North Carolina Zoo North Carolina Zoo Species List - Dec 2023

Breckenridge

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Species at the North Carolina Zoo seen during my trip on December 10, 2023.

Signed, not seen will be in red
Seen, not signed will be in blue

North America

Cypress Swamp

  • American alligator (Alligator mississipiensis)
  • Alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)
  • Cougar (Puma concolor)
  • Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi)
  • Carolina gopher frog (Lithobates capito capito)
  • Southern toad (Anaxyrus terrestris)
  • Eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
  • Barking tree frog (Dryophytes gratiosus)*
  • Marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum)*
* Off habitat for the winter season

Rocky Coast
  • Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)
  • North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)*
  • Horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata)
  • Thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia)
  • Parakeet auklet (Aethia psittacula)
  • Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
  • Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)
* Currently on breeding loan to Elmwood Park Zoo

Streamside
  • Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)
  • Creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus)
  • Bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus)
  • Rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides)
  • Yellowfin shiner (Notropis lutipinnis)
  • Greenside darter (Etheostoma blennioides)
  • Greenfin shiner (Cyprinella chloristia)
  • Spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonicus)
  • Swallowtail shiner (Notropis procne)
  • Northern hogsucker (Hypentelium nigricans)
  • River cooter (Pseudemmys concinna)
  • Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)
  • Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
  • Redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus)
  • Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
  • Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
  • Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
  • Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
  • North American river otter (Lontra canadensis)
  • Barred owl (Strix varia)
  • Carolina pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius miliarius)
  • Eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
  • Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamenteus)
  • Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
  • Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
  • Corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus)
  • Eastern rat snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
  • Pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus)
  • Eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
  • Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
  • Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata)
  • Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Black Bear
  • American black bear (Ursus americanus)
Prairie
  • American bison (Bison bison)
  • Wapiti (Cervus canadensis)
Grizzly Bear
  • Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)
Red Wolf
  • Red wolf (Canis rufus)
Desert
  • Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
  • Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum)
  • Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum)
  • Von der Decken's hornbill (Tockus deckeni)
  • White-headed buffalo weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli)
  • Taveta golden weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps)
  • Emerald starling (Lamprotornis iris)
  • Crested coua (Coua cristata)
  • White-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica)
  • Inca dove (Columbina inca)
  • Black-throated finch (Poephila cincta)
  • Green jay (Cyanocorax luxuosus)
  • Worm-eating warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum)
  • Pygmy spiny-tailed skink (Egernia depressa)
  • Ornate uromastyx (Uromastyx ornata)
  • Gorongosa girdled lizard (Smaug mossambicus)
  • Giant plated lizard (Matobosaurus validus)
  • Pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)
  • Desert box turtle (Terrapene ornata luteola)
  • Baja blue rock lizard (Petrosaurus thalassinus)
  • Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)
  • Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
  • Death feigning beetle (Asbolus verrucosus)
  • Giant vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus)
  • Common blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides)
  • Hosmer's skink (Egernia hosmeri)
  • Spiny-tailed monitor (Varanus acanthurus)
  • Colorado river toad (Incilius alvarius)
  • Sand cat (Felis margarita)
  • Desert blonde tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes)
  • Arizona mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana)
  • Madrean alligator lizard (Elgaria kingii)
  • Night snake (Hypsiglena torquata)
  • Banded knob-tailed gecko (Nephrurus wheeleri)
  • Western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus)
  • Desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius)
  • Western tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium)
  • Speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii)
  • Tamaulipan rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus morulus)*
  • Central plateau dusky rattlesnake (Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus)*
  • Desert hairy scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis)
  • Common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus)
  • Gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus)
  • Lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi)
  • Brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata)
  • Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes)
*Habitat was in the process of being installed
Honey Bee Garden
  • Western honeybee (Apis mellifera)
* Sign states the Zoo's hive was raided by a wild hive and will be replaced in Spring
Kaleidoscope Butterfly Garden

Closed for the Winter Season, displays up to 30 butterfly species in Summer season.

Africa

Forest Glade

  • Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Baboon
  • Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas)
Lemur Island
  • Red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra)
Kibale Forest
  • Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
Lion
  • Lion (Panthera leo)
Red River Hog
  • Red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus)
Forest Edge
  • Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata)
  • Grant's zebra (Equus quagga boehmi)
  • Common ostrich (Struthio camelus)*
* Signed as returning in 2024
Watani Grasslands
  • African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana)
  • Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)
  • Fringe-eared oryx (Oryx beisa callotis)
  • Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus)
  • Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
  • Eastern bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci)
  • Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)
  • Addra gazelle (Nanger dama)

Mammals: 34
Birds: 15
Reptiles: 38
Amphibians: 8
Fish: 17
Invertebrates: 5

Total: 117 Species
 
* Sign states the Zoo's hive was raided by a wild hive and will be replaced in Spring
This sign doesn't really make sense to me, if the hive was already replaced by a feral one, why go out of their way to replace it again? How do they think beekeepers source their hives?
 
So sad they had to close the Reynolds Aviary (big tropical aviary, one of the nicest I've seen, beautifully planted and maintained). Hopefully more birds returning to that zoo in future.
Replacing it is in the plans, fortunately. I foolishly skipped it when I last went to the zoo, I never would have guessed that it was going to close shortly afterwards.
 
Replacing it is in the plans, fortunately. I foolishly skipped it when I last went to the zoo, I never would have guessed that it was going to close shortly afterwards.
It's in the plans but a few years down the road and design hasn't started, they are focusing on Asia plans right now. They still have birds, mostly passerines in their off-exhibit bird center plus a few larger species. But the zoo has a long history of bird people in leading roles at the zoo so I think the future will be kind to the bird collection.
 
Newer species lists for this facility really show just how lopsided the collection has become in terms of species found in the North America region vs. the Africa region. The loss of both the African Pavilion and the Aviary are really felt there. At least the Desert has had some non-NA species come in to fill some gaps.

Speaking of which, the Tenrec is completely new; is it in with the Mouse Lemurs?

Also, for the Eastern Box Turtle, did you look in the terrarium directly behind the large rock (between the rattlesnake and corn snake exhibits)? That's where I saw the box turtle during my last visit. I was under the impression he was in with the corn snakes, but apparently he isn't.
 
Newer species lists for this facility really show just how lopsided the collection has become in terms of species found in the North America region vs. the Africa region. The loss of both the African Pavilion and the Aviary are really felt there. At least the Desert has had some non-NA species come in to fill some gaps.

Speaking of which, the Tenrec is completely new; is it in with the Mouse Lemurs?

Also, for the Eastern Box Turtle, did you look in the terrarium directly behind the large rock (between the rattlesnake and corn snake exhibits)? That's where I saw the box turtle during my last visit. I was under the impression he was in with the corn snakes, but apparently he isn't.
Yes, the tenrec is with the mouse lemurs and the box turtle was behind the large rock in Streamside. There are actually multiple corn snakes in with the box turtle and in the neighboring habitat with rat and pine snakes.
 
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