Join our zoo community

AWP's zoo visits Down Under

Discussion in 'Australia' started by AWP, 20 Feb 2018.

  1. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    In the last weeks I've been travelling in Australia and I was able to visit some zoos along the trip.

    Perth Zoo
    On my second day in Australia, I visited Perth Zoo. Because my time was limited that day, I focused on native species. First, I went to "Reptile Encounter" to see one of the species of my wishlist for Perth Zoo: the perentie. I saw one sleeping on a rock in the inner part of the enclosure. It was quite a contrast with the dwarf Dampier Peninsula Monitor in the same building.

    Through "Australian Wetlands" I went to "Australian Bushwalk", hoping to see species number two of my overall whistlist (number one would follow in the zoos of the eastern coast): the numbat. At first, I only saw a brown fluffy thing in the upper part of the enclosure, but at the end one individual was very active and came really close! Close to the end of "Australian Bushwalk" I saw a Western Brush Wallaby as well, although at first I thought it was a juvenile Grey or Red Kangaroo, and an active Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat. I didn't see any Quokkas, but the next day I would see plenty of them in the wild at Rottnest Island.

    The next native section, the Nocturnal House, was located at the crossing point of "Asian Rainforest", "Amazonia" and "African Savannah". Along the way to the Nocturnal House, I had a quick look at the enclosures for tigers (didn't see any), elephants and orangutans. The Nocturnal House of Perth Zoo would be the largest of the ones I visited during this trip with the most diverse collection. I saw all mammal species but the Western Quoll, including some rare species endemic for Western Australia.

    I followed the route of the "African Savannah" to the exit, but didn't see any animals because it was near closing time and the keepers probably already put the giraffes, rhinos, painted dogs, etc in the inner enclosures.

    Beautiful zoo with the best native section and largest nocturnal house of all the zoos I visited during my trip. I didn't see much of the exotic sections, so it's hard to judge these sections or to compare them to that of European zoos.

    List of mammal species
    Short-beaked Echidna
    Tasmanian Devil
    Western Quoll
    Northern Quoll*
    Red-tailed Phascogale
    Fat-tailed Dunnart*
    Dibbler*
    Numbat*
    Greater Bilby
    Common Brushtail Possum
    Western Ringtail Possum*
    Northern Sugar Glider
    Feathertail Glider
    Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat
    Koala
    Long-nosed Potoroo
    Quokka
    Tammar Wallaby
    Western Brush Wallaby*
    Western Grey Kangaroo
    Red Kangaroo
    Goodfellow Tree Kangaroo
    Golden-bellied Water Rat
    Spinifex Hopping Mouse
    Ghost Bat
    Dingo

    Asian Elephant
    Sumatran Tiger
    Lion
    Meerkat
    Binturong
    Spotted Hyaena
    African Painted Dog
    Malayan Sun Bear
    Red Panda
    South American Coati
    Asian Small-clawed Otter
    White Rhinoceros
    Grant Zebra
    Rothschild Giraffe
    South African Porcupine
    Ring-tailed Lemur
    Black-and-white Lemur
    Pygmy Marmoset
    Cotton-top Tamarin
    Golden Lion Tamarin
    Brown Capucin Monkey
    Hamadryas Baboon
    Silver Gibbon
    Northern White-cheeked Gibbon
    Sumatran Orangutan

    * species not seen before
     
  2. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    Melbourne Zoo
    I had some doubts of this zoo was worth a visit because of the small native section, but I'm glad I went. It's a nice zoo and it has a very clear set-up with a central lane and five major trails.

    After entering the zoo, I followed the central lane to see the main reason I decided to visit Melbourne Zoo. In a darkened aquarium I saw my most wanted species: the platypus! It was great to finally see one and the platypus was very active. After my visit to the Platypus House, I went to "Wild Sea" met penguins, fur seals and some aquaria. I liked the underwater views, but above water the enclosures weren't that special. "Australian Bush" with the nice Great Flight Aviary was next, followed by the herpetological houses (nice combination of native and exotic reptiles) and some enclosures for exotic mammals (quite odd combination of Malayan and Brazilian tapir).

    After that, I went to the "Lion Gorge", a newly opened trail with carnivores (painted dogs, big cats, Philippine crocs, devils and coatis). Because of the warm temperatures, there wasn't much action over there. "Trail of the Elephants" (Southeast Asia themed) and "Gorilla Rainforest" (mainly primates) were both nicely done, especially Tree-tops Monkeys.

    List of mammal species
    Platypus*
    Tasmanian Devil
    Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat
    Koala
    Red-necked Wallaby
    Kangaroo Island Kangaroo
    Australian Fur Seal*
    New Zealand Fur Seal*

    Asian Elephant
    Sumatran Tiger
    Lion
    Snow Leopard
    Meerkat
    Binturong
    African Painted Dog
    Red Panda
    South American Coati
    Asian Small-clawed Otter
    Malayan Tapir
    Brazilian Tapir
    Chapman? Zebra
    Collared Pecari
    Pygmy Hippopotamus
    Rothschild? Giraffe
    Ring-tailed Lemur
    Black-and-white Lemur
    Brown Capucin Monkey
    Black-handed Spider Monkey
    Hamadryas Baboon
    Guereza
    Northern White-cheeked Gibbon
    Siamang
    Sumatran Orangutan
    Western Lowland Gorilla
     
    Last edited: 21 Feb 2018
    PAT and Brum like this.
  3. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    Adelaide Zoo
    After Melbourne, I travelled by touring car through Victoria and South Australia, following the Great Ocean Road and across the Grampians to Adelaide. Beside emus, parrots, kookaburras and kangaroos, I saw a Swamp Wallaby and an Echidna in the wild.

    Adelaide Zoo has a nice collection of both native and exotic species, most notably the only giant pandas of the Southern Hemisphere. I expected it to be somewhat larger based on the map, some enclosures were empty (most notably that of the koalas and common wombats) and some enclosures were a bit old-fashioned (that of the lions and small carnivores), but I liked this zoo. Highlight was the Nocturnal House, seeing some marsupials for the first time. I was quite impressed by the size of the squirrel gliders, didn't know that this species is larger that sugar gliders.

    List of mammal species
    Short-beaked Echidna
    Tasmanian Devil
    Northern Quoll
    Greater Bilby
    Southern Brown Bandicoot*
    Common Ringtail Possum*
    Squirrel Glider*
    Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat
    Long-nosed Potoroo
    Quokka
    Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby
    Tammar Wallaby
    Kangaroo Island Kangaroo
    Red Kangaroo
    Goodfellow Tree Kangaroo
    Greater Sticknest Rat
    Spinifex Hopping Mouse
    Ghost Bat
    Australian Sea Lion*

    Sumatran Tiger
    Lion
    Serval
    Meerkat
    Maned Wolf
    Fennec Fox
    Malayan Sun Bear
    Giant Panda
    Red Panda
    South American Coati
    Asian Small-clawed Otter
    Malayan Tapir
    Brazilian Tapir
    Hippopotamus
    Pygmy Hippopotamus
    Rothschild? Giraffe
    Greater Mara
    Capybara
    Ring-tailed Lemur
    Pygmy Marmoset
    Emperor Tamarin
    Golden Lion Tamarin
    Bolivian Squirrel Monkey
    Hamadryas Baboon
    Mandrill
    Dusky Leaf Monkey
    Northern White-cheeked Gibbon
    Siamang
    Sumatran Orangutan
     
    PAT likes this.
  4. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    South Australian Museum & Australian Museum
    Because both museums had some animals in their eduction centers (small reptiles, frogs, invertebrates), I will mention these two museums as well. After leaving Adelaide Zoo, I went to the South Australian Museum. I liked it a lot with its diverse collection of mounted mammals (including a Javan Rhinoceros and a Philippine Colugo), the exhibit of extinct and locally extinct mammals (including a young Thylacine) that gave me a bit of a sad feeling, the interesting paleontological sections (Ediacara, Megafauna, opalised plesiosaur) and the small Egyptian room.

    Later during my trip I visited the Australian Museum in Sydney. It was bigger, but not better than that of Adelaide. It had two good paleontological sections (Cenozoic and Mesozoic) with mostly casts and not that much original fossils, although a non-original skeleton of a Giganotosaurus is still impressive.
     
  5. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    Taronga Zoo
    I bought my ticket before going on the ferry to the zoo, so after arriving I could enter the zoo directly at the waterside entrance. I started in the marine section, followed by the Kids Trail (petting zoo meets wildlife park). Next was de best section of the zoo with the Blue Mountains Bushwalk (lyrebirds didn’t show, but I would see it in the wild later on), Platypus House (including Common Wombat and Greater Bilby) and “Australian Wildlife”, seeing my second Platypus and my first Long-beaked Echidna and Yellow-bellied Gliders. Both the koala and kangaroo enclosure were quite simple. After visiting Reptile World, I went to the African and Asian sections. There seems to be plans for new enclosures, but for now the African section are just chimpanzees and giraffes (nice view with the Opera House in the background). The Asian section wasn’t that special.

    Well, Taronga… The zoo that I expected the most of, high on my worldwide wish list, but I was a bit disappointed. Where my expectations to high? Was it the fact that I already saw several rare native species in other zoos during my trip? Was it the overcrowding with Asians? I definitely didn’t like the chaotic pathways in some parts of the zoo and the fun park-styled attractions like the “Wild Ropes” and the new tiger enclosure. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time in the zoo and saw some interesting species and some beautiful enclosures, but it was less fantastic than that I had expected. Perth Zoo had a better native area and both Perth and Melbourne Zoo had a more diverse exotic collection.

    List of mammal species
    Short-beaked Echidna
    Western Long-beaked Echdina*
    Platypus
    Tasmanian Devil
    Eastern Quoll
    Red-tailed Phascogale
    Greater Bilby
    Long-nosed Bandicoot*
    Common Brushtail Possum
    Common Ringtail Possum
    Squirrel Glider
    Yellow-bellied Glider*
    Feathertail Glider
    Common Wombat
    Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat
    Koala
    Woylie
    Long-nosed Potoroo
    Quokka
    Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby
    Swamp Wallaby
    Red-necked Wallaby
    Red Kangaroo
    Goodfellow Tree Kangaroo
    Plains Rat
    Black-footed Tree Rat
    Greater Sticknest Rat
    Spinifex Hopping Mouse
    Ghost Bat
    Australian Sea Lion
    New Zealand Fur Seal
    Subantarctic Fur Seal*

    Asian Elephant
    Sumatran Tiger
    Fishing Cat
    Meerkat
    Binturong
    Malayan Sun Bear
    Red Panda
    Asian Small-clawed Otter
    Californian Sea Lion
    Pygmy Hippopotamus
    Alpaca
    Rothschild? Giraffe
    Bongo
    Ring-tailed Lemur
    Cotton-top Tamarin
    Golden Lion Tamarin
    Bolivian Squirrel Monkey
    François Leaf Monkey
    Northern White-cheeked Gibbon
    Chimpanzee
    Western Lowland Gorilla
     
    TheEthiopianWolf03 and Brum like this.
  6. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    Wildlife Sydney Zoo & Sea Life Sydney
    At first, it wasn’t in my plans to visit this zoo, but I had an unexpected extra free afternoon. I didn’t expected much of it; a wildlife park in the center of Sydney, in a building at Darling Harbour? It turned out to be quite nice with a diverse collection. Most sections were composed of a large enclosure with a combination of mammals and birds and terraria for reptiles and frogs. The nocturnal section was quite large, although the main enclosure was empty because of redecoration (I think bilbies were kept here). At first, I thought my luck with platypuses was gone, but in the end I saw both of them.

    My visit to Sea Life, the next door facility, was mainly to see the dugongs. The other sections weren’t that special, although I liked the concept of “Jurassic Seas” as an evolution themed area with invertebrates, hagfish, lungfish and axolotls among others (the name is kind of strange for Australia, "Cretaceous Seas" would make more sense referring to the Eromanga Sea with its marine reptiles). The boat ride in the new “Penguin Expedition” was already closed at the time I got there. The enclosure is nothing compared to that of Loro Parque that I visited last year.

    List of mammal species
    Wildlife
    Short-beaked Echidna
    Platypus
    Tasmanian Devil
    Tiger Quoll
    Fat-tailed Dunnart
    Yellow-bellied Glider
    Feathertail Glider
    Common Wombat
    Koala
    Rufous Bettong*
    Quokka
    Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby
    Red-legged Pademelon*
    Agile Wallaby
    Kangaroo Island Kangaroo
    Eastern Grey Kangaroo
    Spinifex Hopping Mouse
    Ghost Bat

    Sea Life
    Dugong*
     
    Brum likes this.
  7. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    13 Jun 2007
    Posts:
    23,400
    Location:
    New Zealand
    The rhino originally came from the Adelaide Zoo.
     
  8. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    Kuranda
    After Sydney I went to tropical Queensland. The best thing of Kuranda was the travel, by scenic railway and cable car through the rainforests of Barron Gorge National Park. The zoological attractions of the town - a small zoo, a large aviary and a butterfly garden - are like Kuranda it self: quite commercial. Instead of one "Kuranda Zoo" you have to pay three times a entrance fee and of course additional if you want to cuddle a koala. I went to Koala Gardens en Birdworld, but didn't go to the butterfly garden

    My main reason to visit the Koala Gardens was to see the two endangered species of tropical Queensland, the Northern Bettong and the Mahogany Glider. Anyway, Koala Gardens was not bad with a lake with many freshwater crocodiles, a small walkthrough area with kangaroos and wallabies and a nocturnal house that was much larger than I expected. I read something about Bilbies, but there was a lot more to see. Gliders and bandicoots were also kept in a separate enclosure next to the nocturnal house.

    Birdworld consists of one large walkthrough aviary. After entering, you come on a feeding platform. From there the pathway goes down to the cassowary enclosure at the lowest point and then up again. The aviary was nice, but I've seen more beautiful ones elsewere. I don't understand why they have to keep exotic birds. Tropical Queensland or Australia have enough interesting species, so why macaws, conures and Asian birds?

    List of mammal species Koala Gardens

    Greater Bilby
    Northern Brown Bandicoot
    Common Ringtail Possum
    Squirrel Glider
    Mahogany Glider*
    Common Wombat
    Koala
    Northern Bettong*
    Long-nosed Potoroo
    Quokka
    Red-legged Pademelon
    Swamp Wallaby
    Parma Wallaby
    Agile Wallaby
    Eastern Grey Kangaroo

    List of species Birdworld (according to the given leaflet)
    native
    Cassowary
    Radjah Shelduck
    Whistling Duck
    Freckled Duck
    Black Swan
    Buff-banded Rail
    Cattle Egret
    Intermediate Egret
    Pied Heron
    White-faced Heron
    Red-winged Parrot
    King Parrot
    Eclectus Parrot
    Fig Parrot
    Rainbow Lorikeet
    Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
    Mustard Lorikeet
    Galah
    Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
    Major Mitchell Cockatoo
    Rock Pigeon
    White-headed Pigeon
    Torres Strait Imperial Pigeon
    Emerald Dove
    Peaceful Dove
    Bar-shouldered Dove
    Figbird
    Frairbird
    Zebra Finch
    Chestnut Mannakin

    exotic
    Mandarin Duck
    Scarlet Macaw
    Blue-and-yellow Macaw
    Hahn Macaw
    Nanday Conure
    Sun Conure
    Blue-fronted Amazon
    Indian Ringneck
    Alexandrine Parrot
    Dusky Lorikeet
    Chattering Lorikeet
    Maned Pigeon
    Luzon Bleeding-heart Pigeon
    Spotted Turtle-Dove
    Orange-breasted Finch
    Java Sparrow
    Cordonbleu Finch
     
  9. Najade

    Najade Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    29 May 2017
    Posts:
    1,095
    Location:
    Germany
    Are there only mammals at Koala Gardens?
     
  10. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    No, but I only made lists of the mammals that were kept in the zoos I visited. As you already knew, Koala Gardens has two species of frogmouth. Besides the mentioned freshwater crocodiles, the herpetological collection consists of knobtail geckos and white-lipped frogs in the nocturnal house and some lizards and snakes at two locations in the zoo (near the entrance and near the exit). Wild Eastern Water Dragons wander around at the Heritage Market and they are quite easy to spot.
     
    Najade likes this.
  11. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    Cairns Aquarium
    I visited Cairns Aquarium, which was from the entrance of my hotel on the other side of the roundabout, during the evening. Because of Chinese New Year the aquarium was open during evening hours. In the first part of the aquarium I was the only visitor, but eventually there were some others in the reef sections. Cairns Aquarium consists of two floors with themed exhibits, beginning with freshwater and followed by rainforest and mangroves, coral reefs and finally the Oceanarium. The collection is not pure aquatic or amphibious, but also include several terrestrial and arboreal species of reptiles, frogs and arthropods, mainly in the rainforest section. A special part of the reef section is dedicated to venomous species, including Olive Sea Snakes. The aquarium keeps several species of sharks with Blacktip Reef Sharks in “Aqualuna”, the basin of the restaurant. Unfortunately the hammerheads were nowhere to see, although there is a large photo of one above or next to the entrance. I liked Cairns Aquarium with its good themed exhibits and diverse collection. It’s “just” an aquarium and not almost a theme park like Sea Life Sydney. Bonus are the large flocks of Spectacled Flying-Foxes roosting and flying around the aquarium.

    To conclude, I really liked my visits to these Australian zoos and aquaria. Some were really good, some were average and some were a bit disappointing, but all were worth a visit for the collection or the park/aquarium itself.

    It’s a nice list: three species of monotremes, nine species of dasyuromorphs, four species of peramelemorphs, eight species of gliders and possums, three species of vombatiforms, four species of potoroids, fifteen species of macropods, five species of native rodents, four species of native pinnipeds, dugongs, dingos and ghost bats, as well as among others eight species of monitors, some of the most venomous snakes of the world and countless species of birds.
     
    Brum likes this.
  12. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

    Joined:
    1 Dec 2007
    Posts:
    7,588
    Location:
    Abbotsford, B.C., Canada
    Thanks very much for posting all about these Aussie zoos and aquariums. Your reviews and lists are much appreciated! :)
     
    AWP likes this.
  13. Dassie rat

    Dassie rat Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    18 Jun 2011
    Posts:
    5,497
    Location:
    London, UK
    Here is a list of the mammals listed in 3 or more of the animal collections visited by AWP.

    5: Tasmanian Devil; Koala; Quokka; Ghost Bat

    4: Short-beaked Echidna; Greater Bilby; Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat; Long-nosed Potoroo; Northern White-cheeked Gibbon; Spinifex Hopping Mouse; Sumatran Tiger; Meerkat; Red Panda; Asian Small-clawed Otter; Rothschild? Giraffe

    3: Platypus; Squirrel Glider;
    Feathertail Glider; Common Wombat; Kangaroo Island Kangaroo; Goodfellow Tree Kangaroo; Asian Elephant; Hamadryas Baboon; Sumatran Orangutan; Lion; Binturong; Malayan Sun Bear; South American Coati; Pygmy Hippopotamus

    I think it's a bit sad that some Australasian species that occur in a few Australian zoos are not kept outside Australia, but the exotic species seem to be fairly common outside Australia.
     
  14. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    Taronga has two regional rarities, the mentioned Long-beaked Echidna of New Guinea (although Zaglossus lived in Australia and I read something about a collected specimen from Kimberley dated around 1900) and the tuatara of New Zealand. Furthermore, I didn't see any exotic rarities besides the Giant Pandas.
     
  15. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands

    numbers corresponding to the enclosures


    Perth Zoo

    1. Western Ringtail, Red-tailed Phascogale
    2. Fat-tailed Dunnart
    3. Southern Boobook, Long-nosed Potoroo, Common Brushtail Possum
    4. Dibbler
    5. Tawny Frogmouth
    6. Ghost Bat
    7. Olive Python
    8. Cane Toad
    9. Jungle Python
    10. Rough-scaled Python
    11. Northern Quoll
    12. Spinifex Hopping Mouse, Owlet-Nightjar
    13. Greater Bilby, Ghost Bat
    14. Northern Sugar Glider
    15. Green Tree Frog
    16. Western Quoll
    17. Giant Prickly Stick Insect
    18. Scorpion
    19. Australian Tarantula
    20. Banded Knobtail Gecko
    21. Stimson’s Python
    22. Feathertail Glider, Leaftail Gecko
    23. Golden-bellied Water Rat

    Adelaide Zoo
    first long side:
    1. Spinifex Hopping Mouse
    2. Greater Sticknest Rat
    3. Northern Quoll
    4. Long-nosed Potoroo, Squirrel Glider
    5. Greater Sticknest Rat
    short side:
    6. Long-nosed Potoroo, Squiller Glider
    second long side:
    7. Greater Bilby
    8. Southern Brown Bandicoot, Common Ringtail Possum
    9. Ghost Bat

    Taronga - Australian Nightlife
    1. Greater Bilby
    2. Greater Sticknest Rat
    3. Short-beaked Echidna, Red-tailed Phascogale
    4. Short-beaked Echidna, Common Brushtail Possum
    5. Eastern Quoll
    6. Spinifex Hopping Mouse
    7. Short-beaked Echidna, Black-footed Tree Rat
    8. Long-nosed Potoroo, Squirrel Glider
    9. Yellow-bellied Glider
    10. Feathertail Glider
    11. New Caledonian Giant Gecko
    12. Diamond Python
    13. Plains Rat
    14. Common Ringtail Possum, Long-nosed Bandicoot, Tawny Frogmouth
    15. Short-beaked Echidna, Western Long-beaked Echidna, Squirrel Glider
    16. Ghost Bat

    Wildlife Sydney
    1. Platypus (actually right before the real nocturnal section)
    2. Yellow-bellied Glider
    3. Feathertail Glider
    4. (empty)
    5. Night Skink
    6. Knobtail Gecko
    7. Northern Giant Cave Gecko
    8. Fat-tailed Dunnart
    9. Woma Python
    10. Tiger Quoll
    11. Rufous Bettong, Ghost Bat
    12. Spinifex Hopping Mouse (actually right after the real nocturnal section)

    Koala Gardens - Nocturnal Wonders
    1. Greater Bilby (central enclosure)
    2. White-lipped Frog
    3. Northern Bettong
    4. Papuan & Marbled Frogmouth
    5. Common Ringtail Possum, Rufous Bettong
    6. Mahogany Glider
    7. Rough Knobtail Gecko
     
    Chlidonias and Najade like this.
  16. MattyP

    MattyP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    6 Jun 2017
    Posts:
    73
    Location:
    Australia
    I recall reading a report of a possible sighting of Zaglossus in the Kimberleys in the last 18 months.
     
  17. MattyP

    MattyP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    6 Jun 2017
    Posts:
    73
    Location:
    Australia
    No, I was wrong, just looked it up. It was the 1900 specimen you mentioned. Scientists are training some detector dogs to search for scats to discover if they still exist in the area.
     
  18. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    13 Jun 2007
    Posts:
    23,400
    Location:
    New Zealand
  19. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    Below a list of Australian and New Guinean native mammals (precolonial) kept in zoos that I visited. In bold the additions of my recent holiday in Australia.

    PlatypusOrnithorhynchus anatinus
    Short-beaked Echidna – Tachyglossus aculeatus
    New Guinean Short-beaked Echidna – Tachyglossus aculeatus lawesii
    Long-beaked EchidnaZaglossus (bartoni or bruijni)

    Kultarr – Antechinomys laniger
    Fawn Antechinus – Antechinus bellus
    Mulgara – Dasycercus cristicauda
    Kowari – Dasyuroides byrnei
    Western Quoll – Dasyurus geoffroii
    Northern QuollDasyurus hallucatus
    Tiger Quoll – Dasyurus maculatus
    Eastern Quoll – Dasyurus viverrinus
    NumbatMyrmecobius fasciatus
    DibblerParantechinus apicalis
    Red-tailed Phascogale – Phascogale calura
    Common Planigale – Planigale maculata
    Tasmanian Devil – Sarcophilis harrisii
    Fat-tailed Dunnart - Sminthopsis crassicaudata

    Northern Brown Bandicoot – Isoodon macrourus
    Southern Brown BandicootIsoodon obesulus
    Greater Bilby – Macrotis lagotis
    Long-nosed BandicootPerameles nasuta

    Striped Possum – Dactylopsila trivirgata (can't remember if I actually saw it)
    Feathertail Glider – Acrobates pygmaeus
    Yellow-bellied GliderPetaurus australis
    Sugar Glider – Petaurus breviceps
    Northern Sugar Glider – Petaurus breviceps ariel
    Mahogany GliderPetaurus gracilis
    Squirrel GliderPetaurus norfolcensis
    Ground Cuscus – Phalanger gymnotis
    Western RingtailPseudocheirus occidentalis
    Eastern RingtailPseudocheirus peregrinus
    Spotted Cuscus – Spilocuscus maculatus
    Common Brushtail Possum – Trichosurus vulpecula
    Northern Brushtail Possum – Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis

    Common Wombat – Vombatus ursinus (according to ZTL: in Europa V. u. hirsutus and V. u. tasmaniensis)
    Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat – Lasiorhinus latifrons
    Koala – Phascolarctos cinereus (in Europa P. c. adustus, but I don't know for the Australian ones)

    Rufous BettongAepyprymnus rufescens
    Brushtail Bettong – Bettongia penicillata
    Northern BettongBettongia tropica
    Long-nosed Potoroo – Potorous tridactylus
    Mala – Lagorchestes hirsutus
    Spectacled Hare-Wallaby – Lagorchestes conspicillatus
    QuokkaSetonix brachyurus
    Red-bellied Pademelon – Thylogale billiardieri
    Dusky Pademelon – Thylogale brunii
    Red-legged PademelonThylogale stigmatica
    Hagen's Scrub Wallaby – Dorcopsis hageni
    Müller's Scrub Wallaby – Dorcopsis muelleri
    Brushtail Rock Wallaby – Petrogale penicillata
    Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby – Petrogale xanthopus
    Swamp Wallaby – Wallabia bicolor
    Agile Wallaby – Macropus agilis
    Tammar Wallaby – Macropus eugenii
    Western Brush WallabyMacropus irma
    Parma Wallaby – Macropus parma
    Red-necked Wallaby – Macropus rufogriseus
    Antilopine Wallaroo – Macropus antilopinus
    Black Wallaroo – Macropus bernardus
    Western Wallaroo – Macropus robustus cervinus
    Eastern Wallaroo – Macropus robustus robustus
    Northern Wallaroo – Macropus robustus woodwardi
    Kangaroo Island Kangaroo – Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus
    Black-faced Kangaroo – Macropus fuliginosus melanops
    Eastern Grey Kangaroo – Macropus giganteus
    Red Kangaroo – Macropus rufus
    Goodfellow Tree-Kangaroo – Dendrolagus goodfellowi
    Matschie Tree-Kangaroo – Dendrolagus matschiei

    Ghost Bat – Macroderma gigas
    Least Blossom Bat – Macroglossus minimus
    Black Flying-Fox – Pteropus alecto
    Grey-headed Flying-Fox – Pteropus poliocephalus

    Brushtail Rabbit Rat – Conilurus penicillatus
    Golden-bellied Water Rat – Hydromys chrysogaster
    Greater Sticknest Rat – Leporillus conditor
    Grassland Melomys – Melomys burtoni
    Black-footed Tree Rat – Mesembriomys gouldi
    Spinifex Hopping Mouse – Notomys alexis
    Northern Hopping Mouse – Notomys aquino
    Plains Rat – Pseudomys australis
    Carpenterian Rock Rat – Zyzomys palatilis
    Central Rock Rat – Zyzomys pedunculatus

    Dingo – Canis lupus dingo
    Subantarctic Fur Seal – Arctocephalus forsteri
    Australian Fur Seal – Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus
    New Zealand Fur Seal – Arctocephalus tropicalis
    Australian Sea-Lion – Neophoca cinerea
     
  20. AWP

    AWP Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2017
    Posts:
    529
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    I forgot to make notes in the Reptile Houses of Adelaide and Taronga, so when I couldn't recall which native snake species were on display, I decided to send a mail to the zoos. Quite a different reaction I got.

    The reply from Taronga was of a enthousiastic reptile keeper who send me a complete list of all snake species at Reptile World including some interesting facts about them (thanks Lauren!).

    The reply from Adelaide was just: "unfortunately I am unable to provide a list of all the snake species kept in our Reptile House"...

    So, I'm still in doubts about the native snakes in Adelaide. I known @Najade visited the zoo recently, but did you make a list of reptile species?

    I mailed some questions to Wildlife Sydney (also about snakes) and Melbourne Zoo (whether or not the animals I saw around the Pelican Pond are zoo animals) as well, but I'm still waiting for a proper reaction.