ZooChat Challenge Global 2022

That's a fair concern. I can't say I've experienced that much with sharks who tend to be their big attractions, but I've not been to nearly as many aquariums as I have zoos so perhaps I've been lucky.

~Thylo
Another difficulty is that most places keep their sharks in mixed exhibits, where it can be difficult to identify similar-looking species when you aren't very knowledgeable of sharks. I could see this being something that leads to some inaccuracies, where people say they saw a species they didn't, or vice versa.
 
I don't think that the total numbers can be affected too much of one extra taxon, especially when we have significantly high maximum total. I'm not sure, when I can join, but I'm in. This addition can make some Aquarium visits more exciting , than they usually are.
 
I think adding in sharks is a great idea. I’ve very rarely seen any signage inconsistencies with sharks, and most species kept are easily distinguishable from others. If not, ask! There are plenty of people willing to help here and I also don’t think it would be too hard to keep track of one more thing on top of the list already.
 
The sheer number of species in many large tanks would make it difficult for me to keep track of sharks, as well, I think.
 
The sheer number of species in many large tanks would make it difficult for me to keep track of sharks, as well, I think.
Another difficulty is that most places keep their sharks in mixed exhibits, where it can be difficult to identify similar-looking species when you aren't very knowledgeable of sharks. I could see this being something that leads to some inaccuracies, where people say they saw a species they didn't, or vice versa.

We don't have to add them, but I do have to say that I have never seen an aquarium not sign their sharks in a large mixed tank. These tanks are usually the "star" exhibit at the aquarium and with sharks being the main attraction they're always well signed. I understand the concern, but also want to note that the point of the challenge isn't necessarily to make keeping track of species as easy as possible, it also comes down to the individual paying attention to what they're seeing and making an effort to keep track of that. Just a few minutes spent at any given mixed shark tank should suffice to figure out what's what based on the signage.

~Thylo
 
I'm in favor of adding sharks, it's not that difficult to identify them and they are almost always signed. I've never seen an aquarium where the star sharks weren't all signed. It's not like we're talking about freshwater tetras or something. I say include them.
 
Zoo Berlin 22.01.2022

1. Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choerpsis liberensis)
2. Nile Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
3. Tawny-eyed frogmouth (Podargus strogoides)
4. Javan chevrotain (Tragulus javanicus)
5. Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo)
6. Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
7. Great grey owl (Strix nebulosa)
8. Southern Three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus)
9. Linneaus' two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
10. Cape porcupine (hystrix afroaustalis)
11.Lion (Panthera leo)
12, Tiger (Panthera tigris)
13. Red kangaroo (Orsphanter rufus)
14. Parma wallaby (Macropus parma)

No aquarium, a couple no-shows and obv. no nocturnal house.
 
My challenge started yesterday with a nice visit to Hamerton, with @pipaluk for company:

1. Long nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus)
2. Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis)
3. Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
4. Aardwolf (Proteles cristata)
5. Greater Grison (Galictis vittata)
6. White bearded palm civet (Paguma larvata)
7. Tayra (Eira barbara)
8. Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
9. Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis)
10. Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)
11. Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus)
12. Serval (Leptailurus serval)
13. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
14. Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
15. Linnaeus two toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
16. Black backed jackal (Canis mesomelas)
17. Corsac Fox (Vulpes corsac)
18. Eurasian harvest mouse (Micromys minutus)
19. Fat sand rat (Psammomys obesus)
20. Spinifex hopping mouse (Notomys alexis)
21. Tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)
22. Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
23. Tiger (Panthera tigris)
24. Binturong (Arctictis binturong)
25. Parma Wallaby (Notamacropus parma)
26. Red-necked Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus)

Adding from visit to Hamerton Zoo:

27. Dingo (Canis lupus dingo)

Johnson's of Old Hurst 22nd Jan:

28. Puma (Puma Concolor)
29. Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
30. Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata)
31. Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
32. Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)
33. Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
34. Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
 
Minnesota Zoo 1/18/22
1) Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
2) Linne's Two-Toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus)
3) Southern Three-Banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus)
4) Cape Porcupine ( Hystrix africaeaustralis)
5) North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
6) Long-Haired Fruit Bat (Rousettus lanosus)
7) Egyptian Fruit Bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus)
8) Straw-Colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum)
9) Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
10) Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
11) Cougar (Puma concolor)
12) Canadian lynx ((Lynx canadensis)
13) Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
14) Dhole (Cuon alpinus)
15) Coyote (Canis latrans)
16) Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
17) Eurasian Wolverine (Gulo gulo gulo)
18) Fisher (Pekania pennanti)
19) Great-Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
20) Henkel's Leaf-Tailed Gecko (Uroplatus henkeli)
21) Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
 
Helsinki zoo 23/1/22
1. Lion (Panthera leo)
2. Tiger (Panthera tigris)
3. Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis
4. Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
5. Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
6. European pine marten (Martes martes)
7. Red necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)
8. Boreal owl (Aegolius funereus)
9. Hawk owl (Surnia ulula)
10. Eurasian Pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum)
 
Colchester Zoo 9th January

35 Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla)
36 Leopard (Panthera pardus)
37 Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda)
38 Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)
39 Pygmy Hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis)
40 Aardvark (Orycteropus afer)
41 Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus)
42 Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
43 Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa)
44 Slender - snouted crocodile (Mercistops cataphractus)

Barleylands 23 January

45 Egyptian Fruit Bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus)
46 Four eyed opossum (Philander opossum)
47 Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps)
48 Tailess tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus)
49 Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
50 Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus)
51 Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
52 Long-eared owl (Asio otus)
53 Tawny owl (Strix aluco)

One to add for Hamerton
54 Dingo (Canis dingo)
 
I suppose it's time for an official announcement:

As earlier stated in the thread, there has been interest in adding sharks to the roster of the challenge. I am here to officialize this sentiment. The following orders will be added to the list of nocturnal animals (please let me know if anything is missing, but I'm sure that it won't be too hard to just know what counts as a shark):

Hexanchiformes
Carcharhiniformes
Lamniformes
Orectolobirformes
Heterodontiformes

It would be much appreciated if a staff member could add these changes into the thread's first post :).
 
I suppose it's time for an official announcement:

As earlier stated in the thread, there has been interest in adding sharks to the roster of the challenge. I am here to officialize this sentiment. The following orders will be added to the list of nocturnal animals (please let me know if anything is missing, but I'm sure that it won't be too hard to just know what counts as a shark):

Hexanchiformes
Carcharhiniformes
Lamniformes
Orectolobirformes
Heterodontiformes

It would be much appreciated if a staff member could add these changes into the thread's first post :).

Following this...

My first visit of the year gave me a pretty solid start I think. I missed a few species, though, that I hope to get later in the year.

Bronx Zoo
1) Feathertail Glider Acrobates pygaemus
2) Matschie's Tree-Kangaroo Dendrobates matschei
3) Aardvark Orycteropus afer
4) Malagasy Giant Rat Hypogeomys antimena
5) Cactus Mouse Peromyscus eremicus
6) Eastern Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus
7) California Mouse Peromyscus californicus
8) Arabian Spiny Mouse Acomys dimidiatus
9) Pallid Gerbil Gerbillus perallidus
10) Bushy-Tailed Jird Sekeetamys calurus
11) Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat Phloeomys pallidus
12) House Mouse Mus musculus
13) Eurasian Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus
14) South African Pygmy Mouse Mus minutoides
15) Nile Grass Rat Arvicanthis niloticus
16) Mohol Bushbaby Galago moholi
17) Rodrigues Flying Fox Pteropus rodricensis
18) Indian Flying Fox Pteropus medius
19) Greater Malay Chevrotain Tragulus napu
20) Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta
21) Tiger Panthera tigris
22) Snow Leopard Panthera uncia
23) Lion Panthera leo
24) Leopard Panthera pardus
25) Dhole Cuon alpinus
26) African Wild Dog Lycaon pictus
27) North Island Brown Kiwi Apteryx mantelli
28) Snowy Owl Bubo scandiaca
29) Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
30) Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia
31) Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides
32) Carrot-Tailed Viper Gecko Hemidactylus imbricatus
33) William's Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus williamsi
34) Common Flat-Tailed Gecko Uroplatus fimbriatus
35) Chinese Alligator Alligator sinensis
36) Ganges Gharial Gavialis gangeticus
37) Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus
38) West African Dwarf Crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis
39) Cuban Crocodile Crocodylus rhombifer

~Thylo

Mystic Aquarium
40) Dusky Smooth Dogfish Mustelus canis
41) Brown-Banded Bamboo-Shark Chiloscyllium punctatum
42) Epaulette Shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum
43) Spotted Wobbegong Orectolobus maculatus
44) Chain Dogfish Scyliorhinus retifer
45) Sand Tiger Shark Carcharias taurus
46) Atlantic Nurse Shark Ginglymostoma cirratum

~Thylo
 
I suppose it's time for an official announcement:

As earlier stated in the thread, there has been interest in adding sharks to the roster of the challenge. I am here to officialize this sentiment. The following orders will be added to the list of nocturnal animals (please let me know if anything is missing, but I'm sure that it won't be too hard to just know what counts as a shark):

Hexanchiformes
Carcharhiniformes
Lamniformes
Orectolobirformes
Heterodontiformes

It would be much appreciated if a staff member could add these changes into the thread's first post :).
As it happens I've visited an aquarium today so I'll have to go through my photos and see what I saw. Good job I was keeping notes just in case... ;)
 
I suppose it's time for an official announcement:

As earlier stated in the thread, there has been interest in adding sharks to the roster of the challenge. I am here to officialize this sentiment. The following orders will be added to the list of nocturnal animals (please let me know if anything is missing, but I'm sure that it won't be too hard to just know what counts as a shark):

Hexanchiformes
Carcharhiniformes
Lamniformes
Orectolobirformes
Heterodontiformes

It would be much appreciated if a staff member could add these changes into the thread's first post :).
Okay so with that in place a few more animals to go in here once again like before from Newport Aquarium
2. Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)
3. Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
4. Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci)
5. Pajama Catshark (Poroderma africanum)
6. Blacktip Reefshark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
7. Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)
8. Swell Shark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum)
 
Five more sharks to add from my visit to Minnesota :).
22. Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus)
23. Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
24. Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)
25. Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci)
26. Zebra Shark (Stegostoma fasciatum)
 
As it happens I've visited an aquarium today so I'll have to go through my photos and see what I saw. Good job I was keeping notes just in case... ;)
Mate, I can't wait to see how many sharks you add, but I fear that their addition will only boost US members totals! I didn't comment earlier but the UK aquariums in general offer little,so would just have been sour grapes! I for one will probably add zero for sharks as I refuse to pay £20 plus for a sea life I will spend half an hour in! I am not going to travel half the country to other aquariums either but I may find myself in Bournemouth! Just my rant- over. I accept the majority decision
 
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