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A Texas zoo is celebrating two tiny new additions.
The Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas is now home to a pair of newborn Texas horned lizards who hatched last weekend,local NBC affiliate KETKreports.
Uno, the first of the two lizards to be born at the zoo over the weekend, arrived on Aug. 13. The second lizard hatched Sunday morning.
Reptile keeper Braydyn Spradlin, who checks in on the two lizards multiple times a day, explained that she has to make sure they’re staying hydrated.
“They have to eat four times a day and be misted because they can become dehydrated quite quickly,” shetold FOX 51, adding that she feeds the babies crickets and fruit fly cultures.
The teeny lizards are just the first of many expected hatchlings coming to the Caldwell Zoo. Because horned lizards are a threatened species, the zoo is working to increase the species' native population.
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“We take captive adults here, and we let them lay eggs and then let them hatch here. We head start the babies,” said Yvonne Stainback, the curator of birds and reptiles at the Caldwell Zoo.
In July, the zoo shared the exciting news that their Texas horned lizards had laid eggs, writing onFacebookthat they had partnered with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and launched a dedicated breeding center for the reptiles in Tyler, Texas.
“The long-term goal of this new program is to carefully add to the wild population of horned lizards. Our custom-built habitats were designed to give the Texas horned lizard everything they need to safely breed in peace and quiet,” they wrote.
The zoo added, “As the offspring mature, we can release strong, healthy animals back into their natural environment. Over time, we’ll be able to increase the wild population and keep them safe for generations to come.”
Now that the first babies have arrived, the zoo is itching to share them with the community.
“We’re like proud parents. We want to show them off,” Stainback said.
source: people.com
