by Fauna | Jul 28, 2015 | Children's Program
We rounded out this week’s Summer camp lessons by letting our students decide what they would learn about. One of our zoology camp members has a fondness for pet roaches of the hissing variety, so we took some time to learn about insect care! We learned how to set up an appropriate enclosure for a pet insect, using Halloween Hisser Roaches. We also learned about the molting pattern of Chinese Praying Mantis, as well as how to handle a praying mantis nymph (sub-adult mantis). Another one of our students wanted to do something nice for our resident Blue-tongue Skink so we re-did it’s enclosure, adding fresh substrate and plants. Oh yes, and we had a special guest sit in during our lesson! ============================================================ Join us for lots of fun and learning while interacting with our amazing collection of exotic animals. Sign up today! Email our Director of Education, Jose Rodriguez, at: jose@faunanyc.com Now – August 14, 2015 6 & 7 YEAR OLDS Program Dates: 7/8/15 – 8/13/15 Program Hours: 10:30 AM – Noon Wednesdays and Thursdays 8 YEAR OLDS & UP Program Dates: 7/7/15 – 8/14/15 Program Hours: Noon – 2:15 PM Tuesdays and Fridays Details & Program Costs:...
by Fauna | May 20, 2015 | Blog, Children's Program
On Saturday, May 16, 2015, Fauna participated in P.S. 9’s annual Spring Fair! Educators and civil servants from all around Manhattan (EMS workers, science educators, police and FDNY, etc) gathered in the P.S. 9 school yard to help celebrate wellness, science and ecology, gardening, and technology. The P.S. 9 Spring Fair helps introduce kids to science through hands on learning, experimentation, and games. Fauna’s booth welcomed the students from P.S. 9 and their parents to learn about and interact with some of the animals from the shop. Utilizing our kid-friendliest animals, Fauna displayed several insects, reptiles, and small mammals to teach kids about proper pet care, the ecology of the animals on display, as well as giving the community a chance to interact with and see how friendly some of our animal friends can be. Who was the most popular, of all the animals on display? Fester, our Madagascar Hissing Roach! Kids of all ages were fascinated by his immense size and gentle, patient nature, and even allowed toddlers to pet him. Several children got the opportunity to pet and hold him, and learn the important role these insects play in their native forest habitats. To learn more about Fauna NYC, visit our website! Sign up for our eNewsletter for new animal arrivals, product discounts, and upcoming...
by Fauna | Mar 4, 2014 | Herpetology Club, Programs
February’s Herpetology Club met to learn about and compare the feeding behaviors of several of the reptiles housed at Fauna. The reptiles we focused on were Bearded Dragons, Crested Geckos, and Corn Snakes. Our students were taught well-known terminology such ‘omnivorous’, herbivorous, and ‘carnivorous’, as well as lesser known feeding classifications such as ‘frugivore’, ‘insectivore’, and ‘nectivore’; animals that specialize in eating fruit, insects and nectar respectively. Our club members were also taught that while these terms are a convenient way to group animals according to what they eat, very few of them strictly adhere to their label. For instance, Crested Geckos are both frugivores and insectivores, accepting both fruit and insects. We went on to examine the following: The different commercially available food items for reptiles. This included powdered forms of Crested Gecko food, canned invertebrates such as grasshoppers and snails, freeze-dried crickets, and pelleted tortoise food. The salad mix that is prepared and fed to the plant eating reptiles at the shop such as the Bearded Dragons. The various vitamin and mineral supplements necessary to round out the animals’ diets. To finish off our lesson, the children helped prepare food for Crested Geckos and also observed a corn snake feeding. Our club members learned the importance of feeding snakes outside of the enclosures they occupy, as well as the importance of feeding pre-killed food items as opposed to living. A live rodent will not simply let itself become a meal. Feeding pre-killed rodents lessens the likelihood of injury to the animal you are feeding. Mice, rats, gerbils, and other rodents...
by Fauna | Dec 21, 2013 | Aviary, Blog, Gifts, Products
Looking for a last minute STOCKING STUFFER for your fishy friends? Check out Envvy’s Clownfish iPhone 5 case currently available here at Fauna. You can purchase reusable stainless steel chopsticks at Fauna for $15, and help save salamanders! CHOPSTICKS FOR SALAMANDERS aims to increase awareness about deforestation for the production of disposable chopsticks and educate about salamanders, and their diversity within the United States, while raising money to support salamander conservation, education, and research. Learn more at our blog post. Lots of great stocking stuffer bird toys for your pet or your birdie friend – all under $10! Nutri-berries are a ball. They come in a variety of flavors from hot peppers and fruits to garden veggies. Best of all is that they are nutritious and an easy way to sneak some pelleted food into our picky feathered friends. Avi-cakes are a nutritional treat enjoyed by pet birds of all sizes. There is a tropical fruit variety and the regular pellet blend. A great way to get fruits and pellets into those picky eaters! Here at Fauna one of the most common reptilian issues brought to our attention during these cold winter months is low humidity. Some of the signs that can be seen include decreased appetite, firm stool or constipation, inactivity, poor shedding, and may possibly include respiratory problems. Many people are unaware of how humidity actually affects their animals, especially when dealing with desert dwelling species that we associate with very dry habitats. There are many things you can do to help increase the humidity for your reptile...
by Fauna | Dec 20, 2013 | Aviary, Blog
Cockatiels make the perfect pet bird for the family. Our hand fed babies are well adjusted and socialized, not to mention gorgeous! They are very accepting of multiple family members and bond with children easily. When people ask us what species we most often recommend to families with smaller children, our answer is always the cockatiel. Most all of our baby cockatiels learn to mimic sounds, whistles and some even speech! Stop by and visit one of these beauties before they are all gone. . To learn more about Fauna NYC, visit our website! Sign up for our eNewsletter for new animal arrivals, product discounts, and upcoming...
