Pootle
Well-Known Member
With enough time, money, space, heating (or chilling) and knowhow, there is no reason why not ever.
I always look on aquariums as artificial ecosystems, I tried to create all the ones I have in the past this way anyhow.
Artificial ecosystems
- Thread starter Mr Gharial
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With enough time, money, space, heating (or chilling) and knowhow, there is no reason why not ever.
I always look on aquariums as artificial ecosystems, I tried to create all the ones I have in the past this way anyhow.
There is a lot to unpack here.
Birds;
The one you named are almost all correct.
Add emu, penguins (wouldn't advise them in a rainforest house) majority of predating birds, fragile birds (can be prone to diseases or just super sensitive to the climate they live in or a hard diet) or agressive birds.
Mammals:
- Okapi and Deer are not smaller herbivorous ungulates. Definitely need to be fully enclosed and probably require outdoor access, would be nice at least.
- Capybara; a destructive rodent when they get the chance to munch on plants.
- Smaller antelops; duikers presumeably, from what I know these are rather elusive animals and people-shy. So best to not have them in the same space as where humans walk. Keep them enclosed.
- Porcupine; I know brush-tailed porcupine has been kept free-roam at Dierenpark Amersfoort in De Nacht, but this is a small free-roam area. Perhaps will do fine in a larger display.
- Armadillo; similar to the porcupine, can do fine I think. Just think personally it would be a waste given how shy they can be so for visibility sakes I'd keep them enclosed.
- Tamandua; only seen them being kept in ''free-roaming'' setting where they can climb over ropes and logs that hang in the air in a ''free-roam'' environment, never heard of them being fully free-roam. Probably in similar fashion to sloths.
- Squirrels: eats bird eggs, no-go
Primates; (given u seperated them)
- Lemurs; Zürich has a pair of larger lemur and a few mouse lemurs in Masaolla halle I believe, so perhaps possible. Don't know any other places that keep them fully free-roaming
- Macaques: sounds like a bad idea, only barbary and rhesus I believe have been in walk-throughs, and they will definitely eat birdeggs or perhaps the chicks if given the chances. The tropical species also just aren't kept in walkthroughs with humans to my knowledge or mixed in exhibits with birds or reptiles.
- Guerazas: same as macaques. I think you can keep them on a island maybe but that would be it.
- Squirrel monekys: known to do ok in walkthroughs, no idea if any zoo has them with birds. I know Wildlands has them in their tropical hall but I have never been there so no idea if the birds and other animals have access to them or not.
Carnivores.. I don't even know why you put these in the list of free-roamers... Just don't.
Reptiles; seems about right though land tortoises can be destructive for the vegetation
Well, I based it on a quick recollection of walkthrough species. The main question was the effect on plant life and such
Well, most ecosystems aren't replicated because they already exist. Mainly temperate ones. But also for grasslands, as the animals that live there can usually survive in the temperate climate
Doesn't take away from the misbits of animals suggested to do fine in free-roam setup. Which to me seemd to be the main topic on the post.
You asked for what ecosystems can be created using artifical ecosystems. I believe a good example would be the Helsinki zoo with their Arboreal house... With yes.. Aboreal indoor forest.
Now the zoo is located on a island but that aside, arboreal forest in a Scandinavian Zoo indoors?
Just because it's there outside does not mean it cannot happen in a, albeit, fantasy setting.
I definitely feel like grasslands such as the pampas or savannas from Africa or Asia can be recreated indoors just fine. And as you said, they tolerate the climate outside likely just fine.
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
It would be very cool to see maybe not a zoo but create something like this since this would be a gigantic project so instead the ecosystem would be the zoo it’s self, the hole thing. Of course as said some zoos have gotten close for example Masoala Halle, Gondwanaland and Burgers bush but a truly self sufficient artificial ecosystem would be an amazing sight.
Now, this is very interesting, does anyone know the workings and "purpose" of this house?
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
In the house lives a group of ruffs, a few tufted ducks and a common teal or two. It’s not that big and the birds do have access to outdoor aviaries. Trees and other plants grow in there too. The purpose is to simulate a boreal wetland.
Sorry, I mean is it supposed to stay warmer during the winter months to simulate a summer setting, or is it meant to hold in/keep out humidity to keep the wetland theming?
What is the purpose of this being a greenhouse and not an aviary?
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
I think it is supposed to keep in humidity to have that feeling but it’s also warm during winter months
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
I also wish they could include some other birds like tits, wagtails, thrushes or any other passerine in future years.
Do we have any other "Rarer" greenhouse ecosystems that we haven't mentioned yet?
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
Does Omaha’s Henry Doorly zoos desert dome count?
Well, we already mentioned desert. And, though not common, there are a few of them
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
It is not a simple question. Each situation is different depending on the size of the enclosure, the mix of animals, the density of animals, who is in the mix, whether or not growing conditions are optimal, etc. etc. etc.
Now I don't know exactly how it is in reality
But underneath the Desert Dome Omaha has a large nocturnal area that is I believe supposed to be a indoor wetlands.