Some newss from the zoo today. One of the toilet habitat aviaries is being turned into a South American rainforest aviary. So far now I know that the aviary will hold hyacinth macaws, white-bellied caiques (new species) and sun conures. Possibly the razor-billed curassow, a couple of blue-and-gold macaws and yellow-crowned amazons may be added to the aviary. The old enhabitants of the aviary have been moved into the nextdoor enclosure. The aviary is due to be completed in the next couple of months. The very old otter exhibit is being turned into something that looks like it will have a beach theme. If I get more news on this I will report it. The four baby Johnston's freshwater crocodiles born at the zoo are on display in the reptile house. A Goodfellow's tree kangaroo has been born on the zoo, unknown sex. The siamangs from the orangutan enclosure have been moved to the old lion-tailed macaque enclosure while the orangutan introductions are going on. The imported fennec foxes are on display, next to the other fennec fox enclosure. There have been a number of pygmy marmosets born in the tamarin house.
three-time Dusky Leaf Monkey mom, Flier, gave birth to a healthy little girl, who is already proving to be a very mischievous, cheeky monkey... she is in to everything and is always trying to go off exploring
the dusky was born in January wasn't it? The American site (Zooborns) that Jordan got his quote from apparently only just got the photos and posted them as new along with the baby Francois' from Taronga.
The baby was born months ago and this is old news indeed...but some websites don't always date their material so the error is understandable. Usually the Google and Yahoo links on ZooChat's main page are updated every few minutes of the day.
I watched an episode of 'The Zoo' (New Zealand version) last night which was partly about Irian the Siamang moving to Adelaide. The Adelaide keeper then preceeded to show the new exhibit he would be living in (with Sumatran Orangutans, which the Auckland keeper was shocked about) and then showed her how there is an O-line that goes into the Sumatran Tiger exhibit (which she was even more shocked about). Now I believe the Siamangs and orangs have been separated from the orangutan exhibit and the Siamangs have their own exhibit/island. And I am pretty sure people have said on here that they never connected the O-line to the Sumatran Tiger exhibit due to the safety of the Siamangs. But because the Siamangs have been removed, has Adelaide put the O-line up to the Sumatran Tiger exhibit for the orangs? Or are there any plans to do this? It seems a waste to not use it and now that the Siamangs have been removed it would be a great time to test it. Thanks for your answers.
No, the exhibits have not been joined up, a waste of money, someone mentioned they were going to take it down. The family of siamangs that shared the exhibit with the orangutans (on an off and on again basis) have moved into the old lion-tailed macaque enclosure for the moment while the new orangutam obtained by the zoo is getting used to the enclosure.
So will they be moving the Siamangs back with the orangs when the new female is settled in? Such a shame it didn't work, it looked like a great concept. I wonder why they haven't tried it with the orangutans?
There is both a male and a female Central Ranges Taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) being kept behind the scenes at the Adelaide Zoo for venom research, behavior study, and eventually reproductive study. There have only been 7 specimens of this species ever found (please correct me if I'm wrong). Hopefully with a successful captive breeding program, the Adelaide Herpetology Department, led by Assiatant Curator of Reptiles, Terry Morley, will be able to reproduce them and distribue them to other zoos for more research. I don't know if that is what they plan on doing, however I think it would be beneficial to the species if that came to pass. As far as I know, these are the only two Central Ranges Taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) that have ever been kept alive in captivity. The others were killed and pickled for museums.
Yes great news, I was reading that the other day. I think there maybe 2 more (females?) somewhere else but they may have been the ones for the museums.
The South American aviary is now open, and will eventually hold 80 birds, mostly parrots. When I have more information on species involved I will post about it.
I'm pretty sure that the other two specimens are preserved in a museum. The only live ones that are publicized are the two at the Adelaide Zoo. I would find it reasonable to believe that there has been at least one herpetoculturist in Australia that has caught Western Ranges Taipans alive and began their own captive breeding program. It's too bad private keepers (herpetoculturists) are under a bad light because they probably have more experience and knowledge about them than any zoo.
I'm rather tired of seeing statements like this, as most of the reptile keepers in Australian Zoos that I know of have just as much experience - or even more - than the private keepers. Hix
No it is not a walk-through aviary. There is not enough space in the aviary for that, probably no room in the aviary for birds to hide. Also, this is more of a personal thought, but I don't think they'd want people too close to their hyacinths, as they are worth a lot, money and viability wise.
Haha. You read my mind! Here I was thinking "finally I will be able to see a hyacinth without a cage in the way".
In response to Hix’s statement “I'm rather tired of seeing statements like this, as most of the reptile keepers in Australian Zoos that I know of have just as much experience - or even more - than the private keepers.” Hix, I’m sorry you feel the way you do, but please allow me to explain why I believe that private keepers have more knowledge and experience than zoo keepers. Western Ranges Taipans were being bred in the United States by underground herpers who have managed to get breeding stock right after they were discovered in September of 2007. If I’m not mistaken, I think it was the following season that they were breeding Western Ranges Taipans and producing captive born babies. Their captive husbandry and breeding routines have already been figured out and mastered in the United States whereas the Adelaide Zoo just recently got their hands on two live specimens. It is my understanding that zoos and museums have to follow strict rules and guidelines, acquire permits, take the time and money to do field surveys, etc for their any of their projects. And correct me if I’m wrong, but zoos and museums have to document everything very accurately for new groundbreaking discoveries to take place. Any information that an adventuresome herpetoculturist needs is easily found on the internet. All it takes is a plane ticket and a rental vehicle.
Oh, be an adult and at least admit it. They were smuggled out. If you want to endorse that sort of treatment of wildlife, good for you. I think you'll find you're in the minority on this website, however. I wouldn't want to have been the idiot criminal smuggling live taipans in my baggage, I can say that much.
