I find some videos showing that Capybaras walk outside when it is snow days, is that normal in northern zoos? Toronto Zoo closes its American outdoor area in winter so I don't know whether the Capybara there comes out in winter.
How many tropical or subtropical species are hardy in cold temperature?
- Thread starter StellarChaser
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One pic connected with this thema. African elephants at Zlin zoo with skin of their ears, trunk-tip, feet, tail and around eyes covered by a layer of vaseline. This is practise known and used for decades to avoid danger of suffering frostbite during winter. It doesn´t make this species winter hard but it prolongs time they can spend outside during winter.
Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
I would frequently give my capys access to their yard on snowy days if it was above 30 F and the sun were out. They always had access to their heated barn and, to be fair, would usually come back in as soon as I finished cleaning it, though sometimes they did stay out far longer, brushing aside snow to get grass underneath. They were always locked inside on nights below 40 F
They are fairly tolerant of cold temperatures, but like all hornbills are highly susceptible to frostbite and should not be outdoors in below freezing temps.
Are there any species of Pelicans hardy in cold temperatures?
Straggler wild American White Pelicans have been observed in Alberta, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio within the past month.
Several of them are relatively tolerant of cold temperatures, but generally avoid particularly cold weather due to ice, snow, and sluggish fish being difficult to find and catch.
I will also note many zoos in Europe have indoor housing for their pelicans in winter.
American White Pelicans can be fairly cold hardy, although I wouldn't keep them out all winter.
Approximately what is the lowest temperature that American White pelicans can tolerate?
Many big cats are hardy in cold temperatures, what about some tropical medium-sized cats, like Clouded leopards, Caracals and Servals. Do they often come outside when the temperature is between 0 to -10 Celcius?
@Aardwolf @Great Argus @birdsandbats
May I get to know that are these species hardy in cold temperatures?
-Clouded Leopard
-Caracal
-Serval
-Giant Anteater
-Giant Otter
-Bush Dog
-Francois' Leaf Monkey
-Peccary
-Visayan Warty Pig
-Bateleur
-Eastern Bongo (I see Safari de Peaugres still has Bongos outside on snowy day, Bongo is high mountain antelope, so might be somewhat hardier than savanna antelopes? )
May I get to know that are these species hardy in cold temperatures?
-Clouded Leopard
-Caracal
-Serval
-Giant Anteater
-Giant Otter
-Bush Dog
-Francois' Leaf Monkey
-Peccary
-Visayan Warty Pig
-Bateleur
-Eastern Bongo (I see Safari de Peaugres still has Bongos outside on snowy day, Bongo is high mountain antelope, so might be somewhat hardier than savanna antelopes? )
I don't know specifics on this one, but they seem to be reasonably hardy if access to heat/shelter. Wouldn't leave them out long in snow/icy conditions though.
Both are pretty hardy if acclimated and shelter is available.
Not cold hardy. The Giant Anteater has the lowest body temperature of any placental mammal (89-90 F) and a low metabolism due to their low calorie diet. This makes them quite susceptible to cold temperatures and they should not be given outdoor access if temperatures are dropping below 50-55 F or so to avoid hypothermia.
Reported to be tolerant of down to 20 F if acclimated with heated pool and heated indoor access, but otters are noted to spend limited time outdoors of their own accord in temps below 50 F. They may still venture out a fair deal, but prefer the heated indoor quarters. Younger animals are not recommended to be allowed out under 50 F unless they have had a significant (months) acclimation period to cold temperatures.
Reasonably hardy but should have access to heat when under 40 F.
Not particularly cold hardy - heated barns needed in cold regions.
Fairly hardy, but heat needed in colder temperatures.
Fairly hardy but heat and shelter required under 45 F.
Don't know on Bush Dog or Francois' Langur.
Collared Peccaries specifically are very cold hardy.
Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
No disagreement with what the others have said - depending on the species, peccary are the cold-hardiest of the list you mentioned. I've kept clouds, caracals, and servals outside with boxes with heat lamps and/or heat pads, maybe some plastic siding up on the walls of the enclosures during the winter to form windbreaks. That was pretty early on in my carrier, and even then I wasn't crazy about the set-up. I used to work for folks that really liked to push the envelope on how cold it would get before we'd have to pull animals - looking back, I realize that's mostly because we really had no indoor facilities adequate for long-term housing, and the facility owner was trying to make a virtue out of the vice, bragging about how, unlike some of the other zoos he'd been to, animals got to be outside YEAR ROUND - isn't that great? As I've gotten older and more experienced, and worked at zoos with much better winter holding, I've come to be more conservative with what temps I feel are appropriate. Just because the animal can physically tolerate the cold doesn't mean they should have to, especially if acclimatization is being used as a cover for poor facility design and insufficient holding.
Not saying that I think everyone needs to be kept in a sauna all winter - like many of you on here, I've enjoyed watching all sorts of tropical animals in the snow, or running around on a brisk day. I have no problem with animals getting access - provided that it actually is just that - access. And that they have access to someplace warm and dry with enough room to go when they're done with the cold. Being forced to chose between freezing their butts off and staying in a tiny nest box all winter is no kind of life.
Not saying that I think everyone needs to be kept in a sauna all winter - like many of you on here, I've enjoyed watching all sorts of tropical animals in the snow, or running around on a brisk day. I have no problem with animals getting access - provided that it actually is just that - access. And that they have access to someplace warm and dry with enough room to go when they're done with the cold. Being forced to chose between freezing their butts off and staying in a tiny nest box all winter is no kind of life.
Yes the bush dog can be kept outdoors as they are in many European zoos but heating boxes should most likely be available for the animals.
I thought it was stated very early in the thread small tropical monkeys were a very big no in the cold so Francois’ Leaf Monkeys are definitely a bad idea.
Francois's Leaf Monkeys live in part of China where winter temperatures can drop below 10 C so they should be hardier than African and South American tropical monkeys. I just want to know whether they can adapt to temperature btw 0 to 5C. Also, different tropical monkeys species may have different adaptability to cold environment. In Toronto Zoo, White-faced Saki and Golden Lion Tamarins don't go outside when temperature is below 18C, while Geoffroy's Spider Monkeys still go outside as long as the temperature is above 10C.
Are there any Australian Marsupials species are cold-hardy? I hear Bennett's Wallabies can adapt to winter environments in Germany, Britain, and Austria.
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Bennett's Wallaby is indeed cold-tolerant, several feral populations exist in North-Western Europe.
The Common Wombat, the Tasmanian Devil and the Common Brushtail-possum are cold-tolerant too, as probably a few other species that live in Tasmania (Wallabies, Quolls...).
Their natural environnement is quite cold, with snowy winters. These conditions can be met in Northern and Central Europe.
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
I've seen red necked wallabies in the snow in below freezing temperatures at Helsinki zoo so they can definitely adapt to cold temperatures.