One of our adult volunteers came across this dead baby copperhead snake (left) while walking our donkey Lightning last Thursday, and brought it to us so that we could use it for educational purposes. I thought it would be a great chance to compare a North Carolina copperhead to a Texas copperhead (right), which is what we have on exhibit here. The North Carolina copperhead has an hourglass pattern on its back, whereas the Texas copperhead has large bands asRead more
Posts tagged: #Marilyn
Migrating coyotes claim red wolf territories
In my previous post about red wolves, I discussed how the gunshot mortality on the wild population has risen significantly in the past few years. Sadly, it is believed that some of these shootings are intentional, but another reason for the increase is because juvenile red wolves are similar in size to coyotes, and leads to mistaken identity by hunters. This problem may be amplified by the fact that eastern coyotes are larger in size than their western cousins, whichRead more
Creature Feature: Squealer the pot-bellied pig
Yes, his name is Squealer, but the keepers just call him Pig! You can probably guess how he got his name, though. Pot-bellied pigs often times react by squealing when they are petted or touched. This is one reason why you might want to think twice about having a pot-bellied pig as a pet, because you will not be successful at cuddling with it like you would a dog or cat! Pig was born in April of 2000, and wasRead more
Lightning plays fetch
We don’t usually have much time to play with the animals because we are busy cleaning their exhibits and feeding them. However, when the opportunity arises, we always try to take full advantage! Check out this video of me and Lightning playing fetch. Watch how Lightning actually does a lot more with the ball than just “fetch” it; he swings it around in his mouth, runs it down the fence railing, plays tug-of-war with me, and even picks up hisRead more
Bear pictures
I came across some pictures of Virginia and Mimi, two of our black bears, that I thought were worth sharing. Click on the pictures to enlarge them! Virginia as a cub Virginia relaxing in the sun Mimi loves water and grapes! (both taken at the Appalachian Bear Rescue) Mimi takes a nap on some deadfallRead more
Time to crawl out of my skin
This video was captured by Katy when she noticed our canebrake rattlesnake shedding (also known as moulting) early one morning. Snakes, along with some other reptiles and amphibians, moult periodically throughout their lives. For snakes, this means that the outer layer of skin is shed, typically in one whole piece. Shedding serves a few different purposes: 1) It allows growth for the snake, 2) The older and worn skin is replaced with new healthy skin, and 3) It helps theRead more