Zoo news

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Critter masks its true ID

At first glance, they look like young raccoons. But they're dogs.

That they resemble raccoons native to the Midlands is just a coincidence, said Dan Cassidy, senior zoological curator at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Two years ago, the zoo received four raccoon dogs from Omaha's sister city in Japan, Shizuoka. Now they have puppies, which recently were put on public display in the small-mammal building.

This appears to be the only display of raccoon dogs in the United States, according to Jane Ballentine, spokeswoman for the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

Genetically, Cassidy said, raccoon dogs are more like Asian foxes or South American bush dogs than the dogs that Americans keep as house pets.

The Shizuoka zoo sent raccoon dogs to the Omaha zoo in the 1960s, but they produced no offspring, Cassidy said.

In 2002, the Japanese zoo sent two more pairs. In July, a pair that was not on public display produced three pups. The zoo placed a camera in the secluded den so the public could see them. Both parents cared for the pups and the animals nursed well.

In recent weeks, keepers moved the family group to a display window in the zoo's small-mammal building, north of the dairy barn. At first the window was covered with brown paper. Each day, keepers made more and larger holes so the raccoon dogs would gradually become accustomed to public attention.

Only the pups' father appeared nervous about the changes, so zookeepers moved the male to an area by himself.

The three pups had chocolate-brown fur at birth. Now, they are pale gray and are beginning to acquire their raccoonlike markings.

The raccoon pups and their mother are now accustomed to people watching them and often sleep and play near the windows.

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Zoo Has New Penguin Chicks

Three new penguin chicks are on display, including two gentoo penguins and one rockhopper penguin. All three were hatched last month.

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Nice.

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Sea Dragons Move In

This is the first time the zoo has had a Ribbon Sea Dragon and it's the second zoo in the nation to have this particular species. These Sea Dragons are typically found off of the northern coast of Australia and grow to be 12 inches long.

WEEDY & RIBBON SEA DRAGONS of AUSTRALIA

Closely related to the seahorse, the Weedy Sea Dragon exhibits one of nature's best examples of camouflage. Its weed-like outgrowths mimic the seaweed and eel grass in which it lives. A very weak swimmer, it anchors itself by its tail to any convenient object for support. Weedy Sea Dragons reach a length of 16 to 18 inches.

Also found in Australian waters, as deep as 8 fathoms (48 feet) is the Ribbon Sea Dragon (a Pipefish). This foot-long raggedy creature has long bushy eyebrows, a mustache, and thin ribbon appendages flowing from its body and tail. Both sea dragons live on tiny crustaceans.