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6 new dragons in the Bronx
Baby Dragons Hatch In The Bronx!
831 views · 6 days ago
ZooBorns
19.4K subscribers
55 Likes
831 Views
Dec 9 2021
A First for the Bronx Zoo!
Six Endangered Komodo Dragons Hatch in Bronx
Hatchlings on Exhibit at World of Reptiles
Komodo Dragons are the World’s Largest Living Lizard
Bronx, NY – December 9, 2021 – Six Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) have hatched at the @Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, the first time this species has successfully bred in the 122-year history of the zoo.
The successful breeding is the result of years of work by the zoo’s Herpetology Department staff. Keepers have to carefully monitor the adult Komodos when they are paired for mating as courtship behaviors can sometimes become aggressive.
After a successful introduction, the pair of Komodos bred in March 2021, and the female laid a clutch of eggs in April. The eggs were placed in an incubator where they were carefully monitored for approximately seven months before they hatched in November.
“This is an important achievement for zoo staff and a significant milestone for the Bronx Zoo,” said Don Boyer, Curator of Herpetology at the Bronx Zoo. “Komodo dragons are one of the planet’s most fascinating species and these hatchlings represent a hopeful future for the species. They will be wonderful ambassadors for their wild counterparts as they help us raise awareness about conservation needs.”
The hatching of these Komodos is an outcome of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding and management program administered by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to maintain genetic diversity and demographic stability in zoo populations. Boyer writes more on the significance of the hatching in a WCS Wild View photo blog HERE.
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831 views · 6 days ago
ZooBorns
19.4K subscribers
55 Likes
831 Views
Dec 9 2021
A First for the Bronx Zoo!
Six Endangered Komodo Dragons Hatch in Bronx
Hatchlings on Exhibit at World of Reptiles
Komodo Dragons are the World’s Largest Living Lizard
Bronx, NY – December 9, 2021 – Six Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) have hatched at the @Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, the first time this species has successfully bred in the 122-year history of the zoo.
The successful breeding is the result of years of work by the zoo’s Herpetology Department staff. Keepers have to carefully monitor the adult Komodos when they are paired for mating as courtship behaviors can sometimes become aggressive.
After a successful introduction, the pair of Komodos bred in March 2021, and the female laid a clutch of eggs in April. The eggs were placed in an incubator where they were carefully monitored for approximately seven months before they hatched in November.
“This is an important achievement for zoo staff and a significant milestone for the Bronx Zoo,” said Don Boyer, Curator of Herpetology at the Bronx Zoo. “Komodo dragons are one of the planet’s most fascinating species and these hatchlings represent a hopeful future for the species. They will be wonderful ambassadors for their wild counterparts as they help us raise awareness about conservation needs.”
The hatching of these Komodos is an outcome of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding and management program administered by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to maintain genetic diversity and demographic stability in zoo populations. Boyer writes more on the significance of the hatching in a WCS Wild View photo blog HERE.
[...]
More at link.