ZooBorns

Eight Little Komodo Dragons To Winter at Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo has just recieved eight Komodo dragon babies on loan from the Los Angeles Zoo. Four males and four females, all from the same clutch, hatched between August 6 and August 11. They weigh about 5 ounces each.

Komodo dragons are the largest living species of lizard and can grow larger than 10 feet long and weigh more than 200 pounds. To get an idea of how large these little guys can grow up to be, they can be compared to the zoo's two adult Komodos: Gaia, a 15-year-old female and her brother Ivan. Gaia is 7 feet long and weighs 75 pounds while Ivan weighs in at approximately 120 pounds and is 8 feet long.

The babies will be on display starting Saturday and will be in Phoenix through the spring.

Photo Credits: The Phoenix Zoo, Egg Photo Credit: Ian Recchio

 

 

A Mini Prairie Dog Munches with Mom

At Phoenix Zoo last week, visitor dmguz caught this peek at a baby Prairie Dog nibbling away on some greens. We just learned of a phenomenon called 'prairie dogging', in which folks in large companies respond simultaneously to a noise or distraction by popping their heads out from the tops of their cubicles. While we don't recommend disturbing your co-workers with squeals, feel free to pass this little guy along..

below, Mom takes a snack break of her own, but baby's not far behind...

What's a Dik-Dik?

The world's smallest antelope, Dik-Diks reach only 12"-16" in adulthood. On September 10th, the Phoenix Zoo welcomed a newborn Dik-Dik to first-time mother "Gidget." Weighing under 2lbs, smaller than most guinea pigs, the tiny calf has grown quickly since birth.

 

Read more about new baby Dik-dik "Moon" in a first hand account from the Phoenix Zoo's Hoof Stock Keeper by clicking "Continue reading" below and follow them on Twitter here.

Back from the Brink: Phoenix Zoo Pioneers Oryx Breeding Efforts

The Phoenix Zoo has pioneered efforts to save the Arabian Oryx from extinction.  In 1967, four years after the Phoenix Zoo started their oryx program, the species went completely extinct in the wild. Today an estimated 1,500 Arabian Oryx live in zoos and wildlife preserves around the world and most of these animals can be traced back to the original seven sent to the Phoenix Zoo in 1963.

Just recently the Phoenix Zoo (Twitter @PhoenixZoo) welcomed its 237th baby oryx calf. Named “Nadirah” (nuh-deer-uh), Arabic for precious or rare, the girl weighed only 13.5lbs at birth but will grow to be between 200-400 lbs in adulthood! She is reportedly strong, feisty, and quite vocal, just like her father.

Baby Orangutan Plays Hide and Seek at the Phoenix Zoo

Phoenix Zoo December 8th. Photographer Willie Stark captures a baby Orangutan playing hide and seek with his favorite blankey.