My friend, Kelley, and I met at the Hogle Zoo today. The kids had a blast. The highlight of the zoo was by far the bird show that Tyler, Susie, and I attended before Kelley and her kids showed up (they were stuck in bad traffic). The kids loved it and were thoroughly entertained for 25 minutes. Birds were swooping right over our heads for the majority of the program--definitely something that is exciting to kids. Unfortunately I didn't get a single picture. The kids loved the train ride, the giraffes, the elephants (really...all the animals).
The most interesting animal to me at the zoo was the white alligator, "The Ghost of the Bayou". The zoo keeper explained a few interesting facts to me about the special alligator. In 1987 an alligator nest was discovered with 18 freshly hatched alligators with white hides—an extraordinary natural mutation called leucism (they are not albino). These are the only alligators they have ever found with this mutation. Eight of the alligators have died since, and ten are still living--all in zoos. He told me they couldn't survive in the wild because they would sunburn. I looked up leucism in the dictionary, and this is the definition in comparison to albinism: Leucism is a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin. A further difference between albinism and leucism is in eye colour. The alligators with leucism have blue eyes, while an albino would have red eyes.
It was a fun outing! But, after stomping around the zoo for 4 1/2 hours, everybody was ready to head home.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Hogle Zoo
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2 comments:
Amy, there is a chance that I took care of that white alligator when it was a wee thing.
I was working at a zoo in Louisiana back in 1990 when those reptiles went on tour. I was head of the bird house at the time. There was no room in the snake house so I got the honor of displaying and taking care of them. They were only 2 - 3 feet long at the time. The white scales can get dull after awhile so they had me use a toothbrush and toothpaste to keep their hides pearly white!
Megan
Cute pictures...I stole some :) LOTS of fun we will have to do something again soon...before you close up the pool :) Good luck with Ty's school, let me know how it goes.
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