Cuban Crocs
From Paignton's website:
Zoo gets to grips with croc blood tests 29/07/2009
Taking a blood sample can be a tricky business at the best of times – but try doing it on a ferocious wild crocodile!
Vets and reptile keepers at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park recently had to take blood samples from their Cuban crocodiles. Vets are used to dealing with difficult patients, but a Cuban crocodile has up to 68 razor sharp teeth, can be more than 2 metres in length, weighs around 130 kilos (20 stone) and has a hugely powerful tail. It is fast and agile in water and on land.
The gathered experts included reptile keepers Rod Keen, Andy Meek, Sam Lomax and Paul Jaques and Paignton Zoo vets Ghislaine Sayers and Sarah Hewitt. Also in attendance was Adrian Fowler, a vet with specialist crocodilian experience who works for Endangered Madagascar.
Curator of Lower Vertebrates and Invertebrates Mike Bungard explained: “We wanted to take blood samples to confirm whether we have pure Cuban crocs or hybrids. Many Cuban crocodiles are hybrid to some degree because animals have been mixed in the past.
“Our Cubans have come to us from various different places, some without any records or history. This is a good chance to find out exactly where we are before getting involved in conservation work and possibly breeding.”
Mike described how the tricky operation was performed: “Catching up a crocodile requires experience, confidence and skill. You make a plan before you go in and you stick to it. The lead person uses a loop to hold the head and the eyes are covered to help keep the animal calm and relaxed - then everyone moves in very quickly and restrains the animal. The final person tapes the mouth shut. It takes three people to hold them down. You can’t use tranquilisers on crocodiles near water as they could drown.
“We have a well trained and very capable team. To keep the length of time staff are handling the animals to a minimum, it is best to have someone experienced on hand – we have people on our team who have taken blood samples from crocs before, but we called in Adrian Fowler because you can never have too much expertise when you are dealing with crocodiles!”
Paignton Zoo vet Ghislaine Sayers, who was one of the people taking samples, said: “The best place to get the needle in through all that armour is under the tail, where the scales meet and the skin is softer.”
The samples will go off to Texas State University in the USA, which has a database on Cuban crocodiles that brings together information of benefit to everyone concerned with the conservation of the species. The samples have been frozen and will be sent in a special container, suspended in cell lysis fluid, which preserves the DNA.
The Cuban crocodile is one of the most threatened New World crocodilian species.
The wild population is estimated to be between 3,000 and 6,000. The species has powerful legs, up to 68 teeth and the frightening ability to leap out of the water using its strong tail to take prey out of overhanging trees. It is a CITES species and is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Plan to go and ask ..... perhaps (if you girls and boys do not come up with a valid response)!
I see the python exhibit is glassed, nevertheless.
