Tuatara in zoos outside of New Zealand?

[Evirapo]

The new movie, Leo reminds me to think of these guys are that they're in few zoos and protected animals, which means they cannot be taken out of their country home.

It would be nice to know if there are still any non-new Zealander zoos with captive tuataras left in the world.

 

[birdsandbats]

There's a few around. Four zoos in the US keep them, but only two have them on exhibit - Toledo and Dallas. The other two with them bts are Saint Louis and San Diego.

There's also two holders in Europe, Berlin and Chester.

 

[biggest_dreamer]

Unless something has changed recently, Dallas, Toledo, and St. Louis have them on exhibit and SDZ has them behind the scenes. According to Zootierliste, you can add Berlin and Chester to that list.

It's a pretty small list.

 

[Evirapo]

There's a few around. Four zoos in the US keep them, but only two have them on exhibit - Toledo and Dallas.

There's also two holders in Europe, Berlin and Chester.

Nice! Are all of these gifted by New Zealand? If so, I would love to see these breeding as well

 

[Prochilodus246]

Chester bred them in 2016

 

[joe99]

Australian Reptile Park got some from Chester Zoo in 2022

 

[Evirapo]

Australian Reptile Park got some from Chester Zoo in 2022

Wait, why didn't they just get some from New Zealand?

 

[joe99]

Red tape pretty much, since they are taonga (protected) for many iwi (Maori tribes) and often need their support and permission

 

[cloudedleopard611]

There's a few around. Four zoos in the US keep them, but only two have them on exhibit - Toledo and Dallas. The other two with them bts are Saint Louis and San Diego.

There's also two holders in Europe, Berlin and Chester.

Saint Louis has not had them on exhibit for at least the past two years.

 

[Fallax]

Worth noting they are no longer on show at Chester sadly, which is a great shame considering they bred and were also really visible. The ones at Berlin by contrast are quite hard to spot from what I have heard (I didn't see them when I visited).

 

[Osedax]

There are 1.2 in Australia, imported from Chester Zoo by the Australian Reptile Park last year. One of the females went to Taronga.

 

[cerperal]

Worth noting they are no longer on show at Chester sadly, which is a great shame considering they bred and were also really visible. The ones at Berlin by contrast are quite hard to spot from what I have heard (I didn't see them when I visited).

Amusingly, they were front and centre when I visited. I guess that's the duality of that kind of aquarium exhibit, they're either impossible to spot or impossible to miss.

Shame about Chester though, I must admit I knew there were only a few in Europe but not that few.

 

[CatLady636]

Saint Louis has not had them on exhibit for at least the past two years.

I got sad confirmation during a visit a few weeks ago. St. Louis Zoo no longer has them in any capacity. Prior, a keeper in the aviary informed me that they had them, but they were not on display due to their delicate nature.

 

[Dassie rat]

ZTL lists Berlin Zoo, Chester, Dallas, San Diego Zoo and Toledo

 

[JVM]

I got sad confirmation during a visit a few weeks ago. St. Louis Zoo no longer has them in any capacity. Prior, a keeper in the aviary informed me that they had them, but they were not on display due to their delicate nature.

Thank you for the notice. This is one of those holdings there's a bit of confusion over and it's hard to keep track of animals kept bts. Here's hoping Saint Louis reacquires them someday.

Chester will now be the second zoo I've planned to visit that moved tuatara off display within a year of me planning a visit, it sounds...

 

[DaLilFishie]

There are 1.2 in Australia, imported from Chester Zoo by the Australian Reptile Park last year. One of the females went to Taronga.

Which subspecies is the Taronga specimen? Are Tuatara managed at a subspecies level? Tuatara was signed when I visited Taronga last year, but I couldn't find it in the exhibit.

 

[joe99]

Which subspecies is the Taronga specimen? Are Tuatara managed at a subspecies level? Tuatara was signed when I visited Taronga last year, but I couldn't find it in the exhibit.

Tuatara are now considered monotypic, so i doubt that

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Tuatara are now considered monotypic, so i doubt that

In 2009 S. punctatus was no longer considered a separate species.
Tuatara

Europe: Chester (did in the past and bred), Berlin Zoo.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

There are 1.2 in Australia, imported from Chester Zoo by the Australian Reptile Park last year. One of the females went to Taronga.

It is all the more sad that Chester Zoo's Tuatara were relocated behind the scenes just as zoo staff had sussed out how to get the lizards to breed. They had multiple clutches over several years, starting in 2015. It is mind boggling why they have taken them off exhibit and even more so they sent individuals to Australia (why not back to Wellington if they had to?).

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

It is all the more sad that Chester Zoo's Tuatara were relocated behind the scenes just as zoo staff had sussed out how to get the lizards to breed. They had multiple clutches over several years, starting in 2015. It is mind boggling why they have taken them off exhibit and even more so they sent individuals to Australia (why not back to Wellington if they had to?).

TBH: I should have used the word "brainless" as they sent away the breeding male and perhaps one or other of the 2 females transferred to Australia were part of the breeding group. It is incomprehensible that management/senior staff would have allowed the only breeding group outside New Zealand to be broken up ..., despite dedicated keeper working hard to create the conditions for the Tuatara to breed. Now, they are a cold resistent, temperate and nocturne species ..., I do not think they will thrive to any degree in a hot air desert climate. Come to think of it ..., it is insane decision that devies all good decision making on rare herps and breeding them.