ZooChat Challenge Great Britain, Ireland, and Crown Dependencies 2024

I've been to Chester three times now and still not seen an Imbabura Tree Frog.

 

WWT Slimbridge, 13.02.24

1.) Common Toad, Bufo bufo
2.) Common Frog, Rana temporaria
3.) Great Crested Newt, Triturus cristatus
4.) Alpine Newt, Mesotriton alpestris
5.) Pool Frog, Pelophylax Lessonae
6.) Palmate Newt, Lissotriton helveticus
7.) African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis
8.) European Tree Frog, Hyla arborea
9.) Yellow-bellied Toad, Bombina variegata
10.) Axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum
11.) Lake Titicaca Frog, Telmatobius culeus
12.) Golden Mantella, Mantella aurantiaca
13.) Amazon Milk Frog, Trachycephalus resinifictrix
14.) Dyeing Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates tinctorius
15.) Smooth Newt, Lissotriton vulgaris

West-Midlands Safari Park, 15.02.24

16.) Marañón Poison Frog, Excidobates mysteriosus
17.) Yellow-Banded Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates leucomelas
18.) ‘Starry Night Reed Frog’, Heterixalus alboguttatus


A good number to start the year on .

 

Chester Zoo 13/03/24
17 Asian Giant Toad Phrynoidis asper

At last I have seen one, only about 9 months of trying.

 

Manchester Museum 29/02/24
18 Imbabura Tree Frog Boana picturata

This was one of the three unidentifed frog species that I saw, of the other two one was Magnificent Tree Frog which is already on my list and the third photograph was of insufficient quality to be identifiable.

 

On 24th March I went to Twycross with the expectation of adding Chapa Bug-eyed Frog Theloderma bicolor to my list. There are five vivaria in the Gibbon House. One was closed for maintenance, it was the frog vivarium.

 

Banham 28/3/24

11 Axolotl

 

London 23/03

1. Cayenne caecilian, Typhlonectes compressicauda
2. Rio Cauca caecilian, Typhlonectes natans
3. Mallorcan midwife toad, Alytes muletensis
4. Lake Patzcuaro salamander, Ambystoma dumerili
5. Laos warty newt, Laotriton laoensis
6. Titicaca lake frog, Telmatobius culeus
7. Chapa bug eyed frog, Theloderma bicolor
8. Mountain chicken, Leptodactylus fallax
9. Dyeing dart frog, Dendrobates tinctorius
10. Lake Oku clawed frog, Xenopus longipes
11. Kaiser's spotted newt, Neurergus kaiseri
12. Sardinian brook salamander, Euproctus platycephalus
13. Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus

 

A very slow start to zoo-visiting this year, but with visits to the Horniman Museum and London Zoo I think it is now time to start posting on this thread:

Horniman Museum 18/02/24
1. Amazon Milk Frog Trachycephalus resinfinctrix
2. Common Toad Bufo bufo
3. Dyeing / Blue Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates tinctorius
4. Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates auratus
5. Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates leucomelas

Worryingly no sign of the Pool Frogs or the Common Frogs for several visits now, and the Smooth Newts have now left the collection (although having not seen them for several years I suspect that has been the case for some time), but the Horniman remains a decent collection where amphibians are concerned.

ZSL London Zoo 29/03/24
6. Sardinian Brook Salamander Euproctus platycephalus
7. Laos Warty Newt Laotriton laoensis
8. Mountain Chicken Leptodactylus fallax
9. Lake Patzcuaro Salamander Ambystoma dumerilii
10. Chinese Giant Salamander Andrias davidianus
11. Lake Oku Clawed Frog Xenopus longipes
12. Lake Titicaca Frog Telmatobius culeus
13. Mallorcan Midwife Toad Alytes muletensis
14. Cayenne Caecilian Typhlonectes compressicauda
15. Rio Cauca Caecilian Typhlonectes natans
16. Kaiser's Spotted Newt Neurergus kaiseri
17. Chapa Mossy Frog Theloderma bicolor

Thanks to a fellow visitor pointing out the whereabouts of the Mossy Frog right as the zoo closed, I managed to see all 13 of the amphibian species kept in SLoRA, the new Reptile House at London Zoo. Sadly, due to the evasive Turquoise Blue Geckos, the same cannot be said for the reptiles, but that is, thankfully, irrelevant to this thread.

Overall, not the best start to the year in terms of zoo-visiting, but a very strong start indeed in terms of amphibian-spotting due to the collections in question!

 

Manchester Museum 30/03/2024:

I finally after about 5 or 6 years got round to re-visiting the museum today. With it being the bank holiday weekend it was rather busy but the vivarium section got quieter as the afternoon progressed. I managed to see all species on display par their Panther chameleons and a number of species through the offshow viewing windows.

4) Variable harlequin frog Atelopus varius
5) Yellow & black poison frog Dendrobates leucomelas
6) Strawberry poison frog Oophaga pumilio
7) Golden mantella Mantella aurantiaca
8) Green and black poison frog Dendrobates auratus
9) Imbabura treefrog Boana picturata
10) Fringed leaf frog Cruziohyla craspedopus
11) Magnificent tree frog Ranoidea splendida
12) Splendid leaf frog Cruziohyla calcarifer
13) White spotted reed frog Heterixalus alboguttatus
14) Rio Cauca caecilian Typhlonectes natans

 

Just realised that I've missed one:
15) Sylvia's tree frog Cruziohyla sylvia

 

Manchester SeaLife 02/04/2024:

16) Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum

 

Tropiquaria Zoo 07/04/24
18. Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum

A little disappointed to find that some of the amphibian species listed on ZTL, such as African Bullfrog, Australian Green Tree Frog, Oriental Fire-bellied Toad and White-spotted Reed Frog, all seem to either be offshow or have departed the collection since the listing - particularly unfortunate in the case of the reed frog which would have been a lifetick. As such, having already seen Amazon Milk Frogs at the Horniman, the Axolotl was all that Tropiquaria could contribute to this challenge.

 

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, 29/03/24

19.) Blue Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates tinctorius azureus
20.) Strawberry Poison Dart Frog, Oophaga pumilio 'Bastimentos'

I was slightly disappointed with the lack of amphibians at the zoo but I did manage to spot the two species in their tanks.

 

I recall the Amazon milk frogs and Axolotl were the only amphibs on my visit in 2022.

 

Folly Farm 11.04.24
15) Strawberry Poison Frog, Oophaga pumilio

*Edited to correct date to 11.04.24

 

Paignton Zoo 13/04/24

14. Blessed poison frog, Ranitomeya benedicta
15. Alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris
16. Coronated treefrog, Triprion spinosus
17. Fea's treefrog, Zhangixalus feae
18. Golden poison frog, Phyllobates terribilis
19. Maranon poison frog, Excidobates mysteriosus
20. Oriental fire bellied newt, Hypselotriton orientalis
21. Pebas stubfoot toad, Atelopus spumarius
22. Pleasing poison frog, Ameerega bassleri
23. Red eyed tree frog, Agalychnis callidryas
24. Summers's poison frog, Ranitomeya summersi
25. Yellow banded poison frog, Dendrobates leucomelas

 

Yes, it is a shame there are just two amphibians on show.

I think you may have also counted Dendrobates tinctorius twice. I believe you said you had seen them at WWT Slimbridge. Whilst the 'azureus' is a different colour morph, it isn't a separate species and we are working at species level for this challenge. No need to edit your post, I have just got you down at 19 rather than 20.

 

Manchester Museum 18/04/24
19 Fringed Leaf Frog Cruziohyla craspedopus
20 Splendid Leaf Frog Cruziohyla calcarifer
21 Rio Cauca Caecilian Typhlonectes natans

As I did in February I went on to Liverpool World Museum after my visit to Manchester. There were no Fire Salamanders on show and the Axolotl viv was still under refurbishment, just as it was in June 2023. So no additions to my score from Liverpool.

 

I don't suppose you have a general species list for Liverpool Museum?

 

If you mean amphibians those two are the only species listed on Zootierliste. A full list for the museum is on ZTL - listed under Liverpool (World Museum).

I saw two unlisted fish species yesterday Scat (Scatophagus argus) and Mono (Monodactylus sebae),

Hope this helps.