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Discussion in 'Speculative Zoo Design and Planning' started by FelipeDBKO, 27 Nov 2016.

  1. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Isn't that obvious?
    1) Rhinoceros viper + Fire skink
    2) Caiman lizard + ...etc.

    Because they do. You probably don't know that crocodilians eat or mutilate turtles, both in captivity and in the wild. That's why zoos try to keep adequately sized (and "self-confident") turtle species together with adequate crocodilian species. And even then you got occasional quarrels and accidents. If you want to keep Cuora sp. with crocodilians, Indian gharials might be a better choice.

    In general, just listing rare, flashy or "exciting" species you "want to have" isn't very original; it's like a kid itemizing its favourite candies. Why not try to come up with exciting, novel (and practically functional) exhibit ideas for common species? Just remember Conway's Bullfrog exhibit story. And don't mix highly venomous and easily stressed snakes with other critters.
     
  2. DragonDust101

    DragonDust101 Well-Known Member

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    All of my reptile exhibits would all have large, multi-generational breeding enclosures and off-exhibit holding for most species that are either in ex-situ conservation or are just endangered. For example, in an Amazon exhibit, I'd have a large enclosure for the Conservation Dependent Black Caiman. I'd have an reptiquarium for Speceis specific to the state I was based in. Let's say mine was in Michigan. I'd have exhibits for these Speceis-

    Blanding's Turtle (Multi-Generational Breeding)
    Wood Turtle
    Eatern Box Turtle
    Western Lesser Siren
    Eastern Tiger Salamander
    Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Multi-Generational Breeding)
    Smooth Green Snake
    Eastern Fox Snake (Multi-Generational Breeding)
    Copper belly Water Snake (Multi-Generational Breeding)
    Queen Snake (Multi-Generational Breeding)
    Fowler's Toad
    Mink Frog
    Western Chorus Frog
     
  3. FelipeDBKO

    FelipeDBKO Well-Known Member

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    Hmmm... Not so obvious, because you've put a number more :p But now that I've got it, I'll reply your other comment.

    Gharial are harder to get... I like them, but I decided to leave big crocodilians like Gharials and Orinoco crocodiles out of my reptile house.
    And I'm still not totally convinced that it would be so bad to keep Chinese alligators with Cuora sp., but if that's really the case, I think it's better not to risk it (mainly because Cuora sp. are threatened and rare).

    What's wrong in try to make a balanced list among threatened, rare and attractive species? I can come up with exciting, novel and functional exhibit ideas, but with them. Obviously the animals are the stars of the exhibit (not that the design of the exhibit isn't important), and one of the main good things of the zoo is to spread unknown, rare and interesting species.
    No, I don't rembemer this bullfrog thing... What is it??
    I've heard of Rhinoceros viper with Jackson's chameleon... Why not with Fire skink? And isn't common mix Bushmasters with frogs?
     
  4. FelipeDBKO

    FelipeDBKO Well-Known Member

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    1) Mixing species is never a good idea... But we are stubborn :p And I've heard of Rhinoceros viper with Jackson's chameleon... Why not Rhinoceros viper with Jackson's chameleon? Ok, the chameleon is more arboreal than the skink but, on other hand, it's also more stressed.

    2) Sure! Maybe I would even put some amazon fishes (probably Black pacu/Tambaqui)

    3) Pancake tortoise + Giant girdled lizard? Seriously?

    4) I already talked about this in another post...

    5) Why? This mix already exists. LoL, I didn't say anything about Caiman lizards with Poison dart frogs!
     
  5. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Then let's hope that the upcoming dialogue will be more obvious to you Felipe.

    I doubt that it will be easier for you, a Brazilian teenager, to obtain and keep either gharials or Chinese alligators in real life. Neither will be the case in most of the species you have mentioned; but well, that's why this is in the aptly named fantasy section.

    So far, I fail to find exhibit ideas by you that reflect the positive qualities you quote, neither in regard to common nor rare species; maybe you can surprise me positively with one?

    As for the often cited story by William Conway, which anyone interested in zoo exhibit design should know by heart : LMGTFY

    Rhinoceros vipers are easily stressed animals. So are most chameleons. While keeping a predominantly terrestrial species together with a predominantly arboreal species sounds like a good idea (in this case, it isn't), keeping two terrestrial species, of which one is a highly venomous snake, together in one exhibit is most definitely not one.
    The same can be said about keeping Lachesis sp. together with other species. These big snakes might seem to not mind the tiny froglets, but given the tendency of this genus to be equally stressed by even "minor" aspects, just as the rhinoceros viper, this might explain why the majority of Lachesis husbandries I have seen do NOT keep this genus together with other species. Just because someone has done it doesn't mean it's a good idea. I know of a major European zoo that tried to put a Varanus macraei together with a king cobra; well, the cobra surely enjoyed the expensive meal.
    "Mixing species is never a good idea... But we are stubborn." Then why suggest it? And who is "we"?
     
  6. Nikola Chavkosk

    Nikola Chavkosk Well-Known Member

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    Is this can mean that you liked at least something about the reptilarium 'Broken Glass' in my thread 'Broken Glass' (in) Reptilarium, Batto? Because it was not criticized other than harder cleaning of distant hidding corners? :)
     
  7. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    You want my honest opinion, Nikola?

    Just looking at it makes me feel dizzy...
     
  8. Nikola Chavkosk

    Nikola Chavkosk Well-Known Member

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    Yes of course Batto. So that can mean that you have generally gave up giving your opinions on my ideas. :) But what is best design according you? - Smaller elevated terraria practical and easy to acces? Don't forget that those drawn by myself are quite spacious as for reptile (snake).
     
  9. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Would it be fair to the OP to hijack this thread? Besides, it wouldn't fit into this very category, as my reptile (or should I say reptile+) collection isn't a fantasy...
     
    Nikola Chavkosk likes this.
  10. Nikola Chavkosk

    Nikola Chavkosk Well-Known Member

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    It wouldn't be fair; We can continue in my thread 'Broken Glass' (in) Reptilarium, as it is more about design. But of course if you want to explain one of the best designs according you, or to describe your collection design, you can do it and it would be interesting. However I won't bother you any more regarding this if you don't have time for this fantasy.
     
  11. FelipeDBKO

    FelipeDBKO Well-Known Member

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    And why do you think that it should be easy? LoL

    Seriously, I just want to make a good collection of animals... I don't need innovative exhibits, as long as the exhibits are nice and the animal feels good in them.

    As I've said before, mixing species is never a good idea... Not recommended and includes risks.

    I suggested to know if they're acceptable. And "we" are humans.
     
  12. Batto

    Batto Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Good to see you in such merry spirit Felipe.
    “Dauerhaftes *LoLn* führt im Unterbewusstsein eine Beschädigung am Einfühlungsvermögen durch.“ ^^
    As for introducing you to Conway: you’re welcome.
    Who said it would be easy?
    As for innovative exhibits: none of it excludes the other.
    Every fool can throw different species together to see what happens; the more you learn, the more you might know why you shouldn’t.
    Are we humans? Or are we
    (Sorry, had to reply accordingly to such platitude ^^).
     
  13. SealPup

    SealPup Well-Known Member

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    Realistically I would be listing from families I like such as viperids and varanids, plus making sure of a few big names (well knpwn venomous herps, giant constrictors, crocogators) for good measure. Probably I would have non-reptiles either sharing the vivs else in their own enclosures. Passerines with lizards as at Berger's Zoo et cetera.