What are some great animals native to mangroves that will make a great addition to a mangrove exhibit? Here are some examples: - Dough crab - Dusky leaf monkey - Manatee - Sailfin dragon - Mudskipper More animals are more then welcome
What is a "dough crab"? Anyway, a mangrove exhibit is not a mangrove exhibit without mudskippers and fiddler crabs. These two are the essentials of any mangrove. Additionally, a butterfly mud puddle zone would be great, with loads of big pierids and swallowtails. Most mangrove inhabitats are just adaptable species not specific to mangroves: small birds and arboreal mammals for the land side, and fishes and crocs from the sea side...
For a South American themed mangrove Four-eyed fish (Anableps) would be good. Other brackish water fish would include Sailfin Molly and some other livebearers, Green and Orange Chromides from around the Indian ocean would be good as well.
Saltwater Crocodile (though not multi species obviously) Wood Stork Reddish Egret Diamondback Terrapin Crab-eating Macaque
The most spectacular species I've seen in mangroves were blacktip sharks, so these would be great in a mangrove exhibit. Fiddler crabs are almost a must and depending of the theme (New World or Old World so are mudskippers or four-eyed fish. Raccoons and bulldog bats would be nice for a Central American themed exhibit, next to manatees, crocodiles and water birds like roseate spoonbills.
don't forget the mangroves themselves; not really a proper mangrove exhibit without discussing the wondrous biology of the actual trees!
There are many species living in the mangroves forests around the world If you are planning an exhibits/exhibitions you can choose from different presentation styles Do you wanna display the habitat as ecosystem or do you want sgow one spefic place The different housing styles include aquariums paludariums terrariums and aviarie Most of the Aquariums have paludariums, half water half air with origanl real trees or fake trees for archer and four eyed fish, mudskippers and crabs Some Birdparks and zoos have walk trought aviaries with fishes in little tied ponds visible from.above and sometimes through glass windows from the side Than there walkable mangroves gouses that are sadly quiet rare like the one in arnhem A short overview mammals some monkey species like proboscis monkey, grivets, blue monkeys, longtailed macaque and white shoulder capuchins otter and mangoose pig and deer species as well tigers and other smaller cat species birds storks heron waddy birds ibis spoonbill and many singing birds call the mangroves their home like starlings tailor birds silver eyes and munias reptiles crocodiles geckos lizards agamas dailfin dragon and many many monitors species land and water turtle species snakes amphibian only freshwater parts fish fresh brackish and saltwater invertebrates especially crustaceans show a big spectrum from different types of of crabs land and water species (some quiet big and a lot of smaller ones), crayfish and lobster, hermit crabs, shrimp sorry if this is not into the deep but if you would have a special idea it would have more details
Thank you! These are some nice species. And yes i was going for a green house like the one in Arnhem. Im not a big fan of it, because i see some missed oppurunities.
What is wrong then according to you then? Until now I have heard basically only positive reactions on it.
Really? Ive heard quite Some negative things. In all honestly, its a great exhibit. Its really Nice, but i dont like the South America theme. My personal opinion is that Asian mangroves have "better" animals. I missed the mudskippers, archerfish and other animals Shown in the old mangrove. It feels very empty. And ofcourse a bunch of other things. Its not bad by far, but i would like it more different.
The Florida Aquarium has a Florida mangrove ecosystem-based area in their aviary, so looking at the species housed there could help for inspiration, though you seem to be going more for Asian mangroves.
Ihave to agree on @Canihelpyou? the reactions were not only good I guess it depends on the vistors preferences, but for someone like me, who prefers educational displays and specific exhibits/exhibitions over the classy mainstream interests the closing of the old house was a loss it had avery nice design, when one thinks of its history as test house for bush and therefoewas not originally planned as mangrove house There were more educational boards in the old one as well and the list of species included more rare species that were presented in a way like no other facility had Several species hatched very succesfull that are gone by now In general the old house felt more like a true mangrove forest with better species The first thought I had was they copied the butterfly house from Blijdorp, of which I wasn't a fan either since round shapes are normally avoid (they may irritate the species) and most often a waste of space, but somehow the original went out to better than expected but the inspired one did not that well From the view point of species it is not sustainable to keep species that are not reguarly breed in captivity and are therefor of wild origin The Arnhem mangrove house is not bad at all but compared to the old house which set standards (especially from the viewpoint of a zoo enthusiast, who paid a lot of time studying zoological architectural and educational systems) the house feels like a down grading
