S. M. Garver - Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens - Jacksonville, Florida
Page 9 of 13

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On this page are creatures who live at least some of the time in water.

This black koi was in the pond in the Asian section. (Koi is the Japanese word for carp.)
[A purple fish with orange eyes swims just below the surface of the water.]

Asian small-clawed otter
[This otter was recently in the water and its damp fur is slicked back. It is all brown with its face toward the camera. It has small rounded ears, long light-tan whiskers, and a dark brown nose.]

Two Giant otters (The black object on the right is a stroller handle.)
[The head of the second otter is about a foot down the back of the first otter as the two of them swim in a tank. Their swimming eyelid covers their eyes giving them an otherworldly look. The both have long whiskers both near their mouths and beside their eyes.]

The openings behind this stingray's eyes are spiracles through which the stingray can breath if it has its mouth buried in sand waiting to surprise its food.
[The brown-grey ray swims toward the camera with its long thin black tail fully stretched. Its pectoral fins are both curled upward. Just behind each dark eye on the sides of its head is a spiracle.]

Ten-month-old Magellanic penguin CJ stands beside the fish bucket.
[Upright penquin which has a dark grey beak with a white vertical stripe through it. The crown, back of neck, neck, and back of this penguin are a dark grey while the rest of it is white. It has a few dark grey spots on its stomach. The edge of a steel bucket is at the right side of the image.]

Mature Magellanic penguin
[Penquin is bent forward as if it is getting reading to jump into the water. This penguin has an all-black beak. It's white stomach has an outer ring of black and then a ring of white before becoming all black on the back. It's face is black except for a white section that is c-shape which goes from above the eye to the back of the head and then under the beak. ]

Magellanic penguin beaks are not smooth.
[Close view of the head of a penguin who has its eyes closed. The beak is all black and resembles irregular crumpled tree bark.]

Penguins believe every day is a good day for a pool party.
[One penguin stands on a ledge looking at the camera. Three other penguins are on the ledge behind the camera-facing penguin while five other penguins swim in the water.]

The zoo has a manatee rehabilitation area where these two manatees are temporarily while they recover physically. When healthy, they will be returned to the wild.
[Side view into a tank which contains two manatees. The one closest to the camera is swimming to the left while the one behind it swims to the right]

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Plenty of water and vegetation on the zoo grounds which means fish and frogs thrive here even if they are not official zoo residents.

Looking through the glass at an official zoo creature I noticed this small fish (nearly lifesize in the image).
[The grey-green fish swims toward the camera amid a bunch of what appear to be encapsulated air bubbles which have a yellow tint. The fish is in the process of eliminating solid waste and has a little log still coming out.]

This bullfrog was in the water of the lemur exhibit.
[The frog sits in very clear water, so although all but its head is submerged, its full body is visible. It has a light and dark pattern on its skin. The light part appears to be a series of squiggly lines. There is a lot of moss-like vegetation in the water around the frog.]

This tadpole becoming a frog (both tail and feet) was attached to the glass in the tiger viewing area pool.
[The lower third of the frog, including its tail which is now shorter than the length of its body, is in the water. The underside of the frog faces the camera and its belly is a light color with several green stripes on it.]

I zoomed in for a close shot of the water lily and a frog jumped into the image.
[The water lily is a closed pink bloom which is two-thirds under water. Just behind it is a lilypad with its edges curled up in a sort of scoop-like fashion. Sitting at the right edge in the scoop is a bullfrog which faces the left (innermost part of the lily pad).]

Continue to birds exhibits. (page 10 of 13)

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