Fresh Sheet - October 8, 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.

Costa Rica

17 - Agraulis vanilla (Gulf Fritllary)
09 - Archeoprepona demophon (One-spotted Prepona)
14 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
29 - Catonephele orites (Orange-banded shoemaker)
09 - Chlosyne janais (Crimson Patch)
10 - Consul fabius (Tiger Leafwing)
08 - Dryadula phaetusa (Banded Orange Heliconian)
24 - Dryas iulia (Julia Longwing)
10 - Eueudes isabella (Isabella’s Longwing)
28 - Greta oto (Glasswing)
09 - Hamadryas amphinome (Red Calico)
25 - Hamadryas feronia (Variable Calico)
09 - Hamadryas fornax (Orange Calico)
09 - Hamadryas guatemalena (Guatemalan Calico)
08 - Heliconius charitonius (Zebra Longwing)
24 - Heliconius doris (Doris Longwing)
53 - Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing)
28 - Heliconius melpomene (Postman)
10 - Heliconius sara (Sara Longwing)
24 - Heraclides anchisiades (Ruby-spotted Swallowtail)
25 - Hypna clytemnestra (Silver-studded Leafwing)
14 - Mechanitis polymnia (Polymnia Tigerwing)
43 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
09 - Myselia cyaniris (Blue Wave Butterfly)
24 - Nessaea aglaura (Aglaura Olivewing)
15 - Papilio cresphontes (Giant Swallowtail)
12 - Papilio polyxenes (Black Swallowtail)
44 - Philaethria dido (Scarce Bamboo Page)
09 - Siproeta epaphus(Rusty-tipped Page)
24 - Siproeta stelenes(Malachite)


Total = 576

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Helping the medicine go down

When staff at Pacific Science Center prepare to work with reptiles, we are trained on preventing the spread of the Salmonella bacteria, and instructed to view our reptiles as potential salmonella carriers. Many of our handling, care, and public contact rules come from this training.

So getting a positive salmonella test result back from Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital when they tested our boa constrictors was not entirely unexpected.



However, in the case of one snake, Estrella, an elevated population of these bacteria in her gut may have led to other behavior problems and an overall decline in health. Dr. Maas suggested an aggressive course of antibiotic treatment for all three boa constrictors, to either eliminate the bacteria, or at least reduce the levels to a point where more beneficial gut bacteria could hold them in check. This would get Estrella back into the pink and keep Esteban and Estella feeling great.


Each snake is given approximately 0.5 cc of medicine, orally, each morning for 30 days. Medicating a snake is easier said than done.

If you have medicated a dog or cat, you know to aim for the back of the mouth, so that the animal tastes less and swallows more quickly. This is even more important with snakes. First, snakes’ mouths are good at swallowing large prey items, but they are not good at retaining liquid. Medication placed near the front of the mouth has a habit of leaking back out.


More frightening, a snake’s epiglottis (opening to their windpipe) is located on the bottom of the mouth, and can be moved quite far forward. This allows snakes to breathe while to swallowing prey. Unfortunately, it means we risk accidentally administering medication into a snake’s lung instead of its stomach. We use a tube to make sure the liquid gets down to the back of the mouth. Watch out for teeth!


Contrary to myth, snakes are not actually slimy. They are very smooth, nonetheless, and slide through our grip when we try to restrain them. A firm hand, and a quick partner giving the medication, gets the job done.


Estrella is already feeling much better and doesn’t seem to hold a grudge against us for giving her medication. Esteban and Estella are doing great as well.
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Free Admission

Thanks to a generous donation from Fred Meyer, Inc., loyal readers of PacSciLife can visit Pacific Science Center absolutely free on the first Monday of each month! Just be one of our first one thousand guests.



Readers who live in the area can visit the Tropical Butterfly House, the Puget Sound Salt Water Tide Pool, the Insect Village and see our world famous naked mole-rats absolutely free once a month! Of course, all the permanent Pacific Science Center exhibits including the new "Mindbender Mansion" and "Science on a Sphere" are included in your free visit. Remember - be one of the first one thousand guests to visit Pacific Science Center on the first Monday of the month and see it all for free. Learn More
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Fresh Sheet – October 1, 2010

This week we have shipments from a South American country and a Central American country, each bearing different pupae species from the genus Prepona. Visit our Tropical Butterfly House and see if you can tell the difference!



Suriname

12 - Battus polydamas (Polydamus Swallowtail)
25 - Heraclides anchisiades (Ruby-spotted Swallowtail)
40 - Heliconius melpomene (Postman)
55 - Dryas iulia (Julia Longwing)
60 - Catonephele orites (Orange-banded shoemaker)
27 - Anartia amathea (Scarlet Peacock)
15 - Biblis hyperia (Red Rim)
04 - Archeoprepona demophon (One-spotted Prepona)
25 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
15 - Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur)

Total = 278


El Salvador

30 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
30 - Consul fabius (Tiger Leafwing)
12 - Heliconius hortense (Mountain Longwing)
80 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
16 - Myscelia ethusa (Royal Blue Butterfly)
30 - Papilio erostratus (Dusky Swallowtail)
20 - Prepona omphale=archeoprepona omphale (Blue Belly-Button)
10 - Siderone nemesis (Red-striped Leafwing)
06 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)

Total = 234

Grand total = 512

“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.


Read more!