Academy Of Sciences Trip.

[Marc10edora]

I just came back from a long day at the academy of sciences in San Francisco.
http://www.calacademy.org/ It is an awesome place with a live 4 story rain forest. There are also 3 panthers that Lost Lake Chameleons sold to them. I was disappointed on the way that they were kept. The cages were set up nice, with a promist system and a drainage. But the chams looked really stressed out. The Ambilobe cage had a crested gecko in it. The Nosey Be just hung out on the outside of the cage. But overall, the cages were well cleaned and set up awesome. Other reptiles included: Albino Alligator, Snapping Turtles, Anacondas, Various Desert reptiles. Besides the reptiles, there were alot of fish. I saw a giant Sea Bass that was as big as a small car. There was also a penquin habitat.

If anyone plans on going, I recommend that you visit on a Monday or Tuesday. Saturday is just too crowded to enjoy the place. (Everyone gets in your way.) Next time I go I will do the platinum tour. It takes you behind the scenes and gives you access to some of their private collections.

Nosey Be

Pissed Off Ambilobe

The reason the Ambilobe was pissed off

Ambilobe Cage

Jackson Tank

Inside the rain forest

Crested

Anaconda Tank. (There was an iguana inside the tank too! He's lucky the snake is well fed.)

Here is some video I found On Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PKU...rg/academy/community/&feature=player_embedded

 

[summoner12]

Thanks

Yeah, a bit sad how they are just out there while people go by. The setups I saw at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago seemed nice because the room where people are is darker than the other side of the glass where the cham is, so the chams can't really see much outside of their own habitat. BUT they have to look at a reflection in the glass all day.... I guess ya just can't win

Thanks for showing your pics. I hope to drive up and check out the place sometime.

 

[merumontanus]

Marc,

Thanks for sharing the photos.

The gecko shown in the second-to-last photo appears to be a Ptychozoon species, not a crested gecko. Is that how it was labeled? Also, it's difficult to identify the first gecko, but it appears to be be a different species than the second...were they both in the cage with the pardalis? Either way, I've never been a fan of multi-species exhibits, particularly if the taxa are not geographically compatible (the flying gecko, at least, is an Asian species), so I'm a bit disappointed.

I've heard wonders about the facility, though, so I look forward to visiting it in the future.

Cheers,

Fabián

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Strange that the iguana is with the anaconda. I've seen a show (on discovery, I think) where they were trying to catch an anaconda. It got scared, and puked up a full-grown iguana. I mean, yeah, it'll probably go for a warm blooded animal first... but it's not like the thing is off the table. A well fed snake isn't as dangerous as a hungry one, but really, snakes get fat in captivity not because they're underfed, but because they're opportunistic. It's an adaptation of theirs.

It's just a strange decision. Things like that make me think of Tim Treadwell. Sure, the guy got the absolute hands down, best wild brown bear footage in history, and he was unhurt for years... but it's just not a good idea.

 

[Marc10edora]

Marc,

Thanks for sharing the photos.

The gecko shown in the second-to-last photo appears to be a Ptychozoon species, not a crested gecko. Is that how it was labeled? Also, it's difficult to identify the first gecko, but it appears to be be a different species than the second...were they both in the cage with the pardalis? Either way, I've never been a fan of multi-species exhibits, particularly if the taxa are not geographically compatible (the flying gecko, at least, is an Asian species), so I'm a bit disappointed.

I've heard wonders about the facility, though, so I look forward to visiting it in the future.

Cheers,

Fabián

Thanks for the corrections. Like I said, Saturdays are really crowded and I didn't get to read some of the labels because of the crowd. But I still can't believe they housed them together. I wonder how long they will last? I won't be surprised if the next time I visit the anaconda, the iguana will be missing.

 

[Calavera]

Marc, I saw this exact same exhibit about a month ago when I went. I agree, I thought the husbandry could have been a lot better, considering the Academy's HUGE budget. Also, was it just me, or was it way to hot and humid in there for those panthers. I saw the same gecko in there with that ambilobe and also thought that it was stressing him out. Did you get a chance to see the xanth trio in the Africa section?

-Cala-

 

[Marc10edora]

Marc, I saw this exact same exhibit about a month ago when I went. I agree, I thought the husbandry could have been a lot better, considering the Academy's HUGE budget. Also, was it just me, or was it way to hot and humid in there for those panthers. I saw the same gecko in there with that ambilobe and also thought that it was stressing him out. Did you get a chance to see the xanth trio in the Africa section?

-Cala-

No I didn't see the xanth trio. It was really crowded in African Hall because of the penguins. So I must have passed them up. But I did get to see the Jacksons. Next time I visit it will be on a not so busy day and I'm gonna do the platinum tour.