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.

Turtle Facts #1

I wanted to put together some of the information that I learned at the symposium/information I know about turtles and tortoises! Hopefully some of the facts will help to spread awareness about issues that chelonians are facing and help to show the importance of conservation.

• In Madagascar, tribes use to have taboos against eating tortoises. These started breaking down in the 1970s when outsiders started to move in. There has been an increase in the number of confiscations of tortoises recently from Madagascar (which is hopefully due to an increase in security rather than an increase in poaching).
• The Magdalena River Turtle (Podocnemis lewyana) is facing a loss of nesting beaches due to a hydroelectric dam built on the Sinu River that drains water during the summer. This is when the turtles are nesting, but the water levels are too high to allow the eggs to survive the flood. Now the eggs have to be taken from the sand, incubated, hatched, and released back into the wild.

Madgalena River Turtle

• The Black-Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) was earlier thought to be extinct until some were found in a temple pond in India.

Black-Softshell Turtle

•  The Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska) is really cool:

Batagur baska male in mating colors

• It estimated that the Indian Red Crowned Roofed Turtle's (Batagur kachuga) wild population contains less than 500 adults.

Indian Red Crowned Roof Turtle

• There are less than ten adult female Burmese Roof Turtles (Batagur trivittata) left in the wild and about 650 in captivity.

Burmese Roof Turtle

• The Arakan Forest Turtle (Heosemys depressa) is known as the "lazy turtle" amongst locals because when they are found they are usually hiding under leaves.

Arakan Forest Turtle

• There was old lore that the Spotted Box Turtle (Terrapene nelsoni) was a cross between a Gila Monster and a desert tortoise since it was more aggressive and 'potentially venomous'.

Spotted Box Turtle

Turtle Survival Alliance Symposium

From the night of Wednesday the 7th to the night of Saturday the 10th I spent my time surrounded by over 200 other turtle and tortoise enthusiasts at the Turtle Survival Alliance's 11th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles here in St. Louis! It was truly an amazing thing to be completely surrounded by other people who have the same passions for conservation that I do. I met a lot of new people at the conference that I know I will be in contact with over the years. I also met people that are well known for their research on turtles and tortoises! I talked to one person who had given a presentation about migration studies on the giant tortoises in the Galapagos and through him I might be able to work in the Galapagos in a few years! I even met people that have worked with one of my professors at school with either Gopher Tortoises or river terrapins. It was so much fun being able to talk to other people about their work and I look forward to seeing all my new friends at next year's symposium!

Not only did I meet new people, I was able to connect more to people that I knew from the zoo. I was able to talk more to our curator about his PhD work in Armenia, my manager about miscellaneous turtle and work topics, and talk to a zookeeper and fellow turtle enthusiast about everything turtles. I also got to talk to our state herpetologist more during the week. I really enjoyed getting to spend time with people from work in a more laid back setting.

The conference started with an ice breaker social on Wednesday night where I got to meet a lot of new people. Thursday was the first day of presentations (general session set up) about field site updates and then a focus on Mexican turtles. Thursday night was a casual pizza dinner and poster session.

Epic watermelon turtle at the ice breaker

Friday was the first day of specialized presentation topics. There were two sessions going on simultaneously throughout the day and attendees could pick and choose which presentations to attend. Friday I attended presentations about Turtle Ecology Studies, Nesting Studies, and a section about Zoos and Chelonians. In the final section of the day, one of our zookeeper gave a presentation about the history of chelonians at the zoo. Friday night was my favorite night of the conference because everyone came to the Saint Louis Zoo for a tour of the herpetarium and a dinner/live auction. I volunteered to help out for the behind the scenes tour and I was stationed at the main entrance into the off exhibit area. I got to talk about three different species of baby turtles that we have in the area as well as eggs that are currently incubating. I have worked this area a lot and helped to remodel the exhibits for the turtles last week. I really had fun talking to people that came in and I was proud of myself because I was able to answer a lot of questions that people had. Afterwards, a lot of people thanked the zookeepers and I for giving them a tour of our area. The dinner on Friday night brought about some laughs because by the time all of us zookeepers got to the banquet hall, the tables were full, so we sat at a table in the lobby and considered it the kid table at Thanksgiving.

Dinner and live auction at the zoo

Saturday I went to presentations about Conservation Initiatives, Asian Chelonians, Turtling Techniques, and Big Questions for Turtles of All Sizes. Saturday night there was a banquet and awards ceremony. The highest award in the organization is the Behler Turtle Conservation Award named after John L. Behler who was an avid turtle conservationist who brought attention to the Asian turtle crisis. This year the award went to the TSA's president Rick Hudson. The acceptance speech he gave was inspirational to me because he said that he has been doing what he wanted to do at 12 years old. For me, I remember that in 6th grade I wrote down wanting to be a sea turtle conservationist. I hope that maybe one day my turtle conservation work will leave behind a legacy and make a change for future generations.

This symposium was an amazing experience not only for the networking opportunities, but also because it strengthened my passion for turtle conservation. I am even more excited to go out into the field and start doing what I have been dreaming of since 6th grade. I know I am in the right field because I love being surrounded and engulfed by conservation, biology, and chelonians. I am excited about the new doors that are opening up for me as I begin the last two years of my undergraduate degree as well as opportunities for me after graduation. Even though it was a symposium on freshwater turtles, I started brainstorming ideas for an undergraduate research project with sea turtles.

Overall, this symposium was amazing and was a great cap on my internship experience. I learned so many things, met new people, and felt at home surrounded by other turtle enthusiasts. The three days went really fast, but I am already looking forward to reuniting with everyone again in Orlando next year!

For more information about the Turtle Survival Alliance, their field projects, the conference, or anything else turtles, check out 

http://www.turtlesurvival.org

Day 42: Turtle and Tortoise Projects!

Saturday, August 3

This morning I went out to clean the giant tortoise yard. The tortoises must have wanted a lazy morning, because not even Othello came over to say hi. I worked on collecting other salad bowls, cleaned the black worms and did the dishes before the morning break! Today my family was at the zoo, so I was able to show them around a little and let them see more of what goes on during my internship. It was fun being a tour guide for them! I had a little time before lunch to prepare one of the new black tubs for a Northern Spider Tortoise exhibit. The Northern Spider Tortoise, Pyxis arachnoides brygooi, is native to Madagascar and is one of the three subspecies of Spider Tortoises: common Spider Tortoise (P. a. arachnoides), Northern Spider Tortoise (P. a. brygooi), and the Southern Spider Tortoise (P. a. oblonga). Out of the three subspecies, P. a. brygooi is the most rare due to the collection for the food and pet trade. Originally, native tribes collected the Radiated Tortoise, Astrocheys radiata, for food, but now since that tortoise population is dwindling, native tribes are turning to spider tortoises. The range of P. a. brygooi has been found to be much smaller than was expected according to a field study in 2009 led by Ryan CJ Walker. Conservation projects are being set in place to preserve the P. a. brygooi subspecies. Our zoo has had a successful breeding program of these tortoises for a few years now. A fun fact about these tortoises: they have a unique carapace (upper shell) design, so you can clearly identify them with just a picture.

After lunch, I finished setting up the spider tortoise tubs as well as an Egyptian Tortoise tub. After identifying the tortoises, we let them soak while finishing the new set up of their enclosures. We added new hide boxes and let the tortoises back in. The Egyptian Tortoise seemed to thoroughly enjoy his new space, but the spider tortoises seemed a little more confused on what just happened. After a little bit, they too started exploring and getting used to their new space. After break, the zookeeper and I started on a project of moving the Spotted Turtle, Clemmys guttata, around so they are more visible. The Turtle Survival Alliance is having their 11th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles this upcoming week which includes a tour of the herpetarium. Hence why there have been so many turtle and tortoise projects lately (which, of course, I love helping with)! In order to get the Spotted Turtles set up, we had to move one of the Arakan Forest Turtles, Heosemys depressa, downstairs. We moved the tanks around but will have to set up new pluming in order to drain the tanks. The zookeeper and I talked about the conference at the end of the day and I am so excited to go! Stay tuned this upcoming week for conference updates instead of a 'today at the zoo' blog!

Northern Spider Tortoise

Egyptian Tortoise

My facts about the spider tortoises came from the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) 2009 magazine. (Which, if you like turtles and tortoises, I highly recommending finding some of these magazines to read. They are very informative!)

Day 41: Another Busy Salad Day

Friday, August 2

This morning we all did a quick cleaning of the glass and then the other intern and I started preparing salads. After the morning break, we finished salads, then I cleaned black worms and did the dishes. After lunch, I went out to cut browse for the Jamaican Iguanas. Once I was done, another zookeeper said that he needed help with a project. The Fiji Banded Iguana exhibit in the house is being remodeled (the Fiji exhibit I had done before is the temporary holding enclosure) so I had to clean the inside of the exhibit and then clean rocks to fill the enclosure with. Once the morning break was over, I helped the zookeeper bring in a large vine to place in the exhibit. I then cleaned large black tubs in order to prepare them for a turtle enclosure. The zookeeper who gave me this job and I then figured out what would be the best way to place the tubs in the space we have to work with. Our manager gave us a few ideas, but also told us to do whatever we felt best. We discussed how to set up the turtle tubs but the actual project would have to be saved for tomorrow!

Day 40: So Much To Do, So Little Time

Today I started off cleaning the giant tortoise exhibit and giving some attention to Othello. I then gathered salad bowls from the building and cleaned the black worms. Today our female Komodo Dragon got a vet check up to make sure she is healthy. Only a few keepers were able to go in and work with her, but the rest of us stood outside the room and tried to watch what was going on. After the morning break, I did the dishes and started misting the galliwasps. Toady as the only intern again, I had the normal daily tasks to do by myself, and then was given tasks of taking care of animals for a keeper that wasn't here, along with miscellaneous tasks that needed to be done as well. Hence, there was so much to do today and not enough time to do all of it.

After lunch there was the intern tour of the Children's Zoo. Unfortunately, we did not get to go behind-the-scenes for this tour either, but since it is the Children's Zoo, we got to pet various animals. Technically I have gone behind-the-scenes there many years ago when I was in a Keeper for a Day program! Once back in the building, I was asked to clean off a drain in a turtle exhibit in the atrium. I finished misting the galliwasps, then changed a few baby McCord's Box turtle enclosures. After break, I cleaned the spotted turtle tanks and then was asked if I could clean the rodents downstairs. So I then changed shavings and cleaned cages for our rodents that we keep. By that time, I had to quickly go around and gather trash from the building and then help close. As you can probably guess, there were still things on my to-do list that did not get completed today. Looks like I will be very busy my next few days interning!