A Lizard's Diaries Part 3: Welcome to the Big Apple

 

Ah…the sights, the smells, and the sounds of the big city! New York gets to me every time! There is just something about this mega metropolitan city that is so incredible. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up in such a small community or if it’s because there are so many opportunities waiting around every corner. Here’s a sneak-peak at our media tour in the Big Apple…

First stop was Pix Morning News. We had to wake up extra early to make the call time at 6:45am! I love this picture of Scooter waiting inside his dressing room (Too bad mine didn’t have any lights)! If Scooter only knew that he shared his dressing room with some very familiar faces including the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.

The segment was a success! Here’s a shot after of Tamsen Fadal, Scooter, myself and Lisa Mateo from Pix Morning News. To see the segment click on this link  http://corbinmaxey.com/http://weblogs.wpix.com/news/local/morningnews/blogs/2009/11/animal_magnetism.html

Next stop was CBS News (which was clear across town). I could not have been more thankful for my manager Marta who knows the city inside-out. We made it just in time to appear with Cali Carlin on her popular cbsnews.com web series.

The segment was shot LIVE in the CBS Newsroom. I was so happy Cali (pictured above) was such a good sport! She even gave up her banana for Scooter! To see the full show click here www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kNc5D-d8go

A Lizard's Diaries: Chicago!!!

One of my favorite cities to visit every time we cross the nation is Chicago. This fantastic city is home to many award-winning attractions including the Lincoln Park Zoo. We were lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes tour. Here’s a sneak-peak of what we saw…

The zoo is renowned for their excellence in captive breeding critically endangered Lowland Gorillas. The exhibit called the Regenstein Center for African Apes tops my list as one of the best Gorilla habitats in the country.

A venomous warning sign leads to an area of the zoo very few ever get to see…

Endangered Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes!!! The Lincoln Park Zoo along with local wildlife agencies collected what may be the very last pair of Massasauga Rattlesnakes in Illinois in an effort to captive breed them and re-introduce them out in the wild. The zoo’s conservation efforts have attracted national media attention including the Chicago Tribune. You can read the full article here http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/apr/30/news/chi-ap-il-rattlesnakeroundu

Out of all the zoos I’ve visited in my lifetime I have never seen lions so active! Lions sleep an average of 20 hours a day…My guess is they enjoyed the minimal crowds and comfortable temperatures.

This is a picture of a Dwarf Caiman who shares his exhibit with a species of primate. Like the majority of AZA accredited zoos, the Lincoln Park zoo has several mixed species exhibits.

On our way out of the zoo we made a special stop by the world-famous Harpo Studios home of the “Oprah Winfrey Show.”

We also got a glimpse of downtown Chicago where I got a picture of the Chicago Tribune building! After a quick lunch we headed out for our final destination: New York City.

***A special thanks goes out to Lincoln Park Zoo for providing us with an exciting behind-the-scenes tour.

Early Christmas Gift!!!

Check out what Christy from Bella Blu Designs sent me: these custom-made note cards! What’s even better is that each and every one of them is hand-made in Austin, Texas. What a great early Christmas gift! Thanks Bella Blu!!! http://corbinmaxey.com/http://bellabludesigns.com

A lizard’s diaries: A look back at Tour 09’

 If you follow the animals and I at www.twitter.com/corbinmaxey you all know by now that we just wrapped up our 2009 National Tour. We had such an amazing time and reached out to thousands of people of all ages from 3 to 99! For the next few days I’m going to give you a backstage pass at what it’s like on the road with animals and I. You’ll see never-before-seen pics and get a glimpse at what’s in store for us down the road.

Our first stop was in Salt Lake City, Utah. We stopped by and visited our good friends at KUTV News. We sure enjoyed scaring the anchors on their #1 rated morning show! Pictured with us is Humphrey our Common Snapping Turtle. You can check out the footage here http://corbinmaxey.com/http://connect2utah.com/media_player.php?media_id=85541

We get a lot of questions on how we travel with the animals. The safest and most efficient way to transport the animals is by driving. We have specially made enclosures that are fitted with heating elements to keep the animals comfortable and happy. Every now and then though I just can’t resist interacting with them on the road! Pictured is Chompers driving through Wyoming.

Our next stop was in Omaha, Nebraska. Here I had the chance to visit one of the top zoos in the country: The Henry Doorly Zoo. This 132 acre zoo houses nearly 17,000 animals representing 962 species!

The zoo is home to the world’s largest indoor desert dome that is nearly 42,000 square feet. It houses numerous mixed species exhibits and highlights different deserts around the world. 

After a few hours at the zoo we headed back and enjoyed some true downtime. This is when I took this picture of Scooter right before he dove into his delicious meal of dark leafy greens! What a day!

Next stop: Chicago!!! 

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Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 

MMM…Doesn’t that look good? If this picture doesn’t “say” Thanksgiving then I don’t know what would! You’re taking a look at one of the many elaborate diets I create each and every year on Thanksgiving for my animals. On the menu today is fresh greens, cooked yams, bananas, kiwis, and apples.

Here I am feasting with Tank and Tinkerbelle our Sulcata Tortoises. All of the food items I offer them on Thanksgiving Day are treats that should only be fed sparingly.  

Here is a picture of our little Three Toed Box Turtle named Missouri chowin’ down on her Thanksgiving meal. She also enjoys mealworms, crickets, and roaches! Yum.

Cooked yams are always a hit with the animals, especially with Scooter our Green Iguana. Variety is the key to providing an animal with a happy and healthy life.

From the animals and I ~ HAPPY THANKSGIVING