North American River Otter

Posted on September 15, 2022April 4, 2024 by tgwadmin

North American River Otter

(Lontra canadensis)

There are three river otters at Seneca Park Zoo, one female and two male. Female Ashkii was born in 2016 and joined us from the National Zoo in March 2020. One male, Sailor, was born in 2007 and came to the Zoo in May 2012 from a private facility in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The other male, Gary, was born in February 2022 and came to us in 2023.

Animal Facts

River otters can travel underwater a quarter of a mile and stay submerged for about eight minutes at a time.

Not only water creatures, river otters travel across land. They run and slide along the belly up to 18 miles per hour.

The otter’s thick coat is made of guard hair and an undercoat. The undercoat next to the skin stays dry, insulating the otter from the cold water in its environment.

River otters do not compete with humans for game fish.

River otters are crepuscular, meaning they are more active at dawn and at dusk than other times of day.

Diet

River otters are carnivorous creatures. They eat fish, crayfish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, clams, snails, turtles, birds, rodents and insects.

Status in The Wild

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

North American river otters reside throughout the U.S. and Canada along rivers, near streams and lakes bordered by woods with wetlands.

North American river otters have been trapped for their highly-prized furs, resulting in a steep decrease in population since the 1800s. However, the otter is being restored to places where it is regionally threatened, resulting in an otter come back in many places. Seneca Park Zoo is part of an initiative to reintroduce the river otter back to Western New York. Releases have taken place in Honeoye Lake and the Genesee River, among other locations. Laws protecting the otter from over-hunting and habitat destruction have been important U.S. conservation measures.

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Red-Eared Slider

Posted on September 15, 2022October 14, 2022 by tgwadmin

Red-Eared Slider

(Trachemys scripta elegans)

There are two red-eared sliders at Seneca Park Zoo and they can be found in the Genesee Trail (seasonally).

Animal Facts

Females can grow to be much larger than males.

The red-eared slider gets its name from the red stripe that can be seen from behind the eyes and extending all the way to the neck.

These turtles are common pets throughout the world.

Red-eared sliders are mainly aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and to lay eggs.

Diet

Omnivore. Adults feed on plant and animal matter. They like to eat snails, tadpoles and fish, as well as duckweed and water lilies.

Status in The Wild

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

Red-eared sliders are from the southeastern United States and also live in New York State. They can often be found basking on logs or stumps in or near water.

Humans are the greatest enemy of red-eared sliders. Each year, turtles are harmed; mainly from habitat destruction and pollution.

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Red-Tailed Hawk

Posted on September 15, 2022October 14, 2022 by tgwadmin

Red-Tailed Hawk

(Buteo jamaicensis)

The Zoo is home to one female red-tailed hawk who came to the Zoo in May 2014. The red-tailed hawk is a medium-sized bird of prey. Its head is distinguished by a hooked beak and supraorbital ridge over the eyes.

Animal Facts

Red-tailed hawks may live about 25 years in captivity.

Red-tailed hawks are monogamous and may mate for life.

These diurnal hawks are primary solitary but will be social during breeding season and during migration.

Diet

Red-tailed hawks feed mostly on small- to medium-sized mammals such as voles, squirrels, rabbits and hares. They rarely take (but have been observed consuming) birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, large insects and carrion.

Status in The Wild

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

Red-tailed hawks are widespread and the most common hawk throughout North America.

In Alaska and Canada, they migrate to avoid severe winters, with migration peaking in October/November. Habitats vary but include rural and urban areas that contain woods, open country, deserts and mountains.

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Snowy Owl

Posted on September 15, 2022February 23, 2024 by tgwadmin

Snowy Owl

(Bubo scandiaca)

The Zoo is home to two snowy owls, a male named Tundra and a female named Flurry. Tundra was hatched in July 2013 and came from the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA. In 2014, he was confiscated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission from a private citizen. Because he was imprinted on humans, he was deemed unable to be re-released. Flurry was born at the Akron Zoo in May 2023 and came to us in February 2024 on a breeding recommendation.

Animal Facts

Snowy owls are carnivores; they hunt by sitting on an elevated perch that gives them good visibility; visual scanning of their hunting area is made possible by their ability to rotate their head three quarters of the way around.

Snowy owls are generally monogamous for one breeding season at a time, although cases of polygamy for a few seasons have been seen when prey is extremely abundant.

The niche of a snowy owl in their ecosystem is controlling lemming populations. A snowy owl may consume three to five lemmings a day, or approximately 1,600 lemmings in a year!

Diet

Lemmings, mice, rabbits, rodents, waterfowl, other birds and fish.

Status in The Wild

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

Snowy owls are found circumpolar, most often in Arctic habitats where they breed including coastal Alaska, Canada, and Greenland.

They can also be found in northern Scandinavia, Russia, southern Novaya Zemlya (a large island off the northern coast of Russia) and northern Siberia. During the winter season, some snowy owls migrate south to more temperate habitats. Snowy owls usually inhabit open tundra during summer months. They also inhabit lowland grasslands (saltwater grass meadows and freshwater wet meadows), especially for hunting.

They are protected, however, under the U.S. Migratory Bird Act and CITES Appendix II. Snowy owls are victims of collisions with vehicles, gunshot wounds, utility line and airplane collisions, electrocutions and entanglement with fishing lines.

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Spotted Turtle

Posted on September 15, 2022October 14, 2022 by tgwadmin

Spotted Turtle

(Clemmys guttata)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to two spotted turtles that are a part of the Zoo’s ambassador animal program.

Animal Facts

The average adult shell of a spotted turtle is 3 to 5 inches in length.

When the female spotted turtle is ready to lay her eggs, she will dig her nest in well-drained soil in a marshy pasture in full sunlight. There, she will lay three to five eggs and cover them with soil and grass. The incubation period takes approximately 70 to 83 days.

Spotted turtles are shy creatures. If disturbed in the water, they will dive down and bury themselves in the mud. If disturbed on land, they will retract into their shells for protection.

Spotted turtles are creatures of habit. They have their own favorite basking sites that they return to day after day.

The spotted turtle only eats underwater because it cannot swallow its food out of water. When spotted turtles hunt on land, they will bring their catch back into the water for consumption.

Diet

Spotted turtles are omnivores. They eat algae, water lily seeds, worms, slugs, grass, mollusks and amphibian eggs.

Status in The Wild

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

These turtles are native to New York State and the Midwest.

In these areas, fragmentation and loss of wetland habitats has resulted in the population decline of the spotted turtle. The loss of this animal is also attributed to them being used in the pet trade industry.

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Bald Eagle

Posted on September 13, 2022October 14, 2022 by tgwadmin

Bald Eagle

(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

There is one male bald eagle, Maverick, at Seneca Park Zoo. Maverick was born around 2012 and arrived at the Zoo in 2016. He had suffered wing injuries in their natural ranges and cannot fly. Only bald eagles that have been determined to be unable to live in their natural range are kept in conservation care, where they can thrive without threats to their survival.

Animal Facts

Bald eagles have a brown body and a snow-white head and tail, a feather coloration which is not attained until the bird turns 5.

The bald eagle builds the largest nest of any North American bird, up to 13-feet deep, 8-feet wide and 1 ton in weight.

“Bald” in the English name is derived from the word “piebald,” and refers to the white head and tail feathers in contrast to the darker body, not a state of being featherless.

A bald eagle has a 6- to 7-foot wingspan.

Diet

The bald eagle is carnivorous and eats fish, birds, rodents, snakes and carrion.

Status in The Wild

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

Bald eagles live in North America from Florida to Alaska. They roost in tall trees near clean, fish-filled water in undeveloped areas.

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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Sandhill Crane

Posted on September 13, 2022November 21, 2022 by tgwadmin

Sandhill Crane

(Grus canadensis)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to one male sandhill crane who joined the Zoo in July 2019 and one female who joined him in September of 2022. Their habitat can be found in the Rocky Coasts area.

Animal Facts

Family groups may join together with non-mated cranes to form survival groups that feed and roost together at migratory stop-over sights.

Some of these migratory stop-over sites may have as many as 40,000 birds.

Diet

Sandhill cranes are omnivorous. Seeds, plant tubers, grains, berries, insects, worms, mice, snakes, lizards, frogs and crayfish comprise their diet. Unlike other wading birds, sandhill cranes do not fish.

Status in The Wild

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

North America, except for the northeast U.S. Summers in the arctic of Alaska and Canada and winters in Florida, Texas, northern Mexico and southern California. Sandhill cranes live in open grasslands, wet meadows, freshwater marshes and bogs.

Loss and degradation of riverine and wetland ecosystems are the most important threats to sandhill crane populations. For the migratory subspecies (Lesser, Greater and Canadian), this is of greatest concern in staging and wintering areas in the southern United States and northern Mexico. Spring staging areas along the Platte River in Nebraska are of special concern because of their importance to the migratory subspecies and the development pressures facing this region. Approximately 80% of all sandhill cranes utilize a 75-mile stretch of the Platte River in spring migration. Elsewhere, small breeding populations can face disproportionate mortality on fall staging areas due to over-hunting. Residential and commercial development pressures facing lands occupied by birds belonging to non-migratory subspecies (Mississippi, Florida and Cuban) also pose significant threats.

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Western Rat Snake

Posted on September 13, 2022October 14, 2022 by tgwadmin

Western Rat Snake

(Pantherophis obsoletus)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to one western rat snake, a male named Pugsly. The rat snakes are a part of the Zoo’s ambassador animal program.

Animal Facts

Snake scales are made out of a protein called keratin, the same stuff that makes up human fingernails.

The western rat snake is one of the longest snakes found in North America, reaching lengths of 8 feet or more.

When threatened, rat snakes may shake their tail to mimic a rattlesnake, a more dangerous venomous snake.

Diet

The western rat snake is an opportunistic feeder, meaning it will go after a wide range of available prey including mice, rats, other snakes, lizards, bird eggs, songbirds, squirrels, and frogs. These snakes can go for more than a week without food.

Status in The Wild

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

The western rat snake has one of the largest distributions of all common rat snakes. They can be found in northern New York down through Georgia, and west across Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Similarly, they can also be found in a wide range of habitats, from sea level to high elevations, such as the Appalachian Mountains, to rocky hillsides and flat farmlands.

The western rat snake is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of moderate habitat modification, and presumed large population. However, they occasionally become victims of roadkill and also get killed by humans when mistaken for venomous snakes.

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Hellbender

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Largemouth Bass

Posted on September 12, 2022October 14, 2022 by tgwadmin

Largemouth Bass

(Micropterus salmoides)

Two largemouth bass reside in the pond along the Genesee Trail. Often stocked for sport fishing, this fish is now common throughout the United States.

Animal Facts

The largemouth bass derives its name from the fact that the rear end of the lower jaw extends past the eye, while that of a smallmouth does not.

It is known by a variety of regional names, such as the widemouth bass, bigmouth bass, black bass, bucketmouth, largies, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, bucketmouth bass, Green trout, gilsdorf bass, Oswego bass, LMB, and southern largemouth and northern largemouth.

Diet

Invertebrates and small fish.

Status in The Wild

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

Freshwater lakes, streams and ponds with bottom cover such as logs, rocks, vegetation.

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Lake Sturgeon

Posted on September 12, 2022October 14, 2022 by tgwadmin

Lake Sturgeon

(Acipenser fulvescens)

Called the “Dinosaurs of the Great Lakes,” the lake sturgeon is the oldest and largest native species of fish in the Great Lakes. Because of this, sturgeon are kind of like swimming fossils. Lake sturgeon are bottom-feeders with sensitive spade-like snouts and armor-like plates for protection. Fingerling sturgeon are raised at the Zoo, and some are released into the Genesee River each year as part of a reintroduction program led by the USGS and NYSDEC. The Zoo’s sturgeon reside in the E.C.O. Center.

Animal Facts

Lake sturgeon have inhabited the Great Lakes for more than 10,000 years.

Like sharks, sturgeon lack scales and are cartilaginous, which means they do not have bones. However, sturgeons do have scutes, which are hard plates that act as armor to provide them protection.

Full grown sturgeon can weigh as much as 200 pounds and grow to be up to seven-feet long.

Caviar, a delicacy for humans, is simply eggs from sturgeon.

The fossil record of a sturgeon shows that they have remained relatively unchanged for more than 100 million years.

Diet

These carnivores eat snails, mollusks, worms, crayfish and larvae.

Status in The Wild

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

Lake sturgeon inhabit the waters of the Great Lakes region, especially the Huron-Erie Corridor.

Lake sturgeon were once so abundant in the Great Lakes region that they were caught and discarded by fishermen. Today they are rarely seen and are considered a threatened and vulnerable species. Over harvested for their eggs, oil and meat, the lake sturgeon’s numbers have also dropped because its spawning grounds are being destroyed and polluted. The lake sturgeon’s extremely slow reproductive cycle also makes it susceptible to decline. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey along with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation stocked the Genesee River with 1,900 juvenile lake sturgeon in an effort to restore the species to its natural habitat.