This is an attempt to list every species on exhibit at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, South Carolina during my visit on 5-31-19. I am including species for which there is a sign on each exhibit, and using the map going in a roughly clockwise direction from the zoo entrance. The zoo's map and arrangement has few specifically named zones so I will organize it by my own method for the most part. This list may be of more interest to those already familiar with the zoo since I am not arranging the species by animal type. I will post each zone separately for clarity. Entrance & Exit Area - Pedestrian Bridge Over Traintracks by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:35 PM Entrance & Exit Area - Gift Shop - Exterior by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:35 PM Entrance & Exit Area - Ticketing by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:35 PM SEA LION LANDING: (1 Exhibit) This is one of the better exhibits in quality and is located near the zoo's entrance. Large-sized aquatic yard surrounded by sea shack-themed buildings, a small-sized amphitheater, underwater viewing panels on 3 sides, including an indoor shelter: California Sea Lion Harbor Seal Sea Lion Landing - View from Viewing Amphitheater by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:29 PM Sea Lion Landing - Overview by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:29 PM Sea Lion Landing - View from Upper Viewing Deck by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:29 PM Sea Lion Landing - Underwater Viewing Room - California Sea Lion by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:29 PM
KANGAROO WALKABOUT: (3 Exhibits) A small Australian area, it has little themeing. Large-sized fenced yard with visitor walk-through path, titled 'Kangaroo Walkabout': Red Kangaroo Red-necked Wallaby Tammar Wallaby Medium-sized wood-and-wire aviary: Laughing Kookaburra Masked Lapwing Medium-sized wood-and-wire aviary: Coconut Lorikeet Major Mitchell's Cockatoo Tawny Frogmouth
CONSERVATION OUTPOST: (11 Exhibits) Visitors enter the long sheltered hallway, enclosed by simulated rockwork and a wood back wall, covered with a dark fabric ceiling to create a shady enclosure for viewing the exhibits. 11 small-to-medium sized simulated rockwork grottoes with mesh or glass viewing panels at the front, each containing 1 species: Black-footed Cat Fishing Cat Golden Lion Tamarin Golden Lion Tamarin Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth Matschie's Tree Kangaroo Prehensile-tailed Porcupine Red-ruffed Lemur Ring-tailed Lemur Squirrel Monkey White-faced Saki Monkey
NDOKI FOREST: (7 Exhibits) The sign that proclaims this area is near the gorilla exhibit but is unclear how many exhibits are considered in this named zone so I am lumping all the nearby African-themed exhibits in the zone. Large-sized hilly yard with multiple moat viewing areas, a viewing shelter with mesh, and a small building with glass viewing panels titled 'Gorilla Base Camp': Western Lowland Gorilla Ndoki Forest - Western Lowland Gorilla Exhibit by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:18 PM Ndoki Forest - Western Lowland Gorilla Exhibit - Gorilla Base Camp Viewing Building by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:18 PM Small-sized rocky-walled dirt yard adjacent to a cluster of African-themed visitor buildings titled 'Watering Hole': Meerkat Ndoki Forest - Watering Hole by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:18 PM Ndoki Forest - Meerkat Exhibit by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:18 PM Large-sized dry-moated yard with simulated rocky-walled backdrop and visitor viewing shelter on one end (exhibit is now empty since my visit): African Elephant Ndoki Forest - African Elephant Exhibit (now empty after these photos were taken) by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:18 PM Ndoki Forest - African Elephant Exhibit (now empty after these photos were taken) by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:18 PM Medium-sized fenced yard: Cinereous Vulture Ruppell's Griffon Vulture Medium-sized low-fenced yard: African Spurred Tortoise Large-sized yard with elevated visitor viewing deck on one side, titled 'Giraffe Overlook': Reticulated Giraffe Large-sized fenced yard: Ostrich Plains Zebra
EXHIBITS NEAR AQUARIUM AND REPTILE COMPLEX (ARC): (10 Exhibits) This is my own name for a motley assortment of outdoor habitats clustered near the indoor exhibit building complex described next. 2 medium-sized fenced yards with ponds, containing 1 species each: Babirusa Malayan Tapir 2 medium-sized low-fenced yards, each containing: Galapagos Tortoise Medium-sized wood-and-wire aviary: Madagascan Green Pigeon Red-billed Hornbill Superb Starling 2 medium-sized low-fenced yards, containing 1 species each: Burmese Black Mountain Tortoise Radiated Tortoise Large-sized fenced yard with pond near 'Tuskers' restaurant: American Alligator Tuskers Restaurant by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:07 PM Tuskers Restaurant by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:07 PM Medium-sized wood-and-wire aviary: Blue-billed Curassow Toco Toucan Medium-sized wood-and-wire aviary: King Vulture Troupial
AQUARIUM AND REPTILE COMPLEX (ARC): (79 Exhibits) This extensive indoor complex is composed of a one-way visitor path through a series of 6 themed rooms. ARC - South Carolina - Exhibit Room by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:49 PM The following 24 exhibits are in a room titled 'South Carolina': 4 small-sized wall terrariums, titled 'Coastal Plain Pinelands', containing 1 species each: Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake Eastern Coral Snake Scarlet Kingsnake Two-toed Amphiuma Medium-sized wall terrarium, titled 'Pine Flatwoods': Canebrake Rattlesnake Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Pine Snake 2 medium-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each: Copperhead Corn Snake 3 small-sized wall terrariums, titled 'Coastal Wetlands', containing 1 species each: Broad-striped Dwarf Siren Eastern Tiger Salamander Green Treefrog 2 medium-sized wall terrariums with aquatic bottoms, containing 1 species each: Alligator Snapping Turtle Eastern Cottonmouth Medium-sized wall terrarium with pond, titled 'Mountain Brook': Hellbender Timber Rattlesnake 3 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each: Eastern Milksnake Gray Treefrog Red Salamander 3 small-sized wall terrariums, titled 'Piedmont Woods', containing 1 species each: Eastern Garter Snake Eastern Kingsnake Larval Amphibians (unidentified) (mostly an aquarium) 3 small-sized wall terrariums, titled 'Piedmont Waters', containing 1 species each: Eastern Mud Turtle Everglades Pygmy Sunfish (mostly an aquarium) Mole Salamanders (unidentified species) Medium-sized wall aquarium: Bowfin Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell Longnose Gar Sunfish (unidentified species) Medium-sized wall aquarium: Brown Trout Rainbow Trout ARC - The Desert - Exhibit Room by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:00 PM The following 14 exhibits are in a room titled 'The Desert': 3 medium-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each except where noted: Day Gecko (unidentified species) and Malagasy Leaf-tailed Geckos (unidentified species) Gila Monster Spiny-tailed Monitor 3 small-sized wall terrariums, titled 'Sun and Shade', containing 1 species each: Empty Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Sahara Sand Viper 3 medium-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each: Aruba Island Rattlesnake Black-headed Python Red Spitting Cobra Small-sized wall terrarium: Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake 4 medium-sized wall terrariums separated from each other by glass, containing 1 species each: Galapagos Tortoise Grand Cayman Blue Iguana Grand Cayman Blue Iguana Puff Adder ARC - Tropical Rainforests - Exhibit Room by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:00 PM The following 7 exhibits are in a glass-enclosed atrium room titled 'Tropical Rainforests': Large-sized wall terrarium with pond and enclosed wire roof: Green Anaconda Medium-sized open-topped wall aquarium: Red-bellied Piranha Medium-sized open-topped wall aquarium: Black Belt Cichlid Midas Cichlid Oscar Pacu (unidentified species) River Stingray (unidentified species) Red Hook Silver Arowana Thornside Catfish Triangle Cichlid Medium-sized open-topped wall aquarium: Fish (unsigned, unidentified) Medium-sized open-topped wall aquarium: Matamata Medium-sized yard with pond, viewed from 3 large glass panels: False Gharial Turtle (unsigned, unidentified) Medium-sized open-topped wall terrarium with pond: Dwarf Caiman ARC - Tropical Gallery - Exhibit Room by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:11 PM The following 16 exhibits are in a room that is titled 'Tropical Gallery': 13 medium-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each except where noted: Boelen's Python Bushmaster Chinese Banded King Cobra Emerald Tree Boa Empty Eyelash Viper Gaboon Viper and West African Green Mamba Green Anaconda King Cobra Mangshan Pit Viper Panamanian Golden Frog Rhinoceros Viper Vietnamese Long-nosed Snake 3 small-sized wall terrariums, titled 'Survival of the Species', containing 1 species each: Amazon Horned Frog Blue Poison Dart Frog Tomato Frog ARC - Tropical Reefs - Indo-Pacific Exhibit by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:11 PM The following 10 exhibits are in a dark room titled 'Tropical Reefs': Medium-sized wall aquarium, titled 'Atlantic': Atlantic Blue Tang Black Bar Soldierfish Cuban Hogfish French Grunt Green Moray Grey Triggerfish Lookdown Porkfish Sergeant Major Spadefish Spanish Hogfish Striped Burrfish White-spotted Filefish Yellow Stingray Large-sized wall aquarium, titled 'Indo-Pacific', with multiple large viewing windows: Blacktip Reef Shark Blue and Gold Fusilier Convict Tang Emperor Angelfish Hi-fin Snapper Honeycomb Moray Eel Niger Triggerfish Raccoon Butterflyfish Sailfin Tang Six-bar Angelfish Yellow Tang Medium-sized wall aquarium: Volitans Lionfish White Spotted Hermit Crab Medium-sized wall aquarium: Bubbletip Anemone Fiji Blue Devil Damselfish Frogspawn Coral Green Polyps (unidentified species) Heniochus Butterflyfish Leather Toadstool Coral Lettuce Coral Longnose Butterflyfish Plate Coral Tomato Clownfish Whisker Coral Medium-sized wall aquarium: Green Chromis Medium-sized wall aquarium: Square Anthias Small-sized wall aquarium: Lined Seahorse Sea Cucumber (unidentified species) Splendid Garden Eel Spotted Garden Eel Tiger Cowrie Small-sized wall aquarium: Blue-stripe Clownfish Bubble Tip Anemone Burrowing Urchin Green Star Polyp Small-sized wall aquarium: Upside Down Jellyfish Small-sized wall aquarium, titled 'Kingman Reef': Maxima Clam Southern Giant Clam ARC - Northern Shores - Leopard Shark and Others Exhibit by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 11:11 PM The following 8 exhibits are in a dark room titled 'Northern Shores': Small-sized wall aquarium: Bat Star Plumose Anemone Sculpin (unidentified species) Small-sized wall aquarium: Empty Medium-sized wall aquarium: California Sea Cucumber Fish-eating Anemone Giant Green Anemone Purple Sea Urchin Small-sized wall aquarium: Empty Small-sized wall aquarium: Common Cuttlefish Pinecone Fish Medium-sized wall aquarium: Cabezon Cortez Angelfish Horn Shark Leopard Shark Pile Perch Red Irish Lord Rockfish (unidentified species) Swell Shark Medium-sized pedestal aquarium: Lined Seahorse Lookdown Neon Goby Sheepshead Minnow Upside Down Jellyfish Medium-sized round wall aquarium, titled 'Gray's Reef': Belted Sandfish Blue Angelfish Butter Hamlet Flame Cardinalfish Jacknife Fish Spiny Lobster
I just looked at my photo of the identification sign and it simply states Ophiophagus hannah, so I can't say why they gave it a different common name than the standard king cobra.
Just out of interest, I googled "Chinese Banded King Cobra". Most references are just labels on pinterest photos or comments on hobby sites, so I can't work out if it is just a colour form or if it is supposed to be an actual subspecies/cryptic species. There was this article from 2013 about a venomous snake display at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: Rare Venomous Snakes Mark the Chinese New Year at Nature Museum The Chinese Banded King Cobra is believed to be the only one of its species in captivity in North America, and is extremely rare even in its native China, according to Celeste Troon, the museum's director of living collections. "It's fantastic. You just don't get the opportunity to see a snake like this," she said. The venomous snakes were provided by the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, which took in the Chinese Banded King Cobra from a small zoo in Texas a few years back when the snake was on its death bed. "She was just as sick as any snake I've ever seen," said Rob Carmichael, curator of the Wildlife Discovery Center. He said it took eight months of intensive rehabilitation to get the snake healthy again. There's actually a photo of the Riverbanks signage in the gallery (by @ThylacineAlive):
BIRD EXHIBITS OUTSIDE THE BIRDHOUSE AT RIVERBANKS: (4 Exhibits) Several outdoor habitats are spread around the indoor exhibit complex described next, this is my own term for these outliers. Medium-sized wood-and-wire aviary: Fairy Bluebird Nicobar Pigeon Tawny Frogmouth Temminck's Tragopan Medium-sized wood-and-wire aviary: Chestnut-backed Thrush Edward's Pheasant Large-sized low-fenced yard with pond to left of Birdhouse entrance: American Flamingo Black-necked Swan Medium-sized low-fenced yard to right of Birdhouse entrance: Demoiselle Crane
THE BIRDHOUSE AT RIVERBANKS: (7 Exhibits) Visitors enter a central skylit lobby of this series of indoor room exhibits with painted wall backdrops. Large-sized room exhibit with simulated boulders and deep pond with underwater viewing panels, titled 'Penguin Coast': Gentoo Penguin King Penguin Rockhopper Penguin Birdhouse - Penguin Coast Exhibit by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:35 PM The following 2 exhibits are in a themed viewing room with simulated tent ceiling titled 'Savanna Camp': Medium-sized room aviary viewed through harp wire: Black-necked Stilt Boat-billed Heron Curl-crested Aracari Red-capped Cardinal Sun Bittern Troupial Turquoise Tanager Medium-sized room aviary viewed through harp wire: Golden-breasted Starling Madagascan Green Pigeon Snowy-headed Robin Chat Spotted Dikkop Birdhouse - Savanna Camp - African Birds Exhibit by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:35 PM The following 4 exhibits are in the right side of the birdhouse titled 'Asian Trek': Small-sized room aviary viewed through harp wire: Bali Mynah Blue-crowned Laughingthrush (unsigned) Crested Wood Partridge (unsigned) Medium-sized room aviary viewed through harp wire: Black-naped Fruit Dove Blue-crowned Laughingthrush Cotton Pygmy Goose Crested Wood Partridge Fairy Bluebird Mariana Fruit Dove Palawan Peacock Pheasant Red-billed Leiothrix Red-faced Liocichla Tawny Frogmouth Medium-sized room aviary viewed through harp wire: Bali Mynah (unsigned) Blue-faced Honeyeater Chinese Hwamei Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon Lesser Green Broadbill Masked Plover Victoria Crowned Pigeon White-rumped Shama Thrush Medium-sized room aviary viewed through harp wire as well as a simulated tree trunk: Wreathed Hornbill Birdhouse - Asian Trek - Wreathed Hornbill Exhibit by geomorph posted 17 Sep 2019 at 10:35 PM
Are the elephants gone for good from Riverbanks Zoo, do you know? Or are they building a new exhibit? What was your opinion of this zoo? The aquarium/herp complex looks interesting.
My understanding, from extensive talks with people who are friends with individuals that have studied the various "types" of O. hannah across their range, is that there is almost definitely a species complex here. There are multiple varieties of King Cobra that are all easily defined from one another morphologically and geographically. I'm not sure if any papers on this have actually ever been released. Thus far I've encountered three of such varieties in US zoos: "Chinese-Banded" (rarest afaik), "Black-Necked", and "Golden". Riverbanks keeps another variety in a separate nearby enclosure. It's either a BN or Golden (or both maybe in they have multiple individuals) but I've never been able to see a photo good enough for me to tell the difference. One photo looks more like BN, another looks like Golden (so again, maybe multiple individuals). The elephants went to Atlanta for their new exhibit. Riverbanks will be replacing them if White Rhinoceros I believe. Personally, I thought the ARC was fantastic. I find Riverbanks to be an underrated zoo, and I was very pleasantly surprise when I visited in March. The Conservation Outpost and old carnivore grottos are really the only darkspots on the zoo and I hope they do something with them soon enough. ~Thylo
@Chlidonias, Thylo and geomorph: Thanks for your help and efforts guys. However, I think it is a good idea to wait for official publications of herpetologists and other scientists before recognizing multiple King Cobra Species.
The elephants were originally slated for Atlanta, but that plan changed after one passed away. Now the other is going to Milwaukee soon.
Agreed, but I didn't say they were recognized, I just said that the evidence I was told about (which comes from herpetologists who study O. hannah) suggests that there are multiple species, or at the least clearly distinct ecotypes. Three of such types are found in US zoos and, of those, the Chinese banded form is the least common. ~Thylo
THE FARMYARD: (11 Exhibits) This is a fairly standard barnyard complex that the map states as 'All-new Farm Experience'. Large walk-through fenced yard: Domestic Chicken Domestic Duck Domestic Goat Barn stall with attached fenced yard: Alpaca Barn stall with attached fenced yard: Royal Palm Turkey Medium-sized fenced yard: Domestic Pig Small-sized low-fenced enclosure in barn: European Rabbit 6 small-sized wall terrariums in barn, titled 'Nature On The Farm', containing 1 species each: American Bullfrog Crayfish Eastern Box Turtle Green Tree Frog Rat Snake Southern Toad
DISCOVERY CENTER: (4 Exhibits) The lobby of this education building has several small exhibits. 2 sets of plastic cube-and-tube habitats: Damaraland Mole Rat 2 sets of plastic cube-and-tube habitats: Naked Mole Rat