The zoo has again a temporary exhibition of poison dart frogs. 30 different frog taxa and color morphs are placed in small heavily planted tanks inside Gočár´s house (most western tip of the zoo, behind white lipped deer pen) and it will last only till last Sunday of October. The frogs are borrowed from private collections.
That sounds like a good idea for other zoos. I've been to Zoologica and other animal exhibitions that attract many people.
The list is: Adelphobates galactonotus 'Orange' Ameerega pepperi Ameerega trivittata Dendrobates auratus 'Ancon Hill' Dendrobates auratus 'Campana reticulated' Dendrobates auratus 'Campana lowland' Dendrobates auratus 'El Oro' Dendrobates auratus 'Green' Dendrobates auratus 'Lowland bronze' Dendrobates auratus 'Microspot' Dendrobates auratus 'Negative' Dendrobates auratus 'Peňa Blanca' Dendrobates leucomelas Dendrobates leucomelas 'Cerro Autana' Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' Dendrobates tinctorius 'Graubeiner' Dendrobates tinctorius 'Saul' Dendrobates tinctorius 'Suriname cobalt' Dendrobates tinctorius 'Tumucumaque' Dendrobates truncatus Ranitomeya amazonica Ranitomeya benedicta Ranitomeya imitator 'Huallaga' Ranitomeya imitator 'Vardero' Ranitomeya summersi Ranitomeya vanzolinii Phyllobates bicolor Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange' Phyllobates vittatus
A nice array of species and morphs overall the list in 2019 per my notes was as follows: Adelphobates galactonotus morph "Blue" --- Dendrobates auratus morph "Ancon Hill" Dendrobates auratus morph "Blue" Dendrobates auratus morph "Highland Bronze" Dendrobates auratus morph "Campana" Dendrobates auratus morph "Green" Dendrobates auratus morph "Microspot" Dendrobates auratus morph "Negative" Dendrobates auratus morph "Pena Blanca" Dendrobates auratus morph "Superblue" --- Dendrobates leucomelas morph "Banded" Dendrobates leucomelas morph "Carro Autana" Dendrobates leucomelas morph "Fine-spotted" --- Dendrobates tinctorius morph "Azureus" Dendrobates tinctorius morph "Graubeiner" Dendrobates tinctorius morph "Saul" Dendrobates tinctorius morph "Surinam Cobalt" Dendrobates tinctorius morph "Sipawilini" --- Dendrobates truncatus --- Epipedobates anthonyi morph "Rio Saladillo" Epipedobates anthonyi morph ""Santa Isabel" --- Oophaga pumilo morph "Bastimentos" Oophaga pumilo morph "Isla Colon" --- Phyllobates bicolor --- Phyllobates terribilis morph "Orange" --- Ranitomeya benedicta --- Ranitomeya fantastica morph "Varadero" --- Ranitomeya imitator morph "Huallaga" --- Ranitomeya sirensis --- Ranitomeya vanzolinii So, a fair few differences - including two species I have never seen, one of which is not even listed on the ZTL database.
The zoo now requires visitors to wear face mask in all indoor spaces within its areal. (The same rule is now valid in all zoos due to govermental decision). People are asked to keep distance of 2 meters from each other. Otherwise, there are no other limitations. Tickets are sold at entrance as usually, capacity is not limited. The zoo posted some new short clips. A secretary bird chick hatched under parents and two newest chicks of boat-billed heron.
Some bits and pieces of info from lecture about turtles living in Čambal (gharial pavilion), video is on zoo´s Youtube channel but without subtitles: They still don´t know how to hatch female crowned river turtle (Hardella thurjii) from eggs. In turtles and tortoises, gender of future offspring is usually decided by temperature during incubation (and lower temperature leads to males). But with so little detailed info on this species both from nature and captivity, it´s difficult to find the correct method. All offspring hatched so far is male only. They are down to 1 adult female. Subadult Indian roofed turtles (Pangshura tecta) will be moved into the main exhibit with gharials before the year-end. They came 3 years ago as little babies and keepers waited for them to grow enough to be safe in that big basin. The whole group of adult southern river terrapins (Batagur affinis) will be sent away from zoo. Because of their origin from tropical Malaysian peninsula, they require higher water temperature then animals coming from northern Indian subcontinent. The zoo is now heating the Čambal house enough for them to be comfortable. But it´s a little too hot for gharials and other turtles living with them. The only juvenile southern river juvenile terrapin (offspring of the current group) will be spared and remain living in the Indonesian house, in a fish tank direct after its entrance. The adult group will not be placed into the Indonesian house, they lived there in orangutan moat previously and it caused many heath problems, the water quality is not good enough for river terrapins. A new species of river terrapins is expected to arrive. Date is uncertain, maybe next year. They should replace B. affinis in the main basin. However I am unsure about the future species. The head keeper in that lecture mentioned northern river terrapin (Batagur baska). But zoo director mentioned in an interview a long time ago the zoo will import Bengal roof turtles (Batagur kachuga) from India. Probably that deal fell through and B.affinis is a compromise solution because it can be sourced within Europe.
The Bronx Zoo has managed to recently import a couple B. kachuga so hopefully this is a sign other zoos will be able to do so in the future. ~Thylo
As posted on zoo's Instagram, pair of large fig parrots (Psittaculirostris desmarestii) is now on show in one of the lory aviaries in upper part of the zoo.
Due to rising number of COVID-cases, Prague is from tommorow closing the Indonesian Jungle and lemur walkthrough exhibit, to protect the primates housed there.
As revealed in the latest director's blog, another species present in the new gorilla house will be the Gambian pouched rat.
