Zoochat Challenge North America 2023

Let's get this ball rolling!

Toronto Zoo: 21 January 2023
1. Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum (charlesbogerti))
2. Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum)
3. San Esteban chuckwalla (Sauromalus varius)
4. Desert grassland whiptail lizard (Aspidoscelis uniparens)
5. Black tree monitor (Varanus beccarii)
6. Central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
7. Fijian banded iguana (Brachylophus bulabula)
8. Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
9. Prehensile-tailed skink (Corucia zebrata)
10. Chinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodiluris)
11. Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)

 

I finally crossed the Gladys Porter Zoo off of my bucket list this weekend (!), and I swung by Aggieland Safari on my way home because it was there.

Gladys Porter Zoo (Brownsville, TX) -- 21 January 2023:
32. African fat-tailed gecko (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus)
33. Blue tree monitor (Varanus macraei)
34. Chiapan beaded lizard (Heloderma alvarezi)
35. Central American banded gecko (Coleonyx mitratus)
36. Common barking knob-tailed gecko (Nephrurus levis)
37. Common blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides)
38. Gray’s monitor (Varanus olivaceus)
39. Great Plains skink (Plestiodon obsoletus)
40. Green iguana (Iguana iguana)
41. Lace monitor (Varanus varius)
42. Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum)
43. Red-eyed crocodile skink (Tribolonotus gracilis)
44. Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa)
45. Slender glass lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)
46. Texas alligator lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis)


Aggieland Safari (Bryan, TX) -- 22 January 2023:
47. Common leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
48. Eastern collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)
49. Inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

(As I am also keeping track of primates for fun -- it is interesting to note that Gladys Porter quadrupled my primate count from my previous two zoo visits of the year!)

 

I am back in New York, and today I stopped by the Prospect Park Zoo. Unfortunately it was too cold for the baboons to be on exhibit, but I saw all their other primate species:

8. Geoffrey's Marmoset (Callithrix geoffroyi)
9. Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
10. White Face Saki (Pithecia pithecia)
11. Lesser Bushbaby (Galago moholi)

 

Had a nice visit to Como Park on Sunday and saw my first few species of the year. i'll also keep track of lizards privately, just for fun .

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory 1/22/23
1. Blue-Eyed Black Lemur (Eulemur flavifrons)
2. Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator)
3. White-Faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia)
4. Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)
5. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)
6. Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus patas)
7. Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii)
8. Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

 

Saw two more species at the Central Park Zoo today!

Central Park Zoo, New York City, NY (1/27/23)
12. Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata)
13. Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata)

 

I've never done a ZooChat Challenge before, and unfortunately I probably will not be able to visit many zoos this year, but count me down for lizards! Only two so far.
Oglebay Good Zoo, Wheeling, WV (1/8/2023)

1. Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma grandis)
2. Common Blue-Tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides)

 

Dallas Zoo (Dallas, TX) -- 28 January 2023:
50. Black tree monitor (Varanus beccarii)
51. Centralian blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua multifasciata)
52. Common chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)
53. Eastern casquehead iguana (Laemanctus longipes)
54. Northern flat-tailed gecko (Uroplatus alluaudi)
55. Perentie (Varanus giganteus)
56. Reticulate collared lizard (Crotaphytus reticulatus)
57. Sakishima grass lizard (Takydromus dorsalis)
58. Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum)

 

All species I wasn't around were present in the US! It's only January and this challenge is already forcing me to rewrite sections of that herp guide

 

Oh no, haha Well, I’m happy to help!

Your post spurred me to look into it a little more, and it looks like the “northern leaf-tailed” gecko is actually a “northern flat-tailed” gecko, Uroplates alluaudi. Just goes to show you the importance of scientific names in this challenge! The Sakishima grass lizards are unique to Dallas, while the Centralian blue-tongued skink is only also found at Abilene.

 

Buffalo Zoo 1/29
1. Common chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) – Central Park Zoo 1/7
2. Oriente anole (Anolis smalwoodi) – Central Park Zoo 1/7
3. Solomon Island prehensile-tailed skink (Corucia zebrata) – Central Park Zoo 1/7
4. Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) – Central Park Zoo 1/7
5. Chinese crocodile skink (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) – Prospect Park Zoo 1/12
6. Green iguana (Iguana iguana) – Prospect Park Zoo 1/12
7. Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus henkeli) – Prospect Park Zoo 1/12
8. Fiji Island iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis) – Buffalo Zoo 1/29
9. Sudan plated lizard (Broadleysaurus major) – Buffalo Zoo 1/29
10. Dumeril's monitor (Varanus dumerilii) - Buffalo Zoo 1/29
11. Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) - Buffalo Zoo 1/29
12. Emerald swift (Sceloporus malachiticus) – Buffalo Zoo 1/29
13. Beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum) – Buffalo Zoo 1/29

 

Sedgwick County Zoo 02/01/23
11. Sonoran Spiny-tailed Iguana - Ctenosaura macrolopha

There are two on-show lizards at Sedgwick that are still eluding me!

 

Bronx Zoo 2/2

Spoiler: Challenge progress

1. Common chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) – Central Park Zoo 1/7
2. Oriente anole (Anolis smalwoodi) – Central Park Zoo 1/7
3. Solomon Island prehensile-tailed skink (Corucia zebrata) – Central Park Zoo 1/7
4. Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) – Central Park Zoo 1/7
5. Chinese crocodile skink (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) – Prospect Park Zoo 1/12
6. Green iguana (Iguana iguana) – Prospect Park Zoo 1/12
7. Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus henkeli) – Prospect Park Zoo 1/12
8. Fiji Island iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis) – Buffalo Zoo 1/29
9. Sudan plated lizard (Broadleysaurus major) – Buffalo Zoo 1/29
10. Dumeril's monitor (Varanus dumerilii) - Buffalo Zoo 1/29
11. Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) - Buffalo Zoo 1/29
12. Emerald swift (Sceloporus malachiticus) – Buffalo Zoo 1/29
13. Beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum) – Buffalo Zoo 1/29
14. Spiny-tailed monitor (Varanus acanthurus) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
15. Blue tree monitor (Varanus macraei) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
16. Mertens’ water monitor (Varanus mertensi) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
17. Merrem's Madagascar swift (Oplurus cyclurus) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
18. Freckled monitor (Varanus tristis) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
19. Butaan (Varanus olivaceus) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
20. Black tree monitor (Varanus beccarii) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
21. Frilled dragon (Chlamydosaurus kingii) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
22. Shingleback skink (Tiliqua rugosa) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
23. Mozambique girdled lizard (Smaug mossambicus) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
24. Giant horned lizard (Phrynosoma asio) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
25. Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
26. Shield-tailed agama (Xenagama taylori) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
27. Viper gecko (Hemidactylus imbricatus) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
28. William’s dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
29. Philippine sailfin (Dracaena guianensis) - Bronx Zoo 2/2
30. Northern caiman lizard (Dracaena guianensis) - Bronx Zoo 2/2

 

I don't anticipate being a particularly impressive contender, but I think I'm gonna go for primates. Haven't seen anything yet, but stay tuned

 

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park - 2/3

1. Cotton-top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
2. Collared Brown Lemur (Eulemur collaris)
3. Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)
4. Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)
5. Angola Colobus (Colobus angolensis)
6. Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
7. Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)
8. Northern White-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys)

 

1. Western Lowland Gorilla ZooMiami 1/3/2023
2. Chimpanzee ZooMiami 1/3/2023
3. Bornean Orangutan ZooMiami 1/3/2023
4. White Cheeked Gibbon ZooMiami 1/3/2023
5. Siamang ZooMiami 1/3/2023
6. Brown-Headed Spider Monkey ZooMiami 1/3/2023
7. Mongoose Lemur ZooMiami 1/3/2023
8. Black Howler Monkey ZooMiami 1/3/2023
9. Colobus Monkey Naples Zoo 1/5/2023
10. Ring-Tailed Lemur Naples Zoo 1/5/2023
11. Buff-Cheeked Gibbon Naples Zoo 1/5/2023
12. Red-Ruffed Lemur Naples Zoo 1/5/2023
13. Cotton-Top Tamarin Naples Zoo 1/5/2023
14. Black-Handed Spider Monkey Naples Zoo 1/5/2023
15. Ebony Langur Bronx Zoo 1/8/2023
16. Coquerel's Sifaka Bronx Zoo 1/8/2023
17. Common Brown Lemur Bronx Zoo 1/8/2023
18. Gelada Bronx Zoo 1/8/2023
19. Bolivian Grey Titi Monkey Bronx Zoo 1/8/2023
20. Silvery Leaf Monkey Bronx Zoo 1/8/2023
21. Maholey Bushbaby Bronx Zoo 1/8/2023
22. Geoffrey's Tamarin Maritime Aquarium 1/8/2023
23. Vervet Monkey Animal Adventures 2/5/2023

Hopefully my list should be all set but if you see any issues please let me know. Not trying to get away with anything, just life's been a bit stressful recently

 

A two-for-one today!

Children’s Aquarium Dallas at Fair Park (Dallas, TX) -- 05 February 2023:
59. Berber skink (Eumeces schneiderii)
60. Rhinoceros iguana (Cyclura cornuta)
61. Sheltopusik (Pseudopus apodus)

Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park (Dallas, TX) -- 05 February 2023:
62. Texas spiny lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)

 

All today (2/5/2023) at Henry Vilas Zoo

1. Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
2. Black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata)
3. Geoffrey's marmoset (Callithrix geoffroyi)
4. White-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar)

Not an impressive list by any stretch, but it gets me started! It should be good but let me know if I missed anything

 

@Coelacanth18 how are we handling Chlorocebus hybrids? I'm like 90% certain the individual at Animal Adventures is a hybrid, and since there's a number of hybrid individuals around (and it's difficult to distinguish between hybrids and purebreds), hybrid Chlorocebus species is likely something that'll affect more of us as well, so figured it'd be a good thing to address sooner rather than later.

 

Also seems like maybe the common names are used interchangeably, which is annoying.

I think counting all Chlorocebus monkeys as one species is probably the best way to go; that way people can count it for something, but we don't have to get into debates or discussions about what anything is (I'm not enough of a primate expert to make case-by-case judgements on this one).

So vervets, grivets, green monkeys, etc - far as I'm concerned now, they're all the same species now. List them under whatever name you want, once, and I'll count them as Chlorocebus X.

 

Hey, even primate experts can't agree on the taxonomy of Chlorocebus. Counting them as a single species is probably the best choice anyways. There are a number of primates that the IUCN has arguably over-split (I know, all you ungulate people are probably laughing at the idea of the IUCN over-splitting), which is unfortunate for conservation purposes as if you can't agree on what counts as a species, then you can't agree on what gets protected. Vervets, squirrel monkeys, langurs, I'm sure there are others I'm not thinking of as well, have all gone through splits recently that are dubious at best, oftentimes based on purely geographic barriers and slight phylogenetic differences.