Zoochat Challenge North America 2024

I've visited quite a few times so I know where to look. Most were glimpses of faces or bodies hiding in rock piles (jackal) or night boxes (most other small cats) but the rusty came out came out for a stroll early on during the event but retreated to one of the boxes high up for the rest of the day

 

Better late than never

Phoenix Zoo, Maricopa County, AZ, Jan 8

1. Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
2. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
3. Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum)
4. Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
5. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
6. Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
7. Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)
8. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
9. Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)
10. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
11. California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
12. Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)
13. King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa)
14. Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata)
15. Jaguar (Panthera onca)
16. Andean bear (tremarctos ornatus)
17. Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
18. Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
19. Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
20. Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)
21. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
22. African painted dog (Lycaon pictus)
23. African Lion (Panthera leo)
24. Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos)
25. Ruppell’s vulture (gyps rueppellii)
26. Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
27. Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
28. Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda)​

 

Forgot from Phoenix Zoo:
28. California condor (Gymnogyps californianus)

Brandywine Zoo - 4/10

29. Caracal (Caracal caracal)

 

Got one of the two remaining Buffalo Zoo species today:
29. Sand Cat- Felis margarita

 

Turtle Back Zoo 4.9
32) Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
33) Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
34) Jaguar (Panthera unco)
35) Leopard (Panthera pardus)
36) Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)
37) American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

Raptor Trust 4.9
38) Peregrine Falcon (Flaco peregrinus)
39) Rough-Legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)
40) Broad-Winged Hawk (Buteo platyterus)
41) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
42) Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
43) Barred Owl (Strix varia)
44) Merlin (Flaco columbarius)
And yet 2 (Raptor Trust had 2 enclosures) more missed screech owls. Didn’t think they would be that hard of a species!

 

I have just completed a visit to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden; my first new facility for 2024. This facility gave me 9 new eligible species; mostly sharks, but also a crocodilian suprisingly. The only eligible species that was signed and I did not actually see was the Bonnethead Shark, but I am unsure if they even have them.

2024 visits to date

• North Carolina Zoo (February)
• Greensboro Science Center (March)
• Adventure Aquarium (April)

Total - 29

• Felids - 9
  • Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Bobcat (Lynx rufus) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Cougar (Puma concolor) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Lion (Panthera leo) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Sand Cat (Felis margarita) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Serval (Leptailurus serval) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Sunda Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) - Greensboro Science Center
• Sharks - 9
  • Brown-banded Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Common Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) - Adventure Aquarium
  • Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • White-spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) - Greensboro Science Center
• Canids - 3
  • Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Red Wolf (Canis rufus) - North Carolina Zoo
• Bears - 2
  • Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) - North Carolina Zoo
• Crocodilians - 1
  • American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) - Adventure Aquarium
• Owls - 2
  • Barn Owl (Tyto alba) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Barred Owl (Strix varia) - North Carolina Zoo
• Fossas - 1
  • Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) - Greensboro Science Center
• Komodo Dragons - 1
  • Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) - Greensboro Science Center

 

Philadelphia Zoo: March 11, 2024
67.) Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)
68.) Caracara (Caracara plancus)

Cape May Zoo: March 26, 2024
69.) American black bear (Ursus americanus)

Cohanzick Zoo: March 26, 2024
70.) Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)

 

Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium (March 22, 2024)
47. Harris’s hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
48. Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus)

Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium (April 14, 2024)
49. Black-footed cat (Felis nigripes)

 

You're at 71.

For clarification, you meant Common Blacktip and not Blacktip Reef Shark (C. melanopterus) for this entry? Just double checking since they are similar names and Blacktip Reef is far more common.

 

And finally, lucked out and saw a notorious no-show at Buffalo Zoo today:
30. Ocelot- Leopardus pardalis

 

Ok, so I saw your reply and decided to review my pictures and notes. Turns out I have been screwed over by bad aquarium signage once again (and also confused the two species). I may have actually observed C. melanopterus and NOT C. limbatus).

So here's what happened: the Blacktips I observed where in their Ocean Realm exhibit, where there is no signage of them. However, they do have C. limbatus signed in their Shark Realm exhibit. I had no reason to believe at the time that the signage was in error because the range map used is definitely for C. limbatus (as it includes the Atlantic Ocean where C. melanopterus is absent), the fun fact even lampshades where the scientific name came from. See below for what I am talking about, and the aquarium had a heap of species that were in tanks other than where they were actually signed.

i
I also assumed the two species would be similar in appearance so I went with what was signed. But when I went back and reviewed, I saw the visual differences between the 2 species is actually more pronounced than I thought. Here is a picture of what I actually saw.



So through a combination of my own mistake and the Aquarium signage likely being incorrect (either that or they actually do have C. limbatus off-exhibit since all I remember seeing are Sand Tigers, Nurse, and Sandbar sharks in the Shark Realm exhibit), I conclude that I more likely observed C. melanopterus.

Do the admins allow us to go back and edits posts? Because I now also have a big error in my species list thread.

 

That's definitely a Blacktip Reef, so I'll add you down for that

I guess you could report your own post to the mods and ask them for a change. Might just be easier to post an edit though; I've had to do that for several of my lists before.

 

Here is my list with the shark ID fixed. Total remains the same.

Total - 29

• Felids - 9
  • Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Bobcat (Lynx rufus) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Cougar (Puma concolor) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Lion (Panthera leo) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Sand Cat (Felis margarita) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Serval (Leptailurus serval) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Sunda Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) - Greensboro Science Center
• Sharks - 9
  • Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Brown-banded Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) - Adventure Aquarium
  • Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • White-spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) - Greensboro Science Center
• Canids - 3
  • Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Red Wolf (Canis rufus) - North Carolina Zoo
• Bears - 2
  • Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) - North Carolina Zoo
• Crocodilians - 1
  • American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) - Adventure Aquarium
• Owls - 2
  • Barn Owl (Tyto alba) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Barred Owl (Strix varia) - North Carolina Zoo
• Fossas - 1
  • Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) - Greensboro Science Center
• Komodo Dragons - 1
  • Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) - Greensboro Science Center

 

New York Aquarium (4.13.2024)

42. Chain Catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer)
43. Dusky Smoothhound (Mustelus canis)
44. Brown Banded Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum)
45. Gray Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium griseum)
46. Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci)
47. Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
48. Spotted Wobbegong Shark (Orectolobus maculatus)

 

Erie Zoo - 4/20

30. Sand cat (Felis margarita)
31. Serval (Leptailurus serval)
32. Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
33. Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)
34. Leopard (Panthera pardus)
35. Eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio)

 

Visited a new zoo for me today:
Erie Zoo
31. Caracal- Caracal caracal
32. Jaguar- Panthera onca
33. Eurasian Lynx- Lynx lynx
34. African Wild Dog- Lycaon pictus
35. Eastern Screech Owl- Megascops asio
36. American Alligator- Alligator mississipiensis

 

Bergen County Zoo: April 15, 2024
71.) Barn owl (Tyto alba)

Wycoff Wildlife Center: April 15, 2024
72.) Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
73.) Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio)

 

Irvine Park Zoo - April 26 2024
26. Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta
27. Tiger Panthera tigris
28. American Black Bear Ursus americanus

 

Just completed a visit to the Philadelphia Zoo, which netted me 11 eligible species. The only one that I missed out on was the Jaguar, which I don't even think was out on exhibit today.

I had to update the formatting. Do note that each species is only counted once.

Total - 40

Mammals - 20

• Felids (Felidae) - 12
  • Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) - Greensboro Science Center
    
  • Bobcat (Lynx rufus) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
    • Southern and Eastern African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) - Philadelphia Zoo
  • Cougar (Puma concolor) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Leopard (Panthera pardus)
    • Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) - Philadelphia Zoo
  • Lion (Panthera leo) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Sand Cat (Felis margarita) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Serval (Leptailurus serval) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) - Philadelphia Zoo
  • Tiger (Panthera tigris)
    • Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) - Philadelphia Zoo
      
    • Sunda Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) - Greensboro Science Center
  
  
• Canids (Canidae) - 3
  • Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Red Wolf (Canis rufus) - North Carolina Zoo

• Bears (Ursidae) - 4
  • Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) - North Carolina Zoo
    
  • Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) - North Carolina Zoo
  • Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus)
    • Sri Lankan Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) - Philadelphia Zoo
  • Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) - Philadelphia Zoo

• Fossas - 1
  • Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) - Greensboro Science Center

Birds - 7

• Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (Accipitriformes) - 2
  
  • Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) - Philadelphia Zoo
    
  • Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) - Philadelphia Zoo

• New World Vultures (Cathartiformes) - 2
  
  • King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) - Philadelphia Zoo
  • Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - Philadelphia Zoo

• Falcons and Caracars (Falconiformes) - 1
  • Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus) - Philadelphia Zoo

• Owls - 2
  • Barn Owl (Tyto alba) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Barred Owl (Strix varia) - North Carolina Zoo

Reptiles - 4

• Crocodilians (Crocodilia)
  
  • American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) - North Carolina ZooCuvier's Dwarf
  • Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) - Adventure Aquarium
  • Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) - Philadelphia Zoo

• Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) - 1
  • Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) - Greensboro Science Center

Fishes - 9

• Sharks (Selachimorpha) - 9
  • Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Brown-banded Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) - Adventure Aquarium
  • Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) - Greensboro Science Center
  • Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) - Adventure Aquarium
    
  • White-spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) - Greensboro Science Center