sharky60
Contributor
STINGRAYS!
The Dallas zoo has a new temporary exhibit, Stingray Bay. It will only be there for the next 2 years, supported by a private contributor.
They had an unveiling party last week for the zoo board members and they invited us volunteers from the Aquarium at Fair Park to come see it, hopeing to get us involved in working there also.
It's a large (appox. 25'x60'+, pretty big!) touch pool with 6 southern stingrays and 23(?) cow rays, very cool animals...couple 'a' links...
Monterey Bay Aquarium: Online Field Guide
Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department: Cownose Ray
and some horseshoe crabs milling about.
I'd never seen a cow ray, (or heard of one) before the other night, they have "feelers" at the front of the head that open like a mouth to help with smell detection amoung other senses. Extreamly gentle animals, just put your hand in the water and hold it still and when they swim by one will stop and investigate it allowing you to pet the animal.
they swim in a school around the tank, all juviniles and the barbs have been removed for safety.
A process that does not hurt the animal by the way, it is similar to cutting fingernails, no nerves are actually in the barb and yes, it will grow back.
Any who, so come to the zoo!!! and when you're done there go the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park and meet a Shark(y)
The Dallas zoo has a new temporary exhibit, Stingray Bay. It will only be there for the next 2 years, supported by a private contributor.
They had an unveiling party last week for the zoo board members and they invited us volunteers from the Aquarium at Fair Park to come see it, hopeing to get us involved in working there also.
It's a large (appox. 25'x60'+, pretty big!) touch pool with 6 southern stingrays and 23(?) cow rays, very cool animals...couple 'a' links...
Monterey Bay Aquarium: Online Field Guide
Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department: Cownose Ray
and some horseshoe crabs milling about.
I'd never seen a cow ray, (or heard of one) before the other night, they have "feelers" at the front of the head that open like a mouth to help with smell detection amoung other senses. Extreamly gentle animals, just put your hand in the water and hold it still and when they swim by one will stop and investigate it allowing you to pet the animal.
they swim in a school around the tank, all juviniles and the barbs have been removed for safety.
A process that does not hurt the animal by the way, it is similar to cutting fingernails, no nerves are actually in the barb and yes, it will grow back.
Any who, so come to the zoo!!! and when you're done there go the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park and meet a Shark(y)
