This tiny Fantastic Leaf-tailed Gecko hatched at the Houston Zoo on February 17 is easy to spot perched on top of a pencil.  But in the wild, these lizards are so well camouflaged that they’re nearly impossible to find. 

Photo Credit:  Stephanie Adams / Houston Zoo

Fantastic Leaf-tailed Geckos are found only on Madagascar, where their coloration mimics dead leaves and twigs.  Their legs look like tiny branches and their tails resemble dead leaves – complete with veins and ragged edges.  Even zoo keepers have a hard time finding the lizards in their enclosure.

This species is also called the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko, due to their pointy, raised brow ridges.  Like other Geckos, these lizards lack eyelids, so they clean their eyeballs with a swipe of the tongue.  They are nocturnal, feeding mainly on insects.

Due to extensive habitat destruction from cattle grazing, logging, and agriculture, Fantastic Leaf-tailed Gecko populations are decreasing.

See more photos below.

For the first time in Zoo Miami history, a Lioness and her cub went on public exhibit together. First-time mother Asha and her three month old male cub K'wasi thrilled zoo guests last week as they explored the exhibit and interacted together. 

Photo Credit:  Ron Magill

You’d never know by looking at him, but K’wasi had a rough start in life.  ZooBorns chronicled his difficult journey here and here.  When he was just a few weeks old, he battled bacterial infections and lost weight.  Thanks to supplemental bottles from zoo keepers, K’wasi has made a comeback.

See more photos of Asha and K'wasi below the fold.

A baby Gorilla born by emergency C-Section at the San Diego Zoo on March 12 is recovering from pneumonia and a collapsed lung, but zoo officials are optimistic about her future.

Photo Credit: Tammy Spratt 

 
When 18-year-old female Gorilla Imani showed no signs of progress during labor, zoo veterinarians performed an emergency C-section, a very rare procedure among Gorillas.

The full-term baby Gorilla weighed 4.6 pounds and was delivered by a team of San Diego Zoo Global staff and outside consultants, including a veterinary surgeon and human neonatal specialists from UCSD Medical Center. 

By the time the baby was eight days old, she was strong enough to breathe on her own without supplemental oxygen.  Veterinary staff were able to start giving the Gorilla bottles with an infant formula, which the baby Gorilla quickly gulped down.

“The baby Gorilla is in critical care, but we’re optimistic she will have a full recovery,” said Nadine Lamberski, associate director of veterinary services.

The baby, who has not yet been named, is the first for Imani and the 17th Gorilla to be born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Zoo officials said Imani is recovering well from her surgery.

See more photos of the baby below.

Australia’s Taronga Zoo is celebrating the successful birth of its first Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo joey in more than 20 years! The female joey was born in September, but keepers have only just begun seeing her tiny head peeking out from first-time mother Kwikila’s pouch.




Photo Credit:  Sam Bennett

 
Like all marsupials, female Tree Kangaroos have a well-developed pouch in which they carry and nurse their young.  The joey, which has not yet been named, will remain in Kwikila’s pouch for several more months.  As she grows, the joey will start exploring the world, but mom’s pouch will remain a favorite retreat until she can no longer fit inside.

Tree Kangaroos are different than their ground-dwelling Kangaroo cousins in Australia.  They have shorter hind legs and stronger forelimbs to maneuver in the treetops.  The long tail provides balance when leaping from branch to branch. 

Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos are native to upland rain forests on the island of New Guinea.  They feed on the tough, fibrous leaves of the silkwood tree.  These leaves are digested by their specialized stomachs, which are similar to those of ruminants like cows. 

Due to habitat loss and illegal hunting for their meat, Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

See more photos of the joey below.

A newborn Southern Tamandua baby is alive and doing well at Denver Zoo thanks to the dedication of zookeepers and veterinarians who are caring for the infant around the clock. On March 7, Rio gave birth to her first offspring, believed to be female, whom keepers have named Cayenne. 

Zookeepers realized within 24 hours of Cayenne’s birth that she was not getting enough milk, as Rio, an inexperienced first-time mom, became inattentive to the baby and was not allowing her to nurse. Zookeepers and veterinarians began bottle feedings around the clock and monitoring Cayenne’s weight and temperature while she was housed in an incubator. Staff used established protocols obtained from experts at other zoos that have also had to hand rear baby Tamanduas. 

They continued to give Rio time to bond with and nurse her baby, and Rio is slowly learning her role as a mother. Little by little, Rio is becoming more accustomed to Cayenne behind-the-scenes at the zoo’s Gates Animal Housing Center.

Photo credit: Denver Zoo

“We knew from our conversations with experts at other zoos that it can take a new Tamandua mother a while to develop maternal instincts, and first births of this species typically have low success rates,” says Denver Zoo Education Animal Programs Manager Kristin Smith. “We were determined, though, to make sure this baby would survive while Rio figured out how to be a good mom.”

Tamanduas are born following a 180 day gestation period. As her expected birth date approached, zookeepers provided Rio with a nest box that let her feel safe, yet still allowed zookeepers to monitor her status. Veterinarians regularly performed ultrasound examinations to measure the head and body size of the new baby as well to check both the mother and baby’s body condition. Zookeepers also slowly increased Rio’s diet based on her needs.

This is the first birth, not only for Rio, but also her mate, Quito. Rio was born in November 2004 at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas and came to Denver Zoo in April 2005. Quito was born in August 2012 at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona and arrived atDenver Zoo in April 2013. The two were paired under recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) which ensures healthy populations and genetic diversity among zoo animals. Fortunately, the couple has proven to be an excellent match. Cayenne was named after the capital of French Guiana, in keeping with the tradition of her parents being named after notable South American cities.

Read more after the fold.

Florida's Brevard Zoo has had a flood of births over the past few months, including a litter of Capybaras!

The zoo's Capybaras are a mixed group, with juveniles from previous births as well as a new litter. The six new pups bring the total number of Capybaras at the zoo up to thirteen. 

Photo credits: Brevard Zoo / Tom Brackin (3, 4)

Keepers are finding that each pup is developing their own personality. While some like to hang out in a group, there are usually one or two that will venture off on their own. They all enjoy spending time with dad and returning to mom to nurse. They are already eating some solid food, which they began doing at just two days old.

Capybaras are the world's largest rodents. They are highly social and live together in groups in the forests and savannas of South America, typically near water.  They are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a species of Least Concern because of their fairly stable, widespread population. However, some local populations have been drastically reduced or wiped out by hunting for skins. 

Cotswold Wildlife Park in the UK has welcomed a Giant Anteater baby, born on February 16! The first-time mother and baby are both doing well. Mom, Zeta, has been very shy about showing off her offspring, but staff have still managed to snap some great photos. 

Four-year-old Zeta came to Cotswold Wildlife Park from Duisburg Germany. The father, five-year-old Zorro,  came from Colchester Zoo. The pair are the zoo' first Giant Anteaters, and have been at the zoo since 2010. The baby is a first both for the parents and for Coltswold Wildlife Park.

Photo credits: Cotswold Wildlife Park

Here's a shot of Zeta's tongue! Anteaters have no teeth, but use their long, sticky tongues to lap up ants and termites. Listed as a Vulnerable species, Giant Anteaters are native to Central and South America. 

A female baby Coquerel’s Sifaka (CAHK-ker-rells sh-FAHK), an endangered lemur species from Madagascar, was born at the Saint Louis Zoo’s Primate House! The baby’s name is Kapika (kah-PEE-kah), which means 'peanut' in Malagasy. Born on January 21, the baby can now be seen by visitors indoors at the Primate House. 

This is the fourth baby for mother, Almirena (al-mah-REE-nah), age 12, from the Los Angeles Zoo, and father Caligula, age 16, from Duke Lemur Center.

Photo credit: Ray Meibaum / Saint Louis Zoo

See video of the lemur family:

The zoo’s Sifakas are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Coquerel’s Sifaka Species Survival Plan, which is responsible for maintaining a genetically healthy population of Sifakas in North American zoos. The birth of this rare lemur in St. Louis represents a valuable genetic contribution to the North American Sifaka population.

Learn more after the fold!

Zoo Boise announced the December 8 birth of a Giant Anteater pup.  The female pup is now starting to explore the outdoors with her mother, Gloria. Because Giant Anteaters are native to warmer climates, mother and pup have spent the last few months in their heated barn. The pup will stay with her mother until she is full grown at about two years old.

Photo Credit:  Monte Stiles

During their first year of life, Giant Anteater pups will spend much of their time riding on their mothers’ backs. Born with full coats of fur, the pups are able to blend in with their mothers’ coats to avoid predation.

Giant Anteaters are native to Central and South America.  They have no teeth, but use their long, sticky tongues to gather insects – often ants – by the thousands.  Giant Anteaters are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

A female Aardvark born at the Detroit Zoo on February 11 weighed less than four pounds at birth and has since more than quadrupled in size. The baby, named Kaatie, is the third offspring for 10-year-old Rachaael and 11-year-old Mchimbaji.

Photo Credit:  Tom Ray

“Kaatie is healthy and adorable, and seems to be enjoying her time with mom, nestling in close and nursing throughout the day,” said Detroit Zoological Society Curator of Mammals Elizabeth Arbaugh. 

Animal care staff have been monitoring Rachaael and Kaatie closely since the calf was born. Aardvarks are small and fragile at birth, and the mothers are sometimes clumsy and can accidentally injure their little ones. “We are ready to intervene should mom decide to roll over or get up for a snack,” said Arbaugh. 

The Aardvark is an African mammal whose name derives from the Afrikaans word “earth pig.” The animal’s unusual appearance plays a role in its success as a forager. Its large ears point forward, enabling it to hear tasty insects during nocturnal feeding forays. The snout is long and filled with hair that acts as a filter, letting scents in and keeping dirt out. Strong limbs and spoon-shaped claws can tear though the sturdiest of termite mounds, allowing the Aardvark to trap insects with its sticky tongue, which can be up to 12 inches long.