Friendly-Fishy Blog » Chris Keller http://friendly-fishy.com/blog A blog for aquarium enthusiasts, both new and veteran. Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:44:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Penguin Physicals http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/12/penguin-physicals.html http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/12/penguin-physicals.html#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:33:00 +0000 The Aquarium Blogger tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745696822692754251.post-7916948875901606241 The penguins get physical exams two times a year and it's a very busy day for Aquarium staff and volunteers. The day begins bright and early with a gentoo and macaroni roundup. Most of the penguins tend to play follow the leader once the keeper door is opened into the penguin backup area. They simply follow their curiosity into the holding area, encouraged by some fishy treats. There are a couple of wise guys however. In the top picture you see "Blue", the lone gentoo who decided to hang out with his macaroni pal "Merlin" while the water was being drained from the exhibit.
Every roundup needs a sheriff, so Kevin Calhoon had to wade into the exhibit to nab the two holdouts.

As part of the examination, each bird is weighed and blood samples are taken. This is just like a human annual exam. In the picture above, Kevin Calhoon gently holds the baby macaroni penguin while Amy Graves steadies the chick's foot as Dr. Chris Keller obtains the blood sample.


Volunteer Fran Hiestand logs weight information and labels blood vials while assisting the team.



Meanwhile, another big job is underway. Here's Aquarium volunteer George McGinness displaying the tools of the trade - brushes of various sizes used to give the exhibit a deep cleaning while the penguins are off-exhibit.




Aviculturist Loribeth Aldrich begins the deep cleaning process with a pressure washer. The exhibit gets brushed and disinfected on a daily basis, but more vigorous cleaning still needs to be done from time to time.





Algae builds up on the bottom of the pool, but is easily blasted away by the power washer. Loribeth points out the dramatic difference the scrubbing makes.







Aquarium volunteer Sheri Schannuth would be underwater on any other day. But while the pool is empty, she can work on making sure the acrylic windows are spotless. Visitors enjoy the crystal clear views of our playful penguins.






Biscuit wraps up her physical by looking back at Kevin. Like any good patient, it appears as if she's saying, "I was good. Where's my treat?"








]]> http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/12/penguin-physicals.html/feed/ 0 Bouncing Baby Penguin Almost as Big as Parents http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/07/bouncing-baby-penguin-almost-as-big-as.html http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/07/bouncing-baby-penguin-almost-as-big-as.html#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:05:00 +0000 The Aquarium Blogger tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745696822692754251.post-116073692227028286 L to R Loribeth Aldrich - aviculturist, Kevin Calhoon - assistant curator of forests and Dr. Chris Keller - Tennessee Aquarium veterinarian, examine the baby macaroni penguin today.
The little bird isn't so little anymore. It tipped the scales at 1580 grams or slightly more than 3 lbs, 7 oz. The check-up went well according to Loribeth Aldrich who said, "Inside the exhibit the chick is vocalizing loudly and can be easily heard over the other penguins." Paulie and Chaos continue to be great parents although they can no longer cover the baby. "The chick is growing the second set of feathers, so there's no real need for the parents to cover it up anymore," said Aldrich.

As this baby macaroni penguin continues to grow, the other eggs could hatch soon if they are viable according to Aldrich. "Bug and Big T's egg could hatch as early as Sunday. Biscuit and Blue's could hatch as early as Monday. If fertile, Poncho and Peep's eggs would hatch around the 24th of July and Zeus and Pebble's eggs would have to wait until around August 7th."
Getting in on the action rather late in the game are Nipper and Flower. They continue nest building and sitting in the nest.


]]> http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/07/bouncing-baby-penguin-almost-as-big-as.html/feed/ 0 Baby Macaroni Has Plenty of Caretakers http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/06/baby-macaroni-has-plenty-of-caretakers.html http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/06/baby-macaroni-has-plenty-of-caretakers.html#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:02:00 +0000 The Aquarium Blogger tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745696822692754251.post-8418707058295962533 Everyone was relieved after the first examination of the Aquarium's new baby macaroni penguin. Dr. Chris Keller, seen above with senior aviculturist Amy Graves, said the chick is growing quickly and appears to be well-hydrated. The little bird weighed in at 484 grams which is a bit heavier than average one-week-old macaronis. So Graves and other keepers breathed a sigh of relief. And for a moment, Loribeth Aldrich, (Seen with Amy Graves below) Kevin Calhoon, Graves and Dr. Keller got a good look at the new addition to Paulie and Chaos' nest.
One of the other things Dr. Keller noted was the response of the parents to the exam. He was really pleased that the parents appeared to recognize that the keepers were not going to harm the chick and didn't get too upset by the brief encounter.
Paulie and Chaos have been very good parents so far, they have had excellent care from the keepers and even from one unexpected source.
Visitors may notice Sweet Pea, the macaroni penguin with the hot pink flipper bands, standing near the nest for long periods of time. This interesting behavior caught Graves attention awhile back. "According to the experts I spoke to at SeaWorld, Sweet Pea is an "Auntie," Graves said. "Sometimes a curious female penguin without a chick of her own will move in and help protect the nest and the chick." If you watch Sweet Pea, she never really squabbles with Paulie and Chaos. She simply hangs out and keeps an eye on things, perhaps ready to lend a flipper if she's called upon.


]]> http://tennesseeaquarium.blogspot.com/2009/06/baby-macaroni-has-plenty-of-caretakers.html/feed/ 0