Lydia Shedding

A few weeks ago, our Animal Caretakers and a few lucky visitors were able to witness something really special (and really cute!). Lydia, our adorable leopard gecko, was shedding! Luckily for you, one of our caretakers, Brianna Todd, had a video camera on hand, and was able to capture some of this remarkable activity.




Did you know that every animal sheds their skin? Even humans??? Humans, like most mammals, shed their skin pretty much constantly. Tiny particles of skin are sloughed from our skin all day long, although you may only notice it when you have dry, itchy skin or a sunburn. But check out that dust you’re collecting on the top of your book shelf or even on your coffee table, and you’ll find plenty of evidence for human shedding. A good portion of the dust that exists in our homes is made up of dead skin cells! Kind of gross right?

Lizards and snakes also shed their skin, although they actually make less of a mess than we humans. Because their skin is made up of scales, these reptiles must shed their skin all at once. In snakes, the shed skin will often come off in one piece. Because lizards have legs, it’s a little bit harder for them to shed in one piece, so it usually comes off in large pieces.

Many lizard species, including leopard geckos, eat their old skin as they pull it off. This may sound kind of gross but it’s actually another great adaptation. Not only does it leave no mess behind, it’s an efficient way for the animal to consume those extra vitamins and calories that are in their old skin.

But that’s enough talk for now. The video really says it all. So check it out, and the next time you visit Lydia at Pacific Science Center, congratulate her on a job well done.

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Fresh Sheet – April 17, 2010

“Fresh Sheet” is our weekly shipment report of pupae on display in the emerging window. Visit Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House and meet our newest residents.


El Salvador

25 - Battus belus (Belus Swallowtail)
20 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
30 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
08 - Colobura dirce (Mosaic butterfly)
20 - Consul fabius (Tiger Leafwing)
10 - Heliconius charitonius (Zebra Longwing)
10 - Heliconius erato(Small Postman)
30 - Heliconius hecale(Tiger Longwing)
12 - Heliconius hortense(Mountain Longwing)
15 - Lycorea cleobaea (Large Tiger)
80 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
40 - Morpho polyphemus (White Morpho)
10 - Myselia cyaniris (Blue Wave Butterfly)
20 - Myscelia ethusa (Royal Blue Butterfly)
20 - Papilio thoas (Thoas Swallowtail)
15 - Prepona omphale=archeoprepona omphale (Blue Belly-Button)
20 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)

Total = 385


Suriname

40 - Battus polydamas (Polydamus Swallowtail)
40 - Heraclides anchisiades (Ruby-spotted Swallowtail)
04 - Heliconius erato (Small Postman)
50 - Heliconius melpomene (Postman)
20 - Dryas iulia (Julia Longwing)
50 - Catonephele orites (Orange-banded shoemaker)
40 - Anartia amathea (Scarlet Peacock)
06 - Hypna clytemnestra (Silver-studded Leafwing)
10 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
30 - Mechanitis polymnia (Polymnia Tigerwing)
10 - Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur)

Total = 300

Can you guess which butterfly is pictured above? Anyone? Anyone?

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Water Bugs in Love

Not to be outdone by the millipedes, the water bugs (members of the genus, Abedus) appear to have been experiencing springtime’s call to mate as well.

While the water bugs were never observed in the act of mating, they have been laying eggs.



There are many challenges that face aquatic animals looking for spots to lay eggs. Unpredictably changing water levels can leave eggs high and dry, or place the hatchlings too far below the water line. Predators love to snack on defenseless eggs. Even a single torrential rain can wash eggs off a formerly safe substrate and even physically damage them.


Water bugs have evolved an ingenious solution for these problems. The female deposits the eggs on the male’s back. Although the eggs slow him down as he moves through the water, the male is well able to take care of himself even with the extra passengers. Simply by behaving in ways that promote his own survival, his offspring are kept at the right water level and safe from harm until they hatch. Typical of the hemiptera or true bugs, the water bug has a piercing, sucking mouthpart. This mouthpart, called a rostrum, can give a painful jab to predators, just right for defending the father water bug and his young.



In our case, it seems that there were some extra eggs. The male had no more room, so the female deposited the remaining eggs on the surface of pump that recirculates water for the exhibit. Had the eggs remained there, it would have been a short life for the babies. The pump is powerful enough to pull them right in. So Animal Care staff removed the eggs, on the inactivated pump, into a hatchery where they can more safely develop and hatch.

Good luck to these eggs. We hope the extra care pays off. Remember to check back on this blog or visit Pacific Science Center’s Insect Village to follow up on the status of the hatchling water bugs!

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Millipedes in Love

As recently noted, spring has sprung at Pacific Science Center and that fact has not gone unnoticed in Animal Care. Late in the afternoon last week, Animal Caretaker Dan Warner noticed romantic activity in the Giant African Millipede terrarium. Two of our millipedes, Milton and Mildred, were in the beginning stages of courtship.


So what was going on? When he is ready to reproduce, a male millipede will undergo some important physical changes, in which his spermatophores (tiny packets of sperm) move from his gonopores, located on his 3rd body segment, to his gonopods, on the 7th body segment. Millipede gonopods are also called “sex-legs.” When Dan spotted the pair, Milton was walking along Mildred’s back. The rhythmic movement of a male’s legs let the female know that he is attracted to her. Soon the female raises her front segments to allow the male to encircle her. When their sex organs are in the right positions, the spermatophore is transferred to the female. [I’m kicking myself for not taking a photo of this activity! –ed.]

If Mildred’s eggs were successfully fertilized, she will soon be building an underground nest for her eggs – as many as 2,000! We might even see the first neonates (babies) within three weeks! African Giant Millipede neonates are white with only three pair of legs on a few body segments. They’ll have to go through many molts, adding body segments with four legs before they reach maturity.


Conversation in the Life Sciences department got us wondering: What would be some good pick-up lines that a male millipede would use to attract a female? Or what might a female millipede say to attract a male? We decided to throw this discussion out to our readers.

Here’s a chance to show off your creativity. Just remember – this is a family blog! Don’t make us censor your comment.

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