ZooChat Challenge Global 2020

San Diego Safari Park (January 2, 2020)
1. Matschie's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei)
2. Western Gray Kangaroo (Marcropus Fuliginosus)
3. Red-Necked Wallaby (Macropus Rufogriseus)
4. Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps)
5. Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

 

For anyone wondering, the particular species of feathertail glider Currumbin hold was confirmed a while back when I contacted the zoo. I also managed to find a keeper today and confirm with her that they are indeed narrow-toed feathertail gliders.
Unfortunately Currumbin no longer house potoroos on public display.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – 4/1/2020
1. Tammar Wallaby Notamacropus eugenii
2. Red-necked Wallaby Notamacropus rufogriseus
3. Koala Phascolarctos cinereus
4. Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis
5. Narrow-toed Feathertail Glider Acrobates pygmaeus
6. Bilby Macrotis lagotis
7. Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii
8. Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus
9. Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat Lasiorhinus latifrons
10. Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus
11. Red Kangaroo Osphranter rufus
12. Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor
13. Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica
14. Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby Petrogale penicillata
15. Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus goodfellowi
16. Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus lumholtzi
17. Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula (fuliginosus)

 

I went to Perth Zoo today, must be up there with the most marsupials you can see in any collection. Unfortunately a few species have gone from the nocturnal house:

1) Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus goodfellowi buergersi
2) Red-tailed Phascogale Phascogale calura
3) Dibbler Parantechinus apicalis
4) Western Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus occidentalis
5) Bilby Macrotis lagotis
6) Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps ariel
7) Northern Quoll Dasyurus hallucatus
8) Western Quoll Dasyurus geoffroii
9) Feather-tailed Glider Acrobates pygmaeus
10) Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus
11) Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus
12) Red Kangaroo Osphranter rufus
13) Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus
14) Tammar Wallaby Macropus eugenii
15) Western Brush Wallaby Macropus irma
16) Koala Phasolarctos cinereus
17) Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisi
18) Quokka Setonix brachyurus
19) Numbat Myrmecobius fasciatus
20) Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat Lasiorhinus latifrons

Also, just out of interest, about a week before the new year I went to Caversham Wildlife Park. If I'd known it would be a marsupial challenge I may have done that afterwards. That would have added a further 13 species to my list, which for fun are:
Benett's Wallaby,
Swamp Wallaby,
Red-necked Pademelon,
Squirrel Glider,
Agile Wallaby,
Wallaroo,
Spotted-tailed Quoll,
Common Brushtail Possum,
Rufous Bettong,
Brushtail Bettong,
Northern Nailtail Wallaby,
Common Wombat,
Southern Brown Bandicoot

So 33 species possible in the two main Perth collections is certainly a good total! (and in fact if you were to go to Peel Zoo south of Perth you could pick up the 4th Australian Quoll there too). I will probably be back in Perth in December so might go back to Caversham and pick those up then.

 

Paignton Zoo - 04/01/2020

4. Western Grey Kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus.

 

Melbourne Zoo today. Just kangaroos and three other boring, run of the mill ABCs.

1. Southern hairy-nosed wombat, Lasiorhinus latifrons
2. Kangaroo Island Kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus
3. Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus
4. Platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus

 

"ABCs" with platypus...

 

Those bloody Australians and their sarcasm...!

 

Capron Park Zoo- 1/5/2020
1. Brush-tailed Bettong- Bettongia pencillus
2. Red Kangaroo- Macropus Rufus

 

Zoo Jihlava, 2nd January 2020

1. New Guinea ground cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis leucippus)
2. Brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata)
3. Striped possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata)
4. Kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei)
5. Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)
6. Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
7. Dusky pademelon (Thylogale brunii)
8. Common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
9. Long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus)

 

What zoo was this at?

 

Sorry, I forgot to add that. I will fix that immediately

 

This challenge comes about one or two years too late...


Zoo Duisburg - 05.01.2020
01. Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
02. Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
03. Common Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus)
04. Red-necked Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus)
05. Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)
06. Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi)
07. Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
08. Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata)
09. Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

 

Blank Park Zoo - 01/06/2020
1. Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)

To think that I work at a zoo that keeps marsupials and the first species I saw this year wasn't even there >:/

 

Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre- 8/1/2020
18. Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus
19. Fat-tailed Dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata
20. Whiptail (Pretty-faced) Wallaby Notamacropus parryi

 

I'd just like to make a quick note as an extension of rule #4: If you are a zookeeper yourself you must view the animals via normal public access and not due to you having drawn the animals out with food or while carrying out other duties (ie you can't be cleaning an enclosure which causes a normally tricky to spot animal to come out of hiding and then you hop into the public viewing area and count it; same goes for if you give education talks or if you're doing a public feeding).

Preferably I'd like you all to only count animals at your zoo that you see while off-duty walking around normal public areas, however I know that can be tricky because some people might not spend a whole lot of time at their zoo during normal public access. I'm not aiming this comment at anyone in particular nor am I accusing anyone of cheating thus far, I just know there are at least five or six keepers participating in the challenge so I wanted to clarify the rules. There's really no way for me to police this unless I know you personally off the forum and catch you doing this (wouldn't imagine those of you would do that anyway), but I'd like to ask that everyone stay honest and fair.

Thank you!

~Thylo

 

Bristol Zoo - 10/01/2020

5. Goodfellows Tree Kangaroo, Dendrolagus goodfellowi
6. Eastern Quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus
7. Kowari, Dasyuroides byrnei
8. Ground Cuscus, Phalanger gymnotis

Noahs Ark Zoo Farm - 10/01/2020

9. Bennets Wallaby, Macropus rufogriseus

 

Sacramento Zoo - January 11, 2019
1. Red kangaroo Macropus rufus
2. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby Petrogale xanthopus

 

From a rare mid-week Melbourne visit:
5. Tasmanian devil - Sarcophilus harrisii

And a frankly disappointing total from a trip to Healesville today:
6. Short-beaked echidna - Tachyglossus aculeatus
7. Red kangaroo - Macropus rufus
8. Goodfellow’s tree-kangaroo - Dendrolagus goodfellowi
9. Brush-tailed bettong - Bettongia penicillata
10. Sugar glider - Petaurus breviceps
11. Squirrel glider - Petaurus norfolcensis
12. Greater bilby - Macrotis lagotis
13. Northern quoll - Dasyurus hallucatus
14. Fat-tailed dunnart - Sminthopsis crassicaudata
15. Mountain pygmy possum - Burramys parvus
16. Red-necked wallaby - Macropus bennetti
17. Brush-tailed rock-wallaby - Petrogale penicillata

Pretty sure I won’t be winning this one.

 

Slow starts are always the best:

Burgers' Zoo:
1. Swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)

 

Wildlife HQ
1. Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
2. Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
3. Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
4. Quokka (Setonix brachyurus)
5. Rufous Bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens)
6. Long Nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus)
7. Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
8. Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata)
9. Mountain Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus cunninghami)
10. Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

Also a question based on rule number four. At Wildlife HQ they were doing a sugar glider “animal encounter” where someone got to hold a sugar glider. This was done in public view of all the visitors so I obviously saw the sugar glider. I didn’t pay for the animal encounter I just saw it as a member of the “Joe Blow” public. Can I count the sugar glider for this challenge?