ZooChat Challenge (Global) 2019

[Vision]

I have of course already made my point, but I'd like to expand upon it and say that in my opinion the subject of the challenge is sufficiently narrow to warrant a broader interpretation of the rules instead of a narrower one.

The fact is that not many zoos exhibit significant numbers of amphibians, and those that do have decent numbers often have collections mainly consisting of a few of a very select amount of species. I assume that for a lot of people, after getting the most common poison dart frogs, tree frogs and a handful of salamanders the challenge will be all but over for the rest of the year. As soon as somebody visits one or a few of the key collections mentioned in earlier posts like Chemnitz or Berlin, that might be the end of any real competition. Nature centres and musea, however, have the potential for bringing in unexpected (native) species, making sure people keep enjoying the challenge and have the opportunity to score high without having to book flights/trains to Germany.

At the end of the day it's just a game invented to have some fun; let's not let semantics of what is and isn't a zoo get in the way of all of us seeing some interesting and underrepresented animals...

 

[ZooBinh]

I remember learning about a concept called addition in Maths class. It was called Addition. Basically if you have FOUR species from one place and then you went to another place with a different FOUR species you would actually have EIGHT species! Crazy, right? But it gets better (or worse) because if you kept visiting more places with FOUR species your total would keep increasing. By the time you had visited SEVEN collections your total would be TWENTY EIGHT. Now imagine a zoo with just TWO new species. You might still be thinking that TWO is not a big enough number to make a difference (something else we might need to talk about), but if you add TWO to TWENTY EIGHT you get THIRTY, and we all know that number is arbitrarily large enough to be worth debating.
?

Astounding! Utterly astounding! Must be one of the more mystifying philosophies of the century. I should award a ZooBinh Golden Medal for this.

With regards to nature centers, what reason is there to not count them? As long as anyone is able to visit them, they do not pose as a problem. Also, something like the Boston Science Center should count, as it has a large collection and is AZA-accredited. Also, if "anything not on your zoo list" should not count, then shouldnt aquariums be included in this list of facilities not allowed? Also, why did this argument start over someone getting four species? It is not enough to make an overall difference in the end. It would be one thing if the center had 30 species, but why have a long debate over FOUR SPECIES?

My "jokes" aside, I do think that nature centers should count as long as they are displayed animals. If you read the posts thoroughly, you would've seen that the debate was over whether institutions displaying animals besides zoos and aquaria, starting with Thylo's remark stating the latter institutions should not count, and the debate started over whether they should, not because someone got four species.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

You all have made your points clear and I have heard them, feel free to count nature centers and museums for the challenge

~Thylo

 

[birdsandbats]

I remember learning about a concept called addition in Maths class. It was called Addition. Basically if you have FOUR species from one place and then you went to another place with a different FOUR species you would actually have EIGHT species! Crazy, right? But it gets better (or worse) because if you kept visiting more places with FOUR species your total would keep increasing. By the time you had visited SEVEN collections your total would be TWENTY EIGHT. Now imagine a zoo with just TWO new species. You might still be thinking that TWO is not a big enough number to make a difference (something else we might need to talk about), but if you add TWO to TWENTY EIGHT you get THIRTY, and we all know that number is arbitrarily large enough to be worth debating.

And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling kids.

This would be much easier if FREEA still existed.

 

[pipaluk]

Linton Zoo January 1

1 African Bullfrog - Pyxicephalus adspersus

Colchester Zoo January 6

2 Ornate Horned Frog - Ceratophrys ornata
3 Bony headed toad - Ingerophrynus galeatus
4 Blue Poison dart frog - Dendrobates azureus
5 Yellow banded poison dart frog - Dendrobates leucomelas
6 green & black poison dart frog - Dendrobates auratus
7 false tomato frog - Dyscophus guineti
8 Trinidad poison frog - Mannophryne trinitatis

Shepreth 26/1/19

9 African Clawed Frog - Xenopus laevis
10 Golden Mantella - Mantella aurantiaca

 

[ShonenJake13]

Chester Zoo

18. Golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis)
19. Marañon poison frog (Excidobates mysteriosus)
20. Rio Cauca caecilian (Typhlonectes natans)
21. Green and black poison frog (Dendrobates auratus)
22. Crowned tree frog (Triprion spinosus)
23. Morelet’s tree frog (Agalychnis moreletii)
24. Mountain chicken (Leptodactylus fallax)

Cotswold Wildlife Park

25. Sambava tomato frog (Dyscophus guineti)
26. Borneo eared frog (Polypedates otilophus)
27. Vermiculated tree frog (Leptopelis vermiculatus)
28. Cinnamon frog (Nyctixalus pictus)
29. Beautiful mantella (Mantella pulchra)

 

[Marhi]

Pilsen Zoo (Short visit)

1. White spotted reed frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus) - rákosnička běloskvrnná
2. Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) - pralesnička strašná
3. Dyeing Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) - pralesnička mnohobarvá

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Finally able to throw my hat in the ring!

Bronx Zoo
1) Asian Tree Toad Pedostibes hosii
2) Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
3) Kihansi Spray Toad Nectophrynoides asperginis
4) Golden Poison Dart Frog Phyllobates terribilis
5) Yellow-Banded Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates leucomelas
6) Panamanian Golden Toad Atelopus zeteki
7) Solomon Islands Leaf Frog Ceratobatrachus guentheri
8) Dyeing Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates tinctorius
9) Green-and-Black Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates auratus
10) Smooth-Sided Toad Rhaebo guttatus
11) Congo Dwarf Clawed Frog Hymenochirus boettgeri
12) African Bullfrog Pyxicephalus adspersus
13) Sambava Tomato Frog Dyscophus guineti

I missed a good four or so species on-exhibit at the zoo, but I'm still happy as I'd initially missed eight of the above species!

~Thylo

 

[Imperator Furiosa]

Lincoln Park Zoo - 01/18/19
16. Oriental Fire-belly Toad (Bombina orientalis)
17. Emperor Newt (Tylototriton shanjing)
18. Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)
19. Solomon Island Leaf Frog (Ceratobatrachus guentheri)
20. American Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea)
21. American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

Well since museums and nature centers are allowed now...

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - 01/18/19
22. Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)
23. Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris)
24. Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)
25. Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
26. Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

 

[birdsandbats]

Well since museums and nature centers are allowed now...

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - 01/18/19
22. Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)
23. Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris)
24. Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)
25. Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
26. Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

I would have counted that collection even if museums weren't allowed. I've always considered PNNM as a zoo rather than a museum.

 

[Marhi]

Terárium Dubeč 27. 1. 2019:

4) Sharp-ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) - žebrovník Waltlův

 

[birdsandbats]

Idea for next year's challenge:

Chordates.

Actually, I think would be a really fun challenge.

 

[nczoofan]

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Raleigh) 1/20/19

21) Squirrel tree frog (Hyla squirella)
22) Southern toad (Anaxyrus terrestris)
23) Barking tree frog (Hyla gratiosa)
24) Golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis)
25) Yellow-banded poison dart frog (Dendrobates leucomelas)
26) Seal salamander (Desmognathus monticola)
27) Red-cheeked salamander (Plethodon jordani)
28) Spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)
29) Greater siren (Siren lacertina)
30) Two-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma means)

Greensboro Science Center: (2/2/19)
31) Australian green tree frog (Litoria caerulea)
32) Tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
33) Cope's gray tree frog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

 

[ZooBinh]

So my science teacher runs this "discovery kiosk" in y school. It's like a mini nature center. She exhibits animals there. It's open for anyone in the school to come visit. Would that count? Cause then I'd have two species to start. They're not "classroom pets", its a literal room.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

So my science teacher runs this "discovery kiosk" in y school. It's like a mini nature center. She exhibits animals there. It's open for anyone in the school to come visit. Would that count? Cause then I'd have two species to start. They're not "classroom pets", its a literal room.

See rule 5.

~Thylo

 

[pipaluk]

Shepreth 26/1/19

9 African Clawed Frog - Xenopus laevis
10 Golden Mantella - Mantella aurantiaca

Paradise Wildlife Park 2/2/19
11 Cane Toad - Rhinella marina

 

[Marhi]

Terárium Dubeč 27. 1. 2019:

4) Sharp-ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl) - žebrovník Waltlův

Zoo Praha 3/2/2019
5) American Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea) - rosnička bělopruhá
6) Australian Green Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea) - rosnice siná
7) Cuban Toad (Peltophryne peltocephala) - ropucha síťkovaná
8) Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus) - velemlok čínský

 

[Imperator Furiosa]

Well since museums and nature centers are allowed now...

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - 01/18/19
22. Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)
23. Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris)
24. Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)
25. Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
26. Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

Shedd Aquarium (again) - 02/09/2019
27. Silverstone’s Poison Frog (Ameerega silverstonei)
28. Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia)
29. Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda)
30. Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)

 

[AWP]

Artis

1. Golden mantella (Mantella aurantiaca)
2. Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas)
3. Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra)
4. Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl)
5. Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)
6. Common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus)

Blijdorp
7. "Jeberos" mimic poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator)
8. "Brazil" dyeing poison frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)
9. Antillean ditch frog (Leptodactylus fallax)
10. Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius)

 

[MagpieGoose]

Welsh Mountain Zoo- 05/01/2018
10) Phantsamal Dart Frog (Epipedobates tricolour)
Chester Zoo- 19/01/2018
11) Yellow Stream Frog (Sylvirana cubitalis)
12) Lake Pátzcuaro Salamander (Ambystoma dumerilii)
13) Sambava Tomato Frog (Dyscophus guineti)

The Exotic Zoo Telford- 17/02/2019
14) Red-eye Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)
15) Cane Toad (Rhinella marina)
16) African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus)