First Prosimian Husbandry Workshop 2009 - Cleveland Metroparks ...

Response (Dawn Stone.): When off exhibit, pottos were in dark and moved around. Now we are
experiencing with neutral density filter.
Response (Chris Kuhar): It looks like a brown out and we didn’t turn off light. The blue light
appears like white light to the animals.
Question: What is a neutral density filter?
Answer (Chris Kuhar): Reduces light, but doesn’t change spectrum.
Response (Dawn Stone): We have bright lights during the pygmy slow loris day, but they prefer to
come out during bright light then during their night.
Comment (Briana Evarts): We are having guided tours through the nocturnal aye-aye exhibits. It
is dark using blue light. As peoples eyes adjust, they can see the animals.
Comment (Karen Weisenseel): Mesker Park has a great exhibit.
Comment: If a white light burns out, animal will not come out.
Question (Scott Gamerl): Can it be less binary, instead of just red and just blue? Light changes
would be gradual.
Moderator (Kris Arnold): This is occurring right now. There is an interest in doing temperature
changes along with light cycles, it has helped with bats.
Question (Chris Kuhar): What are Cincinnati’s white lights?
Answer (Mike Dulaney): Most of it is a 4 ft fluorescent tube as white and one fluorescent tube of
blue.
Comment (Laura Suski): We can do whatever we want at DLC because of no public. We have a
dense canopy over sleeping area by placing fleece blankets over their trees. Instead of going in the
box, they prefer to be out in the open, but under this canopy. They took a shavings bag and putting
it over the branch, without being a tight fit. This causes them to locomote a lot more. They prefer
the brushier areas and they need a corridor of brush.
Comment (Sue Rifai): A pygmy loris female has food in six different areas each day and she has to
go out and look for it.
Comment (Helena Fitch Snyder): If you spread gum on branches, they will spend a lot of time
trying to get it.
Response: We try jello and crickets.
Response: You can put crickets in the fridge to help the prosimians get them.
Response (Laura Suski): You can use fishing bait cages to get the crickets. The cage is a tubular
bucket with a handle, usually wire mesh with a plastic rim on top and bottom, and plastic insert in
middle. Animals can climb around and animal can use it to hunt.
Comment (Kathleen Milk): Use red light, when used target stick animals responded more to a blue
target.
Comment (Adrienne Saunders): A hamster ball can be used for crickets. Has anybody used extra
UV light?
Response (Kathleen Milk): Use can lights or screw-in bulbs so provides dark corners for them.
Response (Jim Metzinger): 500 watt light increases the heat.
Question (Grace Fuller): Slow lorises like to roll in sawdust to improve coat, any thoughts on this?
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