Northern Luzon is definitely present, including at Bronx; Smithsonian's passed away. They're also being bred privately and have popped up in a few weird places.
Rodents kept by North American zoos
- Thread starter StellarChaser
- Start date
Northern Luzon is definitely present, including at Bronx; Smithsonian's passed away. They're also being bred privately and have popped up in a few weird places.
Omaha had last Aug, but the species is absent from their USDA earlier this year. Bronx was down to one in fall 2021, species is absent from their couple USDA's this year.
So sad, seems I only can go to Europe to watch them in the future then
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Yeah I'm pretty sure It's gone. There were none in my September visit
How many holders of Philippine Porcupines in North America?
There's a handful kicking about privately, but not too many. The one at Capron is the only one at an accredited zoo.
It's astonishing that there's only about 10 (+maybe 1) non-domestic rodent species displayed in multiple accredited zoos in the US and Canada! I looked into rodent species held in at least 10 European zoos on Zootierliste and found over 60 species! It's not even close. I found 25 species, excluding common degus, in at least 35 European collections. There are many more species held in Europe in just one or a handful of zoos.
I found it interesting to read some of the comments about rodent diversity in Europe in Lintworm's amazing thread about European zoo collections Trends in European zoo collections in the 21st century. How well do we understand what we're missing here? It's easy to say that a Least Concern rodent species isn't that important. What about when almost all of the options have been taken away?
I had previously suggested some theories as to how the diversity of small mammals changed in the United States, but generally the consensus is that we still maintain a good number of small mammals broadly (including those rodents) that are popular and that there is a lack of institutional interest.
I certainly had no idea Europe maintained such species diversity though!
According to ZTL, the following squirrels are kept in North American zoos (Canada, USA and Mexico):
Mount Graham red squirrel: Phoenix
Red-bellied squirrel: Apetatitlan and San Juan de Aragon
Sherman's fox squirrel: Orlando
Variegated squirrel: Merida
Western grey squirrel: Kansas City
Northern flying squirrel: Gray
Southern flying squirrel:: Charlotte, Cheyenne Mountain, Green Bay, Kansas City, Minocqua
Prevost's squirrel: Alexandria, Birmingham, Brookfield, Cleveland, Fort Wayne, Galveston,
Houston, Kansas City, Kenansville, Milwaukee. Norfolk, Santa Barbara, St Augustine, Washington, West Orange
Black-tailed prairie dog: Saskatoon, 53 USA collections
Common rock squirrel: San Juan de Aragon
Eastern chipmunk: Duluth, Smithtown
Hoary marmot: Eatonville
Mexican ground squirrel: Apetatitlan and Coyoacan
Mexican prairie marmot:
Current Holdings: Chapultepec, San Juan de Aragon, Zaragoza, Merida, Morelia
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel: Green Bay
Vancouver Island marmot: Toronto
Woodchuck: Shubenacadie, Delavan, French Creek, Green Bay, Hickory, Holtsville, Jackson, Minocqua, Staten Island, Salisbury, Smithtown
Wyoming ground squirrel: Great Bend
Yellow-bellied marmot: Bronx, Salt Lake City
Mount Graham red squirrel: Phoenix
Red-bellied squirrel: Apetatitlan and San Juan de Aragon
Sherman's fox squirrel: Orlando
Variegated squirrel: Merida
Western grey squirrel: Kansas City
Northern flying squirrel: Gray
Southern flying squirrel:: Charlotte, Cheyenne Mountain, Green Bay, Kansas City, Minocqua
Prevost's squirrel: Alexandria, Birmingham, Brookfield, Cleveland, Fort Wayne, Galveston,
Houston, Kansas City, Kenansville, Milwaukee. Norfolk, Santa Barbara, St Augustine, Washington, West Orange
Black-tailed prairie dog: Saskatoon, 53 USA collections
Common rock squirrel: San Juan de Aragon
Eastern chipmunk: Duluth, Smithtown
Hoary marmot: Eatonville
Mexican ground squirrel: Apetatitlan and Coyoacan
Mexican prairie marmot:
Current Holdings: Chapultepec, San Juan de Aragon, Zaragoza, Merida, Morelia
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel: Green Bay
Vancouver Island marmot: Toronto
Woodchuck: Shubenacadie, Delavan, French Creek, Green Bay, Hickory, Holtsville, Jackson, Minocqua, Staten Island, Salisbury, Smithtown
Wyoming ground squirrel: Great Bend
Yellow-bellied marmot: Bronx, Salt Lake City
According to ZTL, the following cavy-like rodents are kept in North American zoos (Canada, USA and Mexico):
African brush-tailed porcupine: Omaha
Cape porcupine: Toronto, 52 USA collections
Crested porcupine: Calgary, Peterborough, Saskatoon, Chapultepec, San Juan de Aragon,
El Paraiso, Zaragoza, Merida, Morelos, Alexandria, Arcola, Atascadero, Bolton, Lake Buena VistaLansing, Limestone, Moorpark, Phoenix, Portland, Columbus, Monterey, Tampa, Caldwell
Indian crested porcupine: Little Rock, Madison, Omaha, Phoenix, Columbus, Roanoke, Santa Ana, Tacoma
Philippine porcupine: Attleboro, Maplewood
Arizona porcupine: Bakersfield, Palm Desert, Tucson
Black-tailed porcupine: Bolton. Cleveland, Litchfield Park
Brazilian porcupine: 45 US zoos
Canadian porcupine: Gray, Springfield
North American porcupine: Calgary, Kamloops, Montreal, Shubenacadie, 46 US zoos
Lowland paca: San Juan de Aragon, Merida, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Valladolid, Limestone, Los Angeles, Norristown, Tulsa
Capybara: Montreal, Peterborough, Toronto High Park Zoo), Toronto Zoo, Chapultepec,
San Juan de Aragon, Colima. Zaragoza, Leon de los Aldama, Merida, Morelia, Morelos, Santa Maria Nativitas, 43 US zoos:
Patagonian mara: Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Saint-edouard-de-Maskinonge, Shubenacadie,
Chapultepec, San Juan de Aragon, Queretaro Wameru, Morelia, Santa Maria Nativitas,
47 US zoos:
Central American agouti: C
hapultepec,
Merida,
Tuxtla Gutierrez,
Valladolid,
New York Prospect Park
Common red-rumped agouti: Peterborough, 29 US zoos
Mexican black agouti:
Apetatitlan,
Chapultepec,
San Juan de Aragon, G
uadalajara,
Zaragoza,
Morelos
St Vincent agouti:
New Orleans,
Omaha
Chilean chinchilla: Zaragoza, Atlanta, Bridgeport, Great Bend, Greensboro,
Millbrook, New Orleans, Bronx, New York Central Park, New York Queens,
Phoenix, Quogue, Stamford, Tulsa. Washington, Westport
Common degu: Cheyenne Mountain, Davie, Jersey City, Limestone, Bronx,
Phoenix, Stamford, Washington
Coypu: Miami
Damara mole-rat:
Brookfield.
Coal Valley,
Houston,
Bronx,
Syracuse
Naked mole-rat: Saskatoon, Toronto, Winnipeg, 24 US zoos:
African brush-tailed porcupine: Omaha
Cape porcupine: Toronto, 52 USA collections
Crested porcupine: Calgary, Peterborough, Saskatoon, Chapultepec, San Juan de Aragon,
El Paraiso, Zaragoza, Merida, Morelos, Alexandria, Arcola, Atascadero, Bolton, Lake Buena VistaLansing, Limestone, Moorpark, Phoenix, Portland, Columbus, Monterey, Tampa, Caldwell
Indian crested porcupine: Little Rock, Madison, Omaha, Phoenix, Columbus, Roanoke, Santa Ana, Tacoma
Philippine porcupine: Attleboro, Maplewood
Arizona porcupine: Bakersfield, Palm Desert, Tucson
Black-tailed porcupine: Bolton. Cleveland, Litchfield Park
Brazilian porcupine: 45 US zoos
Canadian porcupine: Gray, Springfield
North American porcupine: Calgary, Kamloops, Montreal, Shubenacadie, 46 US zoos
Lowland paca: San Juan de Aragon, Merida, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Valladolid, Limestone, Los Angeles, Norristown, Tulsa
Capybara: Montreal, Peterborough, Toronto High Park Zoo), Toronto Zoo, Chapultepec,
San Juan de Aragon, Colima. Zaragoza, Leon de los Aldama, Merida, Morelia, Morelos, Santa Maria Nativitas, 43 US zoos:
Patagonian mara: Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Saint-edouard-de-Maskinonge, Shubenacadie,
Chapultepec, San Juan de Aragon, Queretaro Wameru, Morelia, Santa Maria Nativitas,
47 US zoos:
Central American agouti: C
hapultepec,
Merida,
Tuxtla Gutierrez,
Valladolid,
New York Prospect Park
Common red-rumped agouti: Peterborough, 29 US zoos
Mexican black agouti:
Apetatitlan,
Chapultepec,
San Juan de Aragon, G
uadalajara,
Zaragoza,
Morelos
St Vincent agouti:
New Orleans,
Omaha
Chilean chinchilla: Zaragoza, Atlanta, Bridgeport, Great Bend, Greensboro,
Millbrook, New Orleans, Bronx, New York Central Park, New York Queens,
Phoenix, Quogue, Stamford, Tulsa. Washington, Westport
Common degu: Cheyenne Mountain, Davie, Jersey City, Limestone, Bronx,
Phoenix, Stamford, Washington
Coypu: Miami
Damara mole-rat:
Brookfield.
Coal Valley,
Houston,
Bronx,
Syracuse
Naked mole-rat: Saskatoon, Toronto, Winnipeg, 24 US zoos:
According to ZTL, the following beaver-like rodents and springhares are kept in North American zoos (Canada, USA and Mexico):
American beaver: Montreal Biodome, Shubenacadie, 30 US zoos
Botta's pocket gopher: Litchfield Park, Walnut Creek
Banner-tailed kangaroo rat: Litchfield Park
Merriam's kangaroo rat: Litchfield Park, Tucson
Pacific pocket mouse: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Springhare: Omaha
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American beaver: Montreal Biodome, Shubenacadie, 30 US zoos
Botta's pocket gopher: Litchfield Park, Walnut Creek
Banner-tailed kangaroo rat: Litchfield Park
Merriam's kangaroo rat: Litchfield Park, Tucson
Pacific pocket mouse: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Springhare: Omaha
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According to ZTL, the following mouse-like rodents are kept in North American zoos (Canada, USA and Mexico):
Muskrat: Bear Mountain
Cactus deermouse: Lincoln Park, Bronx
California deermouse, Flower's gerbil, European house mouse, sub Saharan pygmy mouse and African grass rat: Bronx
North American deermouse: Queen Bay, Bronx
North American grasshopper mouse: San Francisco California Academy of Sciences, Tucson
Perdido Bay beach mouse: Clearwater, Gainesville, Melbourne
White-throated woodrat: Norristown, Tucson
Arabian spiny mouse: Lake Buena Vista, Bronx
Northeast African spiny mouse: Bloomington, Brownsville, Staten Island, Omaha, St. Paul
Southern African spiny mouse: Minocqua
Bushy-tailed jird: Bronx, New York Prospect Park
Mongolian jird: Brownsville
Brown rat: Bolton
European harvest mouse: Bronx, New York Prospect Park, Omaha
Muskrat: Bear Mountain
Cactus deermouse: Lincoln Park, Bronx
California deermouse, Flower's gerbil, European house mouse, sub Saharan pygmy mouse and African grass rat: Bronx
North American deermouse: Queen Bay, Bronx
North American grasshopper mouse: San Francisco California Academy of Sciences, Tucson
Perdido Bay beach mouse: Clearwater, Gainesville, Melbourne
White-throated woodrat: Norristown, Tucson
Arabian spiny mouse: Lake Buena Vista, Bronx
Northeast African spiny mouse: Bloomington, Brownsville, Staten Island, Omaha, St. Paul
Southern African spiny mouse: Minocqua
Bushy-tailed jird: Bronx, New York Prospect Park
Mongolian jird: Brownsville
Brown rat: Bolton
European harvest mouse: Bronx, New York Prospect Park, Omaha
King of Komodo Dragons
Well-Known Member
fort worth has Merriam's aswell, they have just been bts for a while thanks to the renovations of the mountains to desert exhibit
Just so you're aware you can't just refer to American zoos by the municipality they're located in. I know this is common practice for European zoos but it's really confusing and unhelpful for American facilities.
The way that the zoos are listed in Zootierliste can be confusing. I tried to list them according to location unless the zoo were better known by title.
You listed DAK as "Lake Buena Vista". I think it's better known by the title.
Frankly, ANY American zoo with a "title" is better known by it rather than its location.
You listed DAK as "Lake Buena Vista". I think it's better known by the title.
Another I noticed was "Orlando", that could be a number of places.
I think it's too early to start using ZTL data at large for these kinds of things. A lot of zoos don't have stuff added yet to ZTL, and a lot of the inaccuracies on ZTL in regards to US zoos have been discussed here already. For instance, there's almost certainly more naked mole rat holders than that in the US that for various reasons haven't yet been added.
ZTL also of course isn't the most useful source unless you also make a point of noting what's on or off exhibit, as some of these species, such as Toronto's marmot, are not on exhibit so really aren't the most useful to note I a discussion like this.
SusScrofa
Well-Known Member
Is there a reason hamsters and gerbils are practically non-existent in US zoos? There are several species available in the pet/private trade and they'd probably be popular as ambassadors. Besides Bronx and Prospect Park Zoos, the only other facility I've seen a gerbil at was in Stamford Museum, a pet-bred Mongolian Gerbil. I've never seen any place with a hamster.
Its a shame the small rodent situation in NA zoos is so bad. Europe has a very nice diversity of muroids and squirrels that blows the US (and Canada) out of the water.
Its a shame the small rodent situation in NA zoos is so bad. Europe has a very nice diversity of muroids and squirrels that blows the US (and Canada) out of the water.