My Ideal Zoos (Small, Medium, Large, Misc.)

StoppableSan

StoppableSan

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
I was inspired by a similar thread to do something of my own - what I consider an "ideal" zoo sometimes ends up in flux depending on my experience. Sometimes I go to a zoo to appreciate the way an exhibit is designed, while other times I go to a zoo based on a specific animal I'd like to see or getting a few ABCs out of the way. The variety of zoos I've seen is quite eclectic - some of which are my favorites designwise (Prospect Park Zoo and Central Park Zoo to an extent), specieswise (Bronx and Philadelphia), a hybrid of the two (Pittsburgh) or just an overall satisfactory experience (North Carolina). In this thread, I'm gonna go in an incremental order between my ideal "Small" Zoo, my ideal "Medium" Zoo, my ideal "Large" Zoo, and an ideal "Overall" Zoo. Without further ado, I'll go ahead and start with the Small Zoo.

To me, for a "Small Zoo" to be worth it, it needs to have enough charm to stand on its own while not only having achievable aspirations, but also a good set of heavy-hitting animals. In this case, I like Prospect Park's approach of highlighting animals through the lens of our relationship with them, with the Discovery Trail highlighting different habitats, the Animal Lifestyles building highlighting different adaptations, the Hall of Animals building (formerly Animals in Art and Amazing Animals) basically highlighting animals in culture, and the Animals in Our Lives section highlighting, well, you get the picture. I also like Central Park Zoo's biome-based approach, as well as how buildings like the Tropic Zone appear larger on the inside, or even gallery-like sections such as the Penguins and Seabirds House made you forget that you were in New York City. Past that, this is my ideal Small Zoo.

SMALL ZOO
This zoo would have several sections all devoted to different aspects about animals - how animals were named/classified, where they live, how they adapt to their surroundings, etc. This zoo would have an engaging quality to it as far as subtle, yet effective graphics and a general parklike setting. I would start with a series of metal animal-shaped cutouts leading to a simple, modern entrance. From here, there would be a central plaza and the first exhibit - home to rescued California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) along with some rescued Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis). This habitat would take inspiration from zoos like Central Park, Prospect Park and Lincoln Park, with rocky cliffs, a wave machine, and underwater viewing panels embedded into the pool's concrete retaining walls. The pool would also be galvanized in order to hold saltwater, and frequent training/feeding demonstrations would be held. If this is able to be made common practice, sometimes before and after zoo hours, the sea lions and pelicans would be able to be "walked" around the zoo, akin to how Shedd takes out its pinnipeds for shows. From there, there would be several buildings/zones adjoining the Sea Lion Court - WHAT IS AN ANIMAL, WHERE ANIMALS LIVE, HOW ANIMALS ADAPT, and ANIMALS AND MAN. All of these buildings would be designed in such a way that you could go through them sequentially, or go through them in your own order and it'd still be a self-contained enjoyable experience. WHAT IS AN ANIMAL would be the first of these buildings, and as you go in, there would be a massive mural highlighting the endless diversity of species our planet harbors, along with easy-to-digest signage about classification. The first section of this building would host different invertebrates - being called Spineless Marvels: Life Without a Backbone. The first exhibits would be home to various species of insects, having a decent amount of diversity specieswise and being designed in such a way that strayed from the typical "jewel-box" experience. The first exhibits would be home to Leafcutter Ants (Atta cephalotes), Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi), Black Widow (Latrodectus sp.), Moon Crab (Gecarcinus quadratus), White-spotted Assassin Bug (Platymeris biguttata), Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea guttata), Jungle Nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata), Giant Malayan Stick Insect (Phobaeticus serratipes), Sacred Scarab Beetle (Scarabaeus sacer), Giant African Millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas), Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa), and Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator). Some terrariums would have little pop-up bubbles for children to go in and see these inverts from inside, while others (namely the leafcutter ant exhibit) would have glass tunnels extending from one end of the hallway to the other. Nearby would be an entrance to an indoor butterfly conservatory (free of charge of course), which would be home to Common Morpho (Morpho peleides), Giant Owl Butterfly (Caligo memnon), Forest Owl Butterfly (Caligo eurilochus), Belus Swallowtail (Battus bellus) and Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). As this zone is meant to introduce children to insects, there would be a "selective diversity" where iconic and popular species are highlighted and a diversity of species are present - from ants to millipedes to butterflies to spiders to walking sticks. Near the insects would be another section highlighting other types of invertebrates - namely cephalopods, echinoderms and cnidarians. The cephalopods would be represented with Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), echinoderms would be represented with California Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus californicus), and cnidarians would be represented with a coral tank highlighting various species along with Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) as a way to draw kids to the coral. Soon after would be the next gallery...

So far, this has been a really nice thought experiment; I don't even know what the finished product will look like, so I'm basically going on the same ride as everyone else who reads this. I require sleep, I shall finish this section soon.
 
The next zone within Spineless Marvels: Life Without a Backbone would be an interactive section where visitors can learn about various microbes and micro-organisms. Several stations with microscopes would be present, looking at slides of different microorganisms such as Tardigraades, Yersinia pestis, E. Coli, Spirillium, etc. Large-scale models of the microbes and microorganisms on display would also be present for the general public's context, and different displays on the walls of this section would highlight even more petri-dishes of live and dead bacteria. After this section, there would be one last section highlighting different species of crustacean - namely American Lobster (Homarus americanus) and Coconut Crab (Birgus latro). Subsequent to this section would be the main Chordata Hall, having two or three representatives from each phylum (e.g. mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish) in a mixed-species environment so as to maximize the amount of species on display. Each indoor habitat would be equipped with skylights and biofloors to provide maximum welfare to the animals in question, and great care would be taken to prevent glare from showing up on the glass. All exhibits would have highly detailed murals depicting the setting that the animals in question reside naturally, and should the species roster be changed in any way, shape or form, said exhibits would be built for flexibility collection-wise. In this case, the first exhibit would be a tank for Congo Tetras (Phenacogrammus interruptus), Clown Catfish (Synodontis decorus) and Blunthead Cichlids (Tropheus moorii). Amphibians would be represented here with two adjoining wetlands-themed displays - one being home to American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), and the other being home to Japanese Giant Salamander (Andrias japonicus). Reptiles here would be represented with a lushly planted mixed-species Asian rainforest environment for Painted River Terrapin (Batagar borneoensis) and Philippine Sailfin Lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus). Birds would be represented in a tropical savanna environment, with Lady Ross' Turaco (Tauraco rossae), Bearded Barbet (Lybius dubius), and Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus). Mammals would be represented with a small predator/prey setup separated by glass, themed after the Sonora Desert - the "predator" in this case would be Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), while the "prey" in this case would be Cactus Mouse (Peromyscus eremicus). After exiting the WHAT IS AN ANIMAL building, guests would find themselves back in the Sea Lion Court, and have the option to go into the other zones - if one were to go in a sequential order, the next logical section would be WHERE ANIMALS LIVE, an outdoor trail home to some larger species housed in dynamic and uniquely designed environments...
 
WHERE ANIMALS LIVE would present different habitats that animals reside in - be it burrowing species, cliff-dwelling species, grass-dwelling species, tree-dwelling species and water-dwelling species. The first exhibit in this section would be a Wetlands Aviary and Streamside - guests would have the choice to enter through the Wetlands Aviary to get to the Streamside's exhibits, or pass by the Wetlands Aviary and look into the aviary via a glass window. (This design choice would accommodate for people who are not willing to share the same space as other birds, and would also futureproof the space for when the dread Avian Flu strikes.) The Wetlands Aviary would be home to a wide variety of birds, and rather than focusing on geographical consistency, signage would instead highlight the ecological niches that these species hold. This particular aviary would be home to Scaly-sided Merganser (Mergus squamata), Red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis), Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), Golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), Azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus), Rosy-billed pochard (Netta peposaca), and Hooded Crane (Grus monacha). Exiting the Wetlands Aviary, one would then find themselves at the adjoining Streamside exhibit, facing two adjacent habitats with underwater viewing along with several jewel-case exhibits. The first habitat would be home to North American River Otters (Lontra canadensis), with an additional "den" for the otters to reside in built into an adjoining riverbank. The next habitat would be a netted-over space for North American Beavers (Castor canadensis) in with Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) and Ring-Necked Ducks (Aythya collaris). Both of these spaces would feature above-water viewing, and the beaver exhibit in particular would feature an artificial dam that would be accessed via the pool. Said artificial dam would separate the river otter and beaver exhibits, and would provide additional context to the "homes" theme of WHERE ANIMALS LIVE. Within the same underwater viewing structure for the otters and beavers would be a series of jewel-box terrariums, each displaying Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), Gopher Frog (Lithobates capito), Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) and Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata). Nearby this space would be some metal lilypads embedded into a pond that guests can jump over, along with signage about native amphibian life. After the Streamside series of exhibits, the next zone would be the Treetops. Here, primarily arboreal animals would be displayed, starting with a series of habitats, each housing one or multiple species. The first habitat up would be a mixed-species environment for Matschie's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei), Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata), and Radjah Shelduck (Radjah radjah). Following would be a rotational space with indoor and outdoor viewing for Binturong (Arctitis binturong) and Styan's Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens styani). The following habitats would this time be viewed through glass - being home to Mainland Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and François' Langur (Trachypithecus francoisi). The final habitat in this series would be home to the ubiquitous North American Porcupine (Erithizon dorsatum). From the treetops, people would then descend down to the Forest Floor, with a glass-fronted, netted-over display for Wolverine (Gulo gulo) and a mesh-fronted, netted-over display for Smew (Mergellus albellus), Songthrush (Turdus philomelos), and Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus). After that zone would be a small display on Burrows, with adjoining grassy/sandy outdoor habitats contained by eroded mudbanks. The first display would be home to Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), followed by a mixed-species environment for Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) and Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), another burrow for American Badger (Taxidea taxis) and finally separate spaces for Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) and Short-Beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus). The second-to-last section following these spaces would be Grasslands, with some of the Burrows habitats looking into the Grasslands habitats while being separated via hidden moats - the Nine-Banded Armadillos' space would look into a medium-sized, grassy fenced yard for Maned Wolf (Chryoscyon brachyurus) and Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), while the Southern-Hairy Nosed Wombat and Short-Beaked Echidna habitats would look into a large, grassy yard for Western Gray Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus), Bennett's Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus), Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae, and Cape-Barren Goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae). Said large yard would also be a walkthrough environment, with a separation yard for the emu if necessary. The final zone in WHERE ANIMALS LIVE would be the Cliffs, which would be a simple set of netted enclosures for Kea (Nestor notabilis), Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) and Pallas' Cat (Otocolobus manul). The Pallas' Cat exhibit would primarily be viewed through mesh and glass, and a final adjoining terrarium would house Mongolian Jird (Meriones unguiculatus). Thus ends WHERE ANIMALS LIVE, the next post will highlight HOW ANIMALS ADAPT.
 
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StoppableSan said:
Birds would be represented in a tropical savanna environment, with Lady Ross' Turaco (Tauraco rossae), Bearded Barbet (Lybius dubius), and Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus).
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While I do like the idea of this taxonomic themed area, with a few species to represent each major taxonomic group, I'd recommend adding a ground bird species to the mix. This would add more multi-dimensional interest to the exhibit and be an easy way for the zoo to add an additional animal species without increasing the space needed, which is incredibly important for a small zoo. One of the best options available in US Zoos for a tropical savanna exhibit would be the Spotted Dikkop, although that's far from the only species that would work. Alternatively, a tortoise species could also be incorporated into this mix.

On a separate note, this zoo so far very much reminds me of the various upstate New York Zoos, as all of them have one "main building" that doesn't have much of a theme to it/holds various different themed exhibits, surrounded by outdoor exhibits for predominately cold-tolerant species. I do enjoy zoos in this style, including the three upstate New York Zoos I'm thinking of (Buffalo, Utica, Rosamond Gifford).
 
Neil chace said:
While I do like the idea of this taxonomic themed area, with a few species to represent each major taxonomic group, I'd recommend adding a ground bird species to the mix. This would add more multi-dimensional interest to the exhibit and be an easy way for the zoo to add an additional animal species without increasing the space needed, which is incredibly important for a small zoo. One of the best options available in US Zoos for a tropical savanna exhibit would be the Spotted Dikkop, although that's far from the only species that would work. Alternatively, a tortoise species could also be incorporated into this mix.

On a separate note, this zoo so far very much reminds me of the various upstate New York Zoos, as all of them have one "main building" that doesn't have much of a theme to it/holds various different themed exhibits, surrounded by outdoor exhibits for predominately cold-tolerant species. I do enjoy zoos in this style, including the three upstate New York Zoos I'm thinking of (Buffalo, Utica, Rosamond Gifford).
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Honestly, spotted dikkop and leopard tortoise would be pretty good additions to this habitat! If I could edit my original post, they'd *in my mind* officially be on the list!

Past that, when I have enough time on hand, I should get the HOW ANIMALS ADAPT roster listed out - I do have a pretty good idea on my mind that I'm dying to write down...
 
Batto said:
It started promising, but the more (cost-intensive and rare) species you listed, the less it became a realistic small zoo...
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I understand where you're coming from - however, everything that this zoo would house can comfortably lie in 12-15 acres, similar in size to Prospect Park Zoo. A lot of this is essentially an amalgamation of that, Central Park Zoo and one or two other subconscious influences. I am willing to cut down on the less realistic species (wombat and echidna), in order to expand on the macropod walkthrough that has actually existed in Prospect Park until it was replaced with a nature play area. That said, my local zoo's master plan is proposing animals like markhor, spotted hyena, flamingos, capybara/giant anteater/maned wolf, sloth bear, etc. on only 8 acres of land. I welcome any and all forms of criticism - constructive or not. That said, this zoo will be finished at some point - once it is, I'd love to hear your feedback then.
 
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Wombat and echidna are among the most obvious examples, but you wouldn't believe how high the maintainance costs for proper professional giant octopus & japanese giant salamander husbandries would be. Emperor scorpions are among the most expensive scorpions these days, a prospering leafcutter ant colony with a decent exhibit system ain't cheap either, etc. etc.
Afaik, Prospect Park and Central Park Zoo are operated and backed up by the WCS, which gives them some advantages a standard small zoo doesn't usually have. As for your local zoo: doesn't sound like a lot of spacious exhibits dedicated for each of them, does it? :(
 
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Batto said:
Wombat and echidna are among the most obvious examples, but you wouldn't believe how high the maintainance costs for proper professional giant octopus & japanese giant salamander husbandries would be. Emperor scorpions are among the most expensive scorpions these days, a prospering leafcutter ant colony with a decent exhibit system ain't cheap either, etc. etc.
Afaik, Prospect Park and Central Park Zoo are operated and backed up by the WCS, which gives them some advantages a standard small zoo doesn't usually have. As for your local zoo: doesn't sound like a lot of spacious exhibits dedicated for each of them, does it? :(
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Short of it is - this is an IDEAL situation where I have unlimited funds. Let's just say my ideal "large zoo" would have some pretty lofty aspirations as well, though it would also be designed with flexibility in mind. The HOW ANIMALS ADAPT section of this zoo is also being written out with flexibility in mind - ideally I'd have one species but realistically another species would fit just as well in that space.
 
Neil chace said:
Huh, is that true in the US as well? This may just be anecdotal, but it's one of the Scorpion species that I see most often in zoos, so it'd surprise me if they're that expensive. I trust you though, since I know this is right inside your area of expertise.
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In France I've seen quite frequently the Emperor Scorpions in zoos and public vivariums.
 
HOW ANIMALS ADAPT
While the last two sections were focused on defining and classifying what was an animal and what types of habitats animals live in, this section would focus on the various factors within nature that animals adapt to, such as climate and time of day. In essence, this building would basically be similar to the Animal Lifestyles/Hall of Animals buildings at Prospect Park, however a lot of the themes presented within those buildings would be expanded on within reason. Upon entering this building, guests would encounter a gallery differentiating between Venomous and Poisonous animals, with several multispecies terrariums showcasing venomous herptiles and poisonous amphibians/fish. The first exhibit would be a massive terrarium themed after an abandoned mineshaft, a mixed-species environment for Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus), Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus), Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) and Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum). This and subsequent snake/reptile exhibits' dimensions would be double or even triple the inhabitants' lengths, and would also provide enough vertical complexity to provide ample enrichment opportunities. An adjoining exhibit would be themed after a bamboo thicket, with enough room for the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) to slither, stretch, and display all its natural behaviors. Afterwards would be another mixed reptile display, this time for Black Mamba (Dendroaspus polylepis) and Eastern Green Mamba (Dendroaspus angusticeps), with this exhibit in particular also having signage about convergent evolution along with how each specimen prefers a terrestrial or arboreal lifestyle respectively. A montane forest-themed enclosure would house Mangshan Pit Viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis), and an Australian red center-themed enclosure would house Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus). Several aquatic exhibits would be present as well to showcase venomous species from other clades. The first tank showcasing Day Octopus (Octopus cyanea) in a grotto setting. The next tank would house Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) in a detailed microcosm of an Indo-Pacific reef. The final two tanks would highlight Coral Catfish (Plotosus lineatus) and finally Fire Urchin (Astropyga radiata). The next section in this area would feature poisonous species, with the main terrarium highlighting multiple species of frogs - Blessed Poison Frog (Ranitomeya benedicta), Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius), Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis), Blue Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius "azureus"), and Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus). Side exhibits would feature Red-Bellied Newt (Taricha rivularis) and Long-Spine Porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus). The next section in HOW ANIMALS ADAPT would focus on climate and how different animals adapt to different temperatures within their respective environments. The following section within this wing would feature animals from North Africa and the Middle East. This hallway would be themed as a cave looking out into a gorge within the desert, with different grottoes, nooks and crannies acting as enclosures for the different species residing in this wing. The main enclosure would be a large, rocky enclosure housing Hamadryas Baboon (Papio hamadryas) and Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis). This main enclosure would be netted over, and viewed primarily through glass. Several pocket exhibits would be nearby, visually connecting to the baboons' space. As guests are about to leave the main baboon viewing area, three more "nook" exhibits would house Sand Cat (Felis margarita), Cairo Spiny Mouse (Acomys cahirinus) and Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda) respectively. In order to prevent glare within these spaces, the glass panes that separate the smaller mammals' habitats from the baboons' space would be angled, and the rockwork itself would be designed to provide visual connectivity. The third to last wing of this building would house a pair of walk-through climate controlled habitat spaces themed after the Arctic and Antarctic oceans respectively. Typically with penguin and puffin exhibits, indoor galleries are employed to provide visitor comfort - however, one of the main issues that comes with separate climates for visitor and bird alike is that of condensation - these systems, (as employed in zoos like Saint Louis, Louisville and Calgary) would rectify that problem, especially with the land portion of these habitats. The first of these two walkthrough habitats would contain Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata), Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata), King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), and Common Murre (Uria aalge). The second and larger of the two would house King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua), Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus). While a path would separate the penguins' space, there would be a passage under the visitors' path that the penguins would access by diving. In addition to the underwater viewing areas in these two walkthrough habitats, additional underwater bay windows would be present as well at the end of these galleries to maximize the amount of space that the alcids and penguins would dive in. The second to last section of HOW ANIMALS ADAPT would be the nocturnal section of the zoo, aptly titled Life in the Dark. Unlike most nocturnal houses, this one would be themed after specific times of day. All habitats within this section would employ red lighting, and one-way glass would also be utilized to maximize the animals' welfare. The first space would depict the mouth of a cave looking into a rainforest canopy, housing Egyptian Fruit Bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and Straw-Colored Fruit Bats (Eidolon helvum). The next two habitats would depict the understory/forest floor of the rainforest - the first one containing Pygmy Slow Loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus) and Greater Mouse Deer (Tragulus napu), and the second one containing Northern Luzon Cloud-Rat (Phloeomys pallidus). Following would be a medium-sized arboreal exhibit which would hold one of two species depending on viability - if the zoo is able to obtain them for the purposes of breeding/showcase, White-Bellied Pangolins (Phataginus tricuspis) would reside in this space. If not, Central African Rock Python (Python sebae) would fare just as well. The final exhibit in this zone would also be flexible for one of two options - the first option ideally would be Sulawesi Bear Cuscus (Ailurops ursinus), and if that isn't viable, Kinkajou (Potos flavus) would work just as well here. The final area in HOW ANIMALS ADAPT would contain the bulk of this zoo's primate, turtle and fish collection - the first "understory" exhibit would be home to Bolivian Grey Titi (Plecturocebus donacophilus), Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) and Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia). The next exhibit would be themed after a forest floor, holding White-Faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia), Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator), Blue-Billed Curassow (Crax alberti) and Red-Footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius). The final exhibit space in this building would be the Flooded Forest, home to different species of fish, turtles, birds and/or primates - this would be the zoo's most diverse exhibit space next to the Wetlands Aviary. The water space would feature Arrau Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), Hilaire’s Toadhead Turtle (Phrynops hilarii), Black Pacu (Colossoma macropomum), Amazonian Silver Dollar Fish (Metynnis argenteus), Banded Leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus), Flagtail Prochilodus (Semaprochilodus insignis), Payara (Hydrolycus scomberoides), Redtail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus), Ripsaw Catfish (Oxydoras niger), Pictus Catfish (Pimelodus pictus), Royal Pleco (Panaque nigrolineatus), Leopard Pleco (Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps), Phantom Pleco (Hemiancistrus subviridis), Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum), and Xingu River Stingray (Potamotrygon leopoldi). As far as what would be in the canopy, I would house Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco), so as not to risk any "monkey business" with any other critters. Following this would be the final section of this zoo, ANIMALS AND MAN.
 
Haliaeetus said:
In France I've seen quite frequently the Emperor Scorpions in zoos and public vivariums.
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Why, certainly. But nothing in comparison to what it used to be. Due to Pandinus sp. getting CITES status, the once cheapest commercially available scorpions have become quite pricey, with prices of >250€ for nice big specimens. More and more pet shops and exotic animal retailers (and thus zoos) have hence switched over to more common Heterometrus scorpions, often not bothering to change the old emperor scorpion name tag...
 
Batto said:
Why, certainly. But nothing in comparison to what it used to be. Due to Pandinus sp. getting CITES status, the once cheapest commercially available scorpions have become quite pricey, with prices of >250€ for nice big specimens. More and more pet shops and exotic animal retailers (and thus zoos) have hence switched over to more common Heterometrus scorpions, often not bothering to change the old emperor scorpion name tag...
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The topic is about a zoo, not a pet shop.
It's obvious that there would be species uncommon or absent among the average pet retailers (as well as a Polar Bear or a Chimp, that you wouldn't expect to see in your neighborhood's pet shop).
 
CrashMegaraptor said:
The Emperor Scorpion is probably THE scorpion you see on exhibit over here in the UK. I have seen other species, but if there ever is a scorpion on display, it's usually the emperor.
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As previously mentioned - that used to be the case. Nowadays, it's more and more Heterometrus sp., quite often mislabelled as emperor scorpions.
 
StoppableSan said:
The first exhibit would be a massive terrarium themed after an abandoned mineshaft, a mixed-species environment for Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus), Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus), Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) and Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum).
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While there are zoos mixing Heloderma with rattlesnakes, I wouldn't recommend such a mix with different rattlesnake species for various reasons.

Eidolon helvum is not a cave dweller and not well suited for such a crowded environment; they would soon lose their ability to fly due to muscular athrophy.
 
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