Tails from the Dark Side

Education Bulletin

Evening is one of the busiest times of the day for wildlife. The diurnal animals, those who are awake and active during the day, are taking advantage of the break from the afternoon heat and trying to gather as much food as they can before they settle in for the long cool night. At the same time, the nocturnal animals are just beginning to wake up and start their day as the sun begins its descent. There is even a type of animal, called crepuscular, that is only awake and active at dawn and dusk. When you put all of these animals together, you can see why sunset is always bustling in the wild!

So what are wild animals doing that keeps them so busy in the evening? Do they take a bath and brush their teeth and lay out their clothes for the next day? Not quite, but they are using this time to prepare. Many insectivorous animals are busy gorging on as much food as they can gather. Anyone who’s been out enjoying a midsummer evening can attest that there is no shortage of bugs! Many wild animals like birds and mice are also gathering nesting materials to get ready before the temperature drops at nightfall.

Most people never get to see all of this activity at the Zoo because we close well before the summer sunset begins. That’s what makes the Overnight Safaris such a special experience. Groups and Families who come to the Overnight Safaris get to enjoy that busy time of the day with our unique and very wild family!

Sign up for an Overnight Safari today.

Baby Poison Blue Dart Frogs

By Kate Gore, Reptile House keeper

The Reptile House has three new additions - baby Poison blue dart frogs (Dendrobates azureus). The egg mass containing the 3 was found on the 7th of May. They were full tadpoles as of the 24th of May, and began metamorphosing on the 25th of June. The baby frogs are being fed fruit flies exclusively, and when they are a bit bigger, they will also eat small crickets.

(Metamorphosis In Brief:

The eggs are laid in jellylike masses, usually our egg masses contain 4-8 eggs. The eggs hatch into tadpoles who live in the "jelly" surrounding their egg. After a few weeks, the tadpoles are moved to a little container of water where they grow in size, usually doubling or tripling in size, after a month of growth they start developing back legs, and within a few weeks they develop their front legs. We then put the froglets, as they are now known, into small tanks with a low level of water and gravel to crawl out on. And, in a few weeks, their tail shortens and eventually disappears, at which point they are now called frogs, and moved into a tank with land and water. )

We have 3 adult blue dart frogs on exhibit--judging by their sizes, there are two females and one male. If you look at the exhibits, you might see what looks like coconut halves on the ground; these are, in fact, hollowed out coconuts with little dishes partially filled with water inside. The "houses" give the frogs privacy in which to lay their eggs. In the wild, these frogs would use anything in which water has collected to lay their eggs--even trash!

Giraffe Habitat Renovation - Progress Report

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

Since February of this year, we have seen demolition, earth moving and construction happening at the Giraffe exhibit. Currently, the three girls are living in the old barn and yard between the two construction sites.

On the left side, an old cement building was torn down and now there is a huge raised viewing area that is coming along nicely. Dual ramps bring the visitor up to eye level with the giraffes and there is an area designed for supervised feedings! Recently, the Zoo Curator let all of the staff walk up and see the new area. It's not finished yet, but the staff were just overwhelmed at how nice it is and very grateful to see all our hard work become reality.

On the right side, the hippo pool and old kangaroo yard were leveled and a very tall cinder block building was raised after lots of electrical and plumbing. And it's so much taller than we expected! When you stand below it next to the Vet hospital it looks gigantic. The walls are finished and they are working on the roof now.

We are still months away from completion but it's great to see the progress every day and we hope you are as excited as we are about this state-of-the-art exhibit. If you would still like to donate to the project, visit the Giraffe Habitat Renovation and Expansion page. The goal of $2 million has not been reached yet, so every donations counts!

King of Feast Slideshow

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

Oh boy, it was a hot one! At 105 degrees outside everyone was enjoying the misters along Big Cat Row, the shady trees and taking their time walking around the Zoo. Even in the heat, hundreds of supporters came out to try over 40 different restaurants, wineries, breweries and bakeries. The auctions had lots of bids and overall, we were very happy with the event and can't wait til next year... and it being just a little less warm!

Thanks to everyone who came out for the event, all the vendors who made it possible and the volunteers and staff that toughed it out, all with a smile!

Sprinkler Fun at Zoo Camp

By Amanda Castaneda, Education Manager

What do we do at Zoo camp when it's 100 degrees outside? We turn on the sprinklers and run around like wild animals!

Hot Weather means Cools Treats!

By Leslie Field, Animal Care Supervisor

You Won’t Find These Frozen Treats at Your Local Grocery Store!

When the thermostat hits 90 degrees, in most homes the popsicles start to fly out of the freezer. It’s pretty much the same at the Zoo, except that your treats are considerably different than the “pops” we have in our freezer!

In the carnivore area, blood pops are all the rage! The Zookeepers (or BETA volunteers) take the blood from the meat diet, dilute and freeze it in pans or balloons. Once frozen, the balloon is removed leaving a ball or the pan is heated off the popsicle. Just about every one of the carnivores enjoys this cool treat. A twist to this recipe uses tuna juice and water to create pops that the River otters particularly love.
The primates, birds and hoof stock enjoy a more vegetarian food fare. The keepers freeze pieces of their diet with water in shallow pans or Bundt pan rings for hanging. A variety of items can be tossed into these popsicles – sunflower seeds, nuts, berries, melon, raisins, grapes, veggies, flowers … even bamboo and other edible plant materials.

Sometimes it is just as refreshing to freeze fresh food items without putting them in water. Keepers have frozen entire diets or just a few items. A pan of ice-cold fruits, veggies and plants provides frosty variety to the animals’ summer diet.

Twilight Tuesday - Hot, Cool & Rockin'!

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

This summer, we have introduced a new series of events called Twilight Tuesdays in June & July. Basically, we just keep the gates open late so you can enjoy the whole Zoo during cooler summer evenings.

But wait, that's not all! Around 5 pm the party gets started with a live band, dinner specials, beer and wine - centered around a theme that is different each night. We suggest bringing lawn chairs, picnic blankets and making an evening of it. Last admission is at 7 pm, but you are welcome to stay until 8 pm.

June 23: Country Music and BBQ Night
Live Music by Rowdy Kate
Dinner Special: BBQ Ribs, Chicken, Ranch Style Beans, Cole Slaw and Biscuits

June 30: Blues and Brews at the Zoo
Live Music by Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers
Dinner Special: Tri-Tip Sandwiches and Garlic Fries

July 7: A Night Across the Pond, British Night & Car Show
Live Music by Jangles
Dinner Special: Fish 'n Chips, Bangers 'n Mash
*Register to show your British car! $10 per car includes 4 admissions. Call (916) 808-5888

July 14: South of the Border
Live Music Los Elegantes
Dinner Special: Mexican Mix Platters

July 21: Travel in Time, 60s & 70s Car Show
Live Music by The Q Balls
Dinner Special: Slider Trio, Potato or Macaroni Salad and Cole Slaw
*Register to show your classic car! $10 per car includes 4 admissions. Call (916) 808-5888

July 28: Journey to Asia
Live Music by Second Wind
Dinner Special: Chicken Satay Skewers over Rice with Peapods, Bamboo Shoots and Water Chestnuts

Bring the whole family for some midweek summer fun!

Sacramento Zoo Members: Twilight Tuesdays are included with Zoo admission, so make sure to show your Membership card to get in! Call (916) 808-5888 if you are not sure how many people are covered by your membership.

Here are pictures from our first Twilight Tuesday!