Como Zoo Staff Excited About New Giraffe

Thanks to Jeff Edmondson and Kare 11 for this great piece on Como's newest addition!

Como Zoo Named the Best Zoo in Minnesota

Como Zoo was recently named the best Zoo in Minnesota by Yahoo Travel! A big thank you to all of the staff, volunteers, and visitors who make Como such a special place! ‪

For the full list of Zoos (and an adorable picture of Chloe) check out:  https://www.yahoo.com/travel/go-wild-the-best-zoo-in-every-state-120496231352.html 

Wyoming Toad Update!

The Wyoming Toads are coming out of their hibernation! Once the toads awake from hibernation by gradually increasing the temperature, they will be introduced in pairs to breed for the season. If successful, each individual pair can lay up to 7,000 eggs at one time. These eggs, eventually hatching into tadpoles, will be shipped out to Laramie , Wyoming and back into the wild! This is just one of the amazing Conservation Projects Como Park Zoo and Conservatory are involved with annually.

Since  2010, Como Zoo  has participated in the  Wyoming Toad Recovery Program and Annual Species Survival Plan Meeting and field work. I not only pair the toads for breeding in-house for Como Zoo; but also travel to  Laramie, WY annually. I assist with field surveys of the reintroduction of the Wyoming Toad at multiple sites at Mortenson Lake and surrounding lakes. Data secured will assist program leaders in gauging the success or failure of current practices allowing them to make adjustment to the program as needed. This annual surveying of this site and is a continuation of the efforts to establish a self-sustaining wild population of Bufo baxteri in North America. Como Zoo has released over 8,700 tadpoles and toadlets at these safe harbors since 2010.

 

- Zookeeper Bree

 

 

Baby Pancake Tortoise Born At Como Zoo!

On April 4, 2015, Como Zoo hatched their first pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri).  The egg was laid this past October and was incubated for 170 days at 88 degrees F to hopefully produce female offspring (many reptiles have gender specified incubation). This hatchling is about the size of a golf ball and is a perfect miniature replica of her parents, who are only 6 inches in length and weigh about a pound each.

Pancake tortoises are native to the Eastern African countries of Kenya and Tanzania.  Unlike most tortoises, the shell of the pancake tortoise is made up of overlapping scutes that have large gaps in between, allowing this small tortoise the ability to squeeze into tight crevices to avoid predators. They are remarkable climbers and use their shell flexibility, agility and speed to escape predators instead of retreating into their shell like most tortoises.  

Due to low reproduction rates, native habitat being transformed into agricultural land and over exploitation for the pet trade, the pancake tortoise is considered a vulnerable species.  In the early 1980’s, Kenya banned the export of this tortoise and they are legally protected in both Tanzania and Kenya.  

Because of this vulnerable status, the pancake tortoise is part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) which is a cooperative captive breeding program among zoos worldwide. Como Zoo participates in the SSP and this hatchling is the first offspring since receiving two females from TSA (Turtle Survival Alliance) on a breeding loan in 2012.  

Como is hopeful that more baby tortoises will hatch in the future to do their part to ensure the survival of this unique tortoise species.

-Zookeeper Ruthie

Hopping into Hibernation for a Spring Fling

It is that time of year again at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory where our collection of critically endangered Wyoming Toads go into an artificial Hibernation for the season.   Four pairs of adults toads get to slumber in a mixture of sand and mulch in a state of the art Hibernaculum in a bio-secure behind the scenes room of Como Zoo. These eight toads will be hibernated for approximately 50 days in a gradually cooled state to help simulate natural pre-breeding conditions. Once the toads are awoken from hibernation by gradually increasing the temperature, they will be introduced in pairs to breed for the season. If successful, each individual pair can lay up to 7,000 eggs at one time. These eggs, eventually hatching into tadpoles, will be shipped out to Laramie , Wyoming and back into the wild! This is just one of the amazing Conservation Projects Como Park Zoo and Conservatory are involved with annually.

Since  2010, Como Zoo  has participated in the  Wyoming Toad Recovery Program and Annual Species Survival Plan Meeting and field work. I not only pair the toads for breeding in-house for Como Zoo; but also travel to  Laramie, WY annually. I assist with field surveys of the reintroduction of the Wyoming Toad at multiple sites at Mortenson Lake and surrounding lakes. Data secured will assist program leaders in gauging the success or failure of current practices allowing them to make adjustment to the program as needed. This annual surveying of this site and is a continuation of the efforts to establish a self-sustaining wild population of Bufo baxteri in North America. Como Zoo has released over 8,700 tadpoles and toadlets at these safe harbors since 2010.

-Zookeeper Bree

Behind the Spines... Scenes Babies!

Spring must have sprung at Como Zoo!  Our Zookeepers and the education animal collection would like to welcome four new baby African Four-Toed Hedgehogs to our collection! The four –toed African Hedgehogs are just one of several species of small mammal that Como Zoo has in its diverse collection that is used for educational programs and value added events at the Zoo. The hedgehogs are often spotted with Educational Interpretive Specialists and Nature Walkers (our teen volunteer program) around zoo grounds; as well as with our Educators and Zookeepers in the classroom and events. These little prickly friends have a love for insects and fruit; and often ball up with spikes up in the air to protect their underside.

Como Zoo is one of the number one successors for sending the offspring to other Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Accredited Institutions around the United States and Canada. Over the last eight years, the zoo has sent over 100 offspring to other institutions for use in their Education programs and value added programs! That’s a lot of hogging the classroom!

Como Zoo Brings Students On Week-Long Field Trip

Join us for a unique opportunity to move your classroom to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory for a week of hands-on, interdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning. Como education staff will partner with you to deliver a program where students will use the scientific method to do real-world learning about the plants and animals of Como. Teacher training is provided and the program, including transportation, is free of cost thanks to the generous funding from the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.