Floyd, a 3-year-old bearded dragon, needs a health checkup. But how can we give him one in a way that minimizes stress and keeps him safe? Dr. Yin introduces her colleague, Dr. Susan A. Brown, noted exotic animal medical specialist. Dr. Brown demonstrates safe handling with Floyd the Bearded Dragon, covering basic, Low Stress Handling examination techniques. She covers nutritional needs, light requirements, pupil reactions, skin – a whole range of basic health checks that work for many lizards. This 17-minute tutorial is a great beginning look at the care and handling of lizards for animal enthusiasts of all levels.

Edited by Dr. Yin’s former research assistants: Lynna Feng and Jenna Hardy Have you ever had a dog or cat who just doesn’t play much with toys and wished that he did? Rickey Kinley, Senior Aviculture Keeper at the Cincinnati Zoo, had a similar issue with the zoo penguins that he cared for, and decided to find a solution. The Need For Enrichment I had the chance to talk with Ricky about his penguins and how he trained them to enjoy playing with their toys. “After researching the life history of penguins in the wild and reading the AZA (American

As of 9/16/10, the Veterinary Public Health & Rabies Control Program has detected 15 rabid bats in Los Angeles County this year, with eight found in the Santa Clarita Valley. In most years, only about ten rabid bats are detected for the entire year. The only other year with a higher number of rabid bats detected was 2007 when 24 rabid bats were identified. This year, most of the rabid bats were found in and around homes, and in two cases, dogs were found playing with the live bat. The pets were  revaccinated against rabies and quarantine at home for

There are two different types of elephants, Asian and African. Up until my visit to Have Trunk Will Travel, I could never tell the difference. But Kari Johnson gave me a fool-proof method. Now I can’t believe I couldn’t distinguish between the two in the past. Asian elephants have a humped back whereas African elephants have a sway back. You probably also notice from the photos that Asian elephants have shorter trunks, wider legs, and their leg does not taper much above the foot. Asian elephants have a bilobed forehead whereas Africans have domed head. ElephantsHTWT3-19-09-31326 ElephantsHTWT3-19-09-31326 Asian elephants have a