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Month: August 2022

African Pancake Tortoise

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African Pancake Tortoise

(Malacochersus tornieri)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to three African pancake tortoises, one male and two female. A male and a female reside inside the Animals of the Savanna building, while the second female serves as a program animal.

Animal Facts

Unlike most tortoises that sport a heavy domed shell, the African pancake tortoise relies on its speed and flattened shape to outrun and hide from its predators.
The average size of an African pancake tortoise is six to seven inches long and one inch thick.
To lock itself into a protective crevice, the African pancake tortoise will take in a large quantity of air to expand its flexible shell to fit the space between the rocks.
African pancake tortoises have one or two clutches of eggs per year, of one to four eggs each clutch.
They are excellent climbers and active at dawn and dusk; spend day in rock crevices and spend very little time away from their hiding place.

Diet

African pancake tortoises are strictly herbivorous. They eat dry grasses, fallen fruits and available vegetation.

Status in The Wild

  • Vulnerable

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

These tortoises inhabit isolated locations in eastern Africa, from Kenya to Tanzania. The habitat they prefer is areas of small hills with rocky outcropping in arid thornbrush.

The African pancake tortoises are popular in the pet trade, which has made them considerably vulnerable in the wild. Habitat loss in Africa combined with a slow reproductive rate make this species’ recovery difficult.

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African Penguin

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African Penguin

(Spheniscuc demersus)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to a thriving colony of African penguins. Our Zoo is one of the top breeders of African penguins in the United States, therefore the number of individuals is always changing. Their habitat is outdoors along the Rocky Coasts.

Animal Facts

The Zoo has hatched over 100 penguins, most of which have been sent to other AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums.
African penguins have up to 70 feathers per square inch. These feathers are stiff and overlap in layers, trapping air against their skin. This makes their feathers both windproof and waterproof.
Seneca Park Zoo partners with SANCCOB, the largest volunteer-based wildlife organization in the world. Volunteers rehabilitate thousands of coastal birds every year that fall victim to oil spills or are orphaned due to lack of fish.
They will generally pair bond for life.
These penguins molt once a year; molt takes 20 days.

Diet

African penguins are carnivorous, eating fish and crustaceans. They rely heavily on sardines and anchovies, which are being overfished by humans.
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Status in The Wild

  • Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

African penguins live in large colonies along the coast of southern Africa, and prefer water temperatures between 40°F and 70°F. They use their own excrement, called guano, to build nests under bushes and rocks.

The biggest threats to African penguins are rising sea temperatures, overfishing, and oil spills.

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Amur Tiger

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Amur Tiger

(Panthera tigris altaica)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to one female Amur tiger, Katya, who was born here in 2005. Amur tigers were formerly known as Siberian tigers, but these tigers are not native to Siberia and actually inhabit the area around the Amur River Valley. The name change occurred to accurately reflect the true origin of this large cat.

Animal Facts

Amur tigers are the largest of all living cats.
They grow to be 14-feet long, males weigh up to 400 pounds and females weigh up to 300 pounds.
The hind limbs of these animals are longer than their forelimbs. This is an adaptation for jumping.
Tiger cubs are born blind and weigh only 2 to 3 pounds at birth.
The uneven black stripes on the cats’ orange coats act as shadow marks and make for excellent camouflage.
Tigers are solitary animals except during the mating season. A male’s territory may cover 400 square miles, with several females within that range.

Diet

Tigers eat deer, elk, antelope, and wild boar.
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Status in The Wild

  • Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Amur tigers can be found in Coniferous and taiga forests and bush mountains in southeastern Russia, northeastern China and north regions of Korea.

Amur tiger population is estimated at around 360 individuals. In accordance with the Species Survival Plan (SSP), Seneca Park Zoo seeks to conserve the Amur tiger in human care through preservation of breeding populations. In the United States, 137 such tigers are part of the SSP.

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African Lion

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African Lion

(Panthera leo krugeri)

The Zoo is home to three adult African lions that arrived in December 2011 from an animal park outside Pretoria, South Africa. There is one male, Chester, born in September 2010 and two females: Zuri, born in September 2010 and Asha, born in January of 2011.

Animal Facts

Lions roar in chorus. This may be a form of social bonding and the roars can be heard as far as five miles away!
In the wild, most male lions live between five and nine years, while females live until 15 or 16 years. In the Serengeti, females have lived up to 18 years.
Individual lions can be identified by their unique whisker spot pattern, similar to how our fingerprints are used.
Most cat species are solitary, but lions are social and live in groups called prides
Females do most of the hunting in a pride, sometimes in a group. Hunting typically takes place at night.

Diet

Large ungulates, birds, rodents, fish, ostrich eggs, amphibians and reptiles. Lions also actively scavenge, taking cues from hyenas and vultures.
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Status in The Wild

  • Vulnerable

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

African lions are most common in plains or savanna habitat.

African lions are protected under CITES Appendix II. They are part of the Zoo’s Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program. It is believed that during the past two decades, the lion population has declined by nearly 30 percent. Main threats listed by IUCN are indiscriminate killing by humans and prey base depletion. Other problems include habitat loss, agricultural expansion and geographic isolation of different groups.

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African Bush Viper

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African Bush Viper

(Atheris squamigera)

Seneca Park Zoo’s two African bush vipers reside inside the Animals of the Savanna building, in the micro-habitat tree.

Animal Facts

African bush vipers are ambush predators, and commonly strike their prey while hanging upside down from a tree limb.
There is no antivenom for this species of snake.
African bush vipers are commonly called “green vipers”, however they can be found in variations of red, orange, gray, yellow, black, blue, olive, and brown. They may also change color throughout their lifespan.
They are viviparous, meaning they give live birth.
They are nocturnal which means they sleep during the day and are awake at night which is also when they hunt.

Diet

African bush vipers are carnivorous, and primarily eat small rodents. They may also eat birds, frogs, and small reptiles when available.
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Status in The Wild

  • Not Evaluated

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

African bush vipers are mainly arboreal and prefer tropical rainforests in West and Central Africa. They are typically found far from human settlements.

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African Elephant

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African Elephant

(Loxodonta africana)

Three female African elephants reside at Seneca Park Zoo. Genny C and Lilac were born in South Africa in 1977 and 1978, respectively, and came to live at the Zoo in 1979. Moki was born in Zimbabwe in 1982 and joined the Zoo family in April 2015.  All of our elephants respond to, and understand, more than 50 verbal commands. To date, they are the only African elephants in New York.

Experience: Elephant Encounter Tours

Animal Facts

African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, slightly larger than their Asian cousins
Upper incisor teeth develop into tusks and grow throughout their lifetime.
One way to tell an African elephant apart from their Asian counterparts is by looking at their ears
Elephants are highly social animals living in groups led by the oldest female, made up of cows, their calves and young males
Sounds, touch and posture are all ways they are known to communicate with one another

Diet

Elephants eat leaves, branches, fruit and grasses. They consume 300 pounds of food and 50 gallons of water every day.
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Status in The Wild

  • Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

African elephants can be found in open forests and grasslands in Africa.

The biggest threats to African elephants are the ivory trade and habitat destruction. Poaching for meat and ivory significantly reduced the population of African elephants in the 20th century. The African elephant has governmental protection, but such poaching is still a serious threat to the species. In Africa, some people have resorted to culling large amounts of elephants to help sustain the ecosystem and reduce the elephant population. The Seneca Park Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan for the African elephant.

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Rochester, NY 14621

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