Otters Celebrate 7th Birthday Today at the Tennessee Aquarium

Pete and Delmar, the Tennessee Aquarium’s North American river otters, arrived at the Aquarium in 2005. They were almost 7 ½ months old at the time, and Today, February 20th, the otters turn 7 YEARS old!


Seven years old would be fairly old for a river otter in the wild, as they’ll typically live to be about 10 years old. However, in an Aquarium setting the otters get restaurant quality food and excellent health care. And they don't have to worry about predators. As a result, their life span should be considerably longer. Pete and Delmar have been going strong since we received them from the Pittsburg Zoo and Aquarium and we expect them to live into their teens.
 

Since our wily weasels are so active, they have a daily schedule that ensures they get multiple feedings (have to support that high metabolism!), training, and enrichment.  In the picture above, these visitors learn about an enrichment activity as part of the Tennessee Aquarium's Backstage Pass Tour.

Pete and Delmar begin the day with a morning fish feeding in which smelt or capelin is spread over their beach and in their water for them to find.  Later in the morning comes training, in which the otters work on behaviors that allow keepers to monitor their health. Both otters will show both the tops and bottoms of their feet, get on a scale, shift in and out of their behind-the-scenes area, and hold their nose to a target stick. Both are extremely intelligent, and we never know who will excel more at a given task. For example, Delmar will show us his teeth on cue, while Pete will not. However, keepers are currently working to teach the otters to stand on their back legs on cue, and Pete seems to be progressing in this task faster than Delmar.

 

 In the afternoon, the otters get enrichment. At first glance, this may look like an ordinary playtime, but there’s always a purpose behind it. Enrichment bringsout natural behaviors in our otters, allows them to make a choice, or improves their environment. There are lots of fun ways to do this: otter have toys they must maneuver to in order to compete for food; they are given shaved ice “snow” in which treats are buried; they can dig and make a mess with pine straw offered just for enrichment; and they can clean their teeth and enjoy a treat at the same time with frozen fish pops.  Delmar in particular tends to be the more dominant otter at enrichment time, often trying new enrichment items before Pete is willing.
 

 Visitors enjoy watching the playful otters at any time, but they are especially fun to watch during enrichment activities.

 Like any birthday party, the otters seem to enjoy this "pinata" full of fish and clams.

River Otter Fun Facts:

·      -   Pete is the bigger otter. He’s taller when standing on his back legs, and has a patch of pale fur on his chest. -- Delmar is shorter and darker.

·       -   When given frozen treats, the otters love to hide them from one another in rock crevices and up behind the wall on their rock beach.

·        -  Our otters will NOT share food, but typically get along well in other regards.

·       -   The otters have tried smelt, capelin, mackerel, anchovies and sardines. They’ve never met a fish they didn’t like.

-  Delmar in particular loves to dig in pine straw, carry it around and make a mess with it. 


Text by otter keeper Courtney Lewis. Photos by Meredith Lewallen.

Endangered Turtle Hatchling at the Tennessee Aquarium

Tennessee Aquarium herpetologists are pleased to announce a new arrival.



A spiny turtle, Heosemys spinosa, hatched over the weekend from a single egg that was incubated at 82 degrees for about 105 days. According to Tennessee Aquarium senior herpetologist Bill Hughes, this tiny turtle is a big success story for a species on the brink of extinction in the wild. "Captive breeding of this species is still an uncommon event, with only three other U.S. zoos having success," Hughes said.  "However, we have worked carefully with these animals and have had 13 spiny turtles to hatch at the Aquarium since 2007."

These turtles get their common name from the spikes surrounding the edge of their shells. Spiny turtles are also sometimes called cog-wheel turtles because of their jagged appearance which is most pronounced when first hatched. According to Hughes, the saw-blade carapace edge becomes rather smooth as these turtles age.

This latest hatchling is only about 5 cm long and weighs 37 grams - these measurements are similar to that of our other newly-hatched spiny turtles.


The parents are maintained off-exhibit, but Aquarium guests can view an older baby spiny turtle in the Turtle Gallery, located on level 2 of the River Journey building.

The Tennessee Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Spiny turtles, like many other threatened or endangered species, are part of a cooperative management program in progress among AZA institutions. Hughes maintains the records for this species management plan.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has listed this species as Critically Endangered in Indonesia, and Endangered in other parts of its range. Over-collecting these animals in the wild has led to the demise of these rather amazing turtles.

Hatchlings like this one, and others in this special management program, represent the last hope if this species vanishes in the wild. So each rare turtle hatchling is worth celebrating.

(Photography by Bill Hughes)

Baby Pipefish at the Tennessee Aquarium

 The Tennessee Aquarium recently received a shipment of wild-caught alligator pipefish. Among this batch of 10 pipefish were two pregnant males, one of which delivered a few babies upon arrival. In the picture above, you can see an adult alligator pipefish in the right-hand side of the picture. In the upper left-hand side, is an acrylic "nursery" for the baby pipefish.

 These little creatures are an active group. They swim around and siphon up the tiny rotifers that Aquarists provide them for food. They are fed three times each day.

 Right now, most of the babies are only about two centimeters in length.

 That's only about as long as their father's snout!

Their tiny eyes look almost comical atop such slender snouts. And according to assistant curator of fishes Carol Haley, the strange-looking, elongated bodies help them avoid predators. "These close relatives of seahorses resemble a string bean in appearance," said Haley. "This helps them camouflage themselves where they live, in sea grass beds and sargassum mats."

 

In the wild, alligator pipefish, Signathoides biaculeatus, are found throughout the Indo-Pacific ocean. Tennessee Aquarium guests can see adult alligator pipefish in the Philippine Reef Edge exhibit in the seahorse gallery.

Female pipefish lay between 60 and 200 eggs on the abdomen of the male and he develops a thin membrane around them.  His abdomen becomes soft and spongy allowing the eggs to receive nutrients from him.

Babies hatch after about 3 weeks and are little over a centimeter in length. 

This species grows rapidly with males attaining a length of close to a foot and females being slightly smaller.

They have a prehensile tail like a seahorse that they use to hitch onto just about anything around them, including each other. They'll hang out in a backup area at the Aquarium until they are big enough to be placed on exhibit.

Play the Seymore Seahorse's Habitat Safari Game: http://www.tnaqua.org/Seahorses/game/seahorseGame.html

Groundhog Day Forecast by Chattanooga Chuck

Chattanooga Chuck, the Tennessee Aquarium's groundhog, searched for, but did not find his shadow today. So it looks like an early spring for the Tennessee Valley.

In a wonderful world of groundhogs, Chuck does not stand alone however. Read how his Storm Team of Animal Forecasters helped with his 2012 prediction.

Chattanooga Chuck's Groundhog Day 2012 Forecast from the Tennessee Aquarium



Predicting weather is easy, or so it would seem.
If you have all of the tools and a great weather team.

So through the Aquarium buildings I wandered about,
stopping by the Cove Forest to see Brooke Trout.

Folklore says fish feed like crazy, acting slightly deranged,
whenever storms approach and the barometer's changed.

"I don't have time to chat, I'm sorry to say,"
Brooke said as she jumped and then swam away.

Could a change in the weather be the big reason,
Brooke wouldn't discuss the upcoming season?

Terry Treefrog was seen singing with a bunch of his friends.
That means wetter weather ahead - or so the folklore portends.

Hoping for sunshine, I sought an amphibian exemption.
It's Leap Year...so perhaps this chorus is a deception.

To get a weather leg up, I searched a little wider.
And quickly met up with my old pal the spider.

Harry Tarantula is part thermometer and an eight-legged anemometer.
He can sense air currents and humidity, just like a hygrometer.

He explained his forecast as he scurried away,
Folklore states, "More rain is coming when I crawl by day."

Larry Lobster seemed happy when I stopped by his tank.
Consulting crustaceans are helpful, if I can be frank.

He said, “The seawater is swell,” as he raised up his claws,
"And if you don't believe me, why don't you go ask Jaws."

I knew he was kidding with his snappy remark,
so I moved along to check with Sandie the Shark.

She mentioned to me with a big, toothy smile,
"I wouldn't forecast snowflakes here for quite awhile."

I headed back to my stump with all this advice,
other friends were around to sort through it twice.

Helping me forecast in Ranger Rick's Backyard Safari,
are creatures like lizards, parrots and a green aracari.

Even with my Storm Team of Forecasting Friends,
I felt something missing right at the end.

I realized what was gone when I looked below.
My mirror image was absent - No shadow!

So with a couple of brief exceptions, it's more of the same thing,
Repeated rounds of wet weather and feeling like spring!

Visit the Tennessee Aquarium to meet Chattanooga Chuck’s Storm Team of Animal Friends.

College students can take advantage of a special half-price offer throughout February.
“College Days” discount details available at: http://www.tnaqua.org/PlanYourVisit/CollegeDays.aspx

Groundhog Day at the Tennessee Aquarium

The following post was contributed by Chattanooga Chuck, the Tennessee Aquarium's lead long-range forecaster. Chuck lives in Ranger Rick's Backyard Safari and enjoys spending time greeting Aquarium guests and mingling with the other mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, butterflies and fish that live in River Journey and Ocean Journey.

I'm just coming out of hibernation right now, so imagine my surprise when Susie Grant, a senior educator at the Aquarium, said we were going to take a trip to Atlanta, GA. "Have yams will travel," I thought. I never imagined I would be visiting the CNN studios. The ride didn't seem very long. I had a chance to doze a little on the way. A couple of my pals joined me. Blinky, the screech owl and Harry the tarantula. Many folks don't know it, but groundhogs like me aren't the only animals that have weather predicting prowess. That is, if you believe the folklore.

We got to meet CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras and CNN national correspondent / anchor Gary Tuchman. They're probably two of the nicest people you'll ever meet. It was pretty cool hanging out with them. We even had tour groups stopping by to peek in through the windows to wave and say hello.

You can watch the interview here. Fun animal facts and weather history. I might have paid attention while I was on the set, but Susie kept handing me kale, yams and bananas. So, after sleeping most of the day before, I was ready for chow.

Good thing I have a laptop. (Don't tell anyone....but sometimes when the weather is nice I spend time watching the Aquarium's YouTube channel.)

Since Jacqui interviewed me, I asked if I could interview her. She graciously agreed. I'll admit, I'm no Mike Wallace. But I think you'll see that I'm one marmot who's not afraid to ask the tough questions.

Chuck: What’s the best thing about being a meteorologist for CNN?

Jeras: The best thing about being a meteorologist at CNN is that I get to talk about weather all over the country and the world, not just in one city or state. There is always extreme weather happening somewhere and it makes my job fun, exciting, and challenging every day.


Chuck: I always have trouble deciding my favorite season. Sometimes I'd like to have a little more winter, other times I think it would be nice to have an early spring. What’s your favorite season?

Jeras: My favorite season is fall. I love the outdoors and there is nothing better than a good bike ride, hike or run in the crisp fall air, looking at the changing leaf colors.

Chuck: Any memorable weather events you’ve covered?

Jeras: I’ve covered many memorable weather events in the 12 years I have worked at CNN. Some most notably, The EF5 tornado in Joplin, MO, Hurricane Katrina, and of course, the Groundhog Day Blizzard last year.

Chuck: I like yams. What’s your favorite vegetable?

Jeras: My favorite vegetable is asparagus. I also LOVE sweet corn in the summer, but I think that is technically a grain.

Chuck: Final question. Who’s a better meteorologist – You or Reynolds Wolf?

Jeras: Me or Reynolds?! Unfair question. Everyone I work with at CNN in the weather department is awesome. We all have our own strengths. We’re like a family. Reynolds always makes me laugh. He’s great! Plus, I’m darn sure we’re all better meteorologists than any rodent I might know… sorry Chuck

Oh well. You can learn about the Tennessee Aquarium's Storm Team of Animal Forecasters here and see which creatures actually do respond to weather changes to give us clues about what may be ahead.

New birds: An Elegant Egret & A Dashing Duck

Two new birds are waiting to greet Tennessee Aquarium guests. A beautiful snowy egret can be seen in the Delta Swamp exhibit. According to Kevin Calhoon, the Aquarium's assistant curator of forests, this bird species tends to be very calm, cool and collected. "We are excited to have this bird which is probably the most laid back, elegant and graceful of the North American herons and egrets," said Calhoon. This particular snowy egret might be glad to be alive. It was donated to the Aquarium by Sea World of Orlando. It had a severe right wing injury when it was first discovered. Veterinarians had to amputate that wing due to the severity of the injuries. Today this bird is doing great, but could not be reintroduced to the wild without the ability to fly. In the wild, snowy egrets stand out from the crowd with their black legs and bright yellow feet. They can also be quite vocal when defending their territory. You can hear this vocalization on the Cornell Lab or Ornithology web site.

After visiting the snowy egret in the Delta Swamp, look for another marvelous bird in the Rivers of the World Gallery. A new male Mandarin duck can be viewed in the Nishikigoi exhibit. He's a striking bird with stunning plumage. Calhoon says this duck came from a waterfowl breeder and was hatched last spring. Which means he's young and full of energy. 

He can be seen with a female Mandarin duck who has been at the Tennessee Aquarium since 2004. "She is around eight years old," said Calhoon. "But she seems to be holding her own with the sudden appearance of this dashing young male."

If you'd like to hear a Mandarin duck vocalizing, check out this audio clip on the BBC Nature website.

We invite you to slow down on your next visit to do a little bird watching at the Tennessee Aquarium. Bring your binoculars to view 50 native songbirds in the Cove Forest exhibit - like scarlet tanagers.


Then get up close to additional birds throughout both River Journey and Ocean Journey. We also offer some entertaining and educational bird shows throughout the day in Ranger Rick's Backyard Safari.

And of course, you want to spend plenty of time with our penguins!

Tennessee Aquarium Octopus to be Featured on Nat Geo Wild

 It was, "Lights, camera and action!" at the Tennessee Aquarium this morning. Medusa, a giant Pacific octopus, was being moved from the quarantine room in the River Journey building to her new home in the Boneless Beauties gallery in Ocean Journey.

Medusa will soon star in an episode of a new series that is scheduled to run on National Geographic Wild. A production team from Sharp Entertainment was in Chattanooga for two days working on this program.

 Giant Pacific octopus are really amazing animals that Aquarium guests truly enjoy. Although some visitors might initially think these creatures are kind of creepy, their impressions quickly change after talking to our animal experts or docents. Once guests discover that cephalopods are very intelligent, and begin to understand their unique adaptations, they usually walk away big octopus fans. Now, they'll have a "TV Star" to get excited about.

 While we don't yet know when Medusa will be seen on Nat Geo Wild, you can keep an eye on their program schedule this spring - the earliest time this episode might air. But we'll also try to keep you updated through our Facebook page, Twitter feed, and of course here in our blog.

While Medusa, and the Aquarium's other giant Pacific octopus Minerva, won't be signing any autographs, you may see them manipulating jars filled with crab or fish. You might also see them playing with a Mr. Potatohead or other enrichment item.

Until Medusa's world premiere, enjoy this short video clip of a truly wonderful animal - the giant Pacific octopus.