Were I a bearded dragon, my chin would not be turning black with anger/ excitement but instead, red with embarrassment. You see, a couple of weeks ago, we determined that we needed to be extra vigilant about making sure Godzilla was getting enough exercise. We have been a little worried about his back legs and keeping them in good, active shape. He is an animal that by nature tends to sit and bask a lot, and by upbringing sits aroundRead more
Posts filed in: Education
No such thing as a Poisonous Snake… (Part 1)
Hello out there in TV Land! Your friendly neighborhood Mikey checking in again with another fun blog about odd animal facts. This one concerns a subject that is near and dear to my heart, and one which I have been told is a staple of my reptile programs, wherever I have done them. A few months ago Jill wrote up a similar posting. Allow me to elaborate on it a little more. My topic is going to be the VenomousRead more
A New North Carolina Native?
So for the most part, anyone familiar with the Museum knows that we concentrate mainly on native species in our animal collection. There are of course a few exceptions. The Lemurs would normally hail from Madagascar, the education Bearded Dragons would be from Australia (and I myself am originally from New York City). But all in all, our “wild species” (sorry, Lightning-you don’t count!) are from somewhere in good old NC. But here’s the interesting part… our state species list doesn’tRead more
Exotic Pets…Not the Best Idea…
Hello out there! My name is Mikey, and I’m one of the newer animal keepers at the museum. I’ve worked in other zoological facilities, been up and down the east coast, and am glad to call Durham my new home. I’ve been learning the ropes and enjoying the animals (especially training the bears with Katy) and in general having a blast at my new job. One thing I have noticed though that happens here just like in other zoos I’veRead more
Creature Feature: Salt the chinchilla
I stole this picture from one of Erin’s previous posts, but it was just so cute I figured why attempt to get a better one? Salt was born at the museum in December 2002 with his brother, Pepper. Their parents were named Chili and Argentina, and they lived at the museum for several years, as well. Salt lives in our education holding room (EHR) off exhibit with Pepper, where they share an enclosure together. They are both used for educationalRead more
Poisonous vs. Venomous
Sometimes while walking through Carolina Wildlife, I see a lot of visitors point to our copperhead or rattlesnake and say “that’s a poisonous one.” Mistakenly, that is an untrue statement.A few blog posts ago, I stated that “all raptors are birds of prey, but not all birds of prey are raptors.” Well, I got another one for you, “all venom is a poison, but not all poisons are a venom.”An animal that injects a toxin into you is venomous whileRead more