Join our zoo community
snowleopard

Touch The Bay - African Pygmy Hedgehog Exhibit

July 16th, 2011.

Touch The Bay - African Pygmy Hedgehog Exhibit
snowleopard, 16 Aug 2011
    • snowleopard
      July 16th, 2011.
    • 11jadaway
      Surely this can't be an exhibit for hedgehogs?
    • Zooplantman
      Perhaps it is the "African Pygmy Tree" exhibit?
    • snowleopard
      It is indeed, and if you zoom in you can easily see a picture of a hedgehog on the sign. Aquariums are becoming much more diverse these days!:)
    • stubeanz
      It doesn't look like it was built for hedgehogs, perhaps a frog or lizard species originally? Not the best enclosure for the species I would say
    • FBBird
      Tpuch The Bay -- African Pygmy Hedgehog...

      Rather an African Pygmy Cage. Artificial tree, no apparent other furniture & almost no space. Whatever does the poor thing do with itself?
    • IanRRobinson
      A scan of other photos in the gallery also reveals a similar exhibit for chinchillas. News to me that either species, or indeed African Pygmy Hedgehog, were natives of California, but you live and learn...:rolleyes:

      Really, very poor that such an expensively built facility features exhibits like these.
    • Elephas Maximus
      But maybe the animal is being removed for a night to a proper enclosure?
      Hedgehogs don't care where to sleep during the day :)
    • DavidBrown
      I went to this place a couple of years ago and this display was not there then. This aquarium's focus is supposedly exclusively the habitats of the San Francisco Bay area (hence the name), so I have no idea why they have African hedgehogs and chinchillas (or indeed, why ANY aquarium would). The aquarium is pretty small and near or less than the quality of a McSeaLife facility.
    • snowleopard
      Here is my full, fairly short, review from 2011 for those that are interested:

      Aquarium’s website:

      San Francisco Bay's Aquarium | Aquarium of the Bay

      Exhibits:

      About Us | Aquarium of the Bay

      Aquarium of the Bay is located on historic Pier 39 on the waterfront in San Francisco, and that superb location means that there are always plenty of tourists lined up in order to gain entrance to what is essentially an average-sized aquarium. The vast majority of the 700,000 gallons of water within the establishment can be found in an incredibly long acrylic tunnel set of exhibits that is outstanding. It is a pity that the other two sections of the aquarium are poor in comparison. The AZA-accredited facility regularly receives at least 600,000 annual visitors, and it opened in 1996 although soon after closed and reopened under new ownership in 2000.

      THE BEST:

      Under the Bay – After passing Moon Jellyfish and sea nettles in a pair of basic tanks (the “Jellies” area) the hugely impressive, 300-foot long tunnel set of habitats welcomes visitors into an incredibly engaging underwater world. The two immensely long tunnels have conveyor belts on one side of the walkway, but apparently the automated belts are only utilized on the absolute busiest days of the year. Even then visitors are not forced to use them but by having a conveyor belt running there is the sense of urgency given to the gawkers who are only distantly related to zoo enthusiasts, who thus prefer to take their time when in a fantastic walk-through tunnel system.

      The first tunnel, called “Near Shore”, has many starfish, rockfish, Wolf Eels and several other species, but the Giant Sea Bass are the real stars of the show. They can reach 7 feet in length and weigh up to 500 pounds! There is a small section called Octopus Grotto between the main tunnels, but it is disappointing, dark and somewhat dingy. The second walk-through tunnel, called “Deep Water”, is the real highlight for many visitors, as there are large species of fish that can be intimidating for youngsters. Sevengill Sharks, Soupfin Sharks, Spiny Dogfish Sharks, Brown Smoothhound Sharks, Leopard Sharks (at least a dozen), Bat Rays, White Sturgeon and Skates all glide through the water effortlessly.

      THE AVERAGE:

      Touch the Bay – This is the final section of the aquarium to be viewed, and it features two touch-tanks that are of a decent size and exciting for youngsters. A crowd often gathers around the exhibit that holds bat rays, skates and Leopard Sharks, and it is not difficult to touch these animals. The second touch tank has more generic critters such as Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, sea anemones and barnacles and the nicely textured rockwork on the side of each tank is well sculpted. While the other two zones of the aquarium are very darkly lit, this area is bright and there are large windows to allow for natural lighting of the exhibits.

      The rest of the Touch the Bay zone is a tad confusing, as exhibits for several animals seem out of place. Species list: African Pygmy Hedgehog, Chinchilla, Blue-Tonged Skink, Pink-Toed Tarantula, Pacific Tree Frog, Cherry-Head Red-Foot Tortoise, Honey Bee, California Kingsnake, Western Pond Turtle and Banana Slugs. What exactly are some of those doing in a San Francisco aquarium?

      THE WORST:

      Discover the Bay – This might be a harsh category for this section of the aquarium but it is the first thing that visitors see after they purchase their tickets and it is extremely disappointing. An endlessly racing school of Anchovies in a tank that is almost entirely vertical; Sand Dollars in a shorter tank; Moray Eels and colorful fish in an attractive exhibit; and a few basic, average fish exhibits that are forgettable. There is a notable absence of a knock-out introductory habitat, but what is on offer is poor and somewhat haphazardly arranged.

      Layout – The aquarium does not produce a map of any of its 3 zones, there are zero maps on the walls, and thus visitors are kept in the dark as to when they will finish a particular section. The entry is on the second floor, and after touring the disappointing Discover the Bay zone all visitors must take an elevator to the lower level to see Under the Bay and the walk-through acrylic tunnels, and finally it is time to once again use an elevator to venture back to the second level for the Touch the Bay area. It is not difficult to imagine the elevators being packed on busy days, and waiting patiently for elevators is not something that will enthrall most tourists.

      OVERALL:

      Aquarium of the Bay has one terrific area that includes 300 feet of walk-through tunnels, and with 5 species of sharks and a host of other animals this is an outstanding section that deserves to be visited by any aquarium enthusiast. Sadly the other two zones are average to poor in quality, and a major letdown after the excellence of the lengthy tunnels. The entire facility can be seen in about an hour and fifteen minutes, and yet due to its sublime location on Pier 39 it will continue to be yet another major attraction in the hugely popular city of San Francisco.
    There are no comments to display.
  • Category:
    Aquarium of the Bay
    Uploaded By:
    snowleopard
    Date:
    16 Aug 2011
    View Count:
    9,430
    Comment Count:
    17

    EXIF Data

    File Size:
    241.2 KB
    Mime Type:
    image/jpeg
    Width:
    1200px
    Height:
    1600px
    Aperture:
    f/3.4
    Make:
    Panasonic
    Model:
    DMC-ZS5
    Date / Time:
    2011:07:16 12:57:23
    Exposure Time:
    10/130 sec
    ISO Speed Rating:
    ISO 400
    Focal Length:
    5 mm
     

    Note: EXIF data is stored on valid file types when a photo is uploaded. The photo may have been manipulated since upload (rotated, flipped, cropped etc).