ZooSC at Myrtle Beach: A New Spec Zoo Project

[Van Beal]

Australasia -> The Outdoors

Guests were left at the exit of the Australasian Biomes Pavilion, and facing viewing windows into the outdoor habitats for our two larger ratite species. The first new species visible from outside is viewed through chicken-wire and glass layered the former before the latter to prevent the inhabiting Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii (1.0) from colliding with the glass. This solitary male, named 'Giggles,' is housed in his 100 sq. meter and 4 meter-high aviary which is centered around a relatively lush and sizeable gum tree, with multiple feeders within guest view.

Possible Look of Kookaburra Aviary -> image courtesy of @gulogulogulo

Blue-winged Kookaburra -> image courtesy of @Haliaeetus

From the kookaburra aviary, guests walk past a barrier which is probably lower than anticipated at just a meter high, though the habitat it separates guests from is also 2 feet below the ground level of the path. The view into this 450 sq. meter space allows you to, when weather permits, view 'Peleke' the previously mentioned male Komodo Dragon that has access to this outdoor habitat.

As you pass the dragon's outdoor space, the final two habitats come into view, just ahead of the three-way convergence of the paths that I mentioned to end the last post. These two habitats, one open-topped and viewable through a window in a small, rocky wall, while the other is an aviary. The first habitat is 450 sq. meters, which is very light on the foliage toward the front, but becomes thicker and more 'overgrown' as it heads toward the back wall, concealing the entrance to the backstage areas for our pair of Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii (1.1), named 'Cleo' and 'Hobart.' The aviary is identical, size-wise at least, to the kookaburra aviary (so 100 sq. meters surface and 4m high). Besides that, not much is the same. This aviary is less rustic wood, and more metallic fencing, while the interior is a very rocky space, with a few stunted conifers, replicating the alpine regions that the Kea Nestor notabilis (1.1) inhabits on New Zealand's South Island.

Possible Look of Devil Habitat -> image courtesy of @Zooish

Tasmanian Devil -> image courtesy of @Therabu

Possible Look of Kea Aviary -> image courtesy of @Shirokuma

Kea -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando (also this image displays that the bird has a rather long bill, which I did not know)

And with this, visitors come to the three-way path convergence, of which guests can only go forward or turn tail back the way they came, as the construction down the other path prevents anyone besides staff and construction personnel from accessing the future site of Aquatic Worlds, an aquarium attraction that is set to be completed in 2025. Various other projects are also being undertaken and planned, including the expansion of the Indian Subcontinent (an area currently set just as the Indian Rhino and Rhesus Macaque habitat), as well as the addition of a third Plaza Pond, which will be used for a species already housed in the zoo. Minor renovations will also be made to both Rumah Pulau and the Australasian Biomes Pavilion, and phaseouts and the introduction of new species will occur (the planned phaseouts and new species will be briefly explained at the end of this version of the zoo, and some of these new species are unique in North America, which is something I avoided in this version).

Anyways, sometime in the next couple of days, though chances are high that it won't be tomorrow, the first post on the Native Lands will be made, so stay tuned, enjoy, and feel free to ask about the future of this zoo, which I will gladly discuss in the meantime!

 

[Van Beal]

Native Lands Part One

Today we continue along the path leading to the Native Lands sector of the zoo. What lands are native may differ from person to person, but the Native Lands I mean is generally North America. Designing this section of the zoo was quite enjoyable for me, so I hope touring it is as enjoyable for you!

Guests begin with the picturesque view of a massive stone archway, under which you will pass to enter the rest of the zone. This archway is entirely traversable by the animals in the enclosure(s) which are bridged by the archway. Visitors simply view along the fence on either side, and can be view in the same manner on the other side of the archway. The enclosure(s) are each 650 sq. meters in surface area, making for a total of 1,300 sq. meters excluding the archway. The left half (from the entrance to the sector) is more forested and subtly hilly, while the right half is more rocky and rugged. The left side also features the beginnings of a river, which will become wider and a major part of many of the upcoming enclosures. Both halves are equally likely to have members our pack of Eastern or Timber Wolf Canis lupus lycaon (3.7) roaming the spaces.

Possible View of Right-hand Portion of Wolf Yard -> image courtesy of @Milwaukee Man

Possible View of Left-hand Portion of Wolf Yard -> image also courtesy of @Milwaukee Man

After passing through the archway, and maybe viewing the wolves from the opposite side, visitors can see an expansive 2-acre yard, kept from the path by a 3ft-wide ditch and a stone-and-glass barrier. Indoor spaces for our herds of Wood Bison Bison bison athabascae (3.16) and Peninsular Pronghorn Antilocapra americana peninsularis (3.12) can be located on the far end of the enclosure, in an area which also feature the main keeper facilities for the sector and is inaccessible to visitors.

Possible Look of North American Ungulate Yard -> image courtesy of @Otorongo

Wood Bison -> image courtesy of @Pleistohorse

Peninsular Pronghorn -> image courtesy of @UngulateNerd92

Kodiak River Walk
Along this same path, on the opposite side and alongside the shores of a now full-blown river called the Kodiak River, guests can see three mesh-enclosed habitats, two at 200 sq. meters area and the third at 150 sq. meters area, the larger two for respective pairs of North American River Otter Lontra canadensis (1.1) and American Beaver Castor canadensis (1.1), the smaller for our pair of Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus (1.1), followed by a 750 sq. meter habitat with two 400 sq. meter separation yards for our trio of female Moose Alces alces (0.3), and then finally guests can view three aviaries, two at 450 sq. meters and housing respective flocks of Green Heron Butorides virescens (4.4) and Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (4.4), while the third is only 200 sq. meters and houses a pair of American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus (1.1). Plans to introduce our American Wood Ducks and/or Northern Shovelers into one of these aviaries are withheld for the time being, though these plans may come to fruition in the future.

Ideal Look of River Mammal Habitats -> image courtesy of @Mr Gharial

Possible View of Main Moose Yard -> image courtesy of @snowleopard

Possible Side View of Wader Aviaries -> image courtesy of @KevinB

North American River Otter -> image courtesy of @Lucas Lang

Canadian Beaver -> image courtesy of @gentle lemur

Muskrat -> image courtesy of @RatioTile

Female Moose (meese?) -> image courtesy of @StellarChaser

Green Heron -> image courtesy of @splendens

Cattle Egret -> image courtesy of @Osedax

American Bittern -> image courtesy of @Great Argus

From here, guests are nearing a staircase, but first you can enter a cave on the same side as the seven other riverside enclosures. This cave provides a jaw-dropping panoramic view into the 2,950 sq. meter Kodiak River Valley, where the aforementioned Kodiak River flows into a 2-meter high waterfall which tumbles into a massive salmon-stocked pool. A massive space like this houses the namesakes of the river, our pair of Kodiak Brown Bear Ursus arctos middendorffi (1.1), a formidable sight even from this far up.

Kodiak Brown Bear -> image courtesy of @birdsandbats

With this, guests can head down a staircase of stone, which leads to the doors of the Native Lands Pavilion, which we will cover in the coming days. For now, enjoy and stay tuned!

 

[Van Beal]

Native Lands Pavilion -> Halls One and Two

I have returned after a lengthy and unplanned hiatus, and now I will cover the first two halls in the Native Lands Pavilion.
The first hall is, all told, nothing extraordinary, just a simple foyer room with a central 150 sq. meter habitat in the center, and windows viewing into three outdoor habitats, two of those windows to the right, and one viewing the Kodiak Brown Bear habitat from the ground level of the enclosure.
The two windows to the right stand side-by-side, separated by a simple concrete divider. To the right of this divider is a 650 sq. meter habitat which is very mountainous, and mesh-covered to prevent the escape of our Dall Sheep Ovis dalli (1.3). The other habitat is also rocky, however it lacks the mesh covering and the full size of the previous habitat, with the home of 'Logan' our lone
male Wolverine Gulo gulo (1.0) being just 350 sq. meters in area.

Imagined View of Dall Sheep Habitat -> image courtesy of @Baldur

Dall Sheep -> image courtesy of @Taurinus

Possible View of Wolverine Habitat -> image courtesy of @Pleistohorse

Wolverine -> image courtesy of @Lucas Lang

The central habitat, which is 150 sq. meters as I previously mentioned, is somewhat rocky, but more designed to represent the conifer forests of northern British Columbia, which is where our small group of Vancouver Island Marmot Marmota vancouverensis (1.3) originate from. The enclosure is circular, with a barrier of conifer logs and chicken wire, the top of which reaches the base of an average person's ribcage.

Possible Look of Marmot Enclosure -> image courtesy of @SivatheriumGuy

Walking around the marmot enclosure, visitors can access a rather hefty pair of double doors, which are almost always watched by a staff member, either from this side or from the inside of the Forests Hall, the first and smallest of the four which boast animals. Guests become immersed in a conifer forest, complete with various free-roaming species, listed below:
- 1.1 North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
- 1.2 Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
- 1.1 Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
- 8.14 Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
- 2.6 Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
- 4.10 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

North American Porcupine -> image courtesy of @Lucas Lang

Northern Cardinal -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

Downy Woodpecker -> image courtesy of @KCZooFan

Black-capped Chickadee -> image courtesy of @savethelephant

Red-breasted Nuthatch (stuffed but best up-close image I could find on the site) -> image courtesy of @Sarus Crane

Mourning Dove -> image courtesy of @red river hog

Of course, this just covers the species which have access to the entire (or most of, at least) 10,000 sq. meter forested hall. The path through the hall is circuitous, leading around a central area stocked with multiple bird feeders. Heading to the left, guests can view four terrariums, the first two of which are 4 sq. meters of 'floor space' and a meter high. These tanks house respective 1.1 pairs of Timber Rattlesnake Crotalus horridus and Pacific Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer. The next two tanks are paludariums, with one measuring identically to the snake tanks before it, with the other having four times the surface on the 'floor' at 16 sq. meters. The smaller paludarium houses our Western Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavoratium (1.3), while the larger hosts our 1.1 pair of Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis.

Possible Look of Snake Tanks -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

Timber Rattlesnake -> image courtesy of @Kevin2342

Pacific Gopher Snake -> image courtesy of @RatioTile

Possible Look of Salamander Tanks (scaled down for tiger salamanders) -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

Western Tiger Salamander -> image courtesy of @Andrew_NZP

Hellbender -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

If you decided to go to the right, you would come to a 5 sq. meter, simple forested habitat for our White-throated Woodrat Neotoma albigula (1.2) trio to call home. Next door to this habitat is a larger, 95 sq. meter habitat which is otherwise the same as the woodrat habitat, though this one houses our Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana (1.1).

White-throated Woodrat -> image courtesy of @Giant Eland

Possible Look of Opossum Exhibit -> image courtesy of @Coelacanth18

Virginia Opossum -> image courtesy of @twilighter

And with that, guests come to the doors which lead to the next hall, which is the second largest: the Deserts Hall. For now, enjoy, and the hope is I will post the Deserts Hall tomorrow, and from there the Wetlands and Seabird Halls, and the end of the zone and transition into the Patagonian Trek. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Enjoy the newest portion of the zoo, and stay tuned!

 

[Haliaeetus]

Native Lands Pavilion -> Halls One and Two

I have returned after a lengthy and unplanned hiatus, and now I will cover the first two halls in the Native Lands Pavilion.
The first hall is, all told, nothing extraordinary, just a simple foyer room with a central 150 sq. meter habitat in the center, and windows viewing into three outdoor habitats, two of those windows to the right, and one viewing the Kodiak Brown Bear habitat from the ground level of the enclosure.
The two windows to the right stand side-by-side, separated by a simple concrete divider. To the right of this divider is a 650 sq. meter habitat which is very mountainous, and mesh-covered to prevent the escape of our Dall Sheep Ovis dalli (1.3). The other habitat is also rocky, however it lacks the mesh covering and the full size of the previous habitat, with the home of 'Logan' our lone
male Wolverine Gulo gulo (1.0) being just 350 sq. meters in area.

Imagined View of Dall Sheep Habitat -> image courtesy of @Baldur

Dall Sheep -> image courtesy of @Taurinus

Possible View of Wolverine Habitat -> image courtesy of @Pleistohorse

Wolverine -> image courtesy of @Lucas Lang

The central habitat, which is 150 sq. meters as I previously mentioned, is somewhat rocky, but more designed to represent the conifer forests of northern British Columbia, which is where our small group of Vancouver Island Marmot Marmota vancouverensis (1.3) originate from. The enclosure is circular, with a barrier of conifer logs and chicken wire, the top of which reaches the base of an average person's ribcage.

Possible Look of Marmot Enclosure -> image courtesy of @SivatheriumGuy

Walking around the marmot enclosure, visitors can access a rather hefty pair of double doors, which are almost always watched by a staff member, either from this side or from the inside of the Forests Hall, the first and smallest of the four which boast animals. Guests become immersed in a conifer forest, complete with various free-roaming species, listed below:
- 1.1 North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
- 1.2 Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
- 1.1 Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
- 8.14 Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
- 2.6 Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
- 4.10 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

North American Porcupine -> image courtesy of @Lucas Lang

Northern Cardinal -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

Downy Woodpecker -> image courtesy of @KCZooFan

Black-capped Chickadee -> image courtesy of @savethelephant

Red-breasted Nuthatch (stuffed but best up-close image I could find on the site) -> image courtesy of @Sarus Crane

Mourning Dove -> image courtesy of @red river hog

Of course, this just covers the species which have access to the entire (or most of, at least) 10,000 sq. meter forested hall. The path through the hall is circuitous, leading around a central area stocked with multiple bird feeders. Heading to the left, guests can view four terrariums, the first two of which are 4 sq. meters of 'floor space' and a meter high. These tanks house respective 1.1 pairs of Timber Rattlesnake Crotalus horridus and Pacific Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer. The next two tanks are paludariums, with one measuring identically to the snake tanks before it, with the other having four times the surface on the 'floor' at 16 sq. meters. The smaller paludarium houses our Western Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavoratium (1.3), while the larger hosts our 1.1 pair of Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis.

Possible Look of Snake Tanks -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

Timber Rattlesnake -> image courtesy of @Kevin2342

Pacific Gopher Snake -> image courtesy of @RatioTile

Possible Look of Salamander Tanks (scaled down for tiger salamanders) -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

Western Tiger Salamander -> image courtesy of @Andrew_NZP

Hellbender -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

If you decided to go to the right, you would come to a 5 sq. meter, simple forested habitat for our White-throated Woodrat Neotoma albigula (1.2) trio to call home. Next door to this habitat is a larger, 95 sq. meter habitat which is otherwise the same as the woodrat habitat, though this one houses our Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana (1.1).

White-throated Woodrat -> image courtesy of @Giant Eland

Possible Look of Opossum Exhibit -> image courtesy of @Coelacanth18

Virginia Opossum -> image courtesy of @twilighter

And with that, guests come to the doors which lead to the next hall, which is the second largest: the Deserts Hall. For now, enjoy, and the hope is I will post the Deserts Hall tomorrow, and from there the Wetlands and Seabird Halls, and the end of the zone and transition into the Patagonian Trek. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Enjoy the newest portion of the zoo, and stay tuned!

This American collection looks great.
Many of these species are rare if not unknown in European zoos.

 

[Van Beal]

This American collection looks great.
Many of these species are rare if not unknown in European zoos.

I always enjoy doing North American sections. As the zoo is based in North America, I find more freedom and variety in what I can have.

 

[Van Beal]

Native Lands Pavilion: The Deserts Hall

The entrance to the Deserts Hall is through rather hefty double doors and those (rather obnoxious) vinyl strip door curtains, together ensuring that our free-roaming species, which include a group of Nine-banded Armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus (2.6) and a large group of Costa's Hummingbird Calypte costae (9.17), both species having free access to the 10,500 sq. meters of space not taken up by enclosures. The first enclosure is one for a smaller species which I personally view as a staple for an American desert display. The habitat takes up 200 sq. meters, and is backed by a sandstone cliff, while various sandy hills dot the habitat, with pre-made and stabilized tunnels throughout the habitat. The habitat provides our coterie of Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus (3.8), made up of one breeding-age male, six breeding-age females, and four juveniles (two male and two female), with a suitable home.

Nine-banded Armadillo -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

Costa's Hummingbird -> image courtesy of @splendens

Possible View of Prairie Dog Habitat -> image courtesy of @Tiger

Black-tailed Prairie Dog -> image courtesy of @Prochilodus246

The winding desert trail takes guests along a simple driftwood and chicken wire fence standing atop a concrete 'foundation,' while a layer of Plexiglass is sandwiched between the layers of chicken wire. This fence separates guests from the two habitats, each 500 sq. meters total, but at different ratios indoor-outdoor, with the first having 400 sq. meters of indoor space and 100 sq. meters of outdoor space, while the second has 300 sq. meters of indoor space and 200 sq. meters of outdoor space. The first uses the back wall of the prairie dog habitat as a barrier, while a large dead tree stands in the center of the habitat. The dirt surrounding the roots of this tree has been cleared away, creating a set for our pair of American Badger Taxidea taxus (1.1), to hide away in. A secondary set can be found in the outdoor space, which is connected to the staff access points for both this enclosure and the one next door. This habitat next door is meshed over due to the more notable climbing abilities of the inhabitant, and a pair of dead trees stand tall, while others have tumbled down haphazardly over the stony cave-like den in the center of the habitat. Guests are told to look in these trees, as that is where 'Zuni', the male Bobcat Lynx rufus (1.0) can often be found.

Possible Look of Badger Habitat -> image courtesy of @Milwaukee Man

American Badger -> image courtesy of @Rhino0118

Possible Look of Bobcat Enclosure (but more desert-ish) -> image courtesy of @Pleistohorse

Bobcat -> image courtesy of @Julio C Castro

The winding trail continues to a pair of aviaries, both having chest-high fences exactly as the fences for the badger and bobcat habitats were, and harp wire up, creating two 3m high aviaries, one with 200 sq. meters surface, the other with 100 sq. meters surface. The larger of the two is rather bare of anything high-growing, with various small shrubs and cacti dotted throughout. An abandoned badger set provides a home to our flock of Burrowing Owl Athene cuniculara (1.4), while a lone Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus (1.0) can also be found around the aviary. The smaller aviary is dominated by a dead tree with plenty of tiny spikes protruding from it, allowing 'Buck' the Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus (1.0) can demonstrate exactly why his nickname is the 'butcher-bird' at feeding time.

Possible Look of Owl/Roadrunner Aviary -> image courtesy of @Coelacanth18

Burrowing Owl -> image courtesy of @Bubalus

Greater Roadrunner -> image courtesy of @Therabu

Loggerhead Shrike -> my own image

Guests will next enter an enclosed pathway along the wall of a pair of 2,500 sq. meter aviaries, both of which reach almost 5m high. Both are rather bare, featuring carrion tables and dead trees for perches, as well as some false cow skeletons where food will sometimes be placed to provide a fun little show for the guests. Both aviaries hold different scavenging birds, the first holding a small flock of Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura (3.3), and the second a pair of Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus (1.1). After exiting this aviary, guests enter a narrow canyon, in which you can find seven terrariums, three in the left-hand wall, and four in the right-hand wall.
Guests can find the following in the left-hand wall:
-> a 4 sq. meter tank for a pair of Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard Heloderma exasperatum (1.1)
-> a 4 sq. meter tank for a pair of Reticulate Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum (1.1)
-> a 6 sq. meter mixed tank for a pair of San Esteban Chuckwalla Sauromalus varius (1.1) and a group of Desert Grassland Whiptail Aspidoscelis uniparens (0.6)
In the right-hand wall guests can find:
-> respective 1 sq. meter tanks for our lone Black Widow Spider Latrodectus mactans (0.1) and our lone Giant Desert Centipede Scolopendra heros (0.0.1)
-> respective 2 sq. meter tanks for a breeding pair of Mexican Redknee Tarantula Brachypelma smithii (1.1) and an unsexed group of Eastern Florida Lubber Grasshopper Romalea microptera (0.0.4)

Possible Look inside 'Raptor' Aviaries -> image courtesy of @Mr Gharial

Turkey Vulture -> image courtesy of @Therabu

Possible Look of Desert Terrariums -> image courtesy of @JigerofLemuria

Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

San Esteban Chuckwalla -> image courtesy of @Andrew_NZP

Giant Desert Centipede -> image courtesy of @Hipporex

Guests reach the end of the canyon, and in doing so also reach the door that leads to the largest hall in the building: the Wetlands Hall.
Phew, didn't think I was gonna get the entire Deserts Hall into one post. Anyways, the Wetlands hall is going to be a task for the next (maybe couple) post(s), so for now, enjoy the Deserts Hall and stay tuned! The Wetlands will likely be coming on Wednesday or Thursday.

 

[Van Beal]

Quick note -> I will post the whole species distribution thing at the end of this sector, both for this sector and the next sector, which is the diminutive but still exciting Patagonian Trek.

 

[Tigeanderson]

Native Lands Pavilion: The Deserts Hall

The entrance to the Deserts Hall is through rather hefty double doors and those (rather obnoxious) vinyl strip door curtains, together ensuring that our free-roaming species, which include a group of Nine-banded Armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus (2.6) and a large group of Costa's Hummingbird Calypte costae (9.17), both species having free access to the 10,500 sq. meters of space not taken up by enclosures. The first enclosure is one for a smaller species which I personally view as a staple for an American desert display. The habitat takes up 200 sq. meters, and is backed by a sandstone cliff, while various sandy hills dot the habitat, with pre-made and stabilized tunnels throughout the habitat. The habitat provides our coterie of Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus (3.8), made up of one breeding-age male, six breeding-age females, and four juveniles (two male and two female), with a suitable home.

Nine-banded Armadillo -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

Costa's Hummingbird -> image courtesy of @splendens

Possible View of Prairie Dog Habitat -> image courtesy of @Tiger

Black-tailed Prairie Dog -> image courtesy of @Prochilodus246

The winding desert trail takes guests along a simple driftwood and chicken wire fence standing atop a concrete 'foundation,' while a layer of Plexiglass is sandwiched between the layers of chicken wire. This fence separates guests from the two habitats, each 500 sq. meters total, but at different ratios indoor-outdoor, with the first having 400 sq. meters of indoor space and 100 sq. meters of outdoor space, while the second has 300 sq. meters of indoor space and 200 sq. meters of outdoor space. The first uses the back wall of the prairie dog habitat as a barrier, while a large dead tree stands in the center of the habitat. The dirt surrounding the roots of this tree has been cleared away, creating a set for our pair of American Badger Taxidea taxus (1.1), to hide away in. A secondary set can be found in the outdoor space, which is connected to the staff access points for both this enclosure and the one next door. This habitat next door is meshed over due to the more notable climbing abilities of the inhabitant, and a pair of dead trees stand tall, while others have tumbled down haphazardly over the stony cave-like den in the center of the habitat. Guests are told to look in these trees, as that is where 'Zuni', the male Bobcat Lynx rufus (1.0) can often be found.

Possible Look of Badger Habitat -> image courtesy of @Milwaukee Man

American Badger -> image courtesy of @Rhino0118

Possible Look of Bobcat Enclosure (but more desert-ish) -> image courtesy of @Pleistohorse

Bobcat -> image courtesy of @Julio C Castro

The winding trail continues to a pair of aviaries, both having chest-high fences exactly as the fences for the badger and bobcat habitats were, and harp wire up, creating two 3m high aviaries, one with 200 sq. meters surface, the other with 100 sq. meters surface. The larger of the two is rather bare of anything high-growing, with various small shrubs and cacti dotted throughout. An abandoned badger set provides a home to our flock of Burrowing Owl Athene cuniculara (1.4), while a lone Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus (1.0) can also be found around the aviary. The smaller aviary is dominated by a dead tree with plenty of tiny spikes protruding from it, allowing 'Buck' the Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus (1.0) can demonstrate exactly why his nickname is the 'butcher-bird' at feeding time.

Possible Look of Owl/Roadrunner Aviary -> image courtesy of @Coelacanth18

Burrowing Owl -> image courtesy of @Bubalus

Greater Roadrunner -> image courtesy of @Therabu

Loggerhead Shrike -> my own image

Guests will next enter an enclosed pathway along the wall of a pair of 2,500 sq. meter aviaries, both of which reach almost 5m high. Both are rather bare, featuring carrion tables and dead trees for perches, as well as some false cow skeletons where food will sometimes be placed to provide a fun little show for the guests. Both aviaries hold different scavenging birds, the first holding a small flock of Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura (3.3), and the second a pair of Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus (1.1). After exiting this aviary, guests enter a narrow canyon, in which you can find seven terrariums, three in the left-hand wall, and four in the right-hand wall.
Guests can find the following in the left-hand wall:
-> a 4 sq. meter tank for a pair of Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard Heloderma exasperatum (1.1)
-> a 4 sq. meter tank for a pair of Reticulate Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum (1.1)
-> a 6 sq. meter mixed tank for a pair of San Esteban Chuckwalla Sauromalus varius (1.1) and a group of Desert Grassland Whiptail Aspidoscelis uniparens (0.6)
In the right-hand wall guests can find:
-> respective 1 sq. meter tanks for our lone Black Widow Spider Latrodectus mactans (0.1) and our lone Giant Desert Centipede Scolopendra heros (0.0.1)
-> respective 2 sq. meter tanks for a breeding pair of Mexican Redknee Tarantula Brachypelma smithii (1.1) and an unsexed group of Eastern Florida Lubber Grasshopper Romalea microptera (0.0.4)

Possible Look inside 'Raptor' Aviaries -> image courtesy of @Mr Gharial

Turkey Vulture -> image courtesy of @Therabu

Possible Look of Desert Terrariums -> image courtesy of @JigerofLemuria

Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

San Esteban Chuckwalla -> image courtesy of @Andrew_NZP

Giant Desert Centipede -> image courtesy of @Hipporex

Guests reach the end of the canyon, and in doing so also reach the door that leads to the largest hall in the building: the Wetlands Hall.
Phew, didn't think I was gonna get the entire Deserts Hall into one post. Anyways, the Wetlands hall is going to be a task for the next (maybe couple) post(s), so for now, enjoy the Deserts Hall and stay tuned! The Wetlands will likely be coming on Wednesday or Thursday.

just saying but I really like how you have the armadillos but I don’t know if it’s a good idea that they are free roaming and I am saying that it’s not a good idea because they carry leprosy but otherwise I like this exhibit even though it’s missing some key desert creatures like Rattlesnakes, Desert tortoise and Jackrabbits just to name a few.

 

[Van Beal]

just saying but I really like how you have the armadillos but I don’t know if it’s a good idea that they are free roaming and I am saying that it’s not a good idea because they carry leprosy but otherwise I like this exhibit even though it’s missing some key desert creatures like Rattlesnakes, Desert tortoise and Jackrabbits just to name a few.

I do enjoy the concepts, and was not aware of armadillos carrying leprosy.
As for the creatures I did not use, I avoided the jackrabbits because, as far as my research has found, they aren’t common in captivity in the United States. Meanwhile, I utilized the rattlesnake elsewhere (the Timber Rattlesnake in the forests hall) and honestly I completely missed the Desert Tortoise.

 

[Mr Gharial]

Armadillos do carry leprosy, yes. But I have seen them free-roaming in a few instances., Though those weren't Nine-banded and I don't know if there's any differences between species

 

[Tigeanderson]

Armadillos do carry leprosy, yes. But I have seen them free-roaming in a few instances., Though those weren't Nine-banded and I don't know if there's any differences between species

Well from what I looked up only the nine banded Armadillo carries Leprosy and the others don’t and their are relatively few known cases of wild armadillos spreading leprosy to humans but it’s mostly spread through coughing and sneezing and from what i read 95% of people are immune to leprosy.

 

[Van Beal]

Native Lands Pavilion -> Wetlands Hall

After an admittedly way-too-long hiatus, I return with the next and largest section of the Native Lands Pavilion.
You enter the Wetlands Hall through a corridor which has views into underwater spaces on both sides. To the right-hand side is a view into the seagrass-filled world of the Florida Manatee Trichechus manatus (1.3), which is also swimming (literally) with a massive school of Pumpkinseed Sunfish Lepornis gibbosus (30.30). The former, though significantly lower in population than the latter, may be easier to see in the 6,600 sq. meter turquoise pool, which is only their home for the time being, as it is planned to move the manatees to Aquatic Worlds upon construction being completed. The left-hand window, on the other hand, is a view into a much murkier 500 sq. meter pool, which is part of the 1,900 sq. meter habitat for our pair of American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis (1.1). Both of these habitats are visible from the main room, which is entered upon heading up the ahead staircase.

Antillean or Florida Manatee -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

American Alligator -> image courtesy of @TheGerenuk

Reaching the main room itself, guests are immediately told to watch out for our free-flying Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus (3.8) and Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris (8.12) groups flying throughout the room, which is densely planted (approx. 25,000 sq. meters of total space not occupied by enclosures) with various flowering plants and large trees for nesting, perching, and feeding for the birds. Also free-flying throughout the hall are flocks of the following ducks and waders:
1.3 Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
1.4 Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
1.3 American Wood Duck Aix sponsa
1.1 Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
2.5 American White Ibis Eudocimus albus
2.2 Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja
4.4 American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber

Red-winged Blackbird -> image courtesy of @red river hog

Northern Shoveler -> image courtesy of @Andrew_NZP

Ruddy Duck -> image courtesy of @Coelacanth18

American Wood Duck -> image courtesy of @KevinB

Hooded Merganser -> image courtesy of @BerdNerd

American White Ibis -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

Roseate Spoonbill -> image courtesy of @Bunnyrich

In the center of the room, constructed around the trees and perches are three ponds, two of which are 150 sq. meters in surface area, and the third being 200 sq. meters in surface area. All three ponds have land access, though the third very seldom sees that land space come to use, given the very aquatic nature of 'Tokka' the lone Alligator Snapping Turtle Macrochelys temminckii (1.0). The two other pools, one saltwater and one freshwater, house respective groups of Diamondback Terrapin Malaclemys terrapin and Florida Red-bellied Cooter Pseudemys nelsoni (both held in groups of 1.3).

Alligator Snapping Turtle -> image courtesy of @Moebelle

Diamondback Terrapin -> image courtesy of @SusScrofa

Florida Red-bellied Cooter -> image courtesy of @pendraig_milnerae

Due to an accidental click of the send button I do not have proper time to manage all of the remnants of the Wetlands hall and so they will be included in a post that will go online tomorrow (that is a promise, my good friends).

Anyhow, stay tuned, and enjoy in the meantime!

 

[Van Beal]

Native Lands Pavilion -> Wetlands Hall (final habitats) and Seabird Aviary Hall

Continuing right along from where we left off, guests head to the left-hand side of the room and are presented with three fish tanks followed by three paludariums and a terrarium. The first two fish tanks are similar in planting to the manatee pool, with plenty of weeds and small logs to allow the fish to conceal themselves from guest view. The first of these tanks holds one of the most prolific freshwater predators in North America in the Florida Gar Lepisosteus platyrhincus (0.0.1), while the second hosts a pair of American Eel Anguilla rostrata (1.1). The third fish tank is designed quite unlike the others, representing a mountainous stream. To locate the elusive eel-like Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus (0.0.6), guests may have to look to the rocky bottom, where these fish may have latched onto a large boulder to withstand the steady (and artificial) current created in the tank.

Florida Gar -> image courtesy of @JigerofLemuria

American Eel -> image courtesy of @Great Argus

Pacific Lamprey (or at least the maw of one) -> image courtesy of @Northwest_FIsh_Keeping

Now, to the first of three paludariums. Now, typically one might see this particular species (well, maybe I've been the only one with this misfortune) in a more cave-like tank rather than the tank that is more well planted and features logs and debris to hide beneath. I present the lush habitat for our group of Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum (1.3), a species I've always been quite enthralled with, partially because of it's dashing collar of gills, and partially because, as some articles put it, they just never quite 'grew up' to be suited for a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle.

Possible Look of the Axolotl Tank -> image courtesy of @RonBurrgundy

Axolotl -> image courtesy of @Julio C Castro

Now, the two other paludariums are, for all intents and purposes, equal parts land and water, allowing the respective inhabitants of the tanks to showcase their terrestrial and aquatic abilities whenever. The first, and larger tank is home to a lone Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus (1.0), while the second tank is home to a group of Red-spotted or Eastern Newt Notophthalmus viridiscens (1.3). The lone terrarium, which stands beside the paludarium for the newts, is designed to provide more vertical space than horizontal space, a design choice made to optimize viewing for the arboreal nature of the American Green Tree Frog Hyla cinerea or Dryophytes cinereus (2.4).

Possible Look of Cottonmouth Habitat -> image courtesy of @Gibbonsagainstgravity

Cottonmouth -> image courtesy of @biggiesmalls

Red-spotted Newt -> image courtesy of @red river hog

American Green Tree Frog -> image courtesy of @BerdNerd

Together these three tanks round out the Wetlands Hall, and lead to the exit door which leads to...

The Seabird Aviary Hall

Guests are immediately immersed into a 7,500 sq. meter room ringed with rocky cliffs. The path itself runs over the massive representation of an 'ocean.' This entirely saltwater habitat is stocked with massive schools of small feed fish, as well as various shellfish meant to provide food to the following flocks of birds:
1.1 Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani
4.12 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
1.1 Double-crested Cormorant Nannopterum auritum/Phalacrocax auritus
3.9 Caspian Tern Hyrdroprogne caspia
2.6 Common Murre Uria aalge

Possible Partial View in Seabird Aviary -> image courtesy of @snowleopard

Black Oystercatcher -> image courtesy of @Andrew_NZP

Killdeer -> image courtesy of @red river hog

Double-crested Cormorant -> image courtesy of @Lucas Lang

Caspian Tern -> image courtesy of @CMP

Common Murre -> image courtesy of @Daniel Sörensen

The walk through this immersive aviary ends at a plastic-chain door cover, followed by the actual exit door, which brings guests back into the outdoors, and back into the forests you left behind at the entrance. There are enclosures on either side of this path, however those, along with the final enclosure of the section will be covered in a very concise post that should be up tomorrow, and if not tomorrow then definitely Saturday.

For now, stay tuned and enjoy!

 

[Great Argus]

Guests are immediately immersed into a 7,500 sq. meter room ringed with rocky cliffs. The path itself runs over the massive representation of an 'ocean.' This entirely saltwater habitat is stocked with massive schools of small feed fish, as well as various shellfish meant to provide food to the following flocks of birds:
1.1 Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani
4.12 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
1.1 Double-crested Cormorant Nannopterum auritum/Phalacrocax auritus
3.9 Caspian Tern Hyrdroprogne caspia
2.6 Common Murre Uria aalge

From the given description, the exhibit is not suitable for Killdeer - they are birds of fields and muddy shorelines, not ocean cliffs. They can be kept in sandy shore exhibits with other shorebirds, but a sea cliff style exhibit is not appropriate for them.
It's not a great setup for Caspian Tern either, another species of sandy shores and lakes.

Also, alcids are recommended to be kept in even sex ratios or close to it, skewed ratios often results in aggression.

 

[Van Beal]

From the given description, the exhibit is not suitable for Killdeer - they are birds of fields and muddy shorelines, not ocean cliffs. They can be kept in sandy shore exhibits with other shorebirds, but a sea cliff style exhibit is not appropriate for them.
It's not a great setup for Caspian Tern either, another species of sandy shores and lakes.

Also, alcids are recommended to be kept in even sex ratios or close to it, skewed ratios often results in aggression.

The alcid thing I was not aware of, so much thanks for that. As for the tern and killdeer, it was something that honestly slipped my mind, even though I’ve seen both frequent a marshy area behind my school. Adjustments will be made to this habitat and the populations in order to make it more appropriate for all the species contained.
Thanks for the insights!

Edit: If I were to tweak the design so one half was taken up by the sea cliffs I have currently and the other half was a sandy shore, would it be more appropriate?

 

[Tigeanderson]

Native Lands Pavilion -> Halls One and Two

I have returned after a lengthy and unplanned hiatus, and now I will cover the first two halls in the Native Lands Pavilion.
The first hall is, all told, nothing extraordinary, just a simple foyer room with a central 150 sq. meter habitat in the center, and windows viewing into three outdoor habitats, two of those windows to the right, and one viewing the Kodiak Brown Bear habitat from the ground level of the enclosure.
The two windows to the right stand side-by-side, separated by a simple concrete divider. To the right of this divider is a 650 sq. meter habitat which is very mountainous, and mesh-covered to prevent the escape of our Dall Sheep Ovis dalli (1.3). The other habitat is also rocky, however it lacks the mesh covering and the full size of the previous habitat, with the home of 'Logan' our lone
male Wolverine Gulo gulo (1.0) being just 350 sq. meters in area.

Imagined View of Dall Sheep Habitat -> image courtesy of @Baldur

Dall Sheep -> image courtesy of @Taurinus

Possible View of Wolverine Habitat -> image courtesy of @Pleistohorse

Wolverine -> image courtesy of @Lucas Lang

The central habitat, which is 150 sq. meters as I previously mentioned, is somewhat rocky, but more designed to represent the conifer forests of northern British Columbia, which is where our small group of Vancouver Island Marmot Marmota vancouverensis (1.3) originate from. The enclosure is circular, with a barrier of conifer logs and chicken wire, the top of which reaches the base of an average person's ribcage.

Possible Look of Marmot Enclosure -> image courtesy of @SivatheriumGuy

Walking around the marmot enclosure, visitors can access a rather hefty pair of double doors, which are almost always watched by a staff member, either from this side or from the inside of the Forests Hall, the first and smallest of the four which boast animals. Guests become immersed in a conifer forest, complete with various free-roaming species, listed below:
- 1.1 North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
- 1.2 Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
- 1.1 Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
- 8.14 Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
- 2.6 Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
- 4.10 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

North American Porcupine -> image courtesy of @Lucas Lang

Northern Cardinal -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

Downy Woodpecker -> image courtesy of @KCZooFan

Black-capped Chickadee -> image courtesy of @savethelephant

Red-breasted Nuthatch (stuffed but best up-close image I could find on the site) -> image courtesy of @Sarus Crane

Mourning Dove -> image courtesy of @red river hog

Of course, this just covers the species which have access to the entire (or most of, at least) 10,000 sq. meter forested hall. The path through the hall is circuitous, leading around a central area stocked with multiple bird feeders. Heading to the left, guests can view four terrariums, the first two of which are 4 sq. meters of 'floor space' and a meter high. These tanks house respective 1.1 pairs of Timber Rattlesnake Crotalus horridus and Pacific Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer. The next two tanks are paludariums, with one measuring identically to the snake tanks before it, with the other having four times the surface on the 'floor' at 16 sq. meters. The smaller paludarium houses our Western Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavoratium (1.3), while the larger hosts our 1.1 pair of Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis.

Possible Look of Snake Tanks -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

Timber Rattlesnake -> image courtesy of @Kevin2342

Pacific Gopher Snake -> image courtesy of @RatioTile

Possible Look of Salamander Tanks (scaled down for tiger salamanders) -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

Western Tiger Salamander -> image courtesy of @Andrew_NZP

Hellbender -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

If you decided to go to the right, you would come to a 5 sq. meter, simple forested habitat for our White-throated Woodrat Neotoma albigula (1.2) trio to call home. Next door to this habitat is a larger, 95 sq. meter habitat which is otherwise the same as the woodrat habitat, though this one houses our Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana (1.1).

White-throated Woodrat -> image courtesy of @Giant Eland

Possible Look of Opossum Exhibit -> image courtesy of @Coelacanth18

Virginia Opossum -> image courtesy of @twilighter

And with that, guests come to the doors which lead to the next hall, which is the second largest: the Deserts Hall. For now, enjoy, and the hope is I will post the Deserts Hall tomorrow, and from there the Wetlands and Seabird Halls, and the end of the zone and transition into the Patagonian Trek. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Enjoy the newest portion of the zoo, and stay tuned!

Just saying but I love how you have the morning dove in the aviary and just saying but I like how you have the dall sheep but i think it would be awesome if you had mountain goats in the dall sheep exhibit and like the mountain goat and dall sheep live in the same kind of habitat since they are both found in the mountains and mountain goats like to live above the tree line and they are the largest mammals found in their high altitude habitats and I also think that you should have mountain goats in with the dall sheep to show the difference between the two of them and differences between the two are that mountain goats are more square shaped in appearance and have a more yellowish color in their fur but another difference is that even though mountain goats are called goats they don’t belong to the genus Capra which includes all true wild goats but instead the mountain goat is more closely allied to species like the chamois, gorals, serows and takins.

 

[Van Beal]

Native Lands -> The Final Habitats

Continuing right where we left off, having just exited the Native Lands Pavilion, guests begin to travel down a gently sloping path, though looks to your left and right reveal twin aviaries of 800 sq. meters and towering at 36ft (12m) high from floor to ceiling. These aviaries each boast a lone Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus (2.0), the icon species of the United States. The birds live in habitats that are generally open in the front, and become more densely planted toward the back half of the enclosure, where staff facilities for the aviaries and the entirety of the Pavilion are located. Perches and feeding tables are located perfectly for guest view of these majestic birds. One of these males is planned to be switched out for a female in the coming years.

Possible Look of Bald Eagle Aviaries -> image courtesy of @Coelacanth18

Bald Eagle -> image courtesy of @Brayden Delashmutt

The final exhibit takes you from the forest to the beach. Guests walk along a Californian-inspired boardwalk, complete with functional amenities for food, drink, information, and souvenirs. The main viewing area comes from a covered pier, with secondary viewing coming in the form of SeaWorld-like bleacher seating in front of an underwater viewing window. The aquatic portion of the habitat takes up around 2,500 sq. meters of surface area, with 500 sq. meters of land area in the form of a sandy beach and small rocky portions as well, which slowly transitions into 5m deep, blue waters, with wooden platforms floating in the water for a sunbathing opportunity. Of course, a Californian animal is only appropriate for such an enclosure, hence the herd of California Sea Lion Zalophus californianus (1.7) calling this space home.

Possible Look of Sea Lion Habitat -> image courtesy of @Mr Gharial

California Sea Lion -> image courtesy of @Evirapo

As guests pass by the underwater viewing window for the sea lions, the transition into the Patagonian Trek is marked simply by a wooden road sign, pointing to the first habitat of the area, which will be covered in a post coming sometime this weekend. For now, the last enclosure posts of the day, and I will also post the species totals for this zone and the Australasia zone next.

Stay tuned, and enjoy!

 

[Van Beal]

First off, I'd like to correct myself and say that Australasia's species distribution is already completed, so I don't have to worry about that (to view the distribution, head to the first Australasia post about halfway through page three of this thread)

Anyhow, covering Native Lands is as follows:

Native Lands
Mammals: 20
Birds: 28
Herptiles: 16
Invertebrates: 4
Fish: 5
Total: 73

Totals
Mammals: 71
Birds: 57
Herptiles: 49
Invertebrates: 16
Fish: 12
Grand Total (so far): 205

Totals
Mammals: 91
Birds: 85
Herptiles: 65
Invertebrates: 20
Fish: 17
Current Grand Total: 278
The next post will cover the Patagonian Trek, a small but diversely-packed sector.

Note: the following changes have been made thanks to insights by @Great Argus

a 7,500 sq. meter room ringed with rocky cliffs

Only half of the exhibit features rocky cliffs, the other half features a sandy shoreline better suited for the Killdeer and terns.

2.6 Common Murre Uria aalge

Population of Murres has been balanced out to 6.6 individuals.

 

[Van Beal]

Patagonian Trek

First and foremost, species distribution of the zone (not crazy difficult, unlike some of the earlier zones):

Mammals: 7
Birds: 10
Herptiles: 1
Total: 18

Totals
Mammals: 98
Birds: 95
Herptiles: 66
Invertebrates: 20
Fish: 17
Current Grand Total: 295

And with that out of the way, we begin the Patagonian Trek...
Guests can catch a glimpse (and likely hear the inhabitants) of the first habitat a short walk from the sea lion habitat which closed out the Native Lands sector. Guests enter the 2,000 sq. meter aviary through a double set of keeper-watched doors. Guests walk with a cliff face to their left and an underwater viewing window to the right. The view into this 750 sq. meter pool becomes shallower as the guests rise slowly until they become level with the remaining land portions of the habitat. It is here that guests are completely immersed, barrier-free, in the shoreline home of our flock of Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus magellanicus (6.6, sex distribution may be changed). However, a look to the skies shows that these penguins are not the only inhabitants of the enclosure. Flying above, and nesting in nooks in the cliffs are Inca Terns Larosterna inca (4.6).

Magellanic Penguin -> image courtesy of @Northwest_FIsh_Keeping

Inca Tern -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

The following habitat, and the last I will cover in this post, is home to the sector's only herptile, a rather iconic testudine that, while not necessarily fitting the 'Patagonia' theme, doesn't fit the Amazonia theme of the next sector much better, therefore it is squeezed in here, in a second walkthrough habitat directly outside the exit of the Penguin Promenade (just a playful name, not official for the time being). The 350 sq. meters of space is mostly open, with some low-bearing trees located in the back to provide a chance for our massive Galapagos Giant Tortoise Chelonoidis niger (1.1) to regulate their body temperatures. These massive testudines have access to a 100 sq. meter indoor space in the back of the habitat, inaccessible to all human life (except the keepers).

Possible Look of Tortoise Yard -> image courtesy of @red river hog

Galapagos Giant Tortoise -> image courtesy of @Osedax

And with that, I round out the first post on this small, but very interesting and diverse sector of ZooSC at Myrtle Beach. The next post will take guests through nearly all of the remaining bird species, while still leaving the mammals off the board (for now).

Well, I hope you enjoyed the beginnings of the Patagonian Trek, so stay tuned for more, likely coming tomorrow, but if not, it will be posted ASAP.
Note: any extensive hiatus that occurs is entirely unintentional, life has just gotten in the way if such a hiatus does occur!

 

[Van Beal]

Patagonian Trek Part Two

Continuing just past the habitat for the giant tortoises, guests view the first two of five consecutive aviaries. The first of these 300 sq. meter surface and 8-meter-high aviaries utilize a false-rock cliff as the backdrop, with feed tables and perches strategically placed along the 5m-long by 3m-high viewing windows in each habitat, which are two-way to prevent our pairs of Andean Condor Vultur gryphus (1.1) and King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa (1.1) from colliding with the glass and injuring themselves. The vultures live in a more forested habitat than the condors, with the dimensions identical, but the interior more lavishly planted with trees and perch branches for the birds to utilize.

Possible Look of Condor Aviary -> image courtesy of @TinoPup

Andean Condor -> image courtesy of @evilmonkey239

Possible Look of Vulture Aviary -> image courtesy of @David Matos Mendes

King Vulture -> image courtesy of @Gavial

The third aviary is identical in surface area, at 300 sq. meters in space, to the previous pair. However, this aviary is only 4 meters high from floor to ceiling, and is overall much more open and level-grounded than the previous two. This design, as well as its more elongated shape (60mx5m), allows for our pair of Red-legged Seriema Cariama cristata (1.1) to showcase their speed while being viewed through a main viewing hut, which is designed in a simplistic way, with a wooden structure, thatch roof, and waist-high wood and harp-wire barrier in front of a shallow ditch.

Possible Look of Seriema Aviary -> image courtesy of @KevinB

Red-legged Seriema -> image courtesy of @Gavial

Guests continue on to the smallest of the five aviaries, one that is just 80 sq. meters in surface area and around 3 meters high from floor to ceiling. This aviary lacks anything besides grass and leaf litter on the floor, while a single tree rises and spreads its branches as you rise to the ceiling. It is on the ground that visitors might find any of our four Elegant Crested Tinamou Eudromia elegans (2.2) trying to avoid detection. Meanwhile, often found above the floor are our Chaco Chachalaca Ortalis canicollis (1.2), a bird that is conspicuously colored but often very vocal, unlike the tinamous.

Elegant Crested Tinamou (still patiently awaiting the day where I actually see these birds at my 'local' zoo) -> image courtesy of @vogelcommando

Chaco Chachalaca -> image courtesy of @Zooish

The final aviary in this stretch (mind you, almost the last of the birds) is a 1,100 sq. meter and 4.5-meter high wetland aviary. The habitat is viewed in a nearly identical manner to that of the viewing hut for the seriemas, however this one spans across the entire front 'wall' of the aviary, allowing a near-panoramic view into this wetland habitat. The inhabiting birds can perch on elevated platforms toward the rear of the habitat, or on shorter, ground level platforms directly in front of the viewing area. The two species calling this habitat home are our Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis (2.6) and our Black-faced Ibis Theristicus melanopis (1.5). Both species are expected to breed to make our flocks thrive, and new species may be introduced in the future.

Possible Look of Marsh Aviary -> image courtesy of @KevinB

Chilean Flamingo -> image courtesy of @Brayden Delashmutt

Black-faced Ibis -> image courtesy of @KevinB

Guests pass this aviary, and stand in front of the entrance to The Caverns, an enclosure which will be covered in a very detailed post sometime in the coming days. For now, enjoy and stay tuned.