riverbanks January–February 2008 1 Inside scoop The Observation Deck 3 In The Know 20 Volume XXVII, Number 1 Riverbanks is published six times a year for members of Riverbanks Society by Riverbanks Essentials Zoological Park and Botanical Garden, Columbia, South Carolina. Plan Your Visit 10 Riverbanks Park Commission Riverbanks Adventures and Class Calendar 13 James E. Smith, Chairman Earl F. Brown. Jr. Junior Zookeepers 24 Lloyd Liles Shoots and Blooms 26 Jan Stamps Bud Tibshrany Tracey Waring Robert P. Wilkins Features Riverbanks Society Board of Directors The Global Amphibian Crisis Is Upon Us 4 Jeremy G. Wilson, President Unearth the facts about one of the world’s most pressing environmental concerns Robert G. Davidson, Vice-President Mary Howard, Secretary Collaborations for Conservation 6 Barbara K. Ryan, Treasurer Learn how partnerships are helping to protect reptiles and amphibians from extinction H. Perry Shuping, Immediate Past President Ella Bouknight Responding to Amphibian Declines 8 Mike Brenan Find out what steps the zoological community is taking to address the amphibian crisis James A. Compton William H. Davidson II Standards–They’re Not Just for Humans Anymore 18 Steve Graves Discover what Riverbanks is doing to meet national standards in elephant care Greg Lapointe Dr. Louis Lynn Who’s Who of the Gentoos 22 Jonathan H. Nason Match personalities with names in this fun-filled penguin update Richard McIntyre C.C. Rone, Jr. What Is AZA Accreditation and Why Is It Important? 28 Christopher H. Scott Find out what it takes to become accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Dr. Anny Zalesne Don F. Barton, Director Emeritus Riverbanks Senior Staff Satch Krantz Executive Director Kim M. Benson Director of Human Resources George R. Davis Director of Finance Ed Diebold Director of Animal Collections & Conservation Kevin Eubanks Director of Guest Services Eric Helms 22 4 Director of Risk Management & Facilities Heather A. Johnson Director of Conservation Education Tommy Stringfellow Riverbanks Magazine Staff Riverbanks Hours of Operation Director of Marketing Dixie Kaye Allan Open daily except Thanksgiving day & Christmas day Keith Benson, DVM Executive Editor/Art Director 9am – 5pm Daily Senior Veterinarian Monique Jacobs 9am – 6pm Weekends during Daylight Savings Andy Cabe Editor Curator of Horticulture Dargan Davis, Lindsay Burke Subscriptions to Riverbanks are $24 per year. John Davis Contributing Writers Members of Riverbanks Society are entitled to Curator of Mammals Larry Cameron one free subscription along with free admission Scott Pfaff Photographer and guest passes, discounts at Zoo & Garden gift Curator of Herpetology shops, invitations to special events and much more. Melodie Scott-Leach Front cover: Golden poison dart frog To subscribe to Riverbanks or to join the Society, Curator of Habitat Gardens Photograph by Larry Cameron visit www.riverbanks.org or call 803.779.8717 x1111. Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. The observation deck When I was a young boy growing off a major initiative by highlighting 2008 as the Year of the up in Columbia, one of my favorite Frog. Riverbanks plans to fully participate in this worldwide pastimes was walking down to a effort to raise public awareness about this critical moment. nearby creek with my friends to You will find several articles throughout this issue of look for (and chase after) frogs. Riverbanks addressing the amphibian crisis, what we in the This undeniably innocent activity zoological profession are doing to help and ways that you (indeed a right of passage for all can get involved. This is simply the first of many steps we are young boys) resulted in endless taking at Riverbanks to begin to educate and inform on the hours of joy and entertainment subject of amphibian conservation. for me and my childhood friends, The herpetology staff at Riverbanks is dedicated to and perhaps provided the spark researching amphibious species in the Zoo and in their for my future zoo career. I never native habitats to gain a better understanding of how these imagined that I would one day have to break this disturbing species live, adapt and reproduce. The education department news to those same friends, family, colleagues and Riverbanks is hard at work providing facts in our classrooms on how our members: frogs are going extinct. youth can be a part of the solution. And the marketing team In fact, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimates is planning an exciting event for Saturday, March 1, to help that at least one-third of all known amphibian species inspire and inform the public on what the Year of the Frog including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians is all about. (limbless burrowing amphibians that look like giant I hope you will join us then for a day filled with engaging earthworms) are threatened with extinction. Loss of habitat, activities as we kick off our Year of the Frog initiative. an increasingly polluted environment, climate change and a With the strong support of our members and donors, we can highly contagious disease called chytridiomycosis (or chytrid provide the community with the knowledge and resources fungus) are the major players in the decline of the amphibian necessary to make a difference so that our children and population. Zoos and aquariums may be their only hope for grandchildren can continue to chase after frogs for years survival. That’s why, in response to this global amphibian to come. crisis, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is kicking Mission statement It is our mission to foster appreciation and concern for all living things. We are dedicated to providing: X the highest standards of care for our animal and plant collections. X a diverse educational and high-quality recreational experience for all Riverbanks visitors. X all the resources at our disposal for the conservation of the earth’s flora and fauna. 3 TThehe GGloballobal AAmphibianmphibian ccrisisrisis IIss UUponpon UUss By – Scott Pfaff, Curator of Herpetology Scientists say amphibians—cold-blooded animals that include frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians—are Amphibians are facing a dire global extinction crisis under grave threat due to climate change, pollution, and the that crysallizes the impact that humans are having emergence of a deadly and infectious fungal disease, which on the entire natural world. If we are not successful in has been linked to global warming. According to the Global this battle (to save amphibians) we will end up losing Amphibian Assessment, a comprehensive status assessment of more than just amphibians. the world’s amphibian species, one-third of the world’s nearly Claude Gascon, Senior Vice President with 6,000 known amphibian species are classified as threatened Conservation International (CI), and co-chair with extinction. Further, more than 120 species have likely of the Amphibian Specialist Group gone extinct since 1980. Scientists say the worldwide decline of amphibians is one of the world’s most pressing environmental concerns; one that may portend greater threats to the ecological balance of the planet. Because amphibians have highly permeable skin and spend a portion of their life in water and on land, they are sensitive to environmental change and can act as the proverbial “canary in a coal mine,” indicating the relative health of an ecosystem. As they die, scientists are left wondering what plant or animal group is next. The catastrophic decline and extinction of amphibians is on a scale quite unlike anything we have ever witnessed before. More amphibian species are declining more rapidly, over a wider geographic scale than is the case for any other group of species. With amphibians, the extinction crisis is no longer theoretical. It’s in our face. Simon Stuart, Senior Director of the IUCN/CI Biodiversity Assessment Unit 4 We now have an unprecedented consensus among global experts that amphibian declines are real, Reasons for the Global Amphibian Decline underestimated, and largely unstoppable via conventional conservation programs. Numerous THE AMPHIBIAN FUNGAL DISEASE CHYTRIDIOMYCOSIS amphibian extinctions have been documented in The worst infectious disease ever recorded among verte- fully protected natural areas. This tells us that brates in terms of number of species impacted and threat of there is a need for a paradigm shift in conservation extinction. Scientists can now predict that within 4–6 action to manage the threats of disease and months of the arrival of the disease into a new area, up to 80% of individual amphibians may die, and up to climate change to amphibians across the globe. 50% percent of amphibian species in the area may be Dr. Joseph Mendelson, permanently eliminated. Curator of Herpetology, Zoo Atlanta CLIMATE CHANGE Amphibians are extremely sensitive to small changes in temperature and moisture. Changes in global weather patterns (e.g., El Nino events or global warming) can alter Zoos and aquariums in the Americas, Europe, Australia breeding behavior, affect reproductive success, decrease and elsewhere are scrambling to find methods and immune functions and increase their sensitivity to resources to help fight the global amphibian crisis. chemical contaminants. Because many of the declines are documented in still HABITAT DESTRUCTION, ALTERATION, FRAGMENTATION pristine areas of the planet, simply saving habitat will not Roads, introduced species,