Zoo Animals Well-Represented & More-Numerous in America, but not in/than in, Europe

Another animal that is not present in European zoos is Geoffrey's spider monkey (CR EN species), but AFAIK this species is present and breeding in U.S. zoos? Anybody can confirm this and inform us how many zoos in U.S. (and eventualy in Mexico and Canada) holds this species?

This species was also managed in Australasian region, I think this was the species of spider monkey present in Auckland Zoo in New Zealand (I will check this).

 

Am not at clear, I proivided this info from ZTL - where it is listed only one (Israeli) holder of Ateles geoffroyi geoffroyi . I am not very familliar with subspecific classification of these beautifull NW monkeys, I'll must research this.

Edited after 2 minutes:
Forget this, You are totaly right I dissmissed the other listing of no-subspecific status. Thank you TLD.

I had some impression that one spider monkey species is quite well-represented in USA but not in Europe, do you know for any such?

 

I answered this incorrectly, my apologies. It was actually 8 at the time (I'd forgotten Fort Worth) but is now at least 9, with Bronx.

 

I too would argue that Europe has a surprisingly good collection with the UK letting the side down. I do often wonder if a collection (probabaly a theme park) really spent a good couple of million on a top, top dolphin exhibit how much it would attract the public, I think they'd be a great deal of people go to see them despite any protests.

 

Sorry I missed this question, @Nikola Chavkosk. Yes, Geoffroy's spider monkeys are present and breeding in US zoos. They are split between 2 populations: a smaller, pure Mexican population (A. g. vellerosus/yucatanensis) and a larger generic population. As of 3 years ago, there were 9 zoos holding the former and 41 zoos holding the latter, with 3 zoos holding both.

Yes, Geoffroy's. For other managed species (fusciceps, hybridus, and paniscus), Europe has more.

 

More species to add to the list: Bolivian grey titi, Panamanian golden frog, multiple species of duiker, gerenuk, klipspringer, babirusa (ironic because NA's founders were initially imported from Europe), Sichuan takin, boat-billed heron, southern hairy-nosed wombat, Francois' langur, Angolan colobus, a few African monkeys, Chinese red panda, spotted-necked otter, and probably quite a few species of turtle/tortoise.

 

Thank you a lot Coelacanth18!
Whether this means that Nepalese red panda is not present in the U.S. (although I can't spot an obvious difference between the two)?
I suppose one of such African monkeys, is the wolf guenon (Cercopithecus wolfi) - I saw it in a picture from the San Diego Zoo (and on Wikipedia at Henry Doorly Zoo - is this wide-spread species in the U.S. zoos?)

 

The European population is smaller than the US one, but it is a stable population with between 35 to 40 animals. The US population is twice the size.

 

Both subspecies are present in the US, and to me, Nepalese has always looked a bit darker.
Wolf's mona monkey is not really widespread, but it seems to be the most common Cercopithecus that I've seen. There are several smaller populations of a few members of the genus.

 

Thanks for that info @DDcorvus. I didn't know any population specifics, I just estimated from the number of holding facilities on ZTL that it was a smaller population. Has the population expanded/been expanding recently? It seems like the majority of holders have only acquired them in the last 10 years or so.

The most common Cercopithecus species in North America is De Brazza's monkey (~60). Besides Wolf's guenon, other species from the genus that are bred here are red-tailed monkey (C. ascanius), and Diana monkey (C. diana). All 3 of those species number ~30 individuals each.

I thought that we also bred lesser spot-nosed monkey (C. petaurista), but apparently there is no breeding program for them anymore so I'm not sure. Maybe they're being phased out now; makes sense, considering how small their population is. There are a couple of other species that will go ghost in the near future; a handful of blue monkeys (C. mitis), for instance.

 

Another animal taxon present in America, but not in Europe is the Booted macaque. I have just found this. Assumably, more than 20 animals.

 

North America FAR exceeds Europe in its cetacean program, by quite a longshot. There are 31 holders in the US, 2 in Canada, and some 30 odd holders in Mexico, totaling for 63 holders total (plus a large number of facilities nestled away in the Caribbean). Our Bottlenose Dolphin program is world class, we have a fully self sustaining population with many third and fourth generation captive bred animals, and will very likely have fifth generation captive breds within the next 3-6 years. While the American beluga population is struggling (but still numbers at 28 animals), Canada has bar none the worlds best beluga breeding program, with 52 animals and more being born every year, all at a single facility!!

In comparison, the majority of dolphins in Europe are either first or second generation captive bred, and they are struggling to produce third generation animals (they few of which currently alive are still years away from breeding), and within the European union, there is only a single holder of beluga, and they have only managed to produce a single surviving calf in the 10+ years they have had the pair. Outside of the EU, the majority of animals (consisting mainly of Black Sea Bottlenoses and Belugas, with increasing numbers of Pacific Bottlenoses), are mainly wild caught, with a smattering of first generation animals and a handful of very rare second generation births.

North America also plows ahead in pure numbers, with ~625 animals in the US and Canada, with roughly another 300 or so in Mexico, making for a grand total of close to a thousand animals. While I'm not certain of the exact numbers in Europe, I can fully assure you the numbers are far less within the EU (they're hovering just a few animals over 300 right now), plus probably another 200 or so within the rest of Europe. Making for a total of around five to 6 hundred, total.

 

"Present" is stretching it, with a 23-strong population (in a small non-AZA zoo) that presumably came from quite a small founder base 50-60 years ago. It can't be long until the population crashes due to inbreeding.

 

I'm not sure if they have already been mentioned but aren't manatees - specifically Florida manatees- more numerous in America than in Europe.

 

Wolf's Guenon( is it a genuine species or just a subspecies?) is another Primate example.

 

Yes and no. There are obviously wild (!) Florida manatees in USA, but captives are largely restricted to rehabilitated individuals at a few facilities, which generally are released again once ready. There are no Florida's in Europe where the West Indian manatee subspecies kept is the Caribbean (or, if you split it based on the gentic studies, South American). In summary, there are more manatees in captivity in Europe than USA, but Europe's are all Caribbean (South American), while the relatively small number in the US are Caribbean (South American) at Dallas World Aquarium, and rehabbed Florida at a few other facilities. Regardless, all these are part of a single species, the West Indian manatee, and practically identical in external appearance.

 

Originally classified as a subspecies from C. pogonias, but now widely accepted as a real species, which was already the case in the 1993 version of Wilson & Reeder's Mammal Species of the World.