Lecture 15/16: Ohio Zoo Releases

plains garter snake

- occurs only in Marion and Wyandot counties in the vicinity of Killdeer Plains Wildlife Era. They are found in the remnants of Ohio’s wet prairie

- in 1974, it was designated a state endangered species due to int small population size and restricted Ohio range

- in 1999 and 2000, several pregnant individuals were brought to the Columbus (and later Cleveland) Zoo to establish a breeding group

- newborn snakes are raised for about a year prior to releasing them so that they have the best chance of survival in their natural range

- each head-started individual receives a tiny glass-encapsulated microchip so that it can be identified in the future

Eastern hellbender

- is in decline throughout its range (New York to Tennessee) 80% in Ohio and 40% in West Virginia

- Environmental DNA (eDNA) collected in water is used to determine where hellbenders remain in our region

- raising hellbenders from eggs collected from the wild improves survival rate and provides animals for future introductions into areas that they were previously extirpated. They are released with trackers

Freshwater mussels

- Reintroduction of Northern Riffleshell mussels from Pennsylvania into Ohio

- Juvenile mussels are grown at a facility to mitigate their loss in several high profile chemical spills

- we’ve tracked isotopes through the food chain to determine what mussels eat

American burying beetle

- once found in 35 states in the eastern US

- in 1989, it became the first insect to be a protected endangered species

- last confirmed sighting in Ohio was in Hocking County, 1974

- uses carcasses of small animals as a food source for their young

- The Wilds built a dedicated beetle propagation building and have released beetles into Ohio since 2011

Andean condor (Cincinnati Zoo)

- face shrinking habitat and decreasing prey population

- since 1989 the zoo has partnered with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to bolster this species survival plan (SSP), improve population numbers, and improve reintroduction rates

- the zoo’s off-site facility has served as a staging area to raise chicks and maintain young condors to release into their native country of Columbia

- more than 80 individuals have been released through this program

the Cincinnati Zoo keeps the North American Regional studbook for…

the red panda

Puerto Rican crested toad (Cleveland Metroparks Zoo)

- lives in the rocky arid evergreen forests of the north and south coasts of Puerto Rico and the British virgin islands

- bred at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for reintroduction of tadpoles back into Puerto Rico

Blanding’s turtle

- historically found in nearly all counties bordering Lake Erie, especially in the area of the great black swamp near Toledo and Sandusky

- Is listed as a “species of concern”

- hatchlings have been reared at Cleveland Zoo as a part of the head-starting program

- larger turtles have a greater chance of survival and are less susceptible to predation