Toledo Zoo Birdsandbats' Toledo Zoo Review (including new Promedica Mueseum of Natural History)

Date of Visit: June 29 2019

The Toledo Zoo and Aquarium is an AZA-accredited facility that opened in 1900.

NOTE: I attempted to keep a full species list, but due to a bit of a time crunch I was unable to obtain a full list of species in the Reptile House. I will still review this area of the zoo, just without a list.

On the species lists, species not seen are listed in italics

Arctic Encounter
After entering through the front entrance, this complex is the first you come too. The seal pool is above average and very nice, but the Polar Bear pool is a little bit outdated, being almost all mock-rock. It was nice to thee the cub, though! Also, there is a literally a sign here saying Santa isn't real. How many kids dreams have been crushed here?

1. Harbor Seal, Gray Seal
2. Polar Bear

Wolf Cabin
A very basic average wolf yard.

1. Gray Wolf

Africa!
This complex would be okay, if you could see the animals! The exhibits MUST be view when looking over the wide Safari Railway, meaning that you can't really get close enough to see any of the animals very well.

1. Cheetah
2. Warthog, Common Ostrich, Grant's Zebra, Helmeted Guineafowl, Greater Kudu, Wildebeest, Domestic Cow, Addra Gazelle, Masai Giraffe
3. Warthog, Common Ostrich, Grant's Zebra, Helmeted Guineafowl, Greater Kudu, Wildebeest, Domestic Cow, Addra Gazelle, Masai Giraffe
4. Masai Giraffe

Cassowary Crossing
An average but pleasant exhibit for a cassowary. I couldn't help but notice that a Purple Martin house is in the middle. Those things require a lot of maintenance! How do you maintain it when there is a cassowary near it!?

1. Southern Cassowary

Flamingo Key
A wonderful outdoor free-flight aviary for waterbirds. Sometimes outdoor free-flights feel very empty, but this one fells very full, but not overcrowded.

1. Roseate Spoonbill, American Flamingo, White-breasted Cormorant, Spur-winged Plover, Ringed Teal, White-headed Duck, Baer's Pochard, Emperor Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Greater Black-backed Gull, Red-breasted Goose, Dalmatian Pelican, Falcated Duck

Aviary
Now tied with Milwaukee for my favorite bird house. It features basic to above average exhibits for very rare and interesting species. However, after the second free-flight room it changes to a small mammal house, as if when they decided to make the building, they changed their mind about what they wanted to put in it halfway through.

1. Southern Pudu
2. Blue-throated Macaw
3. Rhinoceros Hornbill
4. Kagu, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Ringed Teal, Red-crested Cardinal, Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Double-striped Thick-Knee, Crested Wood-Partridge
5. Many-colored Fruit Dove, Golden White-Eye, Bornean Crested Fireback
6. Pink-necked Fruit Dove, Pesquet's Parrot, Bornean Crested Fireback, Sunbittern, Pekin Robin, Luzon Bleeding-Heart, White-rumped Shama, Red-crested Finch, Croaking Ground-Dove
7. Australian Grasslands Walkthru: Scarlet-chested Parrot, Spotted Whistling-Duck, Domestic Budgerigar, Victoria Crowned-Pigeon, Bourke's Parakeet, Gouldian Finch, Montezuma Quail, Domestic Cockatiel, Double-barred Finch, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Star Finch, Common Waxbill, Diamond Firetail, Crested Pigeon, Red-throated Parrotfinch
8. Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise, Spur-winged Lapwing, Palawan Peacock Pheasant, Pink-necked Fruit Dove
9. Pink-necked Fruit-Dove, Nicobar Pigeon, Goldie's Lorikeet, White-rumped Shama, Golden-backed Woodpecker, Lesser Bird-of-Paradise, Great Argus, Greater Malayan Chevrotain
10. Walk-through Aviary: Violet-backed Starling, Emerald Starling, Africa Gray Parrot, Bearded Barbet, Egyptian Plover, Crested Coua, Superb Starling, Spur-winged Lapwing, Blue-bellied Roller, Black Crake, Pin-tailed Whydah, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, Oriole Warbler, Collared Kingfisher, Common Bulbul, unidentified indigobird
11. Koala
12. Emperor Tamarin, Lowland Paca
13. Hoffmann's Two-toes Sloth, Golden-headed Lion Tamarin, Southern Three-banded Armadillo

Primate Forest
The species here are kept in average to slightly better closed-topped enclosures with lots of climbing structures. So what's the problem? Because the primate species are constantly rotating into different enclosure (some of which are bts) only 3 of the 6 primate species here may be seen on one visit. You have to come again and hope you get lucky for the others. I'm not a fan of that.

1. Ring-tailed Lemur, Francois' Langur, Eastern Black-and-white Colobus, Mongoose Lemur, White-cheeked Gibbon, Allen's Swamp Monkey (rotated)
2. Ring-tailed Lemur, Francois' Langur, Eastern Black-and-white Colobus, Mongoose Lemur, White-cheeked Gibbon, Allen's Swamp Monkey (rotated)
3. Ring-tailed Lemur, Francois' Langur, Eastern Black-and-white Colobus, Mongoose Lemur, White-cheeked Gibbon, Allen's Swamp Monkey (rotated)
4. Red Panda
5. Ring-tailed Lemur, Francois' Langur, Eastern Black-and-white Colobus, Mongoose Lemur, White-cheeked Gibbon, Allen's Swamp Monkey (rotated, indoor area for whatever species is in the third enclosure)

Avian Breeding Center
Most of this area is a bts breeding facility; however there are three slightly above average public netted aviaries with an interesting collection, plus one bts aviary that is visible through one of the other aviaries.

1. Cinereous Vulture
2. Kenyan Crested Guineafowl, White-headed Vulture, Waldrapp Ibis, Scarlet Ibis, Gray-crowned Crane
3. Saddle-billed Stork
4. Technically bts so no signage, but I did see a Western Caperacllie

Great Apes and Gorilla Meadow
Let's start with the positives. The orangutans have a very nice enclosure. The indoor holding is decent. The outdoor area had lots of climbing structures (that the orange apes were actually using) but there is all sorts of cool enrichment and toys that I have never seen used before. The orangs can press a button to dump water on visitors! But the gorilla enclosure is not so positive. The indoor holding is nice. But the outdoor area has no climbing opportunities. Zero! This sort of made up by the nice enrichment wall, but not really.

1. Bornean Orangutan
2. Bornean Orangutan
3. Bornean Orangutan
4. Bornean Orangutan
5. Bornean Orangutan
6. Bornean Orangutan
7. Bornean Orangutan
8. Western Lowland Gorilla
9. Gorilla Meadow: Western Lowland Gorilla

Galapagos Garden
A tortoise yard.

1. Galapagos Tortoise (@jayjds2 said this might be Chelonoidis darwini)

Penguin Beach
A small but pleasant penguin and waterfowl walkthrough with underwater viewing.

1. African Penguin, Baer's Pochard, Long-tailed Duck, Harlequin Duck, Spectacled Eider

Aquarium
IMO tied with the Natural History Museum for the best part of the zoo. The tanks are colorful, naturalistic, and none feel empty. The most interesting parts were the row of tanks that show how humans have changed fish (ex. GloFish, human-bred Goldfish) alongside photos of the wild counterparts as well as "The Deep Sea" section. I didn't even know there were captive sea spiders!

1. Gulf of Mexico: Cownose Ray, Southern Stingray, Green Turtle, Spotted Eagle Ray, Bar Jack, Atlantic Tarpan, Bonnethead Shark
2. Flooded Forest: Peacock Bass, Spotted Catfish, Armored Catfish, Marbled Catfish, Pacu, Green Severum
3. Moon Jellyfish
4. Touch Tank #1: Coral Catshark, Horseshoe Crab, Pencil Urchin, unidentified hermit crab, Orange Sea Star, Chocolate Chip Sea Star, Crown Conch
5. Potbelly Seahorse
6. Common Clownfish, unidentified anemone
7. Spotted Garden Eel, Shrimpfish
8. GloFish Zebra Danio
9. GloFish Black Skirt Tetra
10. Goldfish
11. Siamese Fighting Fish, unidentified snails
12. unidentified snails
13. Southern Platyfish
14. Jewels of the Amazon: Discus, Cardinal Tetra, Neon Tetra, Rummy-nose Tetra, Cherry Barb, unidentified tetra
15. Schooling Fish: Lookdown, Schooling Bannerfish
16. Coral Reef: Shortnose Unicornfish, Bignose Unicornfish, Striped Surgeonfish, Blacktip Shark, Zebra Shark, Naso Tang, Swallowtain Angelfish, Saddleback Butterflyfish, Jordan's Tuskfish, Black Pyramid Butterflyfish, Pyramid Butterflyfish, Orangespotted Spinefoot, Moony, Barred Flagtail, Blue Girdled Angelfish, Emperor Angelfish, Lookdown, Bluelined Perch, Bicolored Foxface, Auriga Butterflyfish, Sixbar Angelfish, Blue Throat Triggerfish, Koran Angelfish, Longnose Butterflyfish, Falcula Butterflyfish, Manificent Foxface, Harlequin Tuskfish, Huma Huma Triggerfish, Batfish, Lightning Wrasse, Orange Shoulder Tang, Bicolor Angelfish, Raccoon Butterflyfish, Sailfin Tang, Sleek Unicornfish, Unicorn Tang, Flame Fin Tang, Yellow Tang, Foxface, Blue Ring Angelfish, Palatte Surgeonfish, Soldierfish, Red Backed Butterflyfish, Halfmoon Triggerfish, Scribbled Angelfish, Yellowtail Angelfish, Yellowtail Blue Damselfish, Saddleback Butterflyfish, Yellow-tailed Fusilier, Bird Wrasse, Epaulette Shark, Moorish Idol
17. Lanternfish
18. Deep Sea: Chain Dogfish, Giant Isopod, Japanese Isopod, Longspine Snipefish, unidentified spider crab, unidentified sea spider
19. Touch Tank #2: Coral Catshark, Cownose Ray, Whitespotted Bamboo Shark
20. Japanese Giant Spider Crab, Japanese Codling, Japanese Armorhead
21. Kelp Forest: Guitarfish, Senorita, Blacksmith, Leopard Shark, Horn Shark, Swell Shark, Striped Surf Perch
22. Pacific Sea Nettle
23. Mangrove Forest: Four-eyed Fish, Mullet, Reef Butterflyfish, Trunkfish, Burrfish, Cowfish
24. NOTE: This tank, as well as the next one, for whatever reason took forever for the sign to change, and there a lot of species in here. For these two tanks, I will provide a list of some of the signed species, and later I will upload TBI photos to find most of the rest of the list.
Flame Fin Tang, Orange Shoulder Tang, Arrow Goby, Sailfin Tang, Firefish
25. Bangii Cardinalfish, Blue-green Chromis, Flame Fin Tang, Naso Tang
26. Red-bellied Pirahna
27. Garbaldi, Surfperch, Sea Star, Tealia Anemone
28. Lumpfish, Spiny King Crab
29. Asian Fishes: Boesman's Rainbowfish, Red Rainbowfish, Asian Gourami
30. Bleeding Heart Tetra, Electric Eel
31. Alligator Snapping Turtle
32. Victoria, a Lake in Trouble: Piceatus, Two Stripe Cichlid, Many-spotted Catfish, Perroeri Cichlid
33. Ancient Fishes: Asian Arrowana, Australian Lungfish, Shortnose Gar, Alligator Gar, African Lungfish, South American Lungfish, Flathead catfish, Nile Bichir
34. Lake Erie Islands: Common Carp, Lake Sturgeon, Walleye, White Crappie, Bigmouth Buffalo, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Smallmouth Buffalo, Bowfin, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass
35. Ohio Streams: Greenside Darter, Johnny Darter, unidentified crayfish, Common Shiner, Scarlet Shiner

Pheasantry
Basic but not in a bad way outdoor aviaries with an incredible collection. This area is filled to the brim with rare species. However, it is very out-of-the-way. I almost missed it.

1. Scaly-sided Merganser, Smew, Mandarin Duck
2. Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, Elliot's Pheasant
3. Cabot's Tragopan, Red-billed Blue Magpie
4. Berlioz's Silver Pheasant, Australian Magpie
5. Mikado Pheasant, Crested Coua
6. Red-billed Blue Magpie, Reeve's Pheasant
7. Laughing Kookaburra, Himalayan Monal
8. Swinhoe's Pheasant, Red-billed Blue Magpie
9. Reeve's Pheasant, Crested Pigeon
10. Victoria Crowned Pigeon, North Island Brown Kiwi, Blue-faced Honeyeater
11. Blue-winged Kookaburra, North Island Brown Kiwi, Tawny Frogmouth, Crested Pigeon

Promedica Mueseum of Natural History
Here's the big one. This new complex opened only three weeks before I went to the zoo. As it appears I am the first ZooChatter to see this new, excellent area, I will go into more detail in this review than in other sections:
Ground Floor
Apon entering, you find yourself in a grand room with very large statues of ice-age animals. Woolly Mammoths tower over you and a good portion of the ceiling is covered by a Haast's Eagle model. I had never even heard of a Stag Moose until my visit here. My main problem with this room is that taxidermy specimens of modern animals are alongside them. It feels weird to see prairie chickens with mammoths, and a Downy Woodpecker next to a Giant Beaver. There are a few enclosures here as well. A wall if salamanders contains two grand mixed species exhibits for Appalachian salamander species, but unfortunately they are hard to find. There is a display showing animals that live along streams using mostly taxidermy, but the stream contains Eastern Hellbenders. There is also a snail touch tank and a sturgeon touch tank. A large, round tank has native fish, two species of native turtles, bullfrogs, and the endangered Ohio-endemic Lake Erie Water Snake. This floor also contain numerous taxidermy and models of all sorts of animals.

1. Green Salamander, Long-tailed Salamander, Northern Dusky Salamander, Cave Salamander, Northern Slimy Salamander, Red Salamander, Four-toed Salamader, Northern Two-lined Salamander
2. Green Salamander, Long-tailed Salamander, Northern Dusky Salamander, Cave Salamander, Northern Slimy Salamander, Red Salamander, Four-toed Salamader, Northern Two-lined Salamander
3. unidentified aquatic snail, unidentified small fish
4. Lake Sturgeon
5. Eastern Hellbender
6. Eastern Hellbender
7. Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, unidentified minnows, American Bullfrog, Blanding's Turtle, Painted Turtle, Lake Erie Watersnake

Second Floor (Arthropod Room)
A very good insect house, maybe better than Saint Louis'. Some of the cases contain fully-functioning ecosystems! My only complaint is that many of the tanks are too large and it can be hard to find the animals, but this problem isn't too widespread. In addition to live inverts, there are quite a few cases of pinned insect displays as well.

1. Dead Leaf Mantis
2. Coconut Crab
3. Vampire Crab, Death Horn Snail
4. Goliath Birdeater
5. Mealworm
6. Sri Lanka Mantis
7. Cuban Cockroach
8. Red-legged Millipede
9. Touch-me-not Stick Insect
10. Leaf Insect
11. Taxi Cab Beetle
12. Emerald Beetle
13. Jade-headed Buffalo Beetle
14. Atlas Beetle
15. Magnificent Flower Beetle
16. Brown Rhinoceros Beetle
17. Eastern Hercules Beetle
18. Rhinoceros Beetle
19. Carolina Mantis, Monarch, Milkweed Bug, Milkweed Aphid, unidentified tree snail
20. Tarantula Hawk, unidentified velvet ant species (x2)
21. unidentified tarantula
22. Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Isabella Tiger Moth
23. unidentified (darkling?) beetles
24. Vinegaroon
25. Desert Hairy Scorpion
26. Arizona Bark Scorpion
27. Silk Orb Weaver, Water Strider, Sunburst Diving Beetle, Crayfish, Giant Water Bug
28. Walking Stick
29. Giant Prickly Stick Insect
30. White-eyed Assassin Bug
31. Western Black Widow
32. Black Soldier Fly
33. Emperor Scorpion
34. Giant Centipede
35. Domino Roach
36. Rhinoceros Katydid
37. Huntsman Spider
38. White-toed Tarantula
39. Orange Baboon Tarantula
40. Asian Forest Scorpion
41. Bat Cave Spider
42. Red Knee Tarantula

Second Floor, cont. (Venomous Animals)
@Batto you have competition! This area focuses on poison in nature. There are signs posted everywhere about how toxins work, and how different animals use them, as well as the difference between poison and venom. The terrariums here range from average to excellent. Most are large, lush terrariums with lots of climbing area, many have a very large pool or water dish. There are also several animals kept in pretty average free-standing aquariums. Many of the snake tanks have a sheet of glass about an inch tall behind the viewing glass. This unique idea makes it the snakes try to hide right in front of the glass.

1. Mangrove Snake
2. Komodo Dragon
3. Komodo Dragon
4. Burmese Vine Snake
5. Pilbara Rock Monitor
6. Golden Poison Dart Frog
7. False Water Cobra
8. Western Hognose
9. Common Garter Snake
10. Yellow-lipped Sea Krait, various unidentified reef fishes
11. Taipan
12. King Cobra
13. Mang Viper
14. Western Diamondback, Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake
15. White-lipped Island Pit Viper
16. Cape Coral Cobra
17. European Long-nosed Viper
18. Saw-scaled Viper
19. Russell's Viper
20. Sidewinder
21. Common Death Adder
22. Jumper Viper, Eyelash Viper
23. Eastern Massasauga
24. Rhino Viper
25. Variable Bush Viper
26. Brazillian Lancehead
27. Santa Catalina Rattlesnake
28. Western Green Mamba
29. Ribbed Newt
30. Geographic Cone Snail
31. Day Octopus
32. Stonefish
33. unidentified lionfish
34. Coral Catfish
35. Fire Urchin, unidentified snail
36. unidentified anemone, unidentified snail

Tropics
A large, two story conservatory room. This room features many different animals you can walk in with. On this visit it was so humid that in some parts I could barley see. A volunteer told me that the humidity is different every day, and depending on the humidity different species come out.

1. Madagascar Day Gecko, unidentified other gecko, Golden Poison Dart Frog, Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog, Dyeing Poison Dart Frog, Anthony's Poison Dart Frog, Blue Morpho, Grecian Shoemaker, Giant Owl Butterfly, unidentified snail (The volunteer said the long term plan is to add many more butterfly species)

Prairie
A walk-through greenhouse featuring prairie plants, as well as:

1. Monarch, Red Admial, Carolina Mantis, unidentified bumblebee (A keeper said the long-term plan is to use this space to breed endangered Karner Blues and Mitchell's Saytrs.)

Butterfly Conservation Lab
A bts room in the basement that visitors can loon into. I saw Glasswings and what I think was an Indian Leaf Butterfly, and keepers were doing something with a Kritter Keeper containing Leaf Insects.

Other Random Stuff
I didn't go in, but on the second floor there was a hall with a bunch of taxidermy antelope heads and some cases of shells. There is also a hall with ancient artifacts and things used in ceremonies in other cultures, and the like. I didn't look really hard, but I saw some samurai armor, a katana, and some Native American headdresses. I'm guessing this came from the old museum (?).

Nature's Neighboorhod
A literal house filled with a few pet species and an average aviary for a Barred Owl. And that's all. This area takes up a lot of space. But it's mostly just a bunch of dead end walking trails. It would be vastly improved if anything was put there.

1. Domestic Rat
2. Domestic Guinea Pig
3. Goldfish
4. Corn Snake
5. Barred Owl
6. Domestic Goat

Reptile House
A very pleasant reptile house with a small outdoor section. The terrariums here are mostly average to slightly above. There are quite a few rarities here. Notable species include Tuatara, Saltwater Crocodile, Ornate Flying Snake, Conant’s Mushroom-tongue Salamander, King Cobra, and Puerto Rican Crested Toad.

Raptor Barn
A barn containing a few average to slightly below enclosures for birds.

1. African Pygmy Falcon
2. White-crested Laughingthrush
3. Kenyan Crested Guineafowl
4. Red-tailed Hawk

Hellbender Pod
If you manage to see through the glare you might see a Hellbender on the back wall 10 feet away. Or you could just go over to the Museum and see the just fine. The viewing here is worse than The Wilds, and that's saying something.

1. Hellbender
2. Hellbender
3. Hellbender
4. Hellbender

Tembo Trail
Just an area thrown together without a theme. They just a bunch of animals they wanted in their zoo, but they didn't have a place for them. So they put them here. They tried to make a theme, but I'm sorry to say it didn't work out. All the enclosures here are fine, just nothing special. My biggest complaint is that the water in the hippo pool is too murky for the underwater viewing to be at all useful. There's just nothing to look at there. A few fish would fix that.

1. African Bush Elephant
2. Tasmanian Devil
3. Common Hippopotamus
4. North American River Otter
5. African Bush Elephant
6. Indian Rhinoceros
7. Indian Rhinoceros
8. African Bush Elephant
9. Naked Mole-Rat
10. Caribou, Domestic Bactrian Camel, Domestic Yak
11. Meerkat
12. Meerkat
13. Meerkat
14. Meerkat
15. Kodiak Bear, Grizzly Bear

Tiger Terrace
A very average carnivore complex. The most exiting thing here was a wild Common Five-lined Skink.

1. Snow Leopard
2. Andean Bear
3. Amur Tiger
4. Dingo, Maned Wolf

Rescue Roost
An excellent Bald Eagle aviary, rivaling Brookfield and Bay beach for the best I have ever seen. Very naturalistic and viewable from all angles.

1. Bald Eagle


Overall, I very much enjoyed Toledo Zoo. The Promedia Museum of Natural History may be my favorite individual zoo building of all time, and I checked so many animals off the bucket list for the the first time (Pesquet's Parrot, Maned Wolf, pudu, malkohoa, sea spider, sea krait, bird-of-paradise, Saltwater Crocodile, Tuatara, and several more.) I would happy to go back some day.

Photos coming soon.

 

I actually went to the musuem june 1st but was lame and did not review it like you did. Theres a touch room with pelts, bones, and stuffed animals. We went and they had someone up there playing learning games and stuff with kids. I wasn't sure if i should renew the toledo pass this year (been going for years) and the musuem sold me on it. It was really well done and i could see going back to it many more times. I personally dont like their africa area, you are too far and their giraffe feed deck is so tiny it's terrible. Fort wayne zoo has the best giraffe deck i've seen so far, it's large, shaded, and has benches. The cheetahs used to be housed where the reindeer are/were? When we went in winter (across from carnivora cafe before the amphitheater) i wish they would of never changed that, they're too hard to see most of the time. The pengiuns used to be in the empty pool across from the tiger, also not a fan of that exhibit, personally think it's too small, gets super crowded too. The maned wolves rotate with the dingoes on display, the dingoes used to be in the current cougar enclosure, but the cougars were orphaned and the zoo took them in.

 

And yes the random stuff in the museum came from the old one, there is a movie screen in there as well.

 

Why didn't you like the museum?

 

Sorry, by "sold me on it" i meant it was the deciding factor for me to renew, because i loved it. I know we will spend a good amoumt of time in there.

 

This was their original Africa area. It used to have the giraffes, rhinos, antelope, lions, etc. before their new Africa zone opened. It appears that only the elephants, hippos, and meerkats remain from the original area's theme.

 

Thank you @birdsandbats for a terrific, detailed review with extra kudos for your write-up in regards to the ProMedica Museum of Natural History. It sounds wonderful, with at least 110 species inside...a zoo within a zoo! Without a shadow of a doubt it contains many more live animals than I was expecting, with a great number of rarities as well. You mentioned that you were lacking a species list for the Reptile House in your otherwise excellent review, and if you don't mind I'll copy and paste my notes from last summer's visit here.

The Reptile House has 49 exhibits inside and 4 outside, plus Galapagos Tortoises elsewhere in the zoo inside a seasonal yard. Toledo's Reptile House is an A+ in terms of its history as the 1934 building is stunning. I've really come to appreciate historic zoo architecture over the years and the Reptile House would not look out of place at any major European zoo. However, while there are lots of well-furnished terrariums, there are many others that are far too small. Some of the vivaria are only as long as the snake that is inside, although mention must be made of the superb venomous collection and of course the Tuatara...a mini-dragon!

Species List for Reptile House (61 species): Saltwater Crocodile, Tuatara, Green Anaconda, Reticulated Python, Green Tree Python, Virgin Islands Boa, Emerald Tree Boa, Timber Rattlesnake, Mottled Rock Rattlesnake, Canebrake Rattlesnake, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Aruba Island Rattlesnake, Taipan, Eastern Green Mamba, Death Adder, Bushmaster, Northern Copperhead, West African Gaboon Viper, King Cobra, Red Spitting Cobra, Fer-de-Lance, Eyelash Palm Pitviper, Mexican Jumping Pitviper, Asian Vine Snake, Black Rat Snake, Ornate Flying Snake, Northern Pine Snake, Corn Snake, Tentacled Snake, Eastern Fox Snake, Eastern Garter Snake, Eastern Massasauga, Sidewinder, Fiji Island Iguana, Black Tree Monitor, Rainbow Agama, Solomon Island Prehensile-tailed Skink, Red-eyed Crocodile Skink, Blue Spiny Lizard, Panther Chameleon, Madagascar Day Gecko, Kuhl's Flying Gecko, Leaf-tailed Gecko, Chuckwalla, Gila Monster, Desert Grasslands Whiptail Lizard, Aruba Whiptail Lizard, Spiny Tree Climber Lizard, Galapagos Tortoise, Pancake Tortoise, Black-breasted Leaf Turtle, Stinkpot Turtle, Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle, Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle, Puerto Rican Crested Toad, Conant's Mushroom Tongue Salamander, Blue Poison Dart Frog, Golden Poison Dart Frog, Black-legged Dart Frog, Green-and-Black Poison Dart Frog and Golfodulcean Dart Frog.

Outside there is a specialized exhibit for Ozark Hellbenders as well as these additional species in a trio of enclosures. Leopard Tortoise, Red-footed Tortoise, Spotted Turtle, Five-lined Skink and American Toad. That gives Toledo Zoo a grand total of 67 species in and around the Reptile House.

 

Is the southern tamandua no longer on exhibit in this area?

 

I didn't see any. Where was it?

 

I am not sure as I have not been to the zoo, but I know they have one and tamandua is mentioned on the zoo map under Nature's Neighborhood.

 

Probably just an animal ambassador. Nature's Neighborhood has a spot where animal ambassadors are brought out.

 

@MeiLover, I've seen a photo of yours of their tamandua. Was it in an actual exhibit?

 

Yes it was, but have not been to the zoo since 2017 so I am not sure if the tamandua exhibit still exists, or if another animal has occupied the space.

 

It was inside the house there, last time i went i didnt see it though.

 

Thank you for this detailed review!

 

Here are some thoughts on Toledo now that my visit was several months ago. The major indoor complexes of Toledo (aviary, aquarium, reptile house, PMONH) are all wonderful, world class buildings (PMONH especially) that make me love this zoo so much. They are filled with personality.

However, Toledos outdoor areas (Africa, Tembo Trail, Primate Forest, Tiger Terrace, Arctic Encounter) are bland, generic, cookie cutter exhibits. Are they okay for the animals and visitors? Yes. But they lack the personality and unqieness that the indoor areas have. In these complexes were as good as the indoor ones, this would be my all time favorite zoo (beating out Columbus, Saint Louis, Minnesota, Detroit, and many others).

Just to note, the only outdoor complex that is just as good as the indoor ones is the Pleasantry, which as I stated above is easy to miss if you aren't careful.

 

Excellent summary of this zoo, which I agree with completely. Toledo is one of the few zoos left that is still determined to exhibit as many species as possible in constantly changing combinations, which is great for diversity and works well in the indoor exhibits. It hurts the thematic coherence of the outdoor exhibits, and as you noted they don't work as well. This is mostly a recent development. Tembo trail is the obvious example, which was for many years a nice African Savanna complex. Renovation and enlargement of the elephant exhibit was needed for welfare and management purposes but messed up the visual connectivity of the exhibits. Then there are all the species replacements that effectively ended any theming -- tasmanian devils for crocodiles, North American otters for spotted-necked, Indian for white rhinos, yak/reindeer/Bactrian camel for Dromedary (and before that antelope), brown bears for lions. Overall I think the indoor exhibits more than make up for it though.

I'm not sure the gulls can fly, as they were formerly in an open enclosure. Perhaps they are rehab birds? This may help as they seem to prefer to attack from above. My sense is also that the waterfowl are taken off exhibit for breeding, so no chicks hanging around. The more surprising species to me is the pelicans. These are absolutely massive and I would think that at least a ringed teal would be in danger of being swallowed whole.

 

They swapped their spotted-necked otters for North American river otters? Oy...

BTW I think I may have figured out a way to save the visual connectivity of Tembo Trail while optimizing elephant care to the fullest of Toledo's capabilities. For instance, if the hippos move to the new River exhibit as per the master plan, the elephant exhibit can be connected to the *future* former hippo pool in order to provide underwater viewing as well as more space in general. (Maybe a linear fenced in trail/walkway could be built along the perimeter of the zoo if not a significant length...?) Maybe the whole space can be devoted to the Big Five and the Little Five, with elephants taking up the brunt of the space, (and a more nonobtrusive cable fence as evident in the Maryland or Oregon zoos' elephant facilities), Aashish the rhino being sent to another zoo and being replaced with black rhinos, cape buffalo replacing the camels/reindeer/yaks and lions being brought back to the original enclosure. In terms of the Little 5, the current Tasmanian devil enclosure (with the devils being moved elsewhere in the zoo as well as the mural they put up being moved) could be used as a mixed-species habitat for elephant shrews, leopard tortoises and buffalo weavers, and a set of terrariums could be added for rhinoceros beetles and antlions. Spotted-necked otters could be maintained, and the exhibit could be netted over with swamp monkeys being added. Thoughts?

 

Pelicans are funny things, I've known them kept with large trout without eating them, in the same way crocodilians can be kept with fish. However, Ive also seen them try to eat adult teal, and wouldn't risk it. The larger gulls, working in pairs, have been known to disembowel pinioned geese and even flamingos. On the other hand, I had a recuperating wild casualty Lesser Blackback with small ducks for many months without incident. Still wouldn't risk the much more formidable Greater, though!