Snakes Alive Opens Thursday, April 1

Snaking Across State Lines

Snakes Alive at the Kansas City Zoo is opening Thursday, April 1. Public is welcome to the ribbon cutting at 10 a.m.

In creating our Myth-buster graphics in Snakes Alive we searched for these best snake images to use. Robert Makowsky was kind enough to let us use his image of the Amazon Tree Boa. This specimen was caught in Peru in the limbs over a small tributary of the Amazon. After the snake was photographed it was immediately released in it original location.

Robert Makowsky is with the Department of Biostatistics at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Thank you Robert!

Slither, slide, walk or run to the Kansas City Zoo to busta-myth about these glistening ornate patterned creatures. Did you know snakes don’t have eyelids or ears and their “noses” are also found on the roof of their mouths? Starting April 1 – you can find out this and more at Snakes Alive.

Camels are Breeding at the Kansas City Zoo

Camels are breeding at the Zoo!
Dromedary Camel, Camelus dromedaries

In mid February, the Zoo received a male camel with the intention of breeding with two of our females. He has until late April to get to know his female companions; we are very hopeful that these two females will become pregnant.

Camels typically breed from January to May. Male camels come into what is called “rut” which is another way to say that he is ready to breed. During rut, males become very aggressive towards other males; they secrete a bad smelling substance from glands on the back of their heads and will inflate the back portion of the roof of their mouth and push it outside the mouth. None of these things sound very attractive, but thankfully the girls are still interested in him.

The camels are breeding in an off exhibit yard, but when the girls aren’t with him you can see them on exhibit in Australia. Camel gestation period is approximately 12-13 months, and they typically have one calf. Come out to the zoo and see our beautiful girls, and make sure to check back next spring to see if we have any new little camels running around the yard.

Rebecca Prewitt, Discovery Zone Animal Supervisor

KCZoo Polar Bear - Training from Toledo Zoo

I recently returned from a trip to the Toledo Zoo where I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Nikita, the polar bear that will be joining us at the Kansas City Zoo. He is going to be an awesome addition to our animal collection. Nikita is currently 3 years old and he weighs over 800 lbs already! He is very playful and wants to investigate anything new.

His favorite toy to play with is a 55gallon plastic barrel. I watched him play with this barrel for over an hour. He took it all around his exhibit, in the water, out of the water, everywhere. Polar Bears (and Nikita especially) are very strong and destructive. It only takes him about three days before his beloved barrel is torn in half and he needs a new one.

In the wild polar bears mainly eat seals. In the zoo Nikita’s current diet consist of fish (trout and capelin), a dry food, and a nice dollop of beef lard! He also gets some fruits and vegetables as enrichment. One of his favorite enrichment foods is cantaloupe, especially if it is frozen first.

I really enjoyed my trip to the Toledo Zoo. Everyone there was really great, and gave me lots of great information about Nikita and about polar bears in general. I can’t wait for Nikita to come to the Kansas City Zoo and for everyone to meet him.

Andrea O’Daniels
Zookeeper

KCZoo Prickly Cute Porcupines

Prickly Cute, Utterly Adorable


KANSAS CITY ZOO - A male and a female Prehensile-tailed Porcupine have created quite a stir in their new exhibit at the Tropics at the Kansas City Zoo. Climbing from end to end exploring and hanging upside-down by their tails, these stout barbed mammals use their tail for grasping branches and bare soles (callused pads) for tree climbing.

Their bodies are covered in short spines mixed with course hairs. The quills will lay flat until they are disturbed or frightened; they provide an impressive defense. Quills easily fall out so it is very difficult for animals to touch them without getting a quill embedded in their skin.

Named for their long prehensile tail, it becomes their fifth hand helping them navigate through the forest canopy. Although they tend to move slowly, they are very agile and can climb quickly as needed. The last third of the tail is spineless on the upper side which helps them spiral their tail around branches for a stronger grip.

Enhancing their cuteness is their round squishy looking nose; its bulbous form is covered with short white hairs. But do not be deceived with their adorable looks, when excited or feeling trapped, they will stomp their hind feet and may sit on their haunches, shake their spines and growl deeply or emit high pitch cries. Does this sound like anyone you may know?

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Kansas City Zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is $11.50 for adults and $8.50 for children ages 3-11, and, as always, FOTZ members are free. Call (816) 513-5800, or visit our web site www.kansascityzoo.org for more information.

KCZoo School Field Trip Assistance

It's school field trip time and the Zoo's Education is seeking Facilitators. Facilitators help school groups enjoy their visit to the Kansas City Zoo.

They are dressed in bright colors so you can’t miss them. They assist the groups in an easy arrival to the Zoo; they can store your lunches and help with a simple and stress free exit from the Zoo too. You might see them wandering around in the Zoo, if so, try to stump them with hard animal questions.