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Taking a Drink

Water is an amazing molecule. The oxygen atom pulls on its two hydrogens in a way that creates a slightly-negative side and a...

Haley Selen

Dec 13, 20181 min read

Digger the Western Hognose Snake is usually pretty docile. She arrived at the Museum in 2013 as a hatchling no bigger than a pencil....

Haley Selen

Dec 6, 20181 min read

One thing I love about the animal care community – from bird trainers to zoo keepers – is the ability to find delight in small, peculiar...

Haley Selen

Nov 28, 20181 min read

Sometimes enrichment is more enriching for me than it is for the birds. I had fun last weekend designing, cutting, and painting ...

Haley Selen

Nov 23, 20181 min read

Sometimes enrichment is more enriching for me than it is for the birds. I had fun last weekend designing, cutting, and painting ...

Haley Selen

Nov 20, 20181 min read

I usually rely on science to learn more about an animal or plant. I instinctively scour scientific articles, my animal physiology...

Haley Selen

Nov 13, 20181 min read

Last week I wrote about positive reinforcement, giving a reward to increase a behavior, as the most important tool in training our...

Haley Selen

Nov 7, 20182 min read

Stepping onto a human’s hand, coming out of a crate, perching calmly while 50 sets of human eyes stare at him. These are not behaviors...

Haley Selen

Nov 1, 20182 min read

How quickly does a 5-year-old hognose snake grow? As animals with indeterminate growth, snakes continue growing throughout their life,...

Haley Selen

Oct 24, 20181 min read

Last weekend I loaded up the Museum van with biofacts, 30 pounds of rocks, and our American Kestrel, Aldo. Our road trip landed us at the...

Haley Selen

Oct 17, 20181 min read