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Category: Animals

Masai Giraffe

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Masai Giraffe

(Giraffa tippelskirchi)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to five Masai giraffes, two females Iggy, and Kura, and three males, Olmsted (Olmy), Elliot, and JD. Their habitat is north of the elephant barn in the Animals of the Savanna area. Iggy was born on June 4, 2017 at the Virginia Zoo and arrived at Seneca Park Zoo in August 2018.  Iggy had her first calf, male Olmsted, on April 29, 2022, and second, Pippi born in December 2023. JD came to us from The Wilds Safari Park in October 2023 and was born in September 2021. Elliot and Kura came to us from the San Diego Safari Park in 2024

Animal Facts

Masai giraffe spots have irregular edges covering them down to their hooves, causing them to have a unique appearance from other giraffe subspecies.
Their markings allow them to be camouflaged with the trees where they feed, protecting them from predators.
Giraffes usually only sleep a few minutes at a time, and often while standing up. This helps them to keep an almost constant lookout for predators.

Diet

Giraffes are herbivorous, browsing mainly on leaves and buds from trees and shrubs, especially the acacia tree.
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Status in The Wild

  • Endangered

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

Masai giraffe are found in savannas and open woodlands throughout southern Kenya and much of Tanzania.

Endangered due to scattered and fragmented populations that have resulted from poaching, habitat loss, and human encroachment.

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Mombasa Golden Starburst Tarantula

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Mombasa Golden Starburst Tarantula

(Pterinochilus murinus)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to one Mombasa golden starburst tarantula, which can be found inside the Animals of the Savanna building.

Animal Facts

This species is commonly referred to as the orange baboon tarantula, because of its color and confrontational nature.
Although their venom is not lethal to humans, the starburst tarantula has an extremely painful bite – known to be even more painful than a rattlesnake bite.
These tarantulas are typically bright orange in color, but are sometimes found in dark and red color variations depending on their geographical location.

Diet

As carnivores, these tarantulas feed on invertebrates and small animals such as lizards, rodents and birds.

Status in The Wild

  • Not Evaluated

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

These tarantulas are found in Angola, sub-Saharan Africa and the island of Zanzibar.

They are ground-dwellers found in a variety of habitats, including bushes, low trees and burrows under rocks.

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Mueller’s Clawed Frog

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Mueller's Clawed Frog

(Xenopus muelleri)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to a Mueller’s clawed frog. The habitat is located in the micro-habitat tree inside the Animals of the Savanna building.

Animal Facts

The scientific name for this species is xenopus muelleri – the word xenopus means “strange foot”.
The frog’s front feet are small and lack webbing. They use their fingers to push food into their mouths.
Clawed frogs lack a tongue and vocal cords. Because of this, their calls are a series of clicks that are emitted underwater.

Diet

Mueller’s clawed frogs are opportunistic scavengers. They are carnivores that will eat living, dying, or dead arthropods, invertebrates, crustaceans, small fish, and freshwater snails.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

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

This species is found throughout sub-saharan Africa. As a water-dependent species, they occupy both temporary and permanent ponds, as well as rivers and streams in the dry season.

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Naked Mole Rat

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Naked Mole Rat

(Heterocephalus glaber)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to two colonies of naked mole rats. Their habitat is located inside the new Animals of the Savanna building.

Animal Facts

A common alternative name for the naked mole rat is “sand puppy”.
Naked mole rats are one of two mammal species that are eusocial, living in colonies much like bees and ants, with one queen. The queen must earn the position, and becomes the only breeding female in the colony.
Naked mole rats have adaptations to resist aging and cancer. They are being studied by scientists to see if these adaptations can be applied to save human lives.

Diet

As herbivores, naked mole rats primarily feed on tubers.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

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

Naked mole rats are found in the grasslands of Somalia, central Ethiopia, and northern and eastern Kenya. They dig underground tunnels and can survive with minimal oxygen.

This species occurs in many protected areas throughout their natural range, and has a well-established breeding population in conservation care.

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Naked Mole Rat Range

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California Sea Lion

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California Sea Lion

(Zalophus californianus)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to four sea lions, three females and one male. Lily, the oldest female, was born in 2009. She was found stranded on a beach in Los Angeles County and rehabilitated at the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California. Her male offspring, Bob, was born here at the Zoo in June 2017. Females Mary Lou and Daley came to the Zoo in November 2017 from SeaWorld Orlando.

Experience: Rocky Coast Tour

Animal Facts

A sea lion can dive up to 450-feet deep and remain submerged for 20 minutes without a breath while sleeping.
Sea lions are different from seals in many ways. One difference is that sea lions have ear flaps called pinnea, which seals lack.
Natural predators of the sea lion are orcas and white sharks.
Sea lions move pretty well on land, using their hind flippers and fore flippers as feet.
Sea lions are some of the most gregarious sea mammals. They can form groups on land upwards of a thousand individuals at a time.

Diet

The sea lion eats fish, octopus, squid, mollusks and crustaceans.
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Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

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

California sea lions live on offshore rocks and beaches on the Pacific west coast of North America from British Columbia to the coast of Mexico.

The California sea lion is a protected species throughout its range. Sea lions are known to damage fishing gear and steal or destroy fish, but can get caught or killed through this type of behavior. Despite conflicts with commercial and sport fisheries, the population continues to increase.

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Bald Eagle

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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 habitat and cannot fly. Only bald eagles that have been determined to be unable to live in their natural habitat 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

  • Least Concern

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.

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Sandhill Crane

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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.
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Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

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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Taveta Golden Weaver

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Taveta Golden Weaver

(Ploceus castaneiceps)

Seneca Park Zoo is the home to a flock of Taveta golden weavers. They can be found in the large aviary inside the Animals of the Savanna building.

Animal Facts

Males are a vibrant yellow color with green wings, whereas females are a more muted olive-yellow color.
Taveta weavers are classified as songbirds, however their “song” is loud and harsh.
Female weavers choose their mate based on the male’s ability to weave an intricate nest.

Diet

Taveta golden weavers are omnivores. They primarily feed on seeds, but can also eat grains, grasses and insects.
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Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

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

These weavers are found in parts of Kenya and Tanzania. They inhabit a variety of habitats, including forests, wetlands, and savannas.

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Western Rat Snake (Ambassador Animal)

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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

  • Least Concern

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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Largemouth Bass

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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

  • Least Concern

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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