Introducing Steve, the New Reptile on the Block

Steve is the new reptile on the block at Auckland Zoo. He is a motley combination of brown, red and orange, has a beautiful beard, and is around 60 cm long which is pretty typical for an Inland Bearded Dragon.

Named after Steve Urwin by his previous owner, keepers have described him (or possibly her, there have been some inconsistencies) as quite the character. Steve’s favourite foods are cucumber, but only the thinly sliced variety, carrots, and dandelions. Steve loves locusts, but can’t always be bothered chasing them around his enclosure. He loves a good stomp on the grass, tolerates bathtime, and best of all, is relaxed and calm around people, be it five or 20 – making him a great animal to meet up close at the zoo.

Lizzy Perrett is Auckland Zoo’s Team Leader of Animal Experiences, and lucky enough to already have a pre-existing relationship with Steve, as they have crossed paths throughout Lizzy’s career. Lizzy loves the different animals she gets to work with – birds, reptiles, and mammals, and the different personalities they all have.

“All animals, even reptiles like Steve have totally different personalities. They may not be giving anything to you in terms of emotion, but they will tell you what they like and don’t like if you pay attention,” said Lizzy.

Steve is an easy-going animal. His enclosure is set up in a way that he can be self-sufficient, with his environment designed to mimic his natural wild habitat. Ectotherms take their body heat from the environment, so Steve’s enclosure is set up with a basking heat lamp at one end, and a cooler end on a temperature gradient, so Steve gets to choose how warm he would like to be.

Steve gets sprayed a few times a day, which might seem strange, but bearded dragons absorb water from their environment, typically in the morning and evening dew. When they are sprayed the water funnels its way into their mouth, or they lick it off their noses. Rocks and textures are another important aspect of their enclosure, so that when they’re shedding their skin they can push against the rocks to encourage the process.

Lizzy plans for Steve to have a mate, as being able to react to another animal is an enriching experience. Reptiles will head bob at each other as somewhat of a ‘face-off’, and whoever gives up first waves at the other as if to say, ‘you win’. Who knew reptiles could be so adorable!

Lizzy began her career in the United Kingdom, working in education, animal training, flying displays, and field research in a variety of animal parks and zoos.

“My philosophy, when it comes to training, is to work with an animal’s behaviour and encourage the things it already wants to do. You just have to figure out what is right for that individual. What you’ll end up with is an animal that enjoys going out flying and wants to come back to you,” Lizzy said.

Although her career highlights include things like spending hours on a beach watching a leatherback turtle lay her eggs, Lizzy is loving the new experiences New Zealand and its unique native animals are contributing to her wealth of knowledge. Steve and the other animals in her care are very lucky to have her!