud and walked right up to me! As I was leaving, she was facing away from me but I still tried to rub the back of her neck a little and she actually let me do so! Kelly is usually the stubborn one who does not want to be bothered, so I was shocked! Maybe it took all summer for her to warm up to me...!

Back inside I helped finish cleaning the Komodo cage and then got trash from the building. When I was out in the public area I noticed a zoo map in the Chitra chitra exhibit. So I had to grab a pole and climb into the exhibit to retrieve the soaking map. Where I was standing was where the turtles get fed; I think I confused the male a little because he slowly came over to see what I was doing. We then closed the building and I went about saying my 'goodbye for now' to the zookeepers. After spending so many days at the zoo and being the first intern to come and last to leave, it felt weird walking out knowing that I would not be back for a while and not be an intern when I return.

Day 45: Chitra chitra feeding!

After much delay...here is my day from Monday, August 19

This morning I worked on preparing salads until the morning break. Afterwards, I prepared the salad bin for the giant tortoises and went out to feed them. It was a fun day to feed because the public had a lot of questions about the tortoises. The questions are usually the same, but it is still fun to answer them and hear new ones that are asked. While I was feeding, Othello kept touching his nose to my leg in order to get my attention. So I gave him a couple of short neck rubs in between getting the food out to the giant tortoises that actually wanted to eat. I finished preparing the rest of the indoor salads right in time for lunch.

I then cleaned up the salads bins and did the dishes. When I asked about what one of the zookeepers was working on, they took time to really explain a paper they are writing for publication. I also got some advice on how to do group papers successfully. I then gathered crickets and fed the galliwasps, Mountain Chicken frogs, and the Hispaniolan Giant Anole. I also gave some crickets to the McCord's Box Turtles (they even eat baby mice!). It was really cool to watch a turtle go after a cricket. One of the turtles was catching crickets faster than it could swallow the one before! After break, I got to go out with a zookeeper and feed the two Asian Narrow-Headed Softshell Turtles (Chitra chitra) that we have on exhibit. Like I had mentioned earlier in the summer, the speed that these turtles can strike their prey is amazing! They would slowly come over to the fish on the pole and in a split second, they would grab the fish and swallow it down whole. It was amazing to get to feed them! I then helped the same zookeeper clear out cement blocks from an exhibit in the basement that is going to get remodeled. I then had time to gather trash and help close the building.

Chitra chitra with its neck pulled in

Day 44: Baby Snakes!

Friday, August 16

Today the other intern and I worked on preparing salads. I had prepared salads for turtles that are in outside areas now and was waiting for a zookeeper to let me into the cages. The zookeeper offered to just take the salads himself, but I couldn't pass up being able to deliver salads to turtles (I am the turtle girl after all). I brought the salads out and we checked on the Aldabra tortoises too before heading back in. As I was about to distribute the last salad, I passed by my manager who asked if I wanted to see a snake giving birth. He brought me into the room where the snake was and I got to see a baby snake being born! It was absolutely amazing to watch! The babies were a couple inches long and were really cute. The baby that was born was lying upside down at first, so my manager turned it over with a hook. A few minutes later the baby snake opened its mouth for the first time and then was testing out its jaw a little. Then it stuck out its tongue a few times to smell the air. It was amazing to watch its first explorations of the world! We thought the snake has one more baby since she was still having contractions, so a small group of us were gathered to watch. It turned out that she was done pushing out the babies and was just pushing out fluid.

After lunch, I did the dishes and changed the water in the McCord's Box Turtle tanks. I then got to watch two turtle eggs get candled. One egg was definitely developing, the other had some signs of development, but overall they were not as developed as expected. The zookeeper said that it isn't a sign of concern right now and that the eggs could still hatch just fine. The zookeeper who showed me the eggs then taught me more about egg development of turtles. He also explained the different types of temperature sex determination (TSD). TSD is found in most species of reptiles and is when the sex of an individual is dependent on what temperature the egg is incubated at. TSD falls into four main categories and different categories are found in different species of reptiles. So the saying "hot chicks and cool dudes" for incubation temperatures is only true for one type of TSD. That statement is valid for just some types of turtles. Other turtles have a TSD pattern where females develop at cooler and hotter temperatures and males develop in medium range temperatures. For one type (present in crocodiles and lizards), the warmer the temperature, the more males. The fourth type of TSD is where males develop at cooler and hotter temperatures and females develop in medium range temperatures (this is found in some geckos). I found all of this so fascinating and I also loved getting the opportunity to sit down with a keeper and learn more about reptiles. I also asked to see a stud book, which is a record of every individual in a species in captivity and offers recommendations for breeding to maintain the genetic diversity of the species. So I got to see a stud book and population assessment for the Arakan Forest Turtles (Heosemys depressa). After break, the zookeeper and I started to brainstorm how to remodel some exhibits for semi aquatic turtles. Of course there is no easy solution to how to design a pond for turtles that will fit the space and be sloped just so to allow easy access. We looked at some pre-made pond options, but didn't find one that would really work for a turtle. It was fun to be able to brainstorm with the other keeper and be able to throw out my own ideas and have them be heard and considered. After a lot of various ideas were talked about, both of our brains were spinning. It will be interesting to see what the final plan is. I just wish that I was able to intern longer to help see the project to completion.

Day 43: Tortoise Watching

Thursday, August 15

This morning I cleaned the giant tortoise yard, but the tortoises were not very interested in saying hi since the over night low was fairly cool. I then went around the building to pick up salads trays. After the salads were picked up I cleaned the black worms and started cleaning some of the cricket tubs. During the morning break, my manger and I talked about the TSA symposium and he was complimenting me on the good job I did networking with people there! After break I started working on the cricket shipment. Another zookeeper was getting fish ready to go feed the Alligator Snapping Turtles and when I asked if I could watch, he said I could come help if I wanted to! I got to help feed fish to the turtles using a long pole, which I really enjoyed!

After dishes and lunch, I then misted the galliwasps and cleaned salt off of the inside of the Jamaican Iguana exhibit. Reptiles and birds have less efficient kidneys than mammals, so to get rid of the excess salt, they have salt glands. There are different types of glands for different species of reptiles/birds. Iguanas release salt from their salt gland a sneezing/snorting motion. The male iguana on exhibit spends a lot of time at the front of the enclosure, so when he expels excess salt, it dries on the glass. I then assisted another zookeeper in collecting fecals from a few McCord's Box Turtles and learned how to fill out the paperwork that goes along with the samples to the vet. I changed the water in some water bowls and then soaked the Northern Spider Tortoises and Egyptian Tortoise. Placing the tortoises in a small amount of water lets them drink, gain moisture, and helps them in waste excretion. After break, I got to go out behind the building and open up the gate of the pen for the three Aldabra Tortoises to come out and walk around in the backyard. I had to lure out two of the tortoises using mulberry branches and the last one came out on its own. It was really fun being able to watch the tortoises and sit near them while they were exploring and eating the grass. Normally the tortoises are skittish around people, but one time when I was sitting on the ground with them one came up right next to me to check me out. Soon after another one came over and this one actually let me scratch its head and neck a little bit. The three tortoises were all so curious, once they got over the confusion of leaving their pen, I think they loved having a chance to roam around more! I then gathered trash from the building and helped close. 

Turtle Facts #2

• The Colombian Slider (Trachemys callirostris) is facing mercury contamination due to nearby gold mining. 1 kg of gold produced releases 1 kg of mercury into the environment. The amount of mercury in an organism increases as you move up the food chain. In organisms, mercury can lead to neurological problems, reduced hatchling success, and/or reduced growth rates. A relatively small amount of mercury can be harmful for humans, but when tissue samples were analyzed from turtles in the food market, mercury values were much higher than the known harmful level. Turtles unfortunately represent a money source and food source, so it is hard to educate others about the harms of eating the animals due to mercury. 
• Source/for more information: Mercury Contamination in the Colombian Slider (Trachemys callirostris) by Bock, Brian B., et. al.

  

  Colombian Slider

• The Western Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) sometimes will burry itself in the ground and go into a dormant phase in response to a stressful situation. The trigger to end their yearly dormant phase is potentially a substantial amount of rain followed by a few days of warming.

  

  Western Chicken Turtle

  
  
• Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) serve an important role in the food chain (hatchlings can be eaten by other animals), as well as seed dispersers, and aid in the nutrient cycle (through their digging). They rely on controlled burns in order to thin out ground vegetation in order to move around and dig their burrows. They are considered a keystone species because their burrows create homes for other animals as well.

  

  Gopher Tortoise

  
  
• Migrations of Galapagos Tortoises is triggered by vegetation dynamics. After the rain greens the vegetation, tortoises move to the new area to browse.
  
  
  
• The Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota) is functionally extinct in the wild. Thankfully, there are several hundred in assurance colonies throughout the world. 

Burmese Start Tortoise

• In 1996, 39% of Asian turtle species were listed under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (list for species with a high need of protection). In 2000, 76% of Asian turtle species were listed with the IUCN. 

• The Three-striped Box Turtle (Cuora trifasciata) is critically endangered and is currently approaching extinction in the wild. 

  

  Three-striped Box Turtle

  
  
• The Plowshare Tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora), native to Madagascar, is a critically endangered species known for the gold coloration of its shell. Unfortunately, this species is being decimated by poaching. There are only about 600 left in the wild. There are current conservation steps being taken, such as patrols of plowshare areas to deter/stop poachers, as well as defacing the shells of the turtles to make them worthless to poachers. It is a shame that we have to take away some of the natural beauty of the animal's shell in order to keep the species alive. 

  

  Plowshare Tortoise

• 54% of all turtle species are threatened.
• Chelonians use sounds to communicate. Sounds have been documented so far in at least 17 species. For Leatherback sea turtles, the hatchlings start to vocalize in the egg after 51 days of incubation. Other sea turtles as well as freshwater turtles have been recorded producing different types of sound.