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Tamsen Gray DeWitt, Biologist
Invertebrates

What do you do? What are your main responsibilities?

I am a biologist in the Invertebrate Exhibit. My responsibilities are divided between animal care, education, and administrative duties.

How long have you worked with animals?

I have been in the Invertebrate Exhibit for more than 18 years.

How did you get started?

I actually started at the Zoo as a volunteer with cute, fuzzy things in the Small Mammal House, which was a lot of fun.

What do you like most about your job?

I love working with the animals, of course, but an added benefit is the fact that we get to work with people, too! My master's degree is in education so we are so fortunate to be able to take a large portion of our time to educate the visitors who come through the exhibit. In the Invertebrate Exhibit we do feeding demonstrations every 15 or 30 minutes, which allows us to tell people all about our animals and also gives us the opportunity to answer questions about them. These people also include the wonderful group of volunteers that we have. In the Invertebrate Exhibit alone, we have more than 60 volunteers—people from all walks of life who bring different experiences to us. Even my husband is a volunteer here!

What is a typical day like for you?

I arrive at 7 a.m. and do a complete walk through of the exhibit looking at all of the animals in our care. I make a list of things that I see that need to be done. The volunteers and I then prepare food, clean glass, feed animals, put slides on the microscope, do water-quality testing, hatch brine shrimp, take tank temperatures.... Then the visitors arrive at 10 a.m., and we feed the animals and talk to the visitors.

What's the most fascinating animal in your care?

Oh my, this is a difficult question. With the diversity of invertebrates, it is so hard to narrow it down. I love the octopus because it is intelligent and playful. I also love the butterflies because they are graceful and fascinating, but I love corals because they are beautiful and diverse. So, I cannot decide which one I love best. That is why I am so fortunate to work with such a diverse group of animals.

What's your favorite animal in the world?

Well, I must say that I love my pound puppy, Rita!

What animals do you have at home?

I have a dog, a cat, four saltwater aquariums, and an amazing butterfly garden at home.

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