Hello Friends and Family,
Link to this year's index by clicking here.
Wildlife World Zoo, Part 6 |
In addition to the pens and cages outside, the zoo also has several buildings with exhibits. Unfortunately, the low light level makes photography difficult. Even if I had my tripod, the animals did not want to sit still long enough for a long exposure. Thus I decided to experiment with the camera in my iPhone4. Surprisingly, that little camera did well in a pinch — certainly not award-winning photography but good enough to share the experience. |
Both this photo and the one above are monkeys (of course), but I forgot to write down the types. They were fun to watch because they were so active — chasing their companions in their respective enclosures. |
These frogs are endangered due to loss of habitat, predation by introduced species but especially by a fungus that has attacked many amphibian species. |
They are considered threatened because of habitat destruction, over-fishing and ocean acidification. Curiously, they were historically a victim of guano over-exploitation (used for fertilizer) — which impacted the penguin population because they nest in holes in the guano. |
They are not listed as endangered or threatened. |
The Nautilus operates like a submarine, draws in and expels water from a chamber of its shell to maintain buoyancy. Interestingly, both the submarine in Jules Verne's classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and the first U.S atomic submarine were both named "Nautilus". They use their many tentacles to grasp their prey — and hold on so tenaciously that if you are successful in pulling away their prize, they may lose several tentacles in the struggle. Their conservation status is currently safe however some marine biologists are concerned because of the animal's slow rate of reproduction. |
Morays are widespread and not threatened or endangered. |
Seahorses are also unusual in that the male receives the eggs from the female, storing them in his egg pouch as they mature. The male may hold as few as 5 eggs (smaller species) to as many as 1,500 (larger species) although 100-200 is typical for most species. When the fry are ready to hatch, the male expels them with muscular contractions. The parents provide no further care. Certain species of seahorse are listed as vulnerable. |
As far as I could determine, they are not endangered. |
This concludes the tour of the Wildlife World Zoo — I hope you have enjoyed it. I highly recommend a visit if you live in or visit the Phoenix area — quite remarkable. |
Life is good.
Aloha,
B. David
P. S., All photos and text © B. David Cathell Photography, Inc. — www.bdavidcathell.com