Meet Brittany
Welcome Stormy & Maddie
Helping Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles
Meet Brittany
An adult Burmese python measuring 14 feet in length was introduced to the African rock python exhibit in Expedition Africa recently . Our male rock python Saga was housed in his warm night house while Brittany explored the exhibit and adjusted to her new surroundings . Upon release the male and female became inseparable for a few days . The breeding of these two different species is labeled the “ Super Snake ” and this invasive species has been found in the Everglades . Our goal isn ’ t to breed these two , but we have provided our interpreters with a wealth of information to help educate our guests about snakes in general and the invasive species issue in Florida .
Welcome Stormy & Maddie
A new addition to La Selva are a pair of black howler monkeys . Stormy , the male , can be recognized by his beautiful black fur , large body size and kind eyes . He turns 14 in July and absolutely adores papaya as a special treat , often making affectionate grumbles while eating it . Stormy can also be seen marking his territory by rubbing his chest and face on objects such as the perching around the exhibit . Maddie our female , is smaller but quite distinct with her golden fur . She tends to be a little more withdrawn than Stormy but will come out of her shell for a few grapes . Maddie is the elder and turning 19 in September . If you ever have trouble finding them during your Zoo visit , look towards the highest perching in the back of their habitat where they prefer to hang out .
Helping Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles
The Sea Turtle Healing Center is still catching up following an extremely busy January and February as we saw Florida ’ s first major cold-stunning event in several years !
As cold-blooded reptiles , the temperature of a sea turtle ’ s environment controls its body temperature . Cold-stunned sea turtles typically have body temperatures in the 50s and exhibit symptoms including dangerously low heart rates , lethargy , the inability to swim , buoyancy issues , shock
and even death . If they are lucky , these turtles will float to shore with a chance of being rescued . Many are suffering from fibropapillomatosis ,
During the first two weeks of January , the entire state of Florida saw almost 1,000 cold-stunned sea turtles !
pneumonia , injuries from predators or other conditions that make them weak and more vulnerable to cold temperatures .
Cold stunning is more commonly seen in the northeast due to its harsher winter temperatures . Sea turtle rehabilitation facilities in that region are prepared to handle hundreds , even thousands , of cold-stunned sea turtles each year . Florida , on the other hand , is not used to these events ; we had an unprecedented cold-stun event back in 2010 , and until this year , have not had to work through another .
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ( FWC ) is the state agency responsible for coordinating all sea turtle transports throughout Florida . In preparation for this year ’ s event , FWC coordinated with local sea turtle volunteers and facilities to survey the shoreline and in-shore waters looking for animals that were floating or had become stranded on the beach . During the first two weeks of January , the entire state of Florida saw almost 1,000 cold-stunned sea turtles !
The first step in treatment for a cold-stunned sea turtle is to raise its body temperature slowly . These animals are returned the wild as quickly as possible . Sometimes they must be transported south along the coast to warmer water for release , but this year we were able to release many of them into local waters once the Indian River Lagoon warmed up .
Learn more about cold stunning and what to do if you find a cold-stunned sea turtle at brevardzoo . org / cold-stunning .
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