ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — ABQ BioPark’s reptile building reopened to the public on Friday after closing for renovations about two months prior. One of those renovations includes a “snappy” home upgrade for one of the park’s long-standing residents.
Meet Wilson. She’s a 52-year-old alligator snapping turtle. They’re the largest species of freshwater turtles found in the US, and according to ABQ BioPark Reptile and Amphibian Curator Stacey Sekscienski, Wilson is particularly big. “She weighs about a 100 pounds,” said Sekscienski. “She’s quite large for a female. That’s not uncommon in captivity, that the animals are a little bit larger than animals we see in the wild.” She came to the BioPark from another AZA facility back in 2010.
Wilson’s recently upgraded habitat includes a different pool level, various ledges, a terrestrial area where she can dig around, and a dedicated basking area for some extra heat, which helps the animal digest food while also getting UV. The BioPark hopes her habitat will help visitors learn about the southeast swamps of the US, where some of the reptile residents are native to.
Alligator snapping turtles are considered predators. They mostly feed on vertebrates, but they will also eat vegetation and crustaceans. “One of the coolest features about alligator snapping turtles is their behavior,” said Sekscienski. “So at the end of their tongue, they have a small little protuberance that looks like a, basically a little earthworm. And they’re able to sit motionless and wiggle it to lure in prey, smaller fish and other prey that might be in the water. And then once the prey gets, you know, close enough, then they’ll snap their jaws and ingest the prey.” Sekscienski added that Wilson exhibits a lot of this luring behavior, so visitors will likely be privy to seeing her dining methods in action.
Although Wilson has a good five decades worth of wisdom under her belt, she’s not the oldest resident in the building. That would be Aldabra, a tortoise that the park believes is over a century old. On the flipside, the reptile building also has some newcomers. One of those newcomers is an American alligator named Captain. He’s joining a female alligator by the name of Bonnie, who has called the BioPark home for about a decade. According to Sekscienski, the two seem to be getting along quite well.
Another new resident includes a timber rattlesnake. “It’s got a very beautiful pattern,” said Sekscienski. “They are found in similar habitats to alligator snapping turtles. So we thought it would be a nice compliment to our alligator snapping turtle habitat.”
Sekscienski added that the BioPark has made some smaller cosmetic improvements to the building, including sprucing up the entrance portal. They also refreshed some of their fiberglass habitats.
