St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park St Augustine Alligator Farm

This small zoo has the largest crocodile collection in the US. And houses every crocodilian species known. Are there any other places that have the same?

For the most part there are American Alligators everywhere, the majority of the diverse collection are exhibited in the land of crocodiles which is divided by the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The pens were once smaller, but the zoo is now opening up more pens and renovating all (combining many of them) in hopes to have a breeding collection of all species. Throughout the zoo are also small aviaries and enclosures housing various colorful birds and small primates from the tropics. The north end of the farm is developing into a Indo-Australian area with Maximo, the farm's largest specimen of Saltwater Croc, and Gomek (the former farm record holder, now dead, is exhibited in a mounted display surrounded by artifacts from the Indonesia region and pictures/stories of the zoo's saltwater crocodile collection). They are also building a new reptile house for Indo-Australian animals, Komodo Dragon exhibit, and a Cassowary exhibit.

Future plans include an expasion of the zoo's mammal/bird and reptile collections to complement the crocodilian collection in the Africa and Neotropical regions.

 

In all of their brochures and maps they advertise the fact that they are the only establishment in the world that houses all 23 species of crocodilians, although one never knows if that fact is 100% accurate. It's fantastic that they are currently expanding, and what kind of attendance figures do they achieve?

 

2006 Attendance - 236,000. The new development occurs on their confined 7 acre facility, so most is renovation of existing devloped space or redevelopment of their buffer/property line (in the case for the reptile house).

 

There is no facility in Europe that houses them all, the only institution coming close is the "Krokodille Zoo" in Denmark with 20 species. They call themselves the "biggest collections of crocodilians in Europe" and plan to get the other 3 as well.

I highly doubt that any other institution in the world would come close...So i'd guess they are right

 

Update from visit

Just returned from my visit to the alligator farm. The new Indo-australian reptile house and adjacent avian enclosures are rather attractive. The reptile house is smaller than I expected, but well laid out and house some rare species:

Mollucan Yellow Monitor
Lace Monitor
King Cobra
Reticulated Python
Green Tree Python
Black-headed Python
Shingle-backed Skink
Carpet Python
Amethystine Python
Crocodile Monitor

Double-wattled Cassowary
Lesser Bornean Crested Fireback Pheasant
Palm Cockatoo
Eclectus Parrot
Kookaburra
Palawan Peacock Pheasant

Its been two years since my last visit...many exhibits have been renovated, expanded, and added. Some construction was ongoing...an additional reticulated python outdoor enclosure is being erected near the Reptile House. They will also soon move their attention towards developing an African area, also with a reptile house.

 

Review

First time I have been here in ages, so I figured I would share my thoughts on it with all of you.

The Good,

as has previously been stated, the farm is the only facility in the world to house every species of Crocodilians on the planet. It is a thrill to see rare specimens and I would say it is a must visit for any croc fans. The new "Range of the Saltwater Crocodile" exhibit is an excellent addition to the park. It contains various animals found throughout the range and in nicely done exhibits. Also, the Albino Alligator exhibit set in cajun bayou is the perfect definition of "Delightfully tacky." The large boardwalk with all the nesting birds and alligators underneath offers great vantage points.

The Bad
The Land of Crocodiles exhibits, where the bulk of the crocodiles are kept, sadly don't meet the standard set by the collection. It is definitely a "seen one, seen them all feel" which wouldn't be bad if they weren't all average-mediocre crocodile exhibits. Also, the admission is $24 after taxes. For what is offered at the park, it is pricey.

Overall
If you are in to crocodiles, then this needs to be added onto your "Places to go before I die" list. If not, the high admission price and overall better experiences to be had at other Florida zoos may make this a place to skip.

 

A fantastic, succinct review! I've not been to St Augustine's yet, but you did a great job of encapsulating the experience - I really liked your "overall" summary at the end.

 

The Bad
The Land of Crocodiles exhibits, where the bulk of the crocodiles are kept, sadly don't meet the standard set by the collection. It is definitely a "seen one, seen them all feel" which wouldn't be bad if they weren't all average-mediocre crocodile exhibits. Also, the admission is $24 after taxes. For what is offered at the park, it is pricey.

Honestly, crocodilians don't need expansive exhibits. The on-display exhibits are more than adequate and if you felt there was a "seen one, seen them all feel" that is your problem. Personally, the fact I can see such gems as Siams, Black Caiman, Morelets, Muggers, Orinocos, Tomistomas and Gharials plus others in one exhibit area makes it much more than just seeing crocs and gators. The big glass viewing windows are excellent for photos and viewing opportunities and the fact they did it zoogeographically makes it ideal. I wish they would add more exhibits so the New Guineas and Philippines could be added. I disagree totally with your opinion on the Land of Crocs. However, I do agree with the price. For such a small place and the amount of time it takes to go through the facility it could be a little cheaper to get in. My advice is to get a AZA membership which allows free admission to the gator farm and most other accredited facilities.

 

My Jacksonville Zoo membership only got me 20% off and that seems to be the standard for any AZA membership. As for the Land of the Crocodiles, the exhibits aren't bad, just they seem abit inadequate when compared to how amazing the collection is.

 

An AZA membership gets you in for free. Not a zoo membership but an AZA membership. They cost similar to a zoo membership.

 

Depends where and how you want to keep and showcase them...

 

True but in Florida the environment is ideal and the gator farm is very successful in breeding and husbandry.

 

Made a recent visit and noted some changes:

*Galapagos Tortoise pen has been vastly expanded.
*All of the juvenile alligators housed in the pools by the spider monkey exhibit have been removed.
*The zoo recently celebrated the hatching of a Sulawesi Red-knobbed Hornbill.

 

Is the expansion of the Galapagos pen any indication that St. Augustine is intending to initiate breeding attempts with a pure-bred group of Galapagos giants?

Can anyone elaborate on the exhibit at all ... like horticulture, mud baths, pools, shading et al ...?

 

Wait a second: 23 extant species of crocodilians?Shouldn't it be at least 25?
Dwarf Crocodiles Split Into Three Species

 

Last Spider Monkey departs.

Alligator Farm Bids Farewell To Spider Monkey - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville

 

and they plan to replace him with red ruffed lemurs

 

In all honesty, I'm glad the Spider Monkeys left the farm because their current enclosure was below average enclosure but the last time I went was either 2008 or 2009 so I don't know if they renovated it during the time period I didn't go there.
EDIT:Wait they are replacing him with lemurs, hopefully the exhibit will go through some major renvotations!

 

1.0 Komodo dragon "Krakatoa", has died from a viral infection, leaving the park with 0.1 dragon.

Virus killed St. Augustine Alligator Farm's young lizard | jacksonville.com

 

Sad news as eggs laid by their female gharial have failed to hatch

Eggs from endangered gharial fail to hatch | jacksonville.com