I've always loved reptile houses, but have been interested in ideas to design one that was unique, rather than having a laundry list of species that I'd like to see. Sometimes when I sketch out ideas, I work on the idea of several smaller, themed reptile houses instead of one mega-complex. Below are two such small, specialized exhibit ideas.
Pagoda of Dragons
Concept: As befits one of the world’s largest countries, which spans several biomes from desert to rainforest to frozen mountain, China possesses an incredible biodiveristy. Among this diversity is a wide variety of reptile and amphibian species, some of which are found nowhere else. The Pagoda of Dragons is a relatively small reptile house that highlights a select few of these species in an atmosphere that presents the animals as parts of China’s ancient cultural heritage, especially pertaining to its many legends of dragons.
Species: Chinese Hwamei, Chinese Alligator, Chinese Three-Striped Box Turtle, Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle, Tentacled Snake, Taiwan Beauty Snake, Mangshan Mountain Viper, Chinese Crocodile Lizard, Chinese Giant Salamander, Mandarin Newt, Oriental Fire-Belled Toad, Northern Snakehead
Spatial Requirements: 0.5 Acres. The exhibit is centered around the Pagoda itself, with the adjacent outdoor habitat for Chinese alligators, as well as an off-exhibit adjacent outdoor enrichment pen for the larger reptiles (crocodile lizard, Mangshan viper, box turtle). The rest of the land is dominated by gardens and ornamental ponds.
Keeper Requirement: 1 keeper assigned per day (this keeper may also take on additional exhibits outside of this area). Additional backup required if there is a need to work the Mangshan mountain viper; two keepers present for alligator feedings and movements.
Description: The entire site of the exhibit is enclosed within a protective border of bamboo (actually two protective borders of bamboo, one growing on each side of a fence that is concealed between), which effectively screens this area from the rest of the zoo. A broad path of neatly raked sand winds through the gardens of evergreen shrubs and flowering trees before arriving at the front door of the Pagoda. Situated directly in front of the Pagoda is a large statue of a Chinese dragon for children to play on.
Inside, the Pagoda is dark, with most of the illumination coming from the terrariums that line the walls. On either side of the doorway are the smaller tanks – black-breasted leaf turtle, tentacle snake, Taiwan beauty snake, mandarin newt, and fire-belled toad. One of the side walls is dominated by a large habitat for Chinese crocodile lizards and Chinese three-striped box turtles; the other wall has a large habitat for Mangshan vipers. The size of each of these habitats, far in excess of what many zoos offer reptiles of similar size, is to promote enhanced standards of welfare, as well as to facilitate keeper safety by allowing staff to walk fully into the exhibits rather than reaching in. Both exhibits have water features, rock piles, deep leafy substrate, and branches of various height to promote cleaning.
Signage around the gallery provides information not only about the animals themselves but about the role of dragons in Chinese culture, detailing how aspects of the dragon are reflected in different animals. Signage also helps visitors identify the bioregions of China and how different habitats are better suited towards the needs of different species. This is driven home by a large map of China painted onto the floor of the lobby. On panels in the four corners of the visitor lobby are illustrated retellings of popular legends concerning dragons from ancient China.
The back wall of the building consists of three large aquatic habitats, seemingly interconnected as one. In the center is the Chinese alligator exhibit, flanked by exhibits for northern snakeheads and Chinese giant salamanders. The floor is sunken with ramps in front of these exhibits to allow visitors in the front to have underwater viewing of the animals (the Chinese alligator exhibit has a depth of six feet at the deepest; the salamander exhibit is three feet deep and the snakehead exhibit five feet), while visitors further back can enjoy viewing of the land area of the alligator exhibit. The alligator exhibit is shared with a flock of Chinese hwamei. The hwamei have a separate water source in the form of a small pool at the top of the waterfall that feeds the three habitats, ensuring that they do not have to risk exposure to the alligators in order to drink. The exhibit is well planted and has varied substrates of mulch, sand, and leaf litter. There are two prominent basking spots, one on the water’s edge, one further back in a more private location.
The back wall of the alligator exhibit is insulated glass, revealing the adjacent outdoor habitat, which also has a small pond (this one without underwater viewing). Visitors are able to access the exhibit by exiting the building and taking a walkway around the back of the building. The exhibit is fronted with glass and roofed with fine mesh, which not only allows the hwamei to have outdoor access as well, but protects the animals from any objects which visitors might toss at them to encourage movement. A separate outdoor enclosure, off-exhibit, is used by the crocodile lizards, box turtles, and vipers as an enrichment and basking space, allowing them to have access to natural sunlight.
Venomous Snakes – a World of Danger
Concept: Venomous snakes are some of the most paradoxical animals featured in zoo collections. On one hand, they spread fear and fascination like few other animals do. On the other, they are often presented to the public merely as yet another snake of display in a reptile house. Their antics are the stuff of legend, yet they rarely do much beyond bask and rest in zoo displays. They are some of the most dangerous of animals for keepers to work with, yet there is no other dangerous species which zookeepers have to directly work with in such a risky manner. Venomous Snakes –a World of Danger takes five highly dangerous species of snake from around the world and features them in a multimedia infused habitat that introduces them to the public in a new light, all while promoting the safety and welfare of the animals’ caretakers.
Species: Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, South American Bushmaster, Black Mamba, King Cobra, Coastal Taipan
Spatial Requirements: Approximately 0.15 Acres
Keeper Requirement: Only one keeper is required to service the exhibit, and this keeper is able to accommodate extra exhibits throughout his or her work day. However, there is a two (venom-trained) keeper rule for servicing any of the habitats in this building, as well as any of the off-exhibit holding.
Description: Housing only five species on display, Venomous Snakes is not an especially large building. It could actually be considered two buildings that are interlocked with one another, one for the public and one for the keepers and the animals. There are no access points – doors, windows, or ventilation ducts – between the two structures. This structural segregation serves to eliminate any possibility of animals accessing the public area if they were to become loose in their behind the scenes area.
The front of the building is a greenhouse, into which visitors are directed from off the main path. Immediately outside of the building is a life-sized sculpture of a pair of record-length king cobras, situated around their nest mound. The male stands up fully erect, looking visitors straight in the eye, while the female is curled protectively around her clutch. The doorway to the building is framed with an arch decorated with a mosaic of snakes of various species and sizes, intertwined in a mass that curves over the doorway.
Inside, visitors enter a lushly planted hothouse, complete with a small stream (over which they take a small footbridge) and a trickling waterfall. Positioned along the trail are informative graphics on the subject of venomous snakes. These include a map showing the concentrations of venomous snakes around the world and within the United States, a list of the most dangerous snakes on the planet (exploring such factors as venom potency, aggression, and fatality rates), and a display outlining the differences between an animal’s being venomous versus poisonous. These signs guide visitors through the looping forest trail to a dark chamber on the opposite side, where the snakes themselves are kept.
The visitor lobby of the snake room has black tile floors, black walls, and is dimly lit. The light all comes from the exhibits themselves, as well as the signage and electronic graphics, which are backlit. In the center is a circular bench, wrapped around a pillar (an ideal waiting place for visitors who are uncomfortable around snakes while the other members of their party view the animals).
The five exhibits are situated in a semi-circle around the room. Between each set of exhibits is a pillar that houses the educational sign, as well as a touch TV screen. Each screen has a few options that can be played. These include footage of that species in the wild, displaying natural behaviors which might not be readily seen in the zoo (such as a rattlesnake rattling or a cobra hooding up), as well as a testimonial from someone who has been bitten by the species and survived. Each educational kiosk also contains a shadow-box that displays a skull (real or replica) of the species, the fangs displayed prominently (and, in the case of the rattlesnake, with a good sized rattle as well). Signage is accompanied by braille; video clips with audio are all close-captioned.
Each exhibit is situated thirty inches off the ground and measures ten feet deep by fifteen feet long by seven feet high. These are large by most zoo standards, so the snakes are encouraged to remain in view through the arrangement of favored hiding places and heat sources. A railing keeps visitors three feet back from the front of each exhibit to discourage glass banging and other forms of harassment.
The first exhibit is a piney woodland in the southern United States, home to eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. Half of a hollow log lies lengthwise against the window, sheltering the entrance to a burrow in the sandy-soil mix and creating a preferred hiding spot for the snakes. The second exhibit depicts a fruit plantation in northern South America and is home to bushmasters. The third is an east African grassland, dominated by a towering artificial termite mound and shaded on one side by a few downward drooping replica acacia branches, which is home to a black mamba. The fourth exhibit is the crumbling ruins of a Southeast Asian temple, which the jungle has started to overgrow, patrolled by a king cobra. The fifth and final exhibit is the front porch of a shack in the Australian outback, where a coastal taipan may be found.
Each exhibit also has a special themed component, unique to that snake. For the rattlesnake, it is an expose of rattlesnake roundups in the southern US (conveying their cruelty tastefully, without displaying gore that might be off-putting to visitors). For the bushmaster, the signage tells the story of Raymond Ditmars of the Bronx Zoo and his passion for the snakes. The mamba exhibit explores the legendary speed of the snake; the king cobra exhibit looks at the role of cobras in mythology. The taipan exhibit focuses more on venom and how it works. The exhibits are all outfitted with overhead misters which can produce rain to varying degrees and have individual light and temperature control cycles to facilitate breeding. Each habitat also has a screen which can be pulled down over the front of the exhibit and locked into place, providing privacy for new snakes and blocking visual disturbance if animals have to be worked directly.
Behind the scenes, the area directly behind each signage kiosk is a shift pen for the exhibit. These aren’t used regularly for the rattlesnake or bushmaster exhibits (as a result, they share a single shift area, which can be opened into either enclosure), though the keepers may place the snakes there when they need to do substantial work in the exhibits. The mamba, cobra, and taipan exhibit snakes are all conditioned to enter the holding area as needed though the manipulation of exhibit lights and temperatures. Each holding pen also has a feature where a shift box can be secured to it, allowing keepers to safely shift snakes into their transport boxes (and then transfer them back) without ever having to physically touch them, or use tongs or hooks to maneuver them. For keeper safety reasons, only a single elapid of each species is ever on exhibit – breeding efforts are made behind the scenes with these species, and snakes are rotated on exhibit as needed.
The behind the scenes are also includes a series of racks, two larger rooms for breeding purposes, and two refrigerators – one for prey items and one for antivenin. There are snakebite alarm buttons situated throughout the building, including one at each exhibit. Each snake exhibit has two keeper access points – one in which the keepers open the door while standing at ground level, one in which they ascend a few steps and walk directly in. There are small porthole windows in two or three locations on the back of every exhibit to provide visual access into the exhibits before keepers open exhibit doors.
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