ZooChat Challenge (Global) 2015

I'm taking it seriously, but I've had a lot of no shows this year. Thylo says seeing the label and not the animals does not count.

 

I'm sitting in a cafe with Wifi in the square outside Antwerp Zoo so I thought I'd add to my list

76) Gambian Giant Pouched Rat (was a no show earlier in the year at Vienna)

 

So things have been a tad slow for me since this visit, with me only gaining two more additions from two zoos:

25) Patagonian Cavy Dolichotis patagonum
26) Brazilian Porcupine Coendou prehensilis

Unfortunately my plans for the year have changed and I'm afraid I am unlikely to get many more- if any more- for the year.

~Thylo

 

And two further additions from Leipzig today:

77) Southern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat
78) Sri-Lankan Giant Squirrel

And of course quite a few seen earlier in the year.
I don't think I will get too many more captive rodents for the year. My trip for December has already been decided for the UK and I doubt I'll get to more than one or two zoos and I will also have a week in October where I am going somewhere that is yet to be decided (though it will probably be in Europe).

 

Oh thank goodness he's stopping!

If I personally hit 30 this year I'll be a happy man, forget 78!

~Thylo

 

Well it's getting boring now that I'm about 50 ahead of second place. This challenge was too easy

 

My list is not very impressive but I thought why shouldn't I share it nevertheless.

01) Sri Lankan giant squirrel (Leipzig)
02) Sumatra prevost's squirrel (Dresden)
03) Swinhoe's striped squirrel (Leipzig)
04) Black-tailed prairie dog (Leipzig)
05) North American porcupine (Dresden)
06) Capybara (Dresden)
07) Greater guinea pig (Karlsruhe)
08) Patagonian cavy (Dresden)
09) Azara's agouti (Karlsruhe)
10) Degu (Karlsruhe)
11) Ansells's mole rat (Leipzig)
12) Sinai spiny mouse (Dresden)
13) Dusky Egyptian spiny mouse (Leipzig)
14) Fat sand rat (Leipzig)
15) European harvest mouse (Karlsruhe)
16) Brown rat (Dresden)
17) Southern Luzon giant cloud rat (Leipzig)
18) Western house mouse (Pforzheim)

 

Not quite finished as it turns out.

Additions to my list from Prague Zoo today:

79) Cuban Hutia
80) Smith's Bush Squirrel
81) Bushy-tailed Jird
82) Least Gerbil
83) Mechow's Mole Rat
84) Spotted Grass Mouse
85) Typical Striped Grass Mouse
86) Nile Grass Rat
87) Emin's Giant Pouched Rat
88) Southern African Spiny Mouse
89) Savanna Dormouse
(Possible additional one - 90) East African Springhare - these were not labelled as such, but according to zootierliste, they are East African Springhares which are a full species (according to the IUCN) and not a subspecies. Could someone let me know whether these are in fact East African and whether or not I can count this for this challenge.)

And all of the above were lifers for me.

 

I'm going to hazard a guess and say that a certain someone may well hit 100 by the time they return from the Czech Republic! And I also think we now have a definite leader!

 

Well it's a bit boring now that I'm on almost three times the number as second place!
100 would be nice, but I don't think I'm allowed to count things held off show, so I'm not sure how many new rodents for me for the year are held on show at Plzen.
Anyway, after Plzen that will be it for me for the year, honestly this time.

Surprisingly, I am yet to see any non-domestic guinea pigs, despite them being quite common. (and I doubt I will this year)

 

I've managed to grab a few more, though I really do think this is it this time.

27) North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
28) Merriam's Kangaroo-Rat Dipodomys merriami
29) Greater Egyptian Jerboa Jaculus orientalis

I just ask that nobody laugh at me for my total, for the second year in a row, ending at 29 and failing to break 30.

~Thylo

 

And finally from Plzen Zoo...

91) Shaw's Jird
92) Tristram's Jird
93) Lesser Egyptian Jerboa
94) Four-striped Grass Mouse
95) Four-toed Jerboa
96) Asian Garden Dormouse (E. melanurus)
97) Palawan Porcupine
98) Garden Dormouse (E. quercinus)
99) Striped Field Mouse
100) Steppe Lemming
101) Pallas' Squirrel
102) Black-rumped Agouti
103) Persian Jird
104) Hispid Cotton Rat
105) Southern Flying Squirrel
106) Brazilian Porcupine

...and if I could count the rodents that I saw off show, I'd be able to add a fair few more. I'm surprised at how few of the rodents at Plzen were no shows for me (none), I guess having plenty of time to wait and watch with two days at the zoo helped. And of course there were many more that I have already counted for this year.

(also worth noting that the Springhares at Plzen were labelled as East African at species level so even if the ones at Prague weren't East African, the ones at Plzen were).

So I reckon that just about puts me in the lead.

 

Just checking through my list and it turns out that I've missed one out:

107) Crested Porcupine - H. cristata (seen at Wingham Wildlife Park, UK)

I missed it off because I had already Included Indian Crested Porcupine, H. indica (in fact, it was my first rodent of the year) and got mixed up between the two species.

 

Any last minute submissions for species seen in 2015?
Thylo and I have agreed on a challenge for next year (based on the idea that I would just about hang on to my lead ) so I imagine he will post it some time today.
If thylo doesn't want to (or have time to) do a round-up of the scores for this year, I'll do one this evening. Just to give myself a chance to show off

 

1) Azara's agouti (Dasyprocta azarae) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
2) Degu (Octodon degus) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
3) Egyptian spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
4) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
5) European harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
6) Long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
7) Swinhoe's striped squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
8) Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) - Chester Zoo
9) Southern African porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) - Chester Zoo

10) Gambian Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambiensis) - Chester Zoo
11) Wild Guinea Pig (Cavia apera)
12) African Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata) - Reaseheath
13) Mara (Dolichotis patagonum) - Twycross Zpp
14) Madagascan Giant jumping Rat (Hypogeomys antimena) -Birmingham Nature Centre
15) black-tailed Prairie Marmot (Cynomys ludovicianus) Belfast Zoo
16) Richardson's ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) Ark Farm Park, Newtonards
17) American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Ark Farm Park, Newtonards
18) Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) Ark Farm Park, Newtonards
19) Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibericus) Matlock Farm Park
20) Canadain porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) Blackpool zoo
21) Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) Blackpool zoo
22) Pontianak Prevost's squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii borneoensis) Blackpool zoo
23) Swamp cavy (Cavia magna0 Hamerton
24) Water Vole (arvicola terrestris amphibius) Wildwood
25) European Beaver (Castor fiber) Wildwood
26) Kellen's dormouse (Graphiurus kelleni) North Anston
27) Black rat (Rattus rattus) Bristol
28) Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) Bristol
29) Brazilian Tree Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) Hemsley

 

Here is a round up of peoples' results!

LaughingDove - 107
TeaLovingDave - 35
Bongorob - 33
ThylacineAlive - 29
Devilfish - 26
DDcorvus - 19
GermanZooFan - 18
Semnopithecus - 17
Mr. Zootycoon - 13
Ortolan bunting - 10
korhoen - 4
Hix - 3
GerbenElzinga - 3
zooboy28 - 2
cloudedleopard - 1 (a bit unfair to include for obvious reasons)

A lot of the lists haven't been updated for months however, so I'm sure some people have more things to add.
And with any luck the 2016 challenge will generate even more interest.

 

found some more

1) Azara's agouti (Dasyprocta azarae) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
2) Degu (Octodon degus) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
3) Egyptian spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
4) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
5) European harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
6) Long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
7) Swinhoe's striped squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei) - Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
8) Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) - Chester Zoo
9) Southern African porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) - Chester Zoo

10) Gambian Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambiensis) - Chester Zoo
11) Wild Guinea Pig (Cavia apera)
12) African Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata) - Reaseheath
13) Mara (Dolichotis patagonum) - Twycross Zpp
14) Madagascan Giant jumping Rat (Hypogeomys antimena) -Birmingham Nature Centre
15) black-tailed Prairie Marmot (Cynomys ludovicianus) Belfast Zoo
16) Richardson's ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) Ark Farm Park, Newtonards
17) American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Ark Farm Park, Newtonards
18) Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) Ark Farm Park, Newtonards
19) Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibericus) Matlock Farm Park
20) Canadain porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) Blackpool zoo
21) Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) Blackpool zoo
22) Pontianak Prevost's squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii borneoensis) Blackpool zoo
23) Swamp cavy (Cavia magna0 Hamerton
24) Water Vole (Arvicola terrestris amphibius) Wildwood
25) European Beaver (Castor fiber) Wildwood
26) Kellen's dormouse (Graphiurus kelleni) North Anston
27) Black rat (Rattus rattus) Bristol
28) Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) Bristol
29) Brazilian Tree Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) Hemsley
30) Edible dormouse (Myoxus glis) wildwood
31) Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) Wildwood
32) Australian water rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) London
33) red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus) Hoo Farm
34) Naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) London

 

Final Listings (Updated):

LaughingDove- 107
TeaLovingDave- 35
Bongorob- 34
ThylacineAlive- 29
Devilfish- 26
DDcorvus- 19
GermanZooFan- 18
Semnopithecus- 17
Mr. Zootycoon- 13
Ortolan bunting- 10
korhoen- 4
Hix- 3
GerbenElzinga- 3
zooboy28- 2
cloudedleopard- 1

Congratulations to LaughingDove for winning by landslide. Hopefully next year I won't end on 29 again

Link to the 2016 Challenge: http://www.zoochat.com/2/2016-zoochat-challenge-433678/#post926037

~Thylo