6 Bearded Dragons, 2 Giant Tortoises, and a Mouse Buffet

This past weekend (September 29th, 2019) I completed my first day interning in the animal care department at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge in Long Island, NY.

Hooter Posing for the Camera

I learned a lot in my first day there, and I was surprised by the information I had acquired in such a short period of time.

The first thing we did was remove left over food and waste from the animals' cages. This was very exciting for me because I have never been so close to animals such as foxes, owls, and hawks before. After this we prepared fruits, veggies, grains, and meat for the animals. The owls and hawks ate only meat, such as mouse or rat. The fox and other animals ate both fruits, veggies, and meat.

After this feeding frenzy, I was shown over to the green house where the African spurred tortoises reside. This aspect of animal care was extremely new to me, but it was also a lot easier than I had expected. I cleaned their food bowls, collected waste, and re-filled their water bowls. I loved working in the green house; I have never seen creatures like these before. They are absolutely amazing and will push right past you if you are in their way.

Once I finished cleaning the green house, I was instructed to feed the 6 bearded dragons that we care for in the refuge. I was extremely excited for this because I absolutely love reptiles, and at the refuge we have an abundance. When it came to feeding the bearded dragons, I had to collect around 60 live crickets from our cricket bin to feed each dragon who eats around 10-12 crickets. Once I collected enough crickets, I had to cover them in calcium powder in order to provide the dragons with the necessary minerals they need to remain strong and healthy.

That was my last job for the day, and it was the best way to finish off my first day of interning at the refuge. I am beyond excited for my next day working there as there is still a lot I am looking forward to learning. I'm going to learn how to handle snakes, treat shell wounds on a tortoise, treat fungal infections on turtles, and much more.