![]() Written By: Andrew Connolly Summer. Sun. Southeast Ohio. Surveys. Salamanders. In June of 2021, I found myself hiking the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains with a team of volunteers at my side searching for salamanders in Wayne National Forest. Wearing long pants, sleeves, hats, and backpacks, with hiking boots and maps to navigate, we set out early in the morning to survey salamanders.
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![]() Written By: Andrew Connolly Two eyes peered out at me from under a rock. Then it struck. In a flash a slate-gray head popped out and ripped the worm from my tongs before sinking back into the darkness. It was another successful hunt for this mysterious animal, an animal known as the Eastern Hellbender. This feeding routine is a part of my job here at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, my job caring for the Eastern Hellbender. Every morning I start my day in the Kathy Brady Education Center, where I turn on the lights in the habitats, say good morning to all the animals, and then turn my attention to the largest habitat in the building, the approximately 300-gallon tank that holds Eastern Hellbenders. These giant salamanders, which grow up to two-and-a-half feet in length, spend their life underwater in the cold, fast flowing streams of the Appalachia region. Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water, which benefits an animal that breathes through its skin. We keep our chiller set to a crisp 57 degrees Fahrenheit. ![]() Written By: Andrew Connolly Late at night under the new moon, with not another human around, frogs talk and I listen. Now they might not be saying, “Hi, how are you?” or “Good evening and goodnight,” but they are telling me important things. First, I get to learn their names. As I sit in silence taking in the peace of the pond, with dragonflies skipping off the surface and a lone owl calling in distance, they introduce themselves one by one. The males of a species produce a call unique to that species that they sing, and yell, and shout each spring and summer to attract a partner. It could be the deep cry of a Fowler’s Toad, or the raspy quack of a Wood Frog. It might be a long trill, that of the American Toad, or a short trill, like the Gray Tree Frog. They speak their species name and I record it. ![]() Written By: Andrew Connolly As the sun began to creep above the horizon, I watched its rays glisten across the calm waves while we navigated across Lake Erie to a small island a few miles from the Canadian border. We rose pre-dawn to eat and load our gear onto the M/V BioLab, the oldest active research vessel on Lake Erie, before setting off from our private research island towards the next island over, Middle Bass Island. My role: Biological Field Station Assistant. What this means: deck hand, research assistant, and any other task that is needed. ![]() Written By: Andrew Connolly What group always captivates audiences with their intelligence and similar attributes to man? Monkeys. Lucky enough for zoo staff and guests alike, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is home to multiple species of monkeys which we celebrate annually on December 14th, or World Monkey Day. We have a lot to celebrate this year with the birth of a Golden Lion Tamarin and a Black-Handed Spider Monkey here at the zoo this year! ![]() Written By: Andrew Connolly When you think of the United States of America and its conservation legacy, what might come to mind? Is it the sprawling forests that used to cover the east coast? Is it the passage of the Endangered Species Act 50 years ago? Could it perhaps be the long and complicated story of the American Bison, the peoples of the nation, and the path to national mammal status? The American Bison, a species so special and unique that its scientific name, Bison bison, already demonstrates how unique of an animal it is. American Bison used to range from Alaska down to the Mexican border, and from the Nevada Basin to the eastern Appalachian Mountains[1]. So how did a species that numbered in the millions, and spanned almost an entire continent come close to extinction and then come back again? It took great loss and pain, followed by a period of education, growth, and activism for education, activism, and cooperation pave the path to success and growth. To learn more about this path, the United States of America must also confront its dark past with colonization. ![]() Written By: Jen Farrell Last week was Wolf Awareness Week, this week is Bat week, we celebrate our animals with such a fast pace. Allow me to help slow things down. Friday, October 20th was International Sloth Day! Being late to the party as the calendar hits October 26th, it seems to be in good fashion to take our time and introduce the slowest mammal on the planet. Divided between two families of three-fingered to two fingered Sloths, there are currently six living species. At Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo we have two-toed Sloths known as the Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth. We affectionately know them as Hope (b.1993) and Rhubarb (b.1990). Both live in our Rainforest Building and serve as ambassadors for their kind, in addition to being genetically valuable individuals in the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan. ![]() Written By: Rob Tomas, Animal Curator If only it was that easy! Moving a tiger from zoo to zoo (or any animal for that matter) takes a lot of time, preparation, many staff members, and patience-- and did I mention time? Did I mention patience? When a recommendation comes to us from the Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) to move an Amur tiger to a new facility, we start with careful, lengthy discussions amongst the animal care management team, which includes the Zoo Director, Animal Curator, Senior Animal Care and Veterinarian. (So far: 4 staff members.) Once we have had an internal discussion, the Curator will reach out to the receiving institution to discuss if they have received the recommendations and have internally discussed whether they can receive the animal (3-4 staff members on their side). If the answer is yes, now the work begins. ![]() Written By: Andrew Connolly A patter of footfall. A silent swipe of fur. A soft pant of breath. These are the signs of a wolf moving by, an animal ingrained in our nation’s, and the zoo’s, conservation story. This National Wolf Week, we celebrate all wolves this week, especially the American red wolves and the Mexican wolves that call the zoo their home. When we look around at the world around us, we can find signs of wolves everywhere. They appear on television, as sigils of famous houses for their strength and intelligence. They appear as sporting mascots, known for their speed and coordination. What they are though, are some of nature’s most perfect animals, and an example of nature’s strength, speed, and intelligence. The American red wolf, a species with less than 20 known individuals, and an estimated 30-40 total wild individuals, is one that can be found here at the zoo. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is a proud participant in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Saving Animals From Extinction (S.A.F.E.) program, where zoos collectively harness internal and external resources to support species in need. With a limited population, and a limited range, constrained to just a small region in North Carolina, the zoos work to support the population in the AZA system, with reintroductions to the wild a hope for the future. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo has helped to release pups reared at the zoo into the wild and have hopes to breed new pups in the future, if residents Taylor and Peanut are a match. So, who are these two special guests? ![]() Written By: Jim Knox Featured in Greenwich Sentinel Cryptic at first, I glimpsed the great creature’s form through the dappled early morning light filtering through the Lodgepole pines. Brief and tantalizing, my view disappeared as she ambled behind dense foliage. With such a rare sighting, thankfully, I was not alone. Guided by the Yellowstone Forever Institute, my colleagues and I were leading students from Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Conservation Discovery Corps on our inaugural Yellowstone National Park Eco-Expedition. Hunkered in the institute’s compact bus, our excited chatter drew to a hush. With excitement masked as patience, we waited. After a time, the rustling of pine boughs marked the animal’s movement just 25 feet away, and then she lumbered out from the realm of wilderness legend and into the same bright morning sunlight we beheld as if she owned the place—which in essence, she did. In that moment, my expedition mates and I beheld one of nature’s true wonders—a creature whose mere presence evokes silence and awe. |
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