Wildlife Education » Fred’s Zoo pictures

Crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadori)

Bear — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:21:46 +0000

Sorry the picture quality is bad.

These large lizards are one of my favorite species. They are the longest lizards in the world and very arboreal, the Komodo dragon is the heaviest lizard and mostly terrestrial. The croc monitor on the tree is 10 feet long, most of the length is tail, this helps balance them while climbing from tree to tree. The croc monitor can be very aggressive and the bite and claws can cause serious wounds. Their mouth can open very wide and the teeth are long and sharp for puncturing bird feathers however they will pursue small mammals as well. The teeth of croc monitors are double edged and flat like a knife, not conical.

This CM was named “Norman” after the main character in the movie “psycho” because of his aggressive behavior, he would attack on sight and pursue me and my partner, he was successful in biting my partner.

Clouded leopard(Neofelis nebulosa) cub

Bear — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:05:20 +0000

The Central Florida Zoo had great success with breeding Clouded Leopards (Neofelis nebulosa). The Clouded leopard is a medium sized Southeast Asian leopard.

Digging up alligator eggs for incubation

Bear — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:44:32 +0000

An alligator will lay approximately 40 eggs in a nest mound. She will guard the nest diligently and challenge any intruder. Fred Antonio (general curator of the Central Florida Zoological park) spotted me (guarded) while I dug the eggs up for incubation for educational departments.

Under the watchful eye of the female who was constantly devising new paths of attack

Fred Antonio, note the male alligator approaching him

Large male defending his territory from me

Gearldine the Hippo

Bear — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:05:59 +0000

Fred performed educational shows with Geraldine the hippo. Geraldine is now matriarch of the Disney’s Animal Kingdom hippo herd.

Dried palm leaves were like potato chips to her

Alligator Snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)

Bear — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:02:14 +0000

Fred Holding a large alligator snapping turtle, they are found in Florida from the Suwanee river up.

Performing a presentation with the turtle as it snaps a carrot, you can see a piece of carrot falling from the mouth.

American Crocodile (Crocodilus acutus)

Bear — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:55:50 +0000

Fred feeding the big boy