Bronx Zoo Bronx Zoo Walkthrough

In World of Reptiles I saw laced monitor (in the exhibit that in 2014 housed immature Galapagos tortoises), giant musk turtle, Burmese python, reticulated python, green anaconda (and also cane toad and smooth-sided toad in the same exhibit, but I haven't seen them), boa constrictors (one large and several small ones), annulated tree boa mixed with eyelash vipers, Kinhasi spray toads, alligator newts mixed with emperor newts and mossy frogs (I only saw the frogs), Panamanian golden frog, a tank with a few species of dart frogs (I recall dyeing and yellow-banded, but there was at least one other species), Fly River turtle, rainbow boa mixed with ornate horned frog, green tree python, prehensile-tailed skink mixed with Solomon Islands leaf frog, African pancake tortoises mixed with Gorongosa girdled lizard, Egyptian tortoises, emerald tree monitor, Burton's legless lizard, Taylor's shield-tailed agama, Chinese crocodile lizard, small Grand Cayman iguana (in a former lace monitor exhibit), black chuckwallas mixed with gila monsters, puff adder, western diamondback rattlesnake, bushmaster, cottonmouth, Indian cobra, King cobra, Egyptian cobra, eastern diamondback rattlesnake mixed with copperhead and black rat snake, timber rattlesnake, "Gabino" viper (according to the label, a hybrid between Gabon and rhinoceros), a tank with giant snakeneck turtle and red-bellied short-neck turtles, a tank for red-headed Amazon turtles mixed with cayman lizard and matamata (I only saw the former 2 species), a Chinese alligator, 2 False gavials, a Cuban crocodile, and exhibit with small American alligators, One of the recently renovated exhibits at the end housed Amazon giant turtles, green basilisk (did not see), caiman lizards, and 2 emerald toucanets. The other exhibit housed Weber's crested lizard, Bornean painted batagur turtles, Malayan giant pond turtle, and a chestnut-backed thrush. I recall that nursery station had a tank for African dwarf crocodiles and speckled rattlesnake. Since I did not take real notes my list may not be 100% complete, but I definitely swathe species I listed above (or at least the signs)

 

Only red pandas were exhibited in the cages outside the Mouse House (at least two cages had red pandas in them). I spent a lot of time the Mouse House (and came back three times in an attempt to see as many species as possible). I definitely saw green acouchi, rock cavy, chinchillas, Harris ground squirrel, Damara mole rats, short-eared elephant shrews, black and rufous elephant shrews, slender-tailed cloud rat, Moholi bushbabies (according to the sign mixed with Madagascar giant rats, but I did not see the rats despite visiting the house at leats 3 times throughout the day), screaming hairy armadillos, eastern spotted skunk, Nile rats, Cactus mouse, California mouse, deer mouse, mouse-like hamster, pallid gerbil, harvest mouse, African pygmy mouse, house mouse, African forest dormouse, bushy-tailed jird, fat-tailed gerbil, and greater jerboa (first sighting for me!). There was also an exhibit for lesser jerboa (but I did not see one) and for kangaroo-rat (but I only saw a fat-tailed gerbil in that exhibit). There might be one or two more species I am missing.

 

In Zoo Center, white rhinoceros could be seen inside. I also saw komodo dragon, Merten's water monitor, blue tree monitor, and pygmy spiny-tailed monitor. I'll try to post info about my bird sightings a little later today

 

Birds of Prey exhibit housed Andean condors, bald eagle, cinereous vultures, Eurasian eagle owl, barred owl, and snowy owls. I suppose the king vultures were taken inside due to the cold weather.
The pheasant aviaries had Elliot's pheasant, brown eared pheasant, white eared pheasant, Rothschild's peacock pheasant, Cabot's tragopan, Mikado pheasant, Himalayan monal, red-billed blue magpies, and superb starlings. I also saw signs for satyr tragopan, Swinhoe's pheasant, helmeted curassow, plush-crested jay, Derbyan parakeet, Montezuma oropendola, buff-crested bustard, Australian magpie, and sulphur-crested cockatoo, but I did not see them (and most could be inside due to weather). Again there may be one or two species I am missing.
The bird cage in the Astor Court (across from the sea lions) housed black-throated laughing thrush. Nearby was an aviary for white-crested laughing thrush and some pheasant species (Himalayan monal, I believe), but it did not see anything there.

 

I the Aquatic Birds House I saw Storm's stork; an exhibit with marbled teal, black crake, and spur-winged plover; red-legged seriema; an exhibit for scarlet ibis and brown pelicans mixed with Georgean brown pintail, Orinoco goose, black oystercatcher, and snowy egrets (in 2014 there was an anhinga and American white pelicans in this exhibit, but I saw neither this time); an exhibit for grey-necked wood rail, Baer's pochard, and sun bittern; tufted puffins; roseate spoonbills; pied avocets; a nocturnal exhibit for North Island kiwi (which I actually saw running around this time!) and tawny frogmouth; an exhibit for fairy blue penguins mixed with Forster's terns, smew, and Eurasian oystercatcher; laughing kookaburras; ringed teals; and African spoonbills. I am sure there were other species there as well, but I don't recall them.
Sea Birds Aviary housed, besides Magellanic penguins and inca terns, also a pair of ruddy-headed geese, a black-faced ibis, and a Guanay cormorant (I actually saw it on Sunday, so it's still alive and kicking). In 2014 there were also Humboldt's pelicans there and a flying steamer duck, but this time I saw neither species

 

Finally World of Birds (first level) had maleo mixed with Mauritian pink pigeon; grey-winged trumpeters; 2 species of birds of paradise (lesser and Raggiana, and I saw a fully plumed male of each species); Palawan peacock pheasant (mixed with lesser bird of paradise); elegant crested tinamous mixed with guira cuckoos (I only saw the tinamous); Cuban amazons; a mixed exhibit for blue-fronted amazons, emerald toucanets, and inca jays (I only saw toucanets); a mixed exhibit for great argus, Nicobar pigeons, Luzon bleeding-heart dove, green-naped pheasant pigeons, pied imperial pigeons, and some other species; a mixed exhibit for Kenyan crested guineafowl, Taveta golden weavers, golden-breasted starling, spur-winged plover, speckled mouse birds, and Bruce's green pigeon; helmeted curassow; and a mixed exhibit for capercaille, hoopoe, smew, and azure-winged magpies. One more exhibit on that level (housing green junglefowl and some other species) was covered since recently-hatched junglefowl chicks were on exhibit.
The bee-eater aviary on the first level was undergoing renovations and empty of its inhabitants. Also, the former quetzal exhibit was being re-done for Australian finches.

 

On the second level there was the African flight-flight aviary (lots of birds; I personally saw superb starlings, emerald starling, bearded barbet, hammerkop, bald ibis, white-crested hornbill, great blue turaco, red-crested turaco, Lady Ross turaco) and the South American free-flight aviary (I saw blue-billed curassow, ocellated turkeys, and several small tanager species; I was hoping to also see Montezuma oropendola, which was signed but I did not see it); also aviaries for kea, pied hornbill, toco toucan, mixed aviary for Andean cock of the rock and plate-billed mountain toucan, a mixed aviary for Congo peacock and great blue turaco, and a mixed aviary for Hyacinth and blue-headed macaws, capuchin bird, and blue-crowned motmot. As in other buildings, the collection is vast, and I am sure missing some species. This wraps up my Sunday visit

 

You've noted some interesting changes since my last visit in September. For one it's great to hear that the vontsiras are still around! Also, did you say mouse lemur? That species has been off-show at the zoo for a few years now so if they're back again that's great, too! If you identified/remembered correctly then Burton's Legless Lizard, Gorongosa Girdled Lizard, and Emerald Toucanet are all new species for the zoo. Are you sure they are Emerald Toucanets, though, and not the Crimson-Rumped Toucanets that the zoo keeps in World of Birds? Also great news to hear that the Guanay Cormorant is still kicking!

It's a shame to hear the quetzals are off-show or gone now, especially since they just got a second individual and Prospect Park already recently opened an Australian finch enclosure.

The Maxwell's Duikers are off-show again for some reason. The Montezuma Oropendola likes to hide along the rock wall near the exit to the aviary if I recall correctly.

~Thylo

 

You are right about the toucanets -they were crimson-rumped in both Reptile House and World of Birds. I am fairly certain about girdled lizard and Burton's legless lizards, but unfortunately do not have anything to prove this... I did not see either species well enough for a decent photo. Usually I try to at least photograph the signs, but the way signs in the reptile house are designed (back-lighted text on the dark background) made them very hard to photograph - whenever I used flash the photograph just showed black plate, and without flash it was just too dark.

 

Mouse lemurs are definitely there - I saw 2 and even took a picture of one (just the face, looking out of the hollow log). I've never seen them alive before, and was surprised that they did not look much smaller than a Moholi galago. To me they appeared to be about the same size (but that may be because I saw them up-close and I don't think I ever saw a galago that close).

 

I just uploaded my shot of the mouse lemur and Burton's legless lizard (it turns out that I did take one) to the Bronx Zoo gallery