by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
The commercials are right- there really is “more to see, more to zoo” every time I go there. My family and I just visited last October and since then two incredibly fascinating new exhibits have been unveiled at the Jacksonville Zoo. Here’s a peek at what you can look forward to discovering on your next visit.
It may surprise you to know that about half of the amphibian species on the planet are currently endangered; hundreds seriously so. More shocking is that since 1980 over 150 different species have gone extinct.
“This is a huge issue,” Jacksonville Zoo spokeswoman Gina Stiles stressed to me. “If we don’t all do something soon they will all disappear.”
Zoos all over the world have committed themselves to doing something to stop the amphibian crisis and one of our own zoo’s efforts is the “Save the Frogs!” amphibian conservation center. The facility, located near the Australian exhibit in the old koala building, is home to a number of different amphibians, three of which are currently being bred to help save them from extinction. What’s on display is unlike anything you can currently see at our zoo- a strictly utilitarian exhibit with rows of plastic tubs, each containing an animal that, without conservation efforts like this one, could disappear from the face of the planet in our lifetime. Large graphics explain the situation at hand and tell guests what they can do to help. The building also has a listening station where you can hear frog calls for three species that are now extinct.
Since the center opened on February 16th, baby Stripped Newts have already hatched. The tiny specks can be seen swimming in a small tank in one of the rooms. Nearby, the Gulf Coast Waterdog is being bred in an attempt to help out its far more endangered cousin, the Alabama Waterdog, which has never been successfully bred in captivity. In the next room some Puerto Rican Crested Frogs are waiting to head back home. They will be on the next plane out of town once they make some tadpoles. Each of the rooms are separate and bio-secure and are kept at different temperatures to keep the animals comfortable. A Dying Poisoned Dart Frog, Golden Frog and Tomato Frog are also on display to give people an idea of how diverse these animals can be.
“People like the furry things and they pay a lot less attention to reptiles and amphibians and even fish,” said Steve Gott, an amphibian expert at the Zoo. “[But] frogs are a major part of our food web… They eat tons of insects, particularly mosquitoes, if you’re looking for benefits to humans. Mosquitoes are not only irritating but they carry diseases. With climate change, we are eventually going to be seeing more tropical diseases moving north, especially down here in Florida. We could eventually be seeing malaria and things like that coming this way as things get warmer and without frogs eating the mosquitoes it’s going to be a lot more widespread.”
The biggest problems facing amphibians right now are habitat destruction, pollution, climate change and a fungus called cytrid that comes though in waves and wipes out up to 90% of a population at a time.
The best part about “Save the Frogs!” is you’re given ideas on how you can actually make a difference in this global crisis. Simple things like cutting back on the use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers make a huge difference as does switching to body care products that are non-toxic and biodegradable. Head over to this fascinating new exhibit to see conservation in action and learn more ways to do your part.
March 1st marks the grand opening of another great new exhibit- Stingray Bay, an 11,000 gallon touch pool that lets you and your family get up close and personal with one of today’s most misunderstood ocean creatures, the stingray. This totally interactive exhibit will be on display from March to September for the next two years, possibly longer depending on the crowds.
“There’s not an exhibit like this in Jacksonville,” Stiles said. “So this is the place to go for that once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
At Stingray Bay, visitors of all ages will get to interact with 29 stingrays. Two separate species are swimming around the large pool- Cownose and Southern, both of which can be found right here on the First Coast. And there’s no need to be worried about getting stung. All of the rays have had their barbs trimmed so they are completely harmless.
“This is one of the ways we’re educating people to interact with wildlife,” Stiles explained. “Stingrays have a really big stigma because they have the barbs on them.”
“It’s a self-defense thing,” added Jamie, one of Stingray Bay’s educators. “Most people that get stung step on them because they don’t see them because they bury [themselves] in the sand.”
There will be educators on hand to answer questions and to soothe nervous guests, just in case.
In addition to just petting the rays, you can also feed them. Stingray chow will be available for purchase at the gift shop located in the tent, where you’ll also be able to find unique gifts for the stingray lover in your family.
The Zoo had its members-only preview at the end of February and the exhibit was a huge hit with all of the guests.
“I think it went really well,” Jamie said. “Everyone really seemed to enjoy it. Several kids that we saw on Saturday when it was a little bit slower were here every feeding time. We definitely saw people that were coming back throughout the day to come touch them and feed them.”
Admission to Sting Ray Bay is $2.50 for Zoo members and $3.00 for everyone else. The extra fee is well worth the experience. It’s not everyday you get to feed a stingray so this is one exhibit you don’t want to miss.
Article Published in the 03-08 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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