Mixed species exhibit ideas

Mr Gharial said:
Alright, I'm going to try to break this down in pieces


Could be fine, but I fear for the water toxicity levels with two sea birds. Cormorants are also quite voracious and I wouldn't put it past them to at least try to swallow the Iguanas.




In a large enough aviary this might work, but there would have to be a lot of areas where the birds can come and the primates can't. I would either take out the Proboscis monkey so you're left with the mostly ground dwelling Macaque (and be able to keep them mostly on the ground while the birds can go in the trees), or take out the Macaque and be left with the vegetarian Proboscis monkeys. If you mix them both then the P-monkeys will need climbing structures that the Macaques can use to get to the birds.




Mandrill mixes with other monkeys are rare, but not unheard of. It should probably be fine, but Drills instead of Mandrills would be the safer option.



Okapi and bird mixes have been fine before. Though I do suggest giving the Shoebills plenty of space to get away from the Okapis.


Definitely a bad idea, False gharials are a common predator for mid-sized monkeys. And the Orangutans are smart enough to stay away from crocodiles and might even attempt to kill it. Gibbon and Gharial would be a safer option, but still not really recommended. Indian gharials have very thin snouts that are unable to catch anything other than fish, so they can be mixed with others, but False gharials don't have that problem.


Both of these should be fine, though I would switch the Monkeys, as Pigs can be a little more aggressive so it would be safer to have them with a fully arboreal species. Deer and ground-dwelling Monkeys have been proven safe before. (Keep in mind, to have Dusky leaf monkey you need fresh jungle leaves, only a zoo with a greenhouse can hold these animals).




I wouldn't mix Pheasants with Macaques, I suggest keeping the Pheasants separate as, even with deer, there might be risk of trampling.


Kiwi have been safely kept with Boobook and Barn owl, this should be fine.



Both of these should be fine.



Unless these are all free-roamers in a very large greenhouse, I would certainly separate some species. Toco toucans should definitely be taken out of the equation, as they'll eat any and all eggs or chicks. The same goes for the Greater roadrunners.
Some other problematic species are the Tree kangaroos, Palm squirrels, Kirk's dikdiks, Two-toed sloth, Common tree shrew and Lesser mouse deer.
If in a greenhouse, half of these should be kept in enclosures, as I feel like they would butt heads.

Tree kangaroos and Two-toed sloths both belong to the same arboreal, slow-moving animal group, so they could get in fights for who gets the branch.
Palm squirrels and Common tree shrew have a similar problem of fighting for the branch, to a lesser extent also with the tamarins.
Again for the Kirk's dikdik and Lesser mouse deer, both miniature ungulates that roam the same area, though in this case I feel like the Dikdik would easily dominate over the Mouse deer.

If I were you, I would make two separate enclosures, one for Tree kangaroo and Mouse deer, and one for Common tree shrew. The rest should be fine free-roaming. Though I would also take out the Sun conures, as they're loud and could cause stress for the Sloths, Iguanas and Tortoises.



Both of these are very bad ideas, and Tree boas and Horned frogs are opportunistic predators and the Mouse deer and Gecko would definitely end up as feeder animals.



I would advice against mixing snake species, even though snakes have been mixed before, it's better to not take the risk.



Agama and Chameleon would be fine. But the Pythons will probably end up eating the rat snake, and the Spitting cobra would be a risk to the tortoise. You could add the tortoise to the lizard mix though.
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Thanks for this extensive list & help you've provided.
I was also wondering about:
1. Dugong & Sand Tiger Shark?
 
1. Pygmy Hippo, Allen's Swamp Monkey, Lake Malawi Cichlid
2. Grevy's Zebra, Fringe-Eared Oryx, Helmeted Guineafowl
3. Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros, Gaur
 
I also have some fish aquariums I'm wondering about.

Ningaloo Reef
1. Clark's Anemonefish, Whitetail Dascyllus, Orange-Spotted Filefish, Bicolour Goatfish, Yellow Longnose-Butterflyfish & Brown-Banded Bamboo-Shark

Indo-Pacific (Hard Coral)
1. Darwin Jawfish, Reindeer Wrasse, Christmas Tree Worm, Shrimp (Banded Coral-, Harlequin), Yellowtail Coris, Banggai Cardinalfish, Pyjama Nudibranch, Blue-Band Goby & Longnose Hawkfish

Indo-Pacific (Coral Atoll)
1. Tangs (Blue, Yellow, Achilles), Orange Clownfish, Foxface Rabbitfish, Copperband Butterflyfish, Moorish Idol, Blue-Green Chromis, Damselfish (Domino, Reticulated), Clown Coris, Blue-Streak Cleaner-Wrasse & Royal Dottyback
2. Mandarinfish, Fire Goby, Longhorn Cowfish & Elegant Firefish
3. Ribbon Eel & Humpback Grouper
4. Spotted Garden-Eel & Bristle-Tail Filefish

Indo-Pacific (Barrier Reef)
1. Wrasses (Blue-Streak Cleaner-, Bird, Moon), Sharks (Whitetip Reef-, Epaulette), Parrotfish (Bicolour, Green Humphead-), Triggerfish (Clown, Lagoon, Redtoothed), Blue-Spotted Ribbontail-Ray, Angelfish (Emperor, Regal, French), Threadfin Butterflyfish, Maroon Clownfish, Tangs (Blue, Yellow, Sailfin), Harlequin Tuskfish, Guineafowl Puffer, Giant Clam, Crowned Squirrelfish, Sea Goldie, Square-Spot Anthias & Needlefish

Indo-Pacific (Reef Drop-Off)
1. Wrasses (Blue-Streak Cleaner-, Humphead), Sharks (Grey Reef-, Zebra), Hawksbill Sea-Turtle, Queensland Grouper, Rays (Spotted Eagle, Common Shovelnose-, Porcupine), Giant Moray-Eel, Great Barracuda, Red Emperor, Coral Trout & Giant Trevally
 
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StoppableSan said:
Would it be possible to mix Plains bison with Przewalski's horses and/or camels and peccaries? I've had a bit of a crackpot idea for making a Pleistocene-based exhibit, and if this wouldn't work, what would be some good alternatives?
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Bison and horses is certainly possible, given enough space (see Wildpark Daun). Mixing in camels with them should be possible as well. About the peccaries, not a clue!
 
OskarGC said:
I also have some fish aquariums I'm wondering about.

Ningaloo Reef
1. Clark's Anemonefish, Whitetail Dascyllus, Orange-Spotted Filefish, Bicolour Goatfish, Yellow Longnose-Butterflyfish & Brown-Banded Bamboo-Shark

Indo-Pacific (Hard Coral)
1. Darwin Jawfish, Reindeer Wrasse, Christmas Tree Worm, Shrimp (Banded Coral-, Harlequin), Yellowtail Coris, Banggai Cardinalfish, Pyjama Nudibranch, Blue-Band Goby & Longnose Hawkfish

Indo-Pacific (Coral Atoll)
1. Tangs (Blue, Yellow, Achilles), Orange Clownfish, Foxface Rabbitfish, Copperband Butterflyfish, Moorish Idol, Blue-Green Chromis, Damselfish (Domino, Reticulated), Clown Coris, Blue-Streak Cleaner-Wrasse & Royal Dottyback
2. Mandarinfish, Fire Goby, Longhorn Cowfish & Elegant Firefish
3. Ribbon Eel & Humpback Grouper
4. Spotted Garden-Eel & Bristle-Tail Filefish

Indo-Pacific (Barrier Reef)
1. Wrasses (Blue-Streak Cleaner-, Bird, Moon), Sharks (Whitetip Reef-, Epaulette), Parrotfish (Bicolour, Green Humphead-), Triggerfish (Clown, Lagoon, Redtoothed), Blue-Spotted Ribbontail-Ray, Angelfish (Emperor, Regal, French), Threadfin Butterflyfish, Maroon Clownfish, Tangs (Blue, Yellow, Sailfin), Harlequin Tuskfish, Guineafowl Puffer, Giant Clam, Crowned Squirrelfish, Sea Goldie, Square-Spot Anthias & Needlefish

Indo-Pacific (Reef Drop-Off)
1. Wrasses (Blue-Streak Cleaner-, Humphead), Sharks (Grey Reef-, Zebra), Hawksbill Sea-Turtle, Queensland Grouper, Rays (Spotted Eagle, Common Shovelnose-, Porcupine), Giant Moray-Eel, Great Barracuda, Red Emperor, Coral Trout & Giant Trevally
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Ok, so for the second tank that wouldn't fork. Wrasse are voracious predators of marine invertebrates. They would also eat the other smaller fish in the tank. Ribbon eel and humpback grouper wouldn't work either, because it would end in the death of the eel. Everything else would work though.
 
Ebirah766 said:
Ok, so for the second tank that wouldn't fork. Wrasse are voracious predators of marine invertebrates. They would also eat the other smaller fish in the tank. Ribbon eel and humpback grouper wouldn't work either, because it would end in the death of the eel. Everything else would work though.
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What about the Reindeer Wrasse mixed with Humpback Grouper? as I've heard the wrasse can mixed with groupers.
 
OskarGC said:
1. Clark's Anemonefish, Whitetail Dascyllus, Orange-Spotted Filefish, Bicolour Goatfish, Yellow Longnose-Butterflyfish & Brown-Banded Bamboo-Shark
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The Orange-spotted Filefish would probably rarely be seen, and be harassed by the Dascyllus.

OskarGC said:
2. Mandarinfish, Fire Goby, Longhorn Cowfish & Elegant Firefish
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Don't recommend adding the cowfish here, it is far bigger than the others and would likely intimidate the dartfishes. Also the firefishes would likely fight with each other.

OskarGC said:
1. Wrasses (Blue-Streak Cleaner-, Bird, Moon), Sharks (Whitetip Reef-, Epaulette), Parrotfish (Bicolour, Green Humphead-), Triggerfish (Clown, Lagoon, Redtoothed), Blue-Spotted Ribbontail-Ray, Angelfish (Emperor, Regal, French), Threadfin Butterflyfish, Maroon Clownfish, Tangs (Blue, Yellow, Sailfin), Harlequin Tuskfish, Guineafowl Puffer, Giant Clam, Crowned Squirrelfish, Sea Goldie, Square-Spot Anthias & Needlefish
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The wrasses, triggers, puffers, and ray would almost certainly damage and/or kill the Giant Clam. Many of the same would likely be picking off the anthias occasionally.
 
Lota lota said:
Would this work:
Nile perch
Niger barb
Nile tilapia
African knifefish
African arowana
Saddled birchir
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The perches would likely prey on some of the other species, notably the knifefish, bichirs and tilapia. Knifefish are generally also quite shy, so combining them with all these aggressive species won't do them any good.
 
Has a gharial/primate mix ever been attempted? I'm toying with a fantasy zoo idea and was wondering about mixing gharials with silvered leaf langurs and/or francois' langurs.
 
I feel like even if it has been attempted it shouldn't be done simply due to the risk factor either species can be to one another
 
Haley said:
1. Pygmy Hippo, Allen's Swamp Monkey, Lake Malawi Cichlid
2. Grevy's Zebra, Fringe-Eared Oryx, Helmeted Guineafowl
3. Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros, Gaur
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Lake Malawi is outsid the range of Pygmy Hippo. I would use West African Cichlids, characins and killifish onstead
 
I know that prairie dog can be mixed succesfull with borrowing owls.

Would a mic between them and Chinchillas (with either a bachlor group or castrated males) work. They are a bit smaller but to big to be in the prey spectrum of the owls.

And you never see borrowing owls outside of the prairie themed exhibits, besides their exremly large distribution.
 
GiratinaIsGod said:
Would a mic between them and Chinchillas (with either a bachlor group or castrated males) work. They are a bit smaller but to big to be in the prey spectrum of the owls.
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Maybe? Personally I feel the flightier nature of chinchillas might be detrimental to the owl, especially if they are bouncing around above the owl. I'm not convinced it's a very good idea.

GiratinaIsGod said:
And you never see borrowing owls outside of the prairie themed exhibits, besides their exremly large distribution.
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Well they are primarily a grassland species, so either prairie or pampas themes fit them well.
 
Neil chace said:
Has a gharial/primate mix ever been attempted?
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Sort of. Singapore zoo has a lake with a large Malayan Gharial, and an island with steep 45-angle concrete banks and Siamangs. There is technically no barrier, but the Gharial would have difficulty to climb up, and could not do it unnoticed, and Siamangs never go down the trees.
 
Have lions ever been mixed with white rhinos or hippos? I know it wouldn't work with calves but would they mess with the adults? Or tigers with elephants and Indian rhinos?
 
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