ZooChat Challenge North America 2021

With the first half of my thread complete, I'll add the zoos in now:

Navajo Nation Zoo
31. Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
32. Elk (Cervus canadensis)
33. Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargentatus)

ABQ Biopark
34. Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)

Oklahoma City Zoo
35. Swift Fox (Vulpes velox)
36. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
37. Seba’s Short-tailed Bat (Carollia perspicillata)
38. Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
39. Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Memphis Zoo
40. Greater Bulldog Bat (Noctilio leporinus)
41. Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)

Nashville Zoo
42. Baird’s Tapir (Tapirus bairdii)

Plus these recent pickups:

Smithsonian National Zoo
43. White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica)
44. Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
45. Gray Seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Less than 2 weeks to go before the end of the challenge, so strap on your snow boots and snag those last stragglers while you can! Also if any of you are sitting on unposted updates, now is the time for sharing

Also a bit of housekeeping business: the 2022 ZCCNA challenge will be posted on Dec 30 or 31. (hold for raucous applause) I will plan to tag all of this year's participants in the new thread so you will be alerted to it in case you would like to participate again.

 

San Antonio Zoo (San Antonio, TX) — 22 December 2021:
44. American mink (Neogale vison)
45. Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

 

I don’t know if you were able to confirm that facility was viable or not but today I saw them again at Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden so that one should definitely be counted.

 

I honestly forgot about that and never came to a decision. But since you saw them at a clear-cut facility we'll just call it a moot point and I'll count it from Siegfried and Roy's.

 

Tulsa Zoo
46. Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu)
47. Lowland Paca (Cuniculus paca)

I did my last zoo today and got nothing new, so that will officially be the last of my haul for this year. I'm interested to see if this is the last update or if anyone has a New Year's Eve surprise up their sleeve

 

As a matter of fact, I do!
Memphis Zoo, Memphis TN (12/23/2021)
14. Kinkajou (Potos flavus)
15. Seba’s Short-Tailed Bat (Carollia perspicillata)
16. Greater Fishing Bat (Noctilio leporinus)
17. Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
18. Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)
19. Elk (Cervus elaphus)
20. North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
21. Jaguar (Panthera onca)

I have one more place to add, but I'm still going through my list so I'll make sure to get it done before the 1st.

 

Minnesota Zoo - December 30 2021
52. Wolverine Gulo gulo
53. Sea Otter Enhydra lutris
54. Hawaiian Monk Seal Neomonachus schuinslandi

 

A reminder to all participants: if you still have updates to post or if you get any new species tomorrow, your final counts must be posted by the end of tomorrow, Friday Dec 31. I will be tallying the final results on Saturday January 1, after which the results will be final and no additional or delayed submissions will be accepted.

 

Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas TX (12/27/2021)
22. Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)

 

Zoochat Challenge North America 2022

 

And with that, the 2021 ZooChat Challenge North America has come to a close. Congratulations to our top finisher @TinoPup, who took the lead with 58 species of North American mammal and never looked back. This was the final leaderboard:

@TinoPup - 58
@ThylacineAlive - 55
@birdsandbats - 54
@Dhole dude - 50
@Coelacanth18 - 47
@Kudu21 - 45
@pachyderm pro - 44
@Ituri - 42
@nczoofan - 37
@red river hog and @Westcoastperson - 32
@PogoFord - 31
@Echobeast - 29
@ZooBinh - 25
@Neil chace - 24
@ChunkyMunky pengopus - 22
@TZDugong - 21
@Hipporex - 18
@TheGerenuk - 16
@Mai Thai - 10
@Julio C Castro - 9
@jayjds2 - 8

Now for the stats. In total, we all collectively saw 94 species of North American mammal from 120 zoos, aquariums, nature centers and the like. The most counted of those was Dallas World Aquarium, where 5 people counted species from.

Here is the full list of species seen:

Spoiler: Species Seen

Ungulates (14)
Moose (Alces alces)
Elk (Cervus canadensis)
Central American Red Brocket (Mazama americana)
Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

American Bison (Bison bison)
Rocky Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)
Muskox (Ovibos moschatus)
Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli)

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)
Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu)
Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii)

Carnivores (42)
American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

Coyote (Canis latrans)
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
Red Wolf (Canis rufus)
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis)
Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)
Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis)
Swift Fox (Vulpes velox)
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Mountain Lion/Cougar (Puma concolor)

Tayra (Eira barbara)
Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
Greater Grison (Galictis vittata)
Wolverine (Gulo gulo)
North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
American Pine Marten (Martes americana)
Short-tailed Weasel (Mustela erminea)
Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
American Mink (Neovision vison)
Fisher (Pekania pennanti)
American Badger (Taxidea taxus)

Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)
White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica)
Kinkajou (Potos flavus)
Northern raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus)
Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
Gray Seal (Halichoerus grypus)
Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi)
Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)
Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus)
Spotted Seal (Phoca largha)
Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)
California sea lion (Zalophis californianus)

Rodents (19)
Harris's Antelope Squirrel (Ammospermophilus harrisii)
Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris)
Groundhog (Marmota monax)
Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
Wyoming Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus elegans)

White-throated Woodrat (Neotoma albigula)
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
California Mouse (Peromyscus californicus)
Cactus Mouse (Peromyscus eremicus)
North American Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Merriam’s Kangaroo-rat (Dipodomys merriami)
Ord's Kangaroo-rat (Dipodomys ordii)

American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
Lowland Paca (Cuniculus paca)
North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

Primates (1)
Geoffroy’s spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)

Sirenians (1)
West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)

Cetaceans (3)
Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
Pacific White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Armadillos (1)
Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

Bats (7)
Jamaican Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis)
Seba's short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata)
Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)
Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
Pallas’s Long-tongued Bat (Glossophaga soricina)
Greater Bulldog Bat (Noctilio leporinus)

Marsupials (2)
Derby’s Woolly-Opossum (Caluromys derbianus)
Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginianus)

Lagomorphs (4)
Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Antelope Jackrabbit (Lepus alleni)
Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus)

Here were the most seen species:

20 participants - Puma and Gray Wolf
19 - Brown Bear, American Black Bear, and North American River Otter
18 - American Bison
17 - California Sea Lion and Black-tailed Prairie Dog
16 - Bobcat, Jaguar, Polar Bear, Harbor Seal, and North American Porcupine

Here are all the species only seen by a single person. @ThylacineAlive had the most with 4 unique species:

ThylacineAlive - Derby's Woolly Opossum, Harris's Antelope Squirrel, Northern Flying Squirrel, Spotted Seal
TinoPup - Pallas's Long-tongued Bat, Short-tailed Weasel, Tayra
Ituri - Big Brown Bat, Ord's Kangaroo Rat, Wyoming Ground Squirrel
birdsandbats - Eastern Cottontail, Greater Grison
PogoFord - Harp Seal, Snowshoe Hare
Kudu21 - Island Fox
Westcoastperson - Yellow-bellied Marmot

And that's a wrap. Feel free to discuss or ask any questions; otherwise, Happy New Year and good luck in ZooChat Challenge North America 2022!

 

Woohoo! I had a lot of fun collecting species over the year and trying to figure out what collections to go to. I ended up going to a couple of new places, ones I'd been meaning to visit but hadn't gotten around to, to see less common species for the challenge, which I'm grateful for. I managed to do it all with out doing a single overnight trip, as well. Though my definition of "day trip" is a little extreme, so I've been told I had several misses, as well, which were very frustrating, but that's zoos for you.
I'm also super glad I didn't completely exhaust every species possible near me so that there's something left for the 2022 "redemption arc" challenge!
Congrats to everyone who competed on seeing some fantastic animals.

 

I thout it would be interesting to compare my captive list (i.e. what I posted to this thread) to my year list of wild mammals seen in 2021. Here's the list from this thread:

Manitowoc Lincoln Park Zoo - January 9 2020
1. American Bison Bison bison
2. Dall Sheep Ovis dalli
3. Cougar Puma concolor
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - January 10 2021
4. Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
5. White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
6. North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
7. Gray Wolf Canis lupus
8. Bobcat Lynx rufus
9. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - January 30 2021
10. Coyote Canis latrans
NEW Zoo - January 30 2021
11. American Elk (Wapiti) Cervus canadensis
12. Red Wolf Canis rufus
13. Canada Lynx Lynx canadensis
14. Black-footed Ferret Mustela nigripes
15. Pronghorn Antilocapra americana
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - February 27 2021
16. North American River Otter Lontra canadensis
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - March 30 2021
17. Collared Peccary (Javelina) Pecari tajacu
18. Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus
19. American Beaver Castor canadensis
Menominee Park Zoo - May 9 2021
21. American Badger Taxidea taxus
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - May 22 2021
22. Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans
23. Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
24. Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus
25. North American Deer Mouse Peromyscus manicuatus
26. Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana
27. American Mink Neovison vison
Wildwood Wildlife Park - May 29 2021
28. Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis
29. Woodchuck Marmota monax
30. Kinkajou Potos flavus
31. Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor
32. Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus
33. Greater Grison Galictis vittata
Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo & Adventure Park - June 5 2021
34. American Black Bear Ursula americanus
Bruemmer Park Zoo - June 8 2021
35. Arctic Fox Vulpes lagopus
Milwaukee County Zoo - July 9 2021
36. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey Ateles geoffroyi
37. Brown Bear Ursus arctos
38. Harbor Seal Phoca vitulina
39. Polar Bear Ursus maritimus
40. Common Vampire Bat Desmodus rotundus
41. Jaguar Panthera onca
42. Baird's Tapir Tapirus bairdii
43. Caribou Rangifer tarandus
Como Park Zoo - July 28 2021
44. California Sea Lion Zalophus californianus
45. Gray Seal Halichoerus grypus
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium - August 6 2021
46. White-nosed Coati Nasua narica
47. Nine-banded Armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus
48. Short-tailed Fruit Bat Carollia perspicillata
49. Greater Bulldog Bat Noctilio leporinus
Shalom Wildlife Zoo - August 29 2021
51. Fisher Pekania pennanti
Wildwood Zoo - September 25 2021
52. Mountain Goat Oreamnos americanus
Minnesota Zoo - December 30 2021
52. Wolverine Gulo gulo
53. Sea Otter Enhydra lutris
54. Hawaiian Monk Seal Neomonachus schuinslandi

A few interesting stats/comments here:
-My worst miss was Ocelot, which I missed 3 times between two different zoos. I have still not seen an Ocelot.

-I unfortunately missed much of ASDM because I was forced to leave early. As such, I missed most of the possible species here, and likely would have won had this not happened (and I had such an awesome trial idea, too, with a clever name and everything).

-As mentioned earlier in the thread, I was the only challenge participant to see Eastern Cottontail. I actually saw it at two zoos in 2021 (BBWS and MacKensie Center).

Here was my wild list for the year:

1. Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
2. White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
3. American Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
4. Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
5. Common Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
6. Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor
7. Woodchuck Marmota monax
8. Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus
9. Rock Squirrel Otospermophilus variegatus
10. Desert Cottontail Sylvilagus audubonii
11. Feral Cat Felis catus
12. Bobcat Lynx rufus
13. Round-tailed Ground Squirrel Xerospermophilus tereticaudus
14. White-nosed Coati Nasua narica
15. Hooded Skunk Mephitis macroura
16. Arizona Gray Squirrel Sciurus arizonensis
17. White-throated Woodrat (Arizona Packrat) Neotoma albigula
18. Harris's Antelope Squirrel Ammospermophilus harrisii
19. Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus
20. Pronghorn Antilocapra americana
21. American Elk (Wapiti) Cervus canadensis
22. Botta's Pocket Gopher Thomomys bottae
23. Cliff Chipmunk Neotamias dorsalis
24. Collared Peccary (Javelina) Pecari tajacu
25. Feral Horse Equus ferus
26. North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
27. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
28. Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
29. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
30. Fisher Pekania pennanti
31. House Mouse Mus musculus
32. American Mink Neovision vision
33. Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus
34. Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus
35. North American Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus
36. Franklin's Ground Squirrel Poliocitellus franklinii
37. Southern Red-backed Vole Myodes gapperi

Some notes on my wild list (and how it compares to my captive one):

-This is the highest wild mammal year list I've ever had.

-I saw several species for this challenge that I had not seen in the wild at the time I counted them on this thread but I then saw wild later in the year, including Javelina, Wapiti, and Black-tailed Prairie Dog.

-I saw 17 North American mammal species both in the wild and in zoos in 2021 (although two didn't count for this challenge because they are domestic species.

-The prairie dog sighting represents me documenting a new introduced population that wasn't previously known.

-I narrowly missed getting sprayed by that Hooded Skunk.

-My biggest wild miss was Bighorn Sheep. I looked so hard but just couldn't find it!

 

If it makes you feel any better, I'm not sure this is true. You saw most of what they still keep either before or after your visit. There are only 3-4 more mammals I can think of that you may have gotten there, which would at best tie you with either myself or @TinoPup. You never know, though.

~Thylo

 

To add on, there's several species I missed at zoos as well, which I could have done return visits for if needed (I didn't do any overnight trips last year). There's several other species I could have gotten relatively close to me, but I either didn't feel like dealing with the higher costs (aquariums) or driving just to get one species at one zoo unless I absolutely needed to for the challenge.

There's only a couple of places in the entire country that actively keep the species, all nature center types. Most places don't bother, since they're so fragile. It's the same as seeing something like ermine (which I was the only one to see).

You mean the prairie dogs that I told you had already been documented in several places I'd seen before your post? Birdsandbats' Shamba Safari Review + A Concerning Discovery [Shamba Safari]

 

You wouldn't have been, if the WNC Nature Center's ermine hadn't up and disappeared by the time I got over to this coast!

I think it suffices to say none of us had a perfect year in 2021

 

I thought they had least weasel, not ermine?

 

You're right, I double-checked my species list and it was Least Weasel. So many of the weasels have multiple common names that I forget which ones apply to which.

 

Dave keeps me on track of that I remember him comparing the sizes between the least weasel, which is smallest, and the tiny but giant in comparison ermine/short-tailed weasel.