Smithsonian National Zoo

This Shrew Holds His Long Nose Up When He Eats

zooillogix — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:52:28 +0000

This Shrew Holds His Long Nose Up When He Eats

zooillogix Fri, 02/27/2009 - 04:52

Frozen Sperm Saves Ferrets

bleimanb — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:23:57 +0000

Frozen Sperm Saves Ferrets

Two black-footed ferret kits have been born at the Smithsonian National Zoo after their mothers were artificially inseminated by decade-old frozen sperm. The kits' fathers, deceased now for seven and eight years respectively, had provided sperm in 1997 and 1998 as a part of the Smithsonian's initiative to rescue the black-footed ferret from the doorstep of extinction.

Can I call you...dad?

Because prairie dog populations (black-footed ferrets' primary source of food) have been depleted by over 98% in the wild, so have the ferrets. In the 1990's they were presumed extinct until a population of 18 was discovered and removed by the Smithsonian. Now there are over 700 known ferrets, many of which have been returned to the wild. The sperm was extracted and kept at the Black-Footed Ferret Genome Resource Bank at the Smithsonian.

The kits were born in mid-June and according to all reports they are healthy little bundles of fuzz and teeth.

This bodes well for Andrew and me, who in 1994 invested a small fortune in frozen ferret sperm that we bought from a guy we know. It is fantastic to see that it is finally being used to help the black-footed ferret populations, as the Bacardi Raspberry Citrus Ferret Sperm Mojito I have on the bar's drink menu hasn't been selling very well.

bleimanb Tue, 10/21/2008 - 09:23

World's Largest Zoo and Aquarium Shot Glass Collection

zooillogix — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:43:11 +0000

World's Largest Zoo and Aquarium Shot Glass Collection

Many people collect baseball cards, stamps, coins, comic books, rocks, fossils or nutcrackers. I believe I have opened up a whole new field of nerd-dom with my zoo and aquarium shot glass collection. Given that it is the only zoo and aquarium shot glass collection I know of, I have also decided it is the world's largest.

In no particular order, I currently have shot glasses from the San Diego Zoo, Newport Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo, Knoxville Zoo, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Tennessee Aquarium, New York Aquarium, Smithsonian National Zoo, Bronx Zoo, New England Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Philadelphia Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, San Diego Zoo, The Maritime Center in Norwalk, CT, Florida Aquarium, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Adventure Aquarium (formerly Camden Aquarium), South Carolina Aquarium and Sea World San Diego.

With a couple of exceptions, I have been to all of these institutions. Conspicuously absent are the Mystic Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, Beardsley Zoo, Catskill Game Park, Central Park Zoo, Roanoke Zoo, Santa Barbara Zoo, Antwerp Zoo, Berlin Zoo, Copenhagen Zoo, and ZSL London Zoo.

Some of my prized items are a Bronx Zoo glass from '85 (2nd row, center) and the Adventure Aquarium martini shot glass (back row, third in from the right).

If any readers would like to donate zoo or aquarium shot glasses for the greater glory of my collection, I will write a heartfelt thank you letter recognizing your contribution and post it on Zooillogix. For only about $5.50 (plus shipping and handling) your shot glass donation can help a poor, dorky Andrew alienate himself from friends and co-workers with his rapidly growing weird-ass collection. That's only 1.5 pennies a day to really make a difference.

Clarification #1 - The "conspicuously absent" glasses are places I have been, but do not have glasses from. However, I will accept any and all zoo and aquarium shot glass contributions!

Clarification #2 - Canadian zoos and aquariums are undoubtedly the most interesting, most forward-thinking, most wonderfulest of any such institutions in the world. And the Vancouver Aquarium is the jewel in our snowy, woodsy, sparsely populated northerly neighbor's crown.

zooillogix Thu, 06/05/2008 - 04:43

That's fucking cool! You gotta start working on botanical gardens!

I have been collecting shot glasses as inexpensive travel souveniers for many years....and a few Zoos and Aquariums are included in the collection. Sad to say, I don't have any of the ones you mention as conspiciously absent so I cannot help you in your quest to further alienate yourself from friends and co-workers. Good luck with that, tho!

Well, we'll have to remedy the lack of a Mystic Aquarium glass for you.
Email me an address to send it to and I'll get one off to you on Monday.

Andrew, why must you bring this shame on our family?

But.........why are they empty?

Have you got any from outside the US?

Andrew,

I find it very suspicious that you are missing Canadian Zoos and Aquariums as part of your collection. Further more, I find it upsetting that you did not mention any Canadian Zoos or Aquariums.

I am afraid that I cannot feel compelled to act until you have in some form, indicated that Canadian Zoos and Aquariums rock (especially Vancouver Aquarium). At the point that you do this, you may also desire to simultaneously send an address...

Don't do it, Andrew! Jusk ask yourself: Is a Vancouver Aquarium shot glass worth your last shred of dignity?

I hence forth have few positive things to say about Benny.

However greatly appreciate clarification #2, though it may be still a little too humble about our institution... I appreciate this gesture enough so that I may make extra effort to also ask a colleague for some assistance in possibly acquiring you a glass from the newly opened Seattle Aquarium.

p.s: Benny, any Cephalopod themed articles, or even items addressed to me (at the Aquarium, CO: Interpretive Delivery Dept.), may just be enough for me to forgive you. Just saying. Even a postcard. I collect postcards... Again, just putting that idea out there.

We had a baby girl!!! (at least, we're 90% sure it's a girl).

Qila had contractions early this afternoon, the calf's tail flukes appeared at around 1:18pm, the calf protruded far enough at 4:05pm for researchers to announce "Its a girl!", and at 4:37pm she came out and went right to the surface for a great big breath.

Yours truly was there and has pictures! They will follow sometime later tonight or tomorrow if you're interested!

Admittedly, the pictures you find on google are better than the ones I took, but still.

thnx admn and thnxxxx

thnxx very good excellent

Yo tambien colecciono vasitos de este tipo pero de todo el mundo
http://www.mischupitos.com/
visita.