JANUARY 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 51
PRESS PETS
TIGER SALAMANDERS:
FIERCE SUBTERRANEAN AMPHIBIANS
The Long Island Pet Expo
PET EXPO
Saturday March 2, 10AM - 7PM
Sunday March 3, 10AM - 5PM
Suffolk Community College -
Grant Campus, Exit 53 off the LIE
Well-Behaved
Leashed Pets
Welcome!
$1 OFF MC
Regular Price: $13 Adult • $6 Child • 3 & Under FREE
Coupon good for $1 OFF One Adult Admission
Not to be combined with any other offer.
Nominal fee is charged for some attractions. Expires March 3, 2019
For our Special Attractions and Schedules, visit:
FAMILYPETSHOWS.COM
For more information call 1.631.423.0620
DONATE
YOUR
CAR FOR
HOMELESS
PETS!
Animal League America’s Vehicle Donation Program makes donating
a vehicle fast and easy, offering you a great way to support our no-kill
mission! For complete details about donating a vehicle or additional
information regarding Tax Benefits, Donations Tips and Frequently
Asked Questions, visit animalautos.org or call 1-800-752-6462.
DON'T FORGET!
North Shore Animal League America has many Puppies, Kittens, Dogs and
Cats to choose from. Mixed-breeds, purebreds, and small breeds too!
25 Davis Avenue • Port Washington, NY • 516.883.7575 • animalleague.org
FOLLOW US:
OPEN FOR ADOPTIONS
FRI 4 PM - 9 PM
SAT & SUN 12 PM - 8 PM
RR006
BY JUNGLE BOB
Tigers are one of the planet’s
most ferocious predators.
The largest of all the big cats,
these animals are at the top of the
food chain in their domain, which
once spread across Asia and India.
Unfortunately, human population
growth caused a loss of habitat and
now these felines are on the verge of
extinction. But another tiger lurks
here on Long Island: a predator that
rules its domain making a meal of
anything that can fit into its powerful
jaws lined with sharp teeth that
snap down on its unsuspecting prey
with incredible speed and ferocity.
That predator is the tiger salamander.
It’s an amphibian, related to
newts, not big furry cats. It is a monster
though, growing to lengths of
eight inches. It got its name from both
its striped coloration and its attitude.
Big cats are known for the ability
to hunt using stealth, camouflage,
strength and quickness t o
overpower unsuspecting prey. Tiger
salamanders do the same but from
a different angle in the stealth and
camouflage categories.
They are seldom seen, rarely
venturing above the ground. These
tigers spend 50 weeks a year underground.
They are in a family of
amphibians known as mole salamanders,
which live like the moles
in your yard. Although they are seen
occasionally on warm rainy nights in
the summer, they usually emerge in
early February.
Often there is snow on the
ground, but that does not deter
these cold-blooded animals. Driven
by the urge to pass on their genetics,
they amass on the edges of ponds
looking for suitable mates, romantically
just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Once mating is accomplished, they
make a hasty retreat underground
where they hunt all kinds of prey
from earthworms and insects to
small rodents, reptiles and other
amphibians.
Sadly, tiger salamanders on LI are
suffering the same fate as the big
Asian cats. Many building projects
that were undertaken here never
gave a second thought to what lives
under the soil. This suburban sprawl
not only ruined
their
habitat, it entombed the
mole salamander under parking lots,
amusement parks and malls.
Tiger salamanders are still found
in small pockets, mostly on the East
End, the last stand for this amazing
creature in our area. Environmentalists
have given the tiger salamander a
voice and many builders now have to
understand that just because a deer is
bounding across a field, doesn't mean
there isn't wildlife present.
There are tigers in fact! Another
amazing animal living a peaceful
coexistence on this wild Long Island.
Jungle Bob’s Reptile World is
located at 984 Middle Country
Rd. in Selden. It can be reached at
junglebobsrept ileworld.com
631-737-6474.
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