Belo Horizonte Zoo Belo Horizonte Zoo, species list

Belo Horizonte zoo updated species list

This list was made based on the zoo’s old visitation app and official informations from the zoo’s staff.The institution does not let their official species list available online like other institutions in Brazil, but anyway, it was possible for me to bring this list, wich is the most accurate that I could make. In my last visit, (in October 11th 2020) I took notes of all the species that I could, to compare with their app’s information. This list shows all the species of animals you can see in a visit to the Belo Horizonte zoo and aquarium, but species located in the restricted areas of the zoo won’t be added here.


Example of how the names of the species are listed:

English name / Brazilian name - Scientific name


Mammals (36 species): The zoo’s mammals collection is divided between: the big cats area, african area, south american area, hoofstock corridor, primate area I, primate area II, and some other spread exhibits around the institution.


African elephant / Eleante-africano - (Loxodonta africana)

African lion / Leão-africano - (Panthera leo)

Amazonian wooly monkey / Macaco-barrigudo - (Lagothrix cana)

Bactrian camel / Camelo-bactriano - (Camelus bactrianus)

Black-fronted Titi / Guigó - (Callicebus nigrifrons)

Black howler monkey / Bugio-preto - (Alouatta caraya)

Brazilian agouti / Cutia - (Dasyprocta azarae)

Brazilian porcupine / Ouriço-cacheiro - (Coendou prehensilis)

Brazilian tapir / Anta brasileira - (Tapirus terrestris)

Collared pecari / Caititu - (Pecari tajacu)

Common chimpanzee / Chimpanzé comum - (Pan troglodytes)

Common hippopotamus / Hipopótamo comum - (Hipopotamus amphibius)

Elipsen waterbuck / Cobo-de-meia-lua - (Kobus ellipsiprymnus)

European fallow deer / Cervo-dama - (Dama dama)

Feline night monkey / Macaco-da-noite - (Aotus azarae infulatus)

Gabon talapoin / Macaco-talapoin - (Miopithecus ogouensis)

Gemsbok / Órix - (Oryx gazella)

Giant anteater / Tamanduá-bandeira - (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

Golden-belied capuchin monkey / Macaco-prego-de-peito-amarelo - (Sapajus

Golden-headed lion tamarin / Mico-leão-de-cara-dourada - (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)

Golden-lion tamarin / Mico-leão-dourado - (Leontopithecus rosalia)

Gray brocket deer / Veado-catingueiro - (Mazama gouazoubira)

Lesser anteater/southern tamandua / Tamanduá-mirim - (Myrmecophaga tetradactyla)

Llama / Lhama - (Lama glama)

Maned wolf / Lobo-guará (Crysocion brachyrus)

Marsh deer / Cervo-do-pantanal - (Blastocerus dichotomus)

Ocelot / Jaguatirica - (Leopardus pardalis)

Paca /Paca - (Agouti paca)

Pampas cat (colocolo) / Gato-palheiro - (Leopardus colocolo)

Plains zebra / Zebra-da-planície - (Equus burchelli)

Puma / Onça-parda/suçuarana/puma - (Puma concolor)

Red deer / Cervo-nobre - (Cervus elaphus)

South-american jaguar / Onça-pintada - (Panthera onca)

Southern white rhinoceros / Rinoceronte-branco-do-sul - (Ceratotherium simum)

Western lowland gorilla / Gorila-da-planície-ocidental - (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

White-faced saki / Macaco-Parauacu - (Pithecia pithecia)


Reptiles (24 species): The zoo exhibits most of it’s reptiles in the main reptile house, built in 1998. This structure keeps all the snakes of the institution, a few sliders and iguanas, in some indoor and outdoor exhibits. There are four separated reptile exhibits in the South american area of the zoo, two holding broad-snouted-caimans, (one of them houses a few species of freshwater turtles among the caimans) and the last two only holds chelonians (one for tortoises, and the other for freshwater turtles).



Amazon turtle / arrau turtle / tartaruga-da-Amazônia - (Podocnemis expansa)

Amazonian boa / Jiboia-amazônica - (Boa constrictor)

Amazonian tree boa / Suaçuboia - (Corallus hortulanus)

Ball python / Píton-bola - (Python regius)

Bearded dragon lizard / Dragão-barbudo - (Pogona vitticeps)

Black-and-White tegu lizard / Teiú - (Tupinambis merianae

Broad snouted caiman / Jacaré-do-papo-amarelo - (Caiman latirostris)

Burmese python / Píton-birmanesa - (Python bivittatus)

Corn snake / Cobra-do-milho - (Pantherophis guttatus)

Emerald tree boa / Cobra-papagaio/periquitamboia - (Corallus caninus)

Geoffroy's Toadhead Turtle / Cágado-de-barbicha - (Phrynops geoffroanus)

Green iguana / Iguana verde - (Iguana iguana)

Leopard gecko / Lagartixa-leopardo - (Eublepharis macularius)

Marbled lancehead / Jararaca-pintada/jararaca-marmorizada - (Bothrops marmoratus)

Nile monitor / Lagarto-monitor-do-nilo - (Varanus niloticus)

Red-eared slider / Tartaruga tigre d’água americana - (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Red-footed tortoise / Jabuti-piranga - (Chelonoidis carbonaria)

Reticulated python / Píton-reticulada - (Python reticulatus)

Scorpion Mud Turtle / Muçuã/Jurará - (Kinosternon scorpioides)

South American rattlesnake / Cascavel - (Crotalus durissus)

Spotted-legged Turtle / Aperema - (Rhinoclemmys punctularia)

Yellow anaconda / Sucuri-amarela - (Eunectes notaeus)

Yellow eared slider / tartaruga tigre-d’água - (Trachemys dorbigni)

Yellow-footed tortoise / Jabuti-tinga - (Chelonoidis denticulata)


Fish (19 species): The zoo keeps a big thematic aquarium, built in 2010, wich is nowadays the largest freshwater aquarium under activity in the country. It represents the brazilian river of São Francisco, housing only species that can be found in this river, and representes several parts of this huge watercourse.


Annual killifish / Peixe anual - (Cynolebias perforatus)

Barrigudinho* - (Phallocer os uai)

Canivete* - (Apareiodon sp.)

Chameleon cichlid / Acará-camaleão - (Australoheros facetus)

Darter characin / Mocinha - (Characidium fasciatum)

Joaninha/jacundá* - (Crenicichla lepidota)

Koi fish / Carpa asiática - (Cyprinus carpio)

Lambari bocarra* / Lambari bocarra - (Oligosarcus argenteus)

Mandir chorão/bagre pintado* - (Pimelodella sp.)

Manjuba* - (Curimatella lepidura)

Mussum* - (Synbranchus marmoratus)

Piaba facão* - (Triportheus guentheri)

Piabinha* - (Psellogrammus kennedyi)

Piau-três-pintas* - (Leporinus reinhardti)

Pirá-tamanduá* - (Conorhynchos conirostris)

Serpae tetra / Mato-grosso - (Hyphessobrycon eques)

Tamboatá* - (Hoplosternum littorale)

Timboré* - (Leporinus taeniatus)

Trairão* - (Hoplias intermedius)


*Animals with no common name translation to english



Birds (98 species): Three bird squares house the zoo’s birds. The largest one houses the ratites, psitacides and birds of prey, the second largest keeps the passerines and has some vivariums with other some native birds; and the smallest square, wich is the first thing you see when you enter the zoo, has four aviaries with some macaws and pheasants.


Alagaos currasow / Mutum-do-nordeste/Mutum-de-Alagoas - (Mitu mitu)

Alexandrine parakeet / Rei-alexandrino - (Psittacula eupatria)

Amazonian currasow / Mutum-do-amazonas - (Mitu tomentosa)

American kestrel / Gavião-quiri-quiri - (Falco sparverius)

Australian wood duck / Ganso-maned - (Chenonetta jubata)

Bare-throated bellbird / Araponga - (Procnias nudicollis)

Barn owl / Coruja-da-torre - (Tyto alba)

Black curassow / Mutumporanga - (Crax alector)

Black-throated grossbeak / Bico-de-pimenta - (Saltator atricollis)

Blue and yellow macaw / Arara-canindé - (Ara ararauna)

Blue-winged Macaw / Arara-maracanã - (Primolius maracana)

Brazilian tanager / Tiê-sangue - (Ramphocellus bresilius)

Buff-necked Ibis / Curicaca - (Theristicus caudatus)

Caatinga parakeet / Jandaia-do-cerrado - (Aratinga cactorum)

Campo oriole / Sofrê - (Icterus jamacaii)

Cape Barren goose / Ganso-australiano - (Cereopsis novaehollandiae)

Carolina duck/wood duck / Marreco-carolina - (Aix sponsa)

Chattering Lory / Lóris-amor-amor - (Loris garrulus)

Cinammon tanager / Bico-de-veludo - (Schistochlamys ruficapillus)

Coconut lorikeet / Lóris-arco-iris - (Trichoglossus haematodus)

Common ostrich / Avestruz - (Strutio camelus)

Common Starling / Estorninho - (Sturnus vulgaris)

Crested Orpendola / Japu - (Psarocollus decumanus)

Curl-crested jay / Gralha-do-campo - (Cyanocorax cristatellus)

Egyptian goose / Ganso-do-egito - (Alopochen aegyptiacus)

Festive amazon / Papagaio-papa-cacau - (Amazona festiva)

Giant cowbird / Graúna - (Gnorimopsar chopi)

Gilt-edged tanager / Saíra-dourada - (Tangara cyanoventris)

Golden parakeet / Ararajuba - (Guaruba guarouba)

Golden pheasant / Faisão-dourado - (Chrysolophus pictus)

Golden-capped parakeet / Jandaia-mineira - (Aratinga auricapilla)

Gray crowned crane / Grou-coroado - (Balearica pavonina)

Great horned owl / Corujão-orelhudo - (Bubo virginianus)

Greater blue eared Starling / Melro-metálico - (Lamprotornis purpureus)

Greater rhea / Ema - (Rhea americana)

Green-billed toucan / Tucano-do-bico-verde - (Ramphastos dicolorus)

Green-cheeked parakeet / Tiriba-de-cara-suja - (Pyrrhura cruentata)

Green-winged saltator / Trinca-ferro - (Saltator similis)

Grey cowled wood rail / Saracura-três-potes - (Aramides cajanea)

Half collared sparrow / Tico-tico-da-mata - (Arremon flavirostris)

Harpy eagle / Harpia - (Harpia harpia)

Hooded siskin / Pintassilgo - (Carduelis magellanicus)

Horned screamer / Inhuma - (Anhima cornuta)

Hyacinth macaw / Arara-azul-grande - (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

Indian peafowl / Pavão-azul/pavão indiano - (Pavo cristatus)

Kalij pheasant / Faisão-do-nepal - (Lophura leucomelana)

King vulture / Urubu-rei - (Sarcoramphus papa)

Lear’s macaw / Arara-azul-de-lear - (Anodorhynchus leari)

Luzon bleeding heart dove / Pomba-apunhalada - (Galicolumba luzonica)

Magpie tanager / Tiê-tinga - (Cissopis leveriana)

Mandarin duck / Marreco-mandarim - (Aix galericulata)

Nocturnal currasow / Urumutum - (Nothocrax urumutum)

Orange-fronted yellow finch / Canário-do-amazonas - (Sicalis columbiana)

Orange-winged amazon / Papagaio-do-mangue - (Amazona amazonica)

Plush-crested Jay / Gralha-picaça - (Cyanocorax chrysops)

Razor billed currasow / Mutum-cavalo - (Mitu tuberosa)

Red and green macaw / Arara-vermelha - (Ara chloropterus)

Red billed currasow / Mutum-do-sudeste - (Crax blumenbachii)

Red crested pochard / Marreco-colorado - (Netta rufina)

Red tanager / Sanhaço-de-fogo - (Piranga flava)

Red-browed amazon / Papagaio-chauá - (Amazona rhodocorytha)

Red-cowled cardinal / Galo-de-campina - (Paroaria dominicana)

Red-fan Parrot / Anacã - (Deroptyus accipitrinus)

Red-winged-tinamou / Perdiz - (Rhynchotus rufescens)

Ringed teal / Marreco-de-anel - (Calloneta leucoprhys)

Rose-ringed parakeet / Periquitão-de-anel - (Psittacula krameri)

Ruddy shelduck / Tadorna-ferrugem - (Tadorna ferruginea)

Rufescent tiger heron / Socó-boi - (Tigrisoma lineatum)

Rufous collared sparrow / Tico-tico-argentino - (Lophospingus pusillus)

Rufous-bellied thrush / Sabiá-laranjeira - (Turdus rufiventris)

Saffron finch / Canário-da-terra - (Sicalis flaveola)

Savanna hawk / Gavião-caboclo - (Buteogallus meridionalis)

Scaly-headed parrot / Curica-esfumaçada - (Pionus maximilianii)

Scarlet ibis / Guará - (Endocimous ruber)

Scarlet macaw / Arara-piranga - (Ara macao)

Southern cassowary / Casuar-australiano (Casuarius casuarius)

Striped owl / Coruja-de-chifre - (Asio clamator)

Swallow tanager / Saíra-andorinha - (Tersina viridis)

Toco toucan / Tucano-toco - (Ramphastos toco)

Tui parakeet / Periquito-testinha - (Brotogeris sanctithomae)

Turquoise-fronted amazona / Papagaio-verdadeiro - (Amazona aestiva)

Ultramarine grossbeak / Azulão - (Passerina brissonii)

Variable oriole / Pega - (Icterus cayanensis)

Vinaceous-breasted amazon / Papagaio-do-peito-roxo - (Amazona vinacea)

Vulturine guinea fowl / Vulturina - (Acryllium vulturinum)

Whistling heron / Garça-faceira - (Syrigma sibilatrix)

White cheeked pintail duck / Marreco-toucinho - (Anas bahamensis)

White-Bellied parrot / Marianinha - (Pionites leucogaster)

White-cheecked turaco / Turaco-de-orelha-branca - (tauraco leucotis)

White-eared parakeet / Tiriba-de-orelha-branca - (Pyrrhura leucotis)

White-naped-jay / Gralha-cancã - (Cyanocorax cyanopogan)

Yellow faced siskin / Pintassilgo-do-nordeste - (Sporophila yarreli)

yellow-chevroned parakeet / Periquito-de-encontro-amarelo - (Brotogeris chiriri)

Yellow-collared Macaw / Arara-de-colar - (Primolius auricollis)

Yellow-crowned amazon / Papagaio-campeiro - (Amazona ochrocephala)

Yellow-faced parrot / Papagaio-galego - (Amazona xanthops)

Yellow-legged Tinamou / Zabelê - (Crypturellus noctivagus zabele)

Yellow-rumped marshbird / Chopim-do-brejo - (Pseudoleistes guirahuro)



Invertebrates (11 species): The zoo keeps a butterfly house with 11 species of butterflies and moths. Probably, the zoo rotates different species from time to time, once no information about the names of the species can be found online.


Whoever wants to take a fast tour through Belo Horizonte zoo and aquarium, Here's the link of a video I made showing some species and structures of the institution:
 
Last edited:
Yes, sure. The more native species the zoo gets to take care and reproduce, the better it is. Pied tamarins would be really nice to be kept, as well as bringing more emperor tamarins, wich the institution used to hold in the past.

Pied tamarins would be good, yes, as this species needs more effective ex-situ and in-situ management within Brazil desperately. However, the problem with them is that they are a very sensitive and highly strung species and they don't really adapt well to standard captive environments like those in zoos. Many zoos for example keep this species off-show because they tend to suffer from stress induced illnesses very easily.

Emperor tamarins are not really of conservation concern and I personally would rather see that space and resources are focused on Callitrichid species that are endangered and need ex-situ like our mountain marmosets and to a lesser extent the black lion tamarin.
 
Pied tamarins would be good, yes, as this species needs more effective ex-situ and in-situ management within Brazil desperately. However, the problem with them is that they are a very sensitive and highly strung species and they don't really adapt well to standard captive environments like those in zoos. Many zoos for example keep this species off-show because they tend to suffer from stress induced illnesses very easily.

Emperor tamarins are not really of conservation concern and I personally would rather see that space and resources are focused on Callitrichid species that are endangered and need ex-situ like our mountain marmosets and to a lesser extent the black lion tamarin.

Yeah... Pied tamarins are more difficult to reach breeding... although Brasilia zoo achieved their breeding twice in the last years. I think a nice workshop with BSB's team would be really helpful.

Hmmm, yeah, about the emperors, I think I mostly wanted them back because they are very pretty... but yes, the space they would occupie would be better used by something like a pied tamarin or mountain marmosets, indeed.
 
Yeah... Pied tamarins are more difficult to reach breeding... although Brasilia zoo achieved their breeding twice in the last years. I think a nice workshop with BSB's team would be really helpful.

Hmmm, yeah, about the emperors, I think I mostly wanted them back because they are very pretty... but yes, the space they would occupie would be better used by something like a pied tamarin or mountain marmosets, indeed.

There are also lots of other Callitrichid species from the Amazon and the Atlantic rainforest that would appear to require ex-situ management too here in Brazil.

Emperors are beautiful animals, I agree, I just meant I would prefer to see them kept less in Brazilian zoos in the sense of them not being of conservation concern.
 
Pied tamarins would be good, yes, as this species needs more effective ex-situ and in-situ management within Brazil desperately. However, the problem with them is that they are a very sensitive and highly strung species and they don't really adapt well to standard captive environments like those in zoos. Many zoos for example keep this species off-show because they tend to suffer from stress induced illnesses very easily.

Emperor tamarins are not really of conservation concern and I personally would rather see that space and resources are focused on Callitrichid species that are endangered and need ex-situ like our mountain marmosets and to a lesser extent the black lion tamarin.
On former, some zoos have doctored the good management of pied tamarin, yet certainly not all.

Agreed on second item: Emperor tamarins.
 
There are also lots of other Callitrichid species from the Amazon and the Atlantic rainforest that would appear to require ex-situ management too here in Brazil.

Emperors are beautiful animals, I agree, I just meant I would prefer to see them kept less in Brazilian zoos in the sense of them not being of conservation concern.
Perhaps in Brasilian zoos with less experience in the more delicate and (more of) conservation concern species that would benefit from an ex situ program (there are obviously quite many within Brazil itself).
 
There are also lots of other Callitrichid species from the Amazon and the Atlantic rainforest that would appear to require ex-situ management too here in Brazil.

Emperors are beautiful animals, I agree, I just meant I would prefer to see them kept less in Brazilian zoos in the sense of them not being of conservation concern.

Yes, I got about the emperors, I also agree.

Indeed there are many other species too... Talking about this, the black-headed lion tamarin is not held in any zoo, right? Just remembered about them now...
 
On former, some zoos have doctored the good management of pied tamarin, yet certainly not all.

Agreed on second item: Emperor tamarins.

Yes, I dont deny that there have been advances in the captive management of the pied tamarin in many zoos.

For example, Jersey zoo and the Durrell trust have done really brilliantly in my opinion with the species both in-situ and ex-situ and really helped push forward research into its husbandry.

However, the fact remains that because of the temperament and needs of the pied tamarin it is not really a Callitrichid species that is well suited for most zoos and particularly the zoos with the typical ABC type stock and theme park type atmospheres.
 
Yes, I got about the emperors, I also agree.

Indeed there are many other species too... Talking about this, the black-headed lion tamarin is not held in any zoo, right? Just remembered about them now...

I mean, what way you guys think they could be inserted in ex-situ programs? I got very thoughtfull about it these days and wanted to know sombody else's opinion.
 
Yes, I got about the emperors, I also agree.

Indeed there are many other species too... Talking about this, the black-headed lion tamarin is not held in any zoo, right? Just remembered about them now...

Yes, that is right Leontopithecus caissara isn't currently held by any zoos, although there was historically a plan / idea spearheaded by Jersey zoo / Durrell trust to take them into captivity and ex-situ management.

This plan never materialized on the Brazilian side (it really should have in my opinion though) so none of this species were ever taken into captivity. The São Paulo Zoo and their foundation is somewhat involved in their in-situ conservation though.

I wrote a bit about this species and its conservation situation in a recent thread of mine, you might find it interesting so I'll post it below.
 
Last edited:
No, that is right Leontopithecus caissara isn't currently held by any zoos, although there was a plan / idea spearheaded by Jersey zoo / Durrell trust to take them into captivity and ex-situ management.

This plan never materialized on the Brazilian side (it really should have in my opinion though) so none of this species were ever taken into captivity. The São Paulo Zoo and their foundation is somewhat involved in their in-situ conservation though.

I wrote a bit about this species and its conservation situation in a recent thread of mine, you might find it interesting so I'll post it below.

The comment about the lion tamarin species is on the first page of the thread.

What species would you like to see at Jersey Zoo ?

I mean, what way you guys think they could be inserted in ex-situ programs? I got very thoughtfull about it these days and wanted to know sombody else's opinion.

Do you mean in what way the emperor tamarin could be inserted into ex-situ programs or the Superagüi lion tamarin ?

The emperor tamarin is kind of useful in some ways as a "model species" which helps in terms of researching the needs and husbandry in captivity of more endangered closely related species. So it is a species that can sort of (providing that it is used for research and not just put on display) play a supporting role in conservation of more endangered species in zoos.

The Superagüi lion tamarin situation is very very complex though and there is no easy answer to your question unfortunately. The problem is that individuals of the species were not taken into ex-situ management at the ideal time (that was proposed by Jersey zoo) which was just a few years after their discovery in the early to mid 1990's.
 
Last edited:
The comment about the lion tamarin species is on the first page of the thread.

What species would you like to see at Jersey Zoo ?



Do you mean in what way the emperor tamarin could be inserted into ex-situ programs or the Superagüi lion tamarin ?

The emperor tamarin is kind of useful in some ways as a "model species" which helps in terms of researching the needs and husbandry in captivity of more endangered closely related species. So it is a species that can sort of play a supporting role in conservation of more endangered species in zoos.

The Superagüi lion tamarin situation is very very complex though and there is no easy answer to your question unfortunately. The problem is that individuals of the species were not taken into ex-situ management at the ideal time (that was proposed by Jersey zoo) which was just a few years after their discovery in the early to mid 1990's.

Thanks:), I'm definitely gonna check it out!

I was talking about the Superagüi tamarin, because I was thinking the same about the capture.

Besides what you said, I think nowadays there is also the problem of the *****ng... oops... dumb "activists" that, if just read "tamarins taken from the nature", are gonna start making silly campaigns on Instagram to set the animals free, and although it probably won't disturb the conservation program itself if it's well prepared, it will surely cunfuse the public opinion about the project and it's objectives... So it would have been better, as you said, if some of them were captured when they were discovered actually...
 
Back
Top