[ModeratorJeffB] Tonight we have Steve Hammack as our guest
[ModeratorJeffB] Steve is a Zookeeper at the Fort Worth Zoo
[ModeratorJeffB] and also director of Hep. Institute for Scientific Study
[ModeratorJeffB] a breeding facility in Texas
[ModeratorJeffB] Tonight our topic...
[ModeratorJeffB] Komodos and Crocodile monitors
[ModeratorJeffB] so let me start by asking....
[ModeratorJeffB] Whats it like to work with lizards that large?
[SteveH] It can be quite interesting and a little uneasy at times.
[SteveH] A keeper at the St. Louis Zoo was hospitalized last year by a bite
- from a Crocodile Monitor.
[SteveH] Severe lacerations of the arm and a dangerous loss of blood.
[BG] Steve, do you think it will ever be possible for private keepers to
- have Komodos? Are there any laws concerning private keepers keeping them?
[SteveH] There are no laws concerning them being kept other than the fact
- that they are an endangered species. If one could get one and acquire the
- proper permits it should be feasible.
[SteveH] I don't see it happening anytime in the near future though.
[SteveH] The USFWS is keeping a close eye on where they are going at this
- point.
[Taylor] What is the largest croc & komodo monitor you've worked
- with???
[SteveH] We had NAGA, the big one at the Cincinnatti Zo0 here when we opened
- our exhibit. He was about 7.5' and aabou 175 lbs.
[Taylor] wow
[SteveH] He is the father of the 2 males we currently have at the zoo. The
- largest croc monitor was about 7' and is our breeder male.
[SteveH] Naga was a great animal and was whistle trained.
[BradK] Yes, I live in Cincinnati, the curators name escapes me at the
- moment but he lives to breed the komodos. I was wondering what the breeding
- scene is like in the US zoos and what we can expect in the future?
[SteveH] Currently the breeding has ceased until some more new bloodline
- animals make it into the courty. Miami Metro zoo has 2 new unrelated animals
- and the Memphis zoo is in the process of bringing in another 1.2 unrelated
- animals. We will get one of these females at Fort Worth.
[SteveH] The curator there is Johnny Arnett. He just published the first
- Komodo Dragon Studbook.
[SteveH] Just for everyones information, there are currently 164 Komodos in
- Captivity world wide in 40 instit;utions. The sex ratio is 21.23.120.
[Lizrdking] I've heard that the komodo's blood is rather odd.. if true could
- you explain?
[SteveH] What do you mean by odd?
[Lizrdking] I can't remeber where i heard if but I think it was odd that a
- cold blooded animal could have a high endurance rate.
[Lizrdking] (im pretty sure it was a documentry on the discovery channel)
[ModeratorJeffB] maybe a hi metabolism rate?
[SteveH] I am not sure exactly what you mean. they actually don't have a
- very high endurance as far as speed and long distances.
[SteveH] They do seem to have a fairly high metabolism rate for this type of
- animal.
[SteveH] They have an acute sense of smell, are very intelligent and each
- have their own personality.
[SteveH] They also seem to recognize certain keepers.
[Korn] Steve what and how much are the mature Komodos fed?
[SteveH] When Naga was here he was getting 6 adult rats 2 x week.
[SteveH] Sometime we also supplement with horse heart. Mostly rats.
[Elbi] Steve, what kind of education did you need and how did you get this
- job?
[SteveH] I curently have some college, never finished. Have worked in zoos
- for the past 15 years.
[SteveH] I worked for 3.5 years at a Museum , then 4.5 years at Dallas Zoo
- and now 8 years at Ft. Worth.
[Chrisk] steve- if I'm not mistaked, ft woth has bred V. prasinus. Were
- you involved in that project and/or know any details you're willing to
- divulge?
[SteveH] Yes, we did breed them , 2 x now. The first time we hatched 4 and
- raised 2 and the last time we hatched 2 of 3 eggs and lost both the babies.
[Chrisk] sorry for the follow up, but what are the babies dying from?
[SteveH] Chrisk, the first babies we were not sure off. The second batch
- were our own fault. They died of urate impaction from not getting enough
- hydrations.
[Boamaster] STEVE: What would one need as far as education to work in a zoo
- now?
[SteveH] WE are looking now for people with a 4 year college degree,
- preferabley in a biological field, and some experience. Lots, and I mean
- lots, of experience can compensate for the education.
[Simmon] When was the first successful hatching of Komodos?
[SteveH] Simmon, 1992. In the States that is.
[BG] Steve, have you ever been to Komodo Island to study them? Or been to
- study the Crocs habitat?
[SteveH] I'm not that lucky, My boss has been to Komodo and assisted with
- field projects.
[BradK] Yes, Mr. Arnett,and yourself refer to Naja. Is he more important
- than other males in someway to the US zoos?
[SteveH] Brad, he is one of the founding fathers of most Komodos in the
- states.
[BradK] Are most males not fertile then?
[SteveH] In the early 90's ther were only a hadful of dragons in the states.
- Naga happened to be very fertile with one of only a couple of fertile
- females.
[ClintG] I am curious about the temperment of captive bred komodos compared
- to the wild ones? Do you have a hands off approach at the zoo,or do you try
- to acclimate them to handling?
[SteveH] We do not have a hands off approach. Our exhibit animal, Dante, is
- a 92 hatch and is a puppy dog. We regularly go into his cage with him. He is
- large enough now ;that his attempting to climb on us is dangerous.
[SteveH] If you sit there long enough he will climb into you rlap. Do not
- wear a rat skin cap into his cage!
[SteveH] We also are do annual check ups on them, so we want them to be as
- tame as possible.
[Chrisk] Steve, obviously any pair of Komodos that are able to produce
- hatchlings instantly become essentially genetically worthless for species
- survival plan purposes. What steps are being taken to introduce new blood
- into captive populations?
[SteveH] New animals are slowly being brought into the captive population.
- Miami Metrozoo last year brought in 1.1 new animals and Memphis zoo is
- currently trying to bring in 1.2 new animals.
Coogan> Steve is there anything being done with DNA testing to assure good
- gentic lines reproducing and
Coogan> nothing related to each other breeding?
[SteveH] Yes. That is part of the reason for the new animals and stopping of
- the current breeding animals. The do not want too many realted animals in
- the limited space available.
[Simmon] how big is the biggest komodo in captivity?
[SteveH] That would be Naga, He is 7.5 ' and around 175 lbs.
[Taylor1]I've always read and heard that croc and komodo monitors
- get an average length of 9' is this true? If not, what is the average
- length?
[SteveH] Komodos are considered the largest monitor. They have been recorded
- to be close to 9' and supposedly up to 300 lbs, though an average adult is
- around 7' and 175 lbs. The Crocs are reportedly the longest, and some people
- say they can get to be 11' long, though half of this is tail.
[SteveH] I have never seen a croc monitor this large. An average adult is
- around 7' long.
[Elbi] Steve, are you currenly working with any crocodile monitors?
[SteveH] Yes. We were onlty the 2nd zoo in the states to reproduce this
- species and only the 4th in the world. In 1997 we had 6 hatchlings.
[SteveH] WE are the only place to have 100% hatch success. All the 3 other
- breedings were single animal hatches.
[Elbi] working with them both at the zoo or privately?
[SteveH] No, just at the zoo.
[SteveH] I don't have enough space for these guys!
[ModeratorJeffB] does anyone do them privately in the US?
[SteveH] There are a few people that have some, but no one to my knowledge
- has had success yet.
[ClintG] I would like to know if you have anything to do with the incubation
- of the Komodo eggs , and if there is anything unusual about their incubation
- compared to other reptile eggs?
[SteveH] I have no first had experience with this. From the information that
- I have, there is nothihng special about it.
[SteveH] The do have a long incuation time, 205-256 days.
[JoeM] Do you forsee komodo's in the private sector anytime soon? I don't
- mean the pet trade.
[SteveH] No, I really don't, at least not anytime soon. They are an
- endangered species and are regulated by USFWS.
[SteveH] However, if more are being produced, they eventually may start
- slipping out into the private sector at some point.
[BradK] In a recent Wild Discovery John Arnett was holding komodo
- hatchlings. Is Cincinnati having a high sucess rate, or was the camera crew
- at the right place at the right time?
[SteveH] Cincinnatti has hatched Komodos also, as well as the National Zoo.
[scuter] Have you ever heard of Crocodile Monitors crossed to a Asian Water
- Monitor or other crosses?would this occur in the wild?
[SteveH] Scruter, I have never heard of such crosses and would not expect
- this to happen in the wild either. The Crocs are much more arboreal than the
- Water monitors.
[BradK] Steve, do the eggs show temperature sex determination?
[SteveH] Brad, They do not know at this point, but they are seeing if this
- may be the case.
