'Broken Glass' (in) Reptilarium

Hello Zoochatters,

What do you think about this design of a small reptilarium:


Will it be pleasant for visitors?
It measures 9.0 x 9.0 m in total, so it is 81.0 m2, for up to 9-10 species of reptiles.
* 'Broken Glass' (in) Reptilarium...

 

I'm sorry, but I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at.

Is this a top-down view of a reptile house which visitors walk around? If so, I think that a lot of species would be obscured.

Top-down view of a walk-in reptile house with the lines representing halls? It could be interesting, and would make a small space look much larger.

Side view? That could definitely be interesting, if the enclosures are adequate for the reptiles they house.

 

Side view: It is a top-down view of reptile house with visitor viewing area from the sides from the outside. The indoor non-reptile space that can be reached trough the red gate-door is for the staff.
The visitors can see or make some efforts to find the reptiles in different irregulary-shaped terraria. If bridge is build above it, it can be seen also from the above (as we currently see it). Lines are interenclosure septa from glass, rocks/concrete, hills and plastics. It is a schematic representation like plan on paper.

 

So the brown parts are non-reptile areas? Why's there also a big one on the side? And like I said, I think the shapes of some of these enclosures would make it hard to see the animals from the four sides.

 

Oh no brown color just denotes dark (humus) soil, symbolically. Just the central brown compartment is non-reptile part, other are all terraria. Darker green denotes more lush vegetation.

 

Hm, doesn't look very comfortable... Seeing in the plan is one thing, but see in the angle of the visitor is another.

 

It's matter of taste; I love this design. It can also provide more distant hidding corners for the reptiles, also it provides some lenghty extensions that can be used for stretching (for reptiles) (or even more, for more variable locomotion of snakes). These are small enclosures on ground (not elevated like small classical terraria). So it is possible to enter them. Imagine the bigger ones as average dining room, and the smaller ones like average shower cabin+WC section

 

= harder to clean...

 

Some of the exhibits can't be reached from the keeper area. Will these be accessed from the visitor side?

 

I plan substrate to be unisolated from natural substrate bellow the building, but well pressed. Is this possible? With some better isolated spots of soil in plastic containers for eventual egg-deposition.

 

I would like the approach to the terraria to be more centralised (for biosecurity and safety reasons); if it is practical, the access to those enclosures will be trough enclosure in front of them (usually holding non-venomous snake or lizard).

 

I have a hard time understanding what you want to convey...

 

Not to dig a lot to build concrete basis below the reptilarium; Is it highly possible for one venomous snake to find some way underground and dissapear (like in eventual canalization because of rodent infestation)? I don't think however that this is a good idea, and it would be better that reptilarium basis to be fully isolated with concrete and rocks forming basin for soil or for appropriate substrate. I just wanted short discussion for weak sides of such think (with substrate continuous with natural substrate bellow the reptilarium building - in wich case, there will be more continuous degradation of organic matherial and avoiding of high eutrophication of the substrate in ground terraria with isolated underground basis).

 

You’re right; it’s not a good idea.

 

Somehow modified 'Broken Glass' Reptilarium; Will most zoochatters agree that this design is better than simple box-row arrangement of reptilarium?



Eventual reptile species here (with hopes for breeding participation for all):
-African dwarf crocodiles or Cuban crocodiles (juveniles) (3 specimens)
-Gaboon viper (initially one specimen)
-Eastern green mamba (2 specimens)
-Rungwee bushviper (Atheris nitschei rungweensis) (''the only ex-situ conservation facility?'') (4 specimens)
-Red spitting cobra (one specimen)
-Indochinese spitting cobra (one specimen)
-Brongersmai blood python (2 specimens)
-Emerald tree monitor or Blue spotted tree monitor (2 specimens)
-Eyelash viper (2 specimens)
-Uracoan rattlesnake (one specimen)
-Emerald tree boa (one specimen) (?)

 

Speaking for myself: I don't and I won't...
For serious breeding efforts, you should start with more than 2-4 specimens. And I won't get started on the selection of species and the focus on venomous species...

 

I can't agree with that. You have exhibits with blind spots for the visitor's perspective. You have exhibits that cannot be accessed by the keepers. You have no off exhibit holding space for breeding, husbandry, care, storage, heating, etc. Outward facing exhibit should only work in a warm climate (like San Diego's reptile house) because of the potential for heat loss through the glass windows. Colder climates would do better to have the exhibits face inwards as in traditional herpetariums.

 

Thanks for reply. Just these spaces are actually there, as you can note, there are about 20 teraria, for about 10 species of reptiles, so not all terraria will be inhabited and thus some of them will be used for breeding, separation, etc. purposes. Heating however was not discused (I plan to be from 2-3 different sources, like geothermal heating with underground pipes, transduction from vessels (canal circulating system) with hot water boiled on gas or wood, and solar panels above). Additional reptilarium if there is need for expansion, would not be excluded.

 

I don't agree with you, but I do with Batto and jbnbsn99. This setup is horrible for any keeper.
Besides, your snake enclosures are about the same size as your crocodile enclosure.
This means that either the crocodiles have a way to small enclosure, or the snakes
have stupendous large enclosures, making it even worse for a zookeeper. Especially
when considered many of the snakes you choose are venomous. I've limited experience
with snakes (I've worked with only a couple of non-venomous species), but I can already tell
you this exhibit will be very frustrating for your keepers.

It is boring for many visitors and can't function properly as a breeding/ conservation facility.
It's difficult and possibly dangerous for zookeepers, making it hard to take good care of the
animals. I won't even start about climate control...

 

May I suggest something, Nikola? Since you appear to have currently ample spare time at your disposal (once again), why don’t you invest in creating one, just one, reptile exhibit one-to-one according to your ambitious plans? You don’t even have to start with a venomous species; try keeping a bitey Emerald tree boa alive and healthy for a longer period of time in an exhibit living up to your standards. That will teach you practically way more than any online pipe drean discussions-and keep you busy.