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Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventure here on the Zoo’s website!
What comes to mind when you think of a reptile? Snakes, lizards, tortoises-- you either love or despise them. Rachael Walton, one of the reptile keepers at the San Diego Zoo, has an affinity for these cold-blooded creatures. When my fellow interns and I entered the Reptile House, we were met by heat and humidity. Glass tanks and enclosures lined the walls, housing all sorts of snakes, lizards and tortoises. After introducing ourselves to Ms. Walton, she explained the layout of the Reptile House. The Reptile House is made up of corridors, or hallways. Each corridor contains a variety of reptiles with different temperatures and humidity levels, depending on the natural environment of the species. For example, a lizard that lives in the Amazon rainforest would prefer a hot, humid environment over a cold, frigid one. After the introduction, Ms. Walton led us to the first corridor to meet some reptiles.
The first corridor felt like Arizona in the summertime: hot and dry. The heat was sweltering, but was necessary for the animals to feel at home. Ms. Walton introduced us to a king cobra who appeared to have blue eyes. This snake was about to shed. During this process, the scale covering the eye begins to loosen, giving the eyes an opaque or “blue” tint. Along with the adult king cobra were a few juveniles, who “stood up” from all the commotion. Amongst these king cobras were rattleless rattlesnakes, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, and the South American bushmaster. At the end of the corridor was a massive Boelen’s python slithering along the sides of the tank. This snake was an impressive size, reaching 8 to 9 feet. The Boelen’s python, along with the eastern diamondback rattlesnake and the South American bushmaster, sense heat in order to detect prey. After meeting these snakes, Ms. Walton brought us to the next corridor.
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The caiman lizard, with a prehistoric appearance and alligator-like scales.[/caption]
The next reptiles we saw were a pair of caiman lizards. Pictured above with a distinct red head, a green body, and alligator-like scales, these lizards looked prehistoric. Ms. Walton brought out one of the two caimans, who had a calm temperament. His scales felt like those on the back of an alligator:tough like armor, yet smooth and rigid. Living in South America, these lizards only have molars for teeth, called “crushers,” to eat freshwater clams and apple snails.
The next corridor housed various venomous reptiles. In the back were several enclosures with juvenile Mang mountain viper. These tiny snakes were bright green in color with dark stripes. The juveniles all had vibrant blue-tipped tails, which are used for hunting birds. Birds are tricked by the tail, which appears to look like an insect, and provide the snake an easy meal. As we were marveling at all of these venomous species, Ms. Walton explained the differences in the location of fangs. There are front-fanged snakes, such as cobras and coral snakes, who tend to have a long and skinny body with a round head. The fangs on rear-fanged teeth are only visible when the snake opens its mouth. The last type of fangs are found in vipers, and are folded against the roof of the mouth.
Ms. Walton brought us back to the front entrance, where large, grey bins lined the shelves. Inside these bins were tortoises of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Many of these tortoises were in torpor. Similar to hibernation, torpor is a period of lowered metabolism used to combat the extreme heat of many natural environments. From smaller bins, Ms. Walton brought out baby tortoises, such as the flat-tailed spider tortoise. In their home in Madagascar, these juveniles are endangered by habitat destruction and some natives, where it is common in their culture to eat tortoises. The Turtle Survival Alliance and Conservancy is an organization working to educate children in Madagascar about the effects of consuming endangered tortoises, like the flat-tailed spider tortoise.
Although tortoises are an easy source of food, many species are in danger of extinction. Making a positive change starts at home. While respecting the cultural norms of the native people, organizations such as the Turtle Survival Alliance and Conservancy partner kids in Madagascar with kids in the United States. The children write letter to each other, discussing the conservation of species in their own backyard. In this way, the next generation learns about the importance of saving native species.
From our experience at the Reptile House, I gained a greater respect and my own affinity for reptiles. All of these individuals, from snakes to tortoises, have unique characteristics unlike other types of animals. Seeing the baby tortoises up close is a special experience, one that creates a want to protect these small, innocent creatures. Although, like in every situation, it is important to respect other’s cultures and values when working to conserve a native species.
Meghan, Real World Team
Week Two, Winter Session 2018
The caiman lizard, with a prehistoric appearance and alligator-like scales.[/caption]
The next reptiles we saw were a pair of caiman lizards. Pictured above with a distinct red head, a green body, and alligator-like scales, these lizards looked prehistoric. Ms. Walton brought out one of the two caimans, who had a calm temperament. His scales felt like those on the back of an alligator:tough like armor, yet smooth and rigid. Living in South America, these lizards only have molars for teeth, called “crushers,” to eat freshwater clams and apple snails.
The next corridor housed various venomous reptiles. In the back were several enclosures with juvenile Mang mountain viper. These tiny snakes were bright green in color with dark stripes. The juveniles all had vibrant blue-tipped tails, which are used for hunting birds. Birds are tricked by the tail, which appears to look like an insect, and provide the snake an easy meal. As we were marveling at all of these venomous species, Ms. Walton explained the differences in the location of fangs. There are front-fanged snakes, such as cobras and coral snakes, who tend to have a long and skinny body with a round head. The fangs on rear-fanged teeth are only visible when the snake opens its mouth. The last type of fangs are found in vipers, and are folded against the roof of the mouth.
Ms. Walton brought us back to the front entrance, where large, grey bins lined the shelves. Inside these bins were tortoises of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Many of these tortoises were in torpor. Similar to hibernation, torpor is a period of lowered metabolism used to combat the extreme heat of many natural environments. From smaller bins, Ms. Walton brought out baby tortoises, such as the flat-tailed spider tortoise. In their home in Madagascar, these juveniles are endangered by habitat destruction and some natives, where it is common in their culture to eat tortoises. The Turtle Survival Alliance and Conservancy is an organization working to educate children in Madagascar about the effects of consuming endangered tortoises, like the flat-tailed spider tortoise.
Although tortoises are an easy source of food, many species are in danger of extinction. Making a positive change starts at home. While respecting the cultural norms of the native people, organizations such as the Turtle Survival Alliance and Conservancy partner kids in Madagascar with kids in the United States. The children write letter to each other, discussing the conservation of species in their own backyard. In this way, the next generation learns about the importance of saving native species.
From our experience at the Reptile House, I gained a greater respect and my own affinity for reptiles. All of these individuals, from snakes to tortoises, have unique characteristics unlike other types of animals. Seeing the baby tortoises up close is a special experience, one that creates a want to protect these small, innocent creatures. Although, like in every situation, it is important to respect other’s cultures and values when working to conserve a native species.
Meghan, Real World Team
Week Two, Winter Session 2018
