Anyone remember what formerly was kept in the collection? Disappointed by the amount of static displays, especially the infa-red sensors, I want more reptiles. What ever happened to the Black Mambas? I see the Puff Adders have now left the collection, anyone know why?
If it's more reptiles you want then don't get your hopes up. The new reptile house involves a dramatic reduction in the reptile collection. If the adders have left it could be because the zoo are starting to rehome the reptiles that aren't moving to the new reptile house.
I understand there are going to be less reptiles in the new reptile house, generally you build something to make improvements both to the animals and the visitor experience. My hopes are completely dashed. The UK seems to be a poor place for reptiles compared to other counties!
Yeah. I love reptiles but the UK hardly has any decent reptile collections. Hopefully we see some improvements in the reptile collections of other zoos in the future.
I was in the Reptile House yesterday. On the corner display where the Puff Adders were, there is a impressive display that mimics an arid Australian Desert floor, where the Inland Taipan (Fierce Snake) have been moved to. On the outside display there is a new snake display, what looks to be a corn snake in there, although not yet labelled So many dead displays though, including the infra red display, that took out 6 displays and one with a rubber lizard in it. Does anyone know what happened to the Black Mamba?
I think the Black Mambas died a few years back! The number of retile species seems to be dwindling rapidly, reflecting what has already happened to the mammals, birds, amphibians and aquatics... Could the old reptile house not be rebuilt as a new aquarium? Much better than some museum!!
The last Black Mamba left the collection 2 years ago and was replaced with a Central American Bushmaster/s, which never get seen, as they sit under a log all the time. Cotsworld’s Zoo got rid of their Black Mamba at roughly the same time, sadly this one was euthanised. There are no Mambas in any British reptile collections, as of now. I did post on the main London Zoo thread that they should keep the Reptile House iconic frontage and knock down everything behind and rebuild as a permanent home for the Galapagos Tortoises, could even have a few amphibian displays round the sides. The new reptile house, should be a world class Reptile House of many species, that consist of popular iconic favourites and endangered edge species. The Uk could do with a zoo that has a decent reptile collection.
I would speculate that Hot snakes are expensive with the need to keep anti venom on site which needs to be replaced when out of date as well. Also training keepers must be a challenge as well. I busted the collection at London Zoo in 2015 and thought it was brilliant. Black Mambas the most active reptile I’d ever seen. King Cobra was fairly active as well. I think it is a shame that reptile collections have been decimated over the last few decades m. Seems to me that there is a gap in the market for a Place like Crocodiles of the World but for snakes.
As I said in my post earlier in this thread, from the published plans I think that there will be considerable improvements in the visitor experience and I expect also in the conditions for the animals (which cannot really be shown in the plans). I would not be surprised if the reduction in the total number of species is smaller than you seem to expect, as I think some may remain in the old Reptile House and there will be others in the Rainforest (the Clore for us oldies) and B.U.G.S. or Tiny Terrors or whatever it's now called. I think herp fans will get a much better deal from ZSL than fish nerds got after the Aquarium had to close: the new display at Whipsnade is high class, but much much smaller than the old one under the Mappins.
I agree it is a bad deal with London Zoo if you like your fish, however the UK does have a fair few aquariums. The new exhibit in B.U.G.S in my opinion isn’t that great. Also agree it would be awesome if the UK had a specialist Herp Zoo.
I think some of the herp species that will be lost from London will go to Whipsnade (for the eventual redevelopment of the Discovery Centre), so will remain in the collection, in a sense.
There is actually one, the Isle of Wight reptilarium, although it would be nice to have a giant one like this new ‘bug zoo’ in Norfolk that will open next year. (Also there is crocodiles of the world if that counts)
Beyond the initial revulsion do reptiles have much of a pull on the general public? Genuine question.
Based on my personal experience, I'd say - yes, they do. Maybe not as much as the charismatic mammalian megafauna, but they do have their audience.
Especially the big and the venomous...... Zoo guest (to me in my keeper days): ‘Have you got any REALLY BIG SNAKES?’
No one really want to see a snake they can see in their local pet shop. The public (me) want to see 20ft Pythons/Anacondas or more preferable venomous snakes. The US seems and places in Europeseem to have great serpentariums Is there mambas in private collections?
Great for whom - the average visitor, the zoo species nerd, the serious reptile enthusiast or the snakes in question? Quite often, these serpentariums are not so great for the latter. Yes, there "is" / are private keepers and breeders of mambas in the UK. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mentioned them. Prior to COVID-19 and Brexit, you could run into some of them at the reptile expos of Hamm & Houten. Although I wouldn't recommend literally running into them; in particular when they are carrying snake containers...
