ZooChat Challenge North America 2021

[Coelacanth18]

Great start, @pachyderm pro; glad to have you in the game

Your list looks good except for this one:

21. Hoffman's Two Toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)

This species is not native to Mexico and therefore doesn't count, so you're at 20. Additionally, whatever tamandua you were planning to see will be Southern which also doesn't count. Ocelot and White-nosed Coati would count.

Comparing your species and institution lists everything looks fine to start; just remember to keep track of where you saw each animal on a go-forward basis.

 

[Coelacanth18]

Point Defiance Zoo

1. Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
2. Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)
3. California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)
4. Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
5. Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
6. Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus)
7. Muskox (Ovibos moschatus)
8. Red Wolf (Canis rufus)

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park - May 8
9. American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
10. North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
11. Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
12. American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
13. Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
14. North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
15. Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
16. Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
17. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
18. Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
19. Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)
20. American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
21. Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)
22. Wolverine (Gulo gulo)

Finally made it out to a bucket-list facility and got incredibly lucky: out of 14 potential pickups, I saw all but one (Puma, which can easily be seen elsewhere) after doing a second loop-around for the wolverines. With tram tours for the hoofstock section closed due to COVID and a $90 price tag to drive your own car around, I had given up before arriving on seeing any hoofstock; however, after noticing that the hoofstock range surrounded the park and could be seen through the perimeter fence I kept an eye on the horizon past the chain-link as I walked. Lo and behold: a small herd of Caribou resting in plain sight across a pond. It's no moose (nothing is - except a moose, I suppose) but I'll take it.

 

[Coelacanth18]

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo - 4/14
19. Black-footed Ferret - Mustela nigripes
20. Virginia Opossum - Didelphis virginiana
21. Rocky Mountain Goat - Oreamnos americanus
22. Moose - Alces alces
23. Canada Lynx - Lynx canadensis
24. Grizzly Bear - Ursus arctos horriblis

Missed this update earlier, you're actually at 25 because:

Forgot to add 1 from Phoenix because I forgot they counted:
19. Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey - Ateles geoffroyi

 

[TinoPup]

Cohanzick Zoo April 22
30. Lowland Paca Cuniculus paca

Cape May County Park & Zoo April 22
31. Bison Bison bison

Trailside Museums & Zoo May 19
32. Short-tailed weasel Mustela erminea
33. Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
34. Coyote Canis latrans

Bergen County Zoo May 19
35. Baird's Tapir Tapirus bairdii
36. Central American Red Brocket Mazama temama

SeaQuest Woodbridge May 19
37. Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Trailside Museums & Zoo May 19
32. Short-tailed weasel Mustela erminea
33. Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
34. Coyote Canis latrans

Bergen County Zoo May 19
35. Baird's Tapir Tapirus bairdii
36. Central American Red Brocket Mazama temama

SeaQuest Woodbridge May 19
37. Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans

Sadly Trailside does not have actual Coyote. If it's the same two animals from my visit a couple years back, they looked to be more wolf than Coyote.

~Thylo

 

[Coelacanth18]

Sadly Trailside does not have actual Coyote. If it's the same two animals from my visit a couple years back, they looked to be more wolf than Coyote.

~Thylo

Ah yes, the Coyote-Eastern Wolf hybrids of the Northeast. I had been thinking about the complications of frequent Canis hybridization on parts of the continent back in Dec/Jan, but then other things happened and forgot to make a decision on how to handle them.

Here's how I see it: as far as Canis species go, the "zoo as ultimate authority" rule will decide this. Trailside refers to them as coyotes, so for the purpose of this game I will count them as coyotes... even if in reality they have some wolf DNA mixed in there.

And in any case, some of us have Neanderthal DNA mixed up in our genome and we call ourselves Homo sapiens... who are we to judge, really?

 

[birdsandbats]

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

 

[birdsandbats]

And in any case, some of us have Neanderthal DNA mixed up in our genome and we call ourselves Homo sapiens... who are we to judge, really?

Coyote-wolf hybrids are MUCH more recent than this.

 

[Kudu21]

San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA) — 07 May 2021:
26. Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
27. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
28. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)

@Coelacanth18 - Lucky! I saw no sign of it on two visits to the enclosure. Knowing Audubon has a pair, I wasn’t too pressed, but they’re always a nice species to see!

Mississippi Aquarium (Gulfport, MS) — 23 May 2021:
29. Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

 

[birdsandbats]

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

I completely forgot about italicizing the species you've seen in the wild! I've seen all of the ones in the quoted post in the wild.

 

[TinoPup]

Trailside Museums & Zoo May 19
32. Short-tailed weasel Mustela erminea
33. Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
34. Coyote Canis latrans

Bergen County Zoo May 19
35. Baird's Tapir Tapirus bairdii
36. Central American Red Brocket Mazama temama

SeaQuest Woodbridge May 19
37. Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans

Long Island Aquarium May 22
38. California Sea Lion Zalophus californianus
39. Gray Seal Halichoerus grypus
40. Pallas's Long-tongued Bat Glossophaga soricina

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Bronx Zoo
7) Harris's Antelope Squirrel Ammospermophilus harrisii
8) California Mouse Peromyscus californicus
9) Cactus Mouse Peromyscus eremicus
10) North American Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus
11) American Bison Bos bison
12) Brown Bear Ursus arctos

~Thylo

After a couple weeks of travel and zoo visiting, I come to you with an update from the comfort of my delayed overnight airport visit:

Bronx Zoo
13) Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus
14) North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
15) White-Nosed Coati Nasua narica
16) Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis

Bailiwick Animal Park
17) North American Black Bear Ursus americanus

Lupa Zoo
18) Kinkajou Potos flavus
19) Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana
20) Geoffroy's Spider Monkey Ateles geoffroyi
21) Arctic Fox Vulpes lagopus
22) American Elk Cervus canadensis

The Zoo in Forest Park
23) Bobcat Lynx rufus
24) Coyote Canis latrans
25) Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
26) Grey Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus
27) Groundhog Marmota monax

St. Louis Zoo
28) Polar Bear Ursus maritimus
29) Cougar Puma concolor
30) Jaguar Panthera onca

Sedgwick County Zoo
31) White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
32) North American River Otter Lontra canadensis
33) Grey Wolf Canis lupus

Hutchinson Zoo
34) Pronghorn Antilocapra americana
35) American Badger Taxidea taxus
36) Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor
37) Ocelot Leopardus pardalis
38) Swift Fox Vulpes velox

~Thylo

 

[Ituri]

Tulsa Zoo 03/28
17 Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus)
18 Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu)
19 California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

Saint Louis Zoo 05/22
20 Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
21 Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)
22 Geoffroy's Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)
23 Jaguar (Panthera onca)

 

[birdsandbats]

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

 

[Coelacanth18]

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park - May 8
9. American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
10. North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
11. Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
12. American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
13. Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
14. North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
15. Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
16. Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
17. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
18. Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
19. Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)
20. American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
21. Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)
22. Wolverine (Gulo gulo)

Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary - May 28
23. Coyote (Canis latrans)
24. Puma (Puma concolor)
25. Kinkajou (Potos flavus)
26. Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

We are now at 80 species in total, and with three of us now having gotten Kinkajou (thought I was gonna be first to that one, but then @ThylacineAlive happened ) there are very few common ones left. Let's see how many rarities we can collectively find by the end of the summer!

 

[nczoofan]

Gladys Porter Zoo (2/26/2021)

6. American black bear (Ursus americanus)

7. Geoffroy’s spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)

8. North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)

9. Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

10. Virginia Opposum (Didelphis virginiana)


Naples Zoo (3/14/2021)

11. Coyote (Canis latrans)

12. Cougar (Florida Panther) (Puma concolor)

13. Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)


Austin Zoo (5/8/2021)

14. Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

15. Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

16. Kinkajou (Potos flavus)

17. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)


Fort Worth Zoo (5/16/2021)

18. Red Wolf (Canis rufus)

19. Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)

20. White-nosed coati (Nasua narica)


Dallas World Aquarium (5/17/2021)

21. Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)

22. Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)

23. West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)

Seba’s Short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata)


Cameron Park Zoo (5/19/21)

24. American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

25. Jamaican Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis)

 

[Coelacanth18]

23. West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Seba’s Short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata)
24. American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
25. Jamaican Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis)

I'm gonna assume you want that Seba's counted and are thus at 26... feel free to correct me if I'm wrong

Given that 3 people have visited DWA and nobody has reported Yapok yet, I'm guessing the last individual they had hasn't been replaced?

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Frustratingly I missed a few of the more western species kept at Hutchinson, which won't be easy to find here and rather limits my growth at this point. I'm still missing one or two obvious ones like beaver, though. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can pull off!

~Thylo

 

[Coelacanth18]

Quarterly update: we're three months into the year. We already have 15 participants (a new record for the North American version, I believe) and so far 61 species have been recorded collectively by everyone. Here are the current standings:

@red river hog: 25
@Echobeast: 19
@Ituri @birdsandbats: 16
@TinoPup @Kudu21: 15
@Westcoastperson: 13
@ThylacineAlive: 12
@Mai Thai: 10
@Hipporex: 9
@jayjds2 @Coelacanth18: 8
@Dhole dude: 7
@nczoofan: 5
@Neil chace: 1

I was just going to update the standings a month from now, but a lot of scores have changed dramatically since early April so I'll just do it now as we head into the summer months and (hopefully) the endgame of the COVID-19 pandemic here in North America.

We now have 17 participants, reporting 80 species from across the United States (so far no participation or locations from the other two eligible countries). Here are the current standings:

@TinoPup: 40
@ThylacineAlive: 38
@birdsandbats: 33
@Kudu21: 29
@red river hog: 27
@Coelacanth18 @nczoofan: 26
@Echobeast: 25
@Ituri: 23
@pachyderm pro: 20
@Westcoastperson: 13
@Mai Thai: 10
@Hipporex @Julio C Castro: 9
@jayjds2: 8
@Dhole dude: 7
@Neil chace: 1

Another friendly reminder to update your totals on here if you haven't done so in a while, or address errors in this list or your own. Otherwise, enjoy the warm weather and keep at it!

 

[CMP]

After nearly 2 years, I'm back at a zoo, albeit a small one. At least I was able to put an entry on here

Scovill Zoo, Decatur IL (6/3/2021)
1. Grey Wolf (Canis Lupis)
2. Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)