An egg roll

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For ABC Wednesday,  H is for head.

This is the skull of a Nile crocodile, displayed at the Negev Zoo.

You'll never guess what this croc does with its big mouth!
National Geographic tells us --

 One unusual characteristic of this fearsome predator is its caring nature as a parent. Where most reptiles lay their eggs and move on, mother and father Nile crocs ferociously guard their nests until the eggs hatch, and they will often roll the eggs gently in their mouths to help hatching babies emerge.

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(Linking to Camera Critters.)
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Safe home for butterflies

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In Hebrew a butterfly is a parpar.
The Negev Zoo has a lovely parparia, an enclosure in which free butterflies and people can freely interact.

Just outside the tent is the "nursery."
Inside all those white hanging bags the final stages of metamorphosis are happening.

Here's a cocoon (or is it called a chrysalis?)

 
Nice signboards all around teach about the life of a butterfly.

You are not allowed to catch the butterflies, but if one alights on you, that's fine.
Here Dean was trying to coax one to step onto his hand.
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The nice thing (that I read about on the zoo's website) in that much of the work caring for the butterflies and their plants and the grounds is done every day by members of the Ami organization.
Agudat Ami helps mentally handicapped young adults get established in the community.
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(Linking to Camera Critters.)
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A human-watching pelican

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The Negev Zoo  pelican was swishing its beak around, hoping to scoop up some food.

But suddenly it decided to slide into the pond.

The big bird swam over to the little bridge.

Must have noticed that my little Libby was distributing zoo-provided kibbles to the ducks.
(Dean was busy taking some of his first photos with his first camera.)
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(Linking to Camera Critters and Weekend Reflections.)

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Nature and nurture

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Grandma Dina, Dean, and Libby feed the guinea pigs at the Negev Zoo's petting corner.
I so enjoyed holding the little warm fuzzy. 

(This was just four weeks ago and it was still T shirt weather; now we need several warm layers.)

When you pay for an entrance ticket, the zoo gives you a bag of healthy kibbles to feed the animals.
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In my previous post you can see the zoo's concrete tube which serves as a "protected space" in case of incoming rockets and missiles from Gaza.
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Linking to Camera Critters.
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Small protection

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This is the makeshift bomb shelter in the small Negev Zoo on the outskirts of Beer Sheva. 

Painted in Hebrew is "merchav mugan," meaning protected space.

If you hear the Code Red  siren go off, make a run for it, fast. 

Several rockets have been fired into southern Israel from Gaza in the last two days. 

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Iguana with open mouth

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This lizard  in the Negev Zoo near Beer Sheva is an Iguana iguana or Green iguana, native to South America.
Enlarge the photos a few times to see his amazing textures.
He has impressive spines and dewlap.

Suddenly he opened his mouth wide.
Wonder what he was saying to the female.
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(Linking to today's Camera Critters.)
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Live turkey

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This is as close as my family  got to turkey today here in Israel.
The turkeys were alive and well in the Negev Zoo near Beer Sheva.

The grandkids have ten days of Chanuka vacation.
I am so thankful and happy to be near them.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating the holiday today.
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