Acorn and Zucchini

The Columbus Zoo has two beavers, sisters Acorn and Zucchini.

Scratching. Check out the long fingers.

The enclosure has a shelter (not visible) and a small pond at one end.

One side of the pond is glass, so we can see underwater action.

One of the famous parts of a beaver.

This is Zucchini, and she hasn't been in the water for a while.

Acorn is fresh from a swim.

Acorn was amusing. She'd pick-up a food nugget with her right paw, inspect it extremely briefly, pass it to her left paw, and drop it on the ground until she found one that met her standard. The video doesn't show that, that but she does pick one up, and there's a small pile of nuggets on the ground.

Toledo's insects

The Toledo Zoo has a collection of arthropods, including crabs and spiders. Here are some of the insects.

Derby's flower beetles

taxi cab beetles

touch-me-not stick insect

giant prickly stick insect

giant northern stick insect

jade-headed buffalo beetle

jade-headed buffalo beetle

June 11, Columbus Zoo

I spent some time at the Columbus Zoo June 11th. That was before the zoo officially opened to members, but this was one of two "volunteers and families" days, and I have a relative who is a newly-qualified docent.

red-legged seriema, about two feet tall

The hyenas were eating, and we could hear them crunching their bones.

spotted hyena

reticulated giraffe

Masai giraffe

There are two baby vervet monkeys. The troop came out of the chute from their building with babies hanging under their moms.

vervet monkeys

Mmm. Grape stems!

wood thrush

Burmese (brown) mountain tortoise. The scales on the front leg look like that pine cone, no?

Amur tiger