Textures and Patterns

Galapagos tortoise (Akron Zoo)

reticulated giraffe (Columbus Zoo)

Caribbean flamingo (Columbus Zoo)

gila monster (Columbus Zoo)

American alligator (Columbus Zoo)

west African gaboon viper (Toledo Zoo). This snake has two patterns on its body--the lighter pattern is on top and is not the snake's tail or a different snake.

unknown tree (Toledo Zoo)

 

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

Stick it out

Is it rude if an animal sticks out its tongue? All pictures are from the Columbus Zoo except as noted.

cheetah

 

Amur tiger

African lion

scrub python

Aldabra tortoise

reticulated giraffe

Ojibwe, a moose

great black-backed gull (Toledo Zoo)

Two zoos in four days

I visited Toledo Saturday and Columbus Tuesday.

A reticulated giraffe at the feeding station. The Columbus Zoo also has Masai giraffes.

 

The reticulated giraffe awaits a treat from a zoo visitor. (Columbus Zoo)

Borealis was born last December. (Toledo Zoo)

Crystal contemplates playing with a ball. She's Borealis's mom. (Toledo Zoo)

Cobalt poison dart frogs. They literally played leapfrog in the Toledo Zoo's new tropical greenhouse.

A tropical butterfly (Toledo Zoo)

Cheetah. The Columbus Zoo has about a dozen.

A wood thrush landed a couple of feet away from me in the Columbus Zoo's songbird aviary.

A chestnut-breasted malkoha in the Toledo Zoo's pheasantry