Reptile House Research Articles

FIRST REPORT ON THE FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF EARLESS MONITOR, LANTHANOTUS BORNEENSIS AND ITS PREDATION ON RICE FIELD FROG, FEJERVARYA LIMNOCHARIS IN A CAPTIVE ENVIRONMENT

Being endemic to Borneo, the Earless monitor, Lanthanotus borneensis (Steindachner, 1878) is rarely found in its habitats due to its cryptic behavior. We provide care for confiscated animals in the Reptile House of Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense (MZB) in Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia since 2014. Little is known on its natural prey but from scattered descriptive reports. This study is aimed at documenting the feeding behavior of ten captive Earless monitors and events of predation on frogs. We set up two experiments, one with meat of Rice Field Frog, Fejervarya limnocharis, and the other with live frog of the same species. Our recorded observations ran for four weeks for the frog meat feeding experiment and followed by the frog predation experiment. Our results showed that lizards constantly accepted frog meat. Lizards tended to feed before sunset for a short period of time on the muddy soil surface, although a few individuals inconsistently fed under water. The average body mass for these lizards increased by 4.29 g and average SVL by 0.45 cm. We recorded predation on frogs in three out of ten individuals observed during this study. If F. limnocharis is confirmed to occur in the natural habitats of L. borneensis, it is possible that this frog species is among the natural prey for Earless monitors. Further studies on its natural diets should be conducted to gain in-depth knowledge essential for generating effective captive husbandry for this nationally protected species in Indonesia.

NCSS notable trade book lesson plan: Joan Procter, dragon doctor: the woman who loved reptiles

PurposeJoan Procter, Dragon Doctor describes the life of Joan Beauchamp Procter, renowned herpetologist, zoologist, Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum and designer of the London Zoo Reptile House. In this lesson, students reframe initial viewpoints of scientists that are not representative of a broad understanding of who scientists are and what being a scientist means. Exploring understandings and expanding their view of science to include varied areas of social sciences provokes deep discussions among students as they prepare to teach others. Using content area skills, artwork, writing, literacy and technology, students explore diverse people and fields of the sciences.Design/methodology/approachStudents engage in collaborative efforts with peers to involve themselves with content knowledge and skills in the social studies, as they integrate other areas of the curriculum including science, art, writing, literacy, literature, technology, critical thinking, research skills and inquiry-based learning. Findings include students participating in meaningful learning individually and collectively through inquiry. As students learn with and from one another, they conceptualize their own ideas through their own work in exploring relevant resources. Students plan action to move learning outside the classroom in generating changes in museums and monuments to showcase broader cultural representation of scientists in their communities.FindingsStudents engage in inquiry learning using Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor as a key text. Students explore the text and related resources, while learning with one another about scientists. Students expand their content knowledge and apply critical thinking skills, noting similarities and differences in scientists, ultimately acknowledging that what scientists do through inquiry and exploration helps them identify as scientists. Varied fields and backgrounds of scientists are explored, and students examine cultural representation in museums commemorating scientists and scientific contributions. Students create action plans to consult with museums about these issues and curate exhibits, like Joan Procter, to share with others.Originality/valueThis lesson provides students multiple avenues to deepen learning while conceptualizing and formulating their own understandings. Further, students are required to use multiple skills in conveying their ideas for social change to reflect their new broader conceptualization of scientists and the many fields that science includes. Additionally, they have to understand the topics discussed fully in order to convey their research findings to another audience in their school or community as they create museum exhibits. Finally, while students learn, they begin to see themselves represented in fields through evident, inclusive demonstrations of contributions by diverse scientists.

White Whale: The Aquarium and Reptile House at the Turin Zoo and the Architecture of Enzo Venturelli (1955–1965)

In Enzo Venturelli’s architectural oeuvre, the relationship between his overlooked built work and his better known drawn and written production is problematic and currently under-studied. Venturelli’s design of the acquario-rettilario (aquarium and reptile house) (1958–60) for the Turin Zoo appeared midway through his career, part of the architectural milieu of the mid-1950s in which the zoo itself was conceived. This article analyses the building’s history and design within the context of Venturelli’s writings, projects, exhibitions and contacts with artists and architects between the late 1950s and early 1960s. The acquario-rettilario constitutes a significant case for reconsidering Venturelli as both a radical architectural theoretician and a practising building designer.

How thorny devils tap damp sand to slake thirst

![Figure][1] Thorny devil, in the reptile house at Alice Springs Desert Park, Australia. Stu's Images [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons. Thorny devils scampering across the baking red Australian sand in search of an ant dinner look almost invincible in their coat of spikey armour, but

Encountering snakes in early Victorian London: The first reptile house at the Zoological Gardens

This paper examines the first reptile house (1849) at the Zoological Gardens in London as a novel site for the production and consumption of knowledge about snakes, stressing the significance of architectural and material limitations on both snakes and humans. Snakes were familiar and ambiguous, present at every level of British society through the reading of Scripture and as recurrent characters in imperial print culture. For all that snakes engendered feelings of disgust as the most distinctive representatives of a lowly class of animals, they exerted an equivalent fascination over diverse publics spanning the social spectrum. Building on work showing a consideration for the multi-sensory nature of visits to menageries, this paper considers animal display beyond the visual. It explores the emotional economy of encountering snakes in person and the bodily phenomena this engendered. Vicarious visits were offered up to readers of periodicals and newspapers and the reptile house was harnessed as a controversial pedagogical resource for teaching moral, as well as scientific, lessons.

Visitor behavior in the National Zoo's reptile house

AbstractVisitor behavior was evaluated in the National Zoo's reptile house. Nearly 600 visitors were tracked; time spent in the house and time spent looking at exhibits were noted. These parameters were investigated by sex, age, and type of visitor grouping. The most looked‐at exhibits were determined. For 573 visitors, the mean time in the reptile house was 14.7 minutes. Only about 8 minutes was spent looking at exhibits, and this time was strikingly similar for age, sex, and group type. Time spent looking at exhibits was negatively correlated with visitor density. Amphibians and lizards were looked at for less time than snakes and turtles. Crocodilians were looked at longer than the other taxonomic groups, while larger animals in all groups were looked at longer than smaller ones. This study and other similar studies imply that the public does not respond to exhibits with the expected interest and enthusiasm. It is hoped that with a better understanding of the public through research, zoo staff can improve visitor interest in the exhibits.

Salmonella isolation from reptilian faeces: a discussion of appropriate cultural techniques.

A short study of salmonella isolation from reptile faeces is described. The samples came from the reptile house at the Bristol Zoological Gardens. The wide range of salmonella serotypes present in the material, including representatives of all four subgenera, is noted. The important factors in the technique of isolation are discussed. These are choice of inoculum, enrichment medium, and plating medium, use of multiple subculture and serological isolation. If the number of samples available is scanty, an extended technique will probably yield more information than a simple method.

Breeding Nyasa cichlids, Pseudotropheus spp, at Amsterdam Aquarium

International Zoo YearbookVolume 9, Issue 1 p. 136-138 Breeding Nyasa cichlids, Pseudotropheus spp, at Amsterdam Aquarium FR. DE GRAAF, FR. DE GRAAF Curator, Aquarium and Reptile House, Natura Artis Magistra, Amsterdam, NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author FR. DE GRAAF, FR. DE GRAAF Curator, Aquarium and Reptile House, Natura Artis Magistra, Amsterdam, NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1969 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1090.1969.tb02663.xCitations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume9, Issue1January 1969Pages 136-138 RelatedInformation

Reptile house at Atlanta Zoo

International Zoo YearbookVolume 7, Issue 1 p. 75-77 Reptile house at Atlanta Zoo J. S. DOBBS, J. S. DOBBS Curator, G. V. Gress Zoological Park, Atlanta, USASearch for more papers by this author J. S. DOBBS, J. S. DOBBS Curator, G. V. Gress Zoological Park, Atlanta, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1967 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1090.1967.tb00323.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume7, Issue1January 1967Pages 75-77 RelatedInformation

Acuario y reptilario. Turín

The new installations at the Turin Zoo include the following. In the basement: the reservoir with sea water, the flowout arrangements for the aquarium tanks, and the biological compartments. In the semi basement there is an aquarium, which includes five biological compartments, ten water containers, and two service stairs. On ground level there is a central entrance, the management’s offices, the public entrance, the ticket office, and the washing rooms. From the entrance steps lead down to the aquarium, and other stairs take the visitors to the first floor, where the reptile house can be inspected. The latter has 16 chambers, with elevated gangways, from which the public can enjoy a good view of the animals. The crocodile house is in the centre building. Enzo Venturelli has provided an expressionist type of external design, which he terms «nuclear architecture», whilst the interiors are successful solutions to the many and difficult technical, structural and functional problems set by this very specialised building.

Courtship and Egg Laying of Captive Testudo denticulata

THE arrival in the Chicago Zoological Park of three Testudo denticulata Linneaus, a large male and 2 females, one of which was about the same size as the male, seemed an event of no particular importance. They were placed in the large 30-foot square cage in the center of the Reptile House where a motley collection of painted turtles, water snakes, coachwhips, pilot blacks, several iguanas, some large pythons, and assorted reptiles live in relative harmony. They promptly took off in different directions. Some hours later, the large female and male were noted approaching one another in the far corner of the cage. When still some distance apart, 5 feet perhaps, the male began a curious head-bobbing to which the female responded. It consisted mostly of a forward vertical jerk but there were also occasional lateral movements. The whole performance was apparently like the head-bobbing of Gopherus agassizii as described by Miller. The bobbing continued after the pair had met but with less excitement and seemed definitely a recognition signal. This greeting ceremony has been observed many times since, but it should be noted that the other species of chelonians in the cage are ignored and receive no salute. Some weeks later, however, when a smaller female was added to the group, she was greeted in characteristic fashion. Bobbing as observed was always initiated by the male. Females meeting pay no attention to one another. We had not had the tortoises many weeks when, on opening the house one morning, the junior author was considerably puzzled to find the source of curious, hen-like noises. At times, a crate of chickens is left in the cage corridor for python food, and it was at first assumed that such a delivery had been made. But there were no chickens. The noise continued but was difficult to trace. Finally, after even the adjoining grounds had been inspected, attention was turned to the last possible place-the center cage. There, the male tortoise was seen pursuing the large female and giving vent to his amorousness vocally. When the cage was opened, the sounds were much

Coloration in Lizards

CAPT. INGRAM has just returned from Round Island, Mauritius, bringing with him a collection of lizards made there. These he has presented to the Zoological Society of London. It is perhaps not surprising to find that they are all new to the Gardens, for very little collecting has ever been done on this island. The most interesting species included in this gift is a small and very beautiful jewelled gecko, having the upper surface of a greenish hue, and the lower white. But this background is enlivened by some strikingly vivid colouring. The head has a ground-colour of peacock-blue with scarlet markings and cross-shaped bars on the forehead, while stripes and spots ornament the back. This suggests a warning coloration. Some years ago its very opposite was to be seen in the Reptile House. This was the lichen-bark gecko, Uroplates fimbriatus, wherein the markings on the body afforded a most convincing illustration of protective coloration. Even when seen in a glass case, from a distance of a few inches it could scarcely be distinguished from the bark on which it was resting, the patches of lichen-grey on a black background completely breaking up the solid appearance of the body. The illusion was made the more complete by a large outstanding pleat of skin running down each side of the body and tail, which caused an insensible transition between the animal and its resting place, the fold of skin being closely applied to the bark.

A Walk Through the Zoological Gardens

IT is not by any means abundantly clear that a guide to the Zoological Society's Gardens is needed, inasmuch as there already exists the well-known and accurate guide to the Society's collection by Mr. Sclater. Although it is true that the author does not call his book a “guide” in the title, he nevertheless observes in the preface that it is his object “to conduct the reader from house to house and from paddock to paddock, pointing out the chief features of interest” on the way. We must, therefore, consider the book as intended to be a guide. As such it does not appear to us to be at all informing; it would have been well, too, to avoid positive error. The author alls a sea-lion a seal, which—seeing that true seals are often exhibited—is confusing. The African Mudfish, Protopterus, often on view in the Reptile house, is dubbed Lepidosiren, which we need scarcely explain, is a South American Dipnoan. There are other errors of fact, and certain statements which are so loose and confused that they are practically erroneous. It is naturally impossible in a small book like the present to give an exhaustive account of all the animals to be seen in the course of a year or two in the Gardens. But the author leaves out so many important beasts that he fails to convey a real notion of the extent and variety of the collection. By cutting out the tale of how he rescued a blue pencil from a cormorant, which afterwards swallowed a lady's parasol, and by forbearing to mention that porcupines “pare their teeth on elephants’ tusks” (!), and generally by avoiding gossip of a totally uninteresting and equally uninstructive kind, Mr. Aflalo might have grappled more successfully with the immense amount of material at his disposal.

The New Reptile House at the Zoological Society's Gardens

THE present Reptile House in the Zoological Society's Gardens adjoining the Lecture Room, is an old wooden building, which in the early days of the Society was used for lions and tigers, and is now in a very bad state of repair. Besides this it is much too small for the present collection of reptiles. The cages which it contains are always over full, while the tortoises are necessarily lodged in a separate house, and the crocodiles are kept in a building properly destined to contain sloths and marsupials. Moreover, most of the compartments in the present Reptile House are accessible only from the front, which renders it inconvenient, not to say dangerous, to open them in the day-time, when the house is filled with sightseers. Under these circumstances, the Council of the Society have determined to construct an entirely new building for the better accommodation of the reptiles at the southern corner of the Gardens, and having obtained the necessary permission of H.M. First Commissioner of Works, will commence operations immediately.