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"Be Kind to Spiders Day" at Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans
New Orleans, LA - Who would have thought that the eight-legged creatures that are the inspiration for so many horror movies actually have a very important role in our environment and even our lives? Spiders have been around long before dinosaurs walked the earth. During the millions of years of their existence they have certainly earned a bad rap. On March 14th, 2010, Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans is setting the record straight on these amazing arthropods and why our fears are greatly exaggerated. Spiders are an important part of the ecological balance of this world, without them our lives would be much less pleasant (and much more fly ridden!). They are clever, useful, diverse, fascinating and often beautiful as well. There are aeronautic spiders, designer spiders, spiders that hunt with a bolas, others that throw a net over their prey. There are perfumer spiders that use false pheromones to attract moths, aquanaut spiders that dive beneath the water and engineer spiders what build underground tunnels with well fitted doors. On March 14th visitors will get the opportunity to meet Diana, the Salmon pink bird-eating tarantula, Dharma the Indian Ornamental tarantula and all their arachnid friends. Listen to spider-themed chats will be take place at the interactive stations. Hear myths and facts about brown recluses and see them up-close and personal. Even learn about medical research using spider venom. Kids of all ages will be able to participate in educational activities as well. Admission to Audubon Insectarium is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for children. Audubon Nature Institute members receive a $5 discount. Audubon Insectarium is located at 423 Canal Street, inside the U.S. Custom House, at the corner of North Peters and Canal Street. Guests can visit the spiders and all the other arthropods Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00am till 5:00pm. Spider Facts: The first spiders lived about 400 million years ago in the Devonian era, but they didn't become abundant in numbers until about 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous era. No human being has ever been officially recorded as having died as the result of a 'tarantula' bite. The largest known spider in the world is Goliath bird-eating spider from South America. Its scientific name is Theraphosa leblondi and it can have a leg span of up to 28 cm (11 in). Only about half the world’s spiders spin webs to catch their prey, the rest are hunters either actively stalking their prey or lying in ambush somewhere. The largest individual webs in the world are spun spiders in the genus Nephila, these may be 2 meters (6 ft) in diameter and can catch small birds and bats. Widows and recluses are the only 2 spiders in Louisiana that have venom dangerous to people. Even though spider bites are rare, these are two kinds of spiders people should be able to recognize. Tarantulas have an undeserved reputation from TV shows and movies as being both aggressive and dangerous. Most are neither. Fishing spiders can dive under the water and still breathe. Air bubbles cling to their body hairs and supply them with oxygen underwater that can last up to a half an hour. Huntsman spiders include an Australian species that was the featured spider in the movie “Arachnophobia.” And, there is a local species that often lives in homes where it is underappreciated as an eater of roaches. The not-for-profit Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans operates ten parks and museums dedicated to Celebrating the Wonders of Nature. For more information about Audubon Nature Institute, its public attractions, and conservation efforts, please visit www.AudubonInstitute.org.
To view Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans' web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-381-Audubon_Zoo_Audubon_Aquarium_of_the_Americas |
By Meghan Calhoun
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Unusual to have three snow leopard cubs
Congratulations to ABQ BioPark and the proud cat parents on the birth of three snow leopard cubs. That's fantastic news and we look forward to these three playing an important role in snow leopard survival breeding and also helping educate people about their endangered cousins in the wild.
Snow leopards live in some of the most extreme environments on earth - in high altitudes and freezing temperatures. If we don't do a lot of work with communities and governments in snow leopards 12 range countries, these beautiful cats may be extinct in the wild in our life time.
Sibylle Noras
Founder and Publisher
“Saving Snow Leopards” website. See how conservationists and zoos are working to help these rare and elusive cats avoid extinction.
http://www.snowleopardblog.com
Love penguin fluffballs.
I especially liked if you go to the zoo's homepage and click on the info about naming the baby, the winner says she'd like to be able to tell her dad that a penguin was named after him for his birthday. Adorable!
If you have any interest in reading a new blog, featuring conservation of adorable animals and their habitats, please check out my website...
Conservation:Cute
http://conservationcute.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
World Oceans Day
For more information about World Oceans Day and a list of other events in your area you can visit www.WorldOceansDay.org
Elephants
Asome news on the new baby! I agree with everyone here on the fact that animals should not be in captivation. If you want to check out a really cool place in Thailand where you can care for elephants check out http://www.elephantstay.com this place is a sanctuary for retired working elephants, it's an amazing place and they do so much good for the animals who live there. I went a few months ago and it was amazing.
Kimberly Juchnowski
Publisher, http://www.tikikiki.com
zoo animal diet's
It's ridiculous to try extrapolate zoo animals diet to human beings, and it flies in the face of all science of the last 30 years that looked into nutrition and health research. Maybe Rudy Socha was being sarcastic? I hope so.
response to starseed
I fully agree with you when it comes to the captivity of orcas. These animals live considerably shorter, unhealthier lives than they normally would have in the wild. I am disgusted by what I have seen at Sea World. They claim to be trying to educate people on the animals when really it is all nothing but a circus with the animals being made to perform to attract customers. I am a little more on the fence however when it comes to some other species of dolphins, such as the ones they keep at Vancouver Aquarium. While I do not support the capture of wild dolphins, I do recognize the fact that there are species that actually live longer and perhaps healthier lives in captivity than in the wild. One of the neat things at the Vancouver Aquarium is that none of the dolphins were captured for the purpose of entertainment: they were all animals that were rescued after getting caught and injured in fishing nets and are unable to return to the wild due to their injuries. I have seen the shows and the aquarium are truly focused more on educating visitors than trying to entertain them at the animals' expense.
Christian's Award
I know that Christian is dedicated to her aquarium job and to the rehab of sea turtles. I am proud of her.
Dry Tortugas National Park
The seashore, our accredited Summer Learning Adventure Camps merge scientific exploration Dry Tortugas National Park with hands-on fun and learning. Campers investigate marine habitats, create ocean art projects, learn about careers in oceanography, and combine the science and sports of surfing and snorkeling, all while making new friends and memories.
hey
http://www.deafmatching.com is an online community for deaf, ASL and hearing-impaired friends and singles!
Have fun with photos, message boards, chat, blog and more.
Don't support it anymore
I think we should move on from having dolphins in captivity now - we all know this isn't good for them.
diabetes
diabetes
pacaya samiria national reserve
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is a magical place. The flora, fauna, remoteness and beauty are exquisite. Another interesting aspect is how the indigenous people there live. To learn more and see photos taken by indigenous children in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, you can visit ninosdelaamazonia.org
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