Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species Mammalian and Non-Mammalian
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
Yes, @pachyderm pro I did find lemurs in the then brand-new Masoala Rainforest at Zurich Zoo way back in 2003, although with the aid of a helpful zoo volunteer. It was just so long ago and I had many other choices for lemur photos. And that's really too bad about Omaha's walk-through lemur area, as there's not many of those around due to stupid North American lawsuits and legislation. I have enjoyed Calgary Zoo's $8 million walk-through lemur experience a few times since they opened it in 2017 and there's not many others like it on the continent.
This thread is motoring along with loads of great comments, but @Neil chace I have missed your remarks during your holiday away from the forum. I hope that you had a great time and it's awesome to have you back here with your insightful observations. I'll reply to some of your comments and questions:
Zootierliste has Black Howler Monkeys as Alouatta caraya and they are currently listed at 85 zoos worldwide on that site. I have not seen a Mantled or Yucatan or any other howlers that I know of besides the Red Howler Monkey at just a few zoos.
It is indeed odd that San Diego Zoo has very infrequently displayed tamarins and marmosets. One would have imagined that zoo having loads of them!
Thanks for the interesting facts about the Pied Tamarin import at Lincoln Park Zoo and the increased numbers of Ring-tailed Lemurs. And yes, the Bronx Zoo Madagascar spiny forest ecosystem is a fantastic exhibit for animals and visitors...for 7 hours a day.
The other 17 hours is an off-show metal cage, which isn't so cool.
There is one ZooChat photo of a Red Ruffed Lemur jumping from a Ravenala palm at Zurich Zoo in 2017:
@lintworm
This thread is motoring along with loads of great comments, but @Neil chace I have missed your remarks during your holiday away from the forum. I hope that you had a great time and it's awesome to have you back here with your insightful observations. I'll reply to some of your comments and questions:
Zootierliste has Black Howler Monkeys as Alouatta caraya and they are currently listed at 85 zoos worldwide on that site. I have not seen a Mantled or Yucatan or any other howlers that I know of besides the Red Howler Monkey at just a few zoos.
It is indeed odd that San Diego Zoo has very infrequently displayed tamarins and marmosets. One would have imagined that zoo having loads of them!
Thanks for the interesting facts about the Pied Tamarin import at Lincoln Park Zoo and the increased numbers of Ring-tailed Lemurs. And yes, the Bronx Zoo Madagascar spiny forest ecosystem is a fantastic exhibit for animals and visitors...for 7 hours a day.
The other 17 hours is an off-show metal cage, which isn't so cool. There is one ZooChat photo of a Red Ruffed Lemur jumping from a Ravenala palm at Zurich Zoo in 2017:
@lintworm
Yucatán howler monkeys are held by various Mexican zoos, mostly in southern Mexico. Most are confiscated from the illegal pet trade. There was a zoo in Texas that had a pair for some time, but I do not remember which one at this moment.Most Mexican zoos also hold confiscated Mexican spider monkeys. The most common non native primate in Mexican zoos is the ring tailed lemur.
KiwiBirb
Well-Known Member
The Red-Ruffed Lemurs were no shows at Bronx? I usually see them every time.There is one lemur species miles ahead of the rest (Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos), then Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs (76 zoos) and now Red Ruffed Lemurs at 74 zoos.
The next lemur species is at...only 14 zoos. Clearly, there are three species that dominate the zoo scene and after that it's slim pickings!
1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 1996
2- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2003
3- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2006
4- Denver Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2006
5- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
6- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
7- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
8- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
9- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
10- Zoo Miami (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
11- Cougar Mountain Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2009
12- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
13- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
14- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
15- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) –Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
16- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
17- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
18- Maryland Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
19- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
20- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
21- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
22- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
23- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
24- Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2011
25- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2011
26- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2011
27- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2011
28- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
29- Potter Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
30- Erie Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
31- St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
32- Palm Beach Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
33- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
34- Jackson Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
35- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
36- Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
37- Dakota Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
38- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
39- Miller Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
40- Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
41- Tanganyika Wildlife Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
42- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
43- Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
44- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
45- East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
46- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
47- The Texas Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
48- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
49- Austin Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
50- Micke Grove Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2017
51- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2017
52- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2017
53- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2018
54- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2018
55- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
56- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
57- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
58- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
59- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
60- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
61- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
62- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
63- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) –Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
64- ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
65- Dierenrijk (Animal Kingdom) (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
66- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
67- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
68- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
69- NaturZoo Rheine (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
70- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
71- Skaerup Zoo (Denmark) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2022
72- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2022
73- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2023
74- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2023
@MagpieGoose
Woodland Park Zoo (USA) has had Red Ruffed Lemurs for decades, in an exhibit with some very tall trees:
Minnesota Zoo (USA) had Red Ruffed Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs together, which is very common at zoos, inside their Tropical House when I was last there in 2014. Who knows, maybe those lemurs were pulled off exhibit into a smaller off-show area just like the ones in the Bronx.
@geomorph
Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) has had quite a variety of lemurs over the years, including some inside their famous Small Mammal House as well as in this memorable rocky outdoor exhibit.
@Gibbonsagainstgravity
Then there's Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA), a facility that's never been afraid to keep primates indoors year-round. Here's the Red Ruffed Lemur exhibit from 2016:
@Moebelle
I saw Ring-tailed and Red Ruffed Lemurs together on this rocky island at North Carolina Zoo (USA) in 2010:
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) surprised the North American zoo scene by opening a walk-through lemur exhibit in 2010, even though at least 200+ European zoos already had the same thing. It was a popular addition to the zoo, but is the walk-through even open these days post-Covid? I know that it had previously closed down for a long time.
@pachyderm pro
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) had some tiny, rather mediocre mammal exhibits at Jambo Junction when I was there in 2012. Their Red Ruffed Lemurs were inside this small glass and tile box. Ugh.
There's always cheap builds such as these wood and wire cages for 4 lemur species at Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) in 2014:
Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) had a row of dark and dingy lemur cages, including one for Red Ruffed Lemurs, in 2015:
There's a whole bunch of awful enclosures for Red Ruffed Lemurs at roadside American zoos. An example would be this cage at East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park (USA) in rural Texas, with lemurs inside an area that is perhaps only 7 feet wide. The hillbilly sign says 'Red Rough Lemurs' and there's Christmas tree lights across the top. When it rains, that metal roof must echo terribly for the lemurs. This is the kind of crap that is still far too common in the USA, but if you head to Europe it's practically impossible to find a zoo enclosure this abysmal.
Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) has Red Ruffed Lemurs in abundance!
@twilighter
At the bird park known as Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands), there's a massive walk-through exhibit for Red Ruffed and Ring-tailed Lemurs. I sat on a bench and then got up to take a photo as a lemur had joined me! There were lemurs bouncing around in treetops, zero staff members whatsoever, and I mainly had the place to myself. It was an amazing experience to see so many lemurs doing whatever they wanted in a lush, enrichment filled environment.
There's some wacky lemur exhibits out there, perhaps none more so than this setup at Cologne Zoo (Germany). I wasn't a fan, but some zoo nerds like it.
@Toddy
There's certainly a contrast between the Black-and-white Ruffed and Red Ruffed Lemurs. I'm slightly more partial to the red types, as that colour is really spectacular in the sunshine. But lemurs in general make for great zoo displays, as they are active and inquisitive primates.
@Jogy
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 74 zoos
The next most common lemur species (stay tuned!) - 14 zoos
DesertTortoise
Well-Known Member
Omaha's walk-through lemur exhibit was open for a short time after the pandemic before shutting down again. I walked through it in August of 2022.
Of course I saw the Red Ruffed Lemurs and that's an oversight on my part. Thanks for catching that! The new total is now Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs 76, Red Ruffed Lemurs 75.
(I still have time to edit my post)Here's a neat article from June 18, 2008, with the full species list for Madagascar! when it opened.
WCS Opens Spectacular Bronx Zoo Exhibit Celebrating Madagascar's Wildlife.
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Osedax
Well-Known Member
Did they really have 100,000 Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches?
After the trifecta of three lemur species that are very common in zoos worldwide, there's a steep drop-off until the next most familiar type. I've seen Black Lemurs at 14 zoos. It's fascinating to acknowledge that in 120 European collections I've been to, I came across them only 3 times. Also, of the 11 North American collections where I've seen Black Lemurs, do any of them still have the species? For sure, their numbers have plummeted in recent years.
1- Point Defiance Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2006
2- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2006
3- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Black Lemur – 2008
4- Zoo Miami (USA) – Black Lemur – 2008
5- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2010
6- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2010
7- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2011
8- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Black Lemur – 2012
9- Bramble Park Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2014
10- Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2014
11- Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Black Lemur – 2015
12- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Black Lemur – 2019
13- Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands) – Black Lemur – 2019
14- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Black Lemur – 2019
One really interesting fact about Black Lemurs is that males are entirely jet black, while females have a pale, brownish-white colouration. It is similar to some Black Howler Monkey and Gibbon species in that regard.
Here are two male Black Lemurs:
@wstefan
Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) has Black Lemurs and here is a lighter-coloured female:
@KevinB
The very first time I ever saw Black Lemurs was at Point Defiance Zoo (USA) in an exhibit in the Children's Zone. They are gone now, but at the time they shared their space with Ring-tailed Lemurs in a colourful display and the enclosure remains at the zoo.
Saint Louis Zoo (USA) had Black Lemurs in an all-indoor space next to Allen's Swamp Monkeys. The 1929 Monkey House had an extension called Primate Canopy Trails in recent years, but I'm not sure if the zoo still has Black Lemurs.
I saw Ring-tailed, Black-and-white Ruffed and Black Lemurs all together on Lemur Rock at Louisville Zoo (USA) in 2010.
Santa Ana Zoo (USA) had the same 3 lemur species, as well as Rock Hyrax, Trumpeter Hornbill and African Crested Porcupine all together in their Madagascar exhibit in 2011. That's quite the mix of animals!
At Bramble Park Zoo (USA) in 2014, I saw Black Lemurs and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs together in the zoo's Diversity of Life complex. You can see one of each species in my photo, plus a toddler swing!
This was the entire space for Black Lemurs at Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) when I was there in 2014:
Black Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs share an island space at Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands):
@KevinB
Here they are having breakfast:
@KevinB
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos
Black Lemurs - 14 zoos
1- Point Defiance Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2006
2- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2006
3- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Black Lemur – 2008
4- Zoo Miami (USA) – Black Lemur – 2008
5- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2010
6- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2010
7- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2011
8- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Black Lemur – 2012
9- Bramble Park Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2014
10- Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2014
11- Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Black Lemur – 2015
12- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Black Lemur – 2019
13- Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands) – Black Lemur – 2019
14- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Black Lemur – 2019
One really interesting fact about Black Lemurs is that males are entirely jet black, while females have a pale, brownish-white colouration. It is similar to some Black Howler Monkey and Gibbon species in that regard.
Here are two male Black Lemurs:
@wstefan
Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) has Black Lemurs and here is a lighter-coloured female:
@KevinB
The very first time I ever saw Black Lemurs was at Point Defiance Zoo (USA) in an exhibit in the Children's Zone. They are gone now, but at the time they shared their space with Ring-tailed Lemurs in a colourful display and the enclosure remains at the zoo.
Saint Louis Zoo (USA) had Black Lemurs in an all-indoor space next to Allen's Swamp Monkeys. The 1929 Monkey House had an extension called Primate Canopy Trails in recent years, but I'm not sure if the zoo still has Black Lemurs.
I saw Ring-tailed, Black-and-white Ruffed and Black Lemurs all together on Lemur Rock at Louisville Zoo (USA) in 2010.
Santa Ana Zoo (USA) had the same 3 lemur species, as well as Rock Hyrax, Trumpeter Hornbill and African Crested Porcupine all together in their Madagascar exhibit in 2011. That's quite the mix of animals!
At Bramble Park Zoo (USA) in 2014, I saw Black Lemurs and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs together in the zoo's Diversity of Life complex. You can see one of each species in my photo, plus a toddler swing!
This was the entire space for Black Lemurs at Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) when I was there in 2014:
Black Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs share an island space at Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands):
@KevinB
Here they are having breakfast:
@KevinB
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos
Black Lemurs - 14 zoos
I'm really surprised this is your next most common species- I would've expected it to be either mongoose or collared lemurs.After the trifecta of three lemur species that are very common in zoos worldwide, there's a steep drop-off until the next most familiar type. I've seen Black Lemurs at 14 zoos. It's fascinating to acknowledge that in 120 European collections I've been to, I came across them only 3 times. Also, of the 11 North American collections where I've seen Black Lemurs, do any of them still have the species? For sure, their numbers have plummeted in recent years.
1- Point Defiance Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2006
2- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2006
3- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Black Lemur – 2008
4- Zoo Miami (USA) – Black Lemur – 2008
5- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2010
6- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2010
7- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2011
8- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Black Lemur – 2012
9- Bramble Park Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2014
10- Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) – Black Lemur – 2014
11- Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Black Lemur – 2015
12- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Black Lemur – 2019
13- Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands) – Black Lemur – 2019
14- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Black Lemur – 2019
One really interesting fact about Black Lemurs is that males are entirely jet black, while females have a pale, brownish-white colouration. It is similar to some Black Howler Monkey and Gibbon species in that regard.
Here are two male Black Lemurs:
@wstefan
Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) has Black Lemurs and here is a lighter-coloured female:
@KevinB
The very first time I ever saw Black Lemurs was at Point Defiance Zoo (USA) in an exhibit in the Children's Zone. They are gone now, but at the time they shared their space with Ring-tailed Lemurs in a colourful display and the enclosure remains at the zoo.
Saint Louis Zoo (USA) had Black Lemurs in an all-indoor space next to Allen's Swamp Monkeys. The 1929 Monkey House had an extension called Primate Canopy Trails in recent years, but I'm not sure if the zoo still has Black Lemurs.
I saw Ring-tailed, Black-and-white Ruffed and Black Lemurs all together on Lemur Rock at Louisville Zoo (USA) in 2010.
Santa Ana Zoo (USA) had the same 3 lemur species, as well as Rock Hyrax, Trumpeter Hornbill and African Crested Porcupine all together in their Madagascar exhibit in 2011. That's quite the mix of animals!
At Bramble Park Zoo (USA) in 2014, I saw Black Lemurs and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs together in the zoo's Diversity of Life complex. You can see one of each species in my photo, plus a toddler swing!
This was the entire space for Black Lemurs at Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) when I was there in 2014:
Black Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs share an island space at Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands):
@KevinB
Here they are having breakfast:
@KevinB
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos
Black Lemurs - 14 zoos
Also, since I know this is an area there have been some recent changes, did Eulemur taxonomy give you any troubles? I'd imagine similar to night monkeys there could be some difficulty determining the exact species, especially within the brown lemur complex.
I'm pretty sure Common Black Lemur is completely gone from the US now, aside from three individuals at Duke.
Wow, talk about mismanagement. I wouldn’t have thought black lemurs would have surpassed 10 sightings in the US.
I'm not sure I'd immediately jump to "mismanagement" being the cause of black lemurs declining in US zoos, without knowing more of the situation. All of the sightings by @snowleopard were at least a decade ago, and seeing as it was only around 2010 that the black lemur and blue-eyed black lemur were split into separate species, it's possible that the changing taxonomy played a large role in this species being phased out. Furthermore, given that lemurs are long-lived, and that this species is essentially gone from the US today, all of the individuals seen between 2006-2014 were likely already elderly, and instead hold overs from a time before sustainable populations were as prioritized as they are today. While mismanagement is one possibility, it certainly isn't the only possibility, at least without knowing more about what the population's demography, genetics, and breeding success looked like.
I don't think I have access to any old ones, but I for one would be interested in what earlier versions of the Prosimian TAG collection plan said about black lemurs, that'd probably give us a pretty good idea of why the species has disappeared from zoos.
Henson Robinson should be the last holder in the U.S, and I believe they only have two females remaining
. The Miller Zoo in Quebec also has Black Lemurs, but they appear to only have females as well. Really disappointing to see how fast this species has disappeared from North America.
The conundrum over which animals are Black Lemurs and which are Blue-eyed Black Lemurs at all these zoos highlights what a monumental task this thread is. But I can't stop now! I've seen the latter at 9 zoos, as I'm going with the signs posted at each zoological institution that I've recorded over the years, although definitely zoo signage can be hit-and-miss on many occasions. This is not the next most common lemur species that I've seen in zoos, but it makes sense to tag this post onto my last one for continuity's sake.
I think that @Neil chace has been very helpful with so many of his comments and he has an excellent point in regards to the lemur taxonomy for Black Lemurs changing around 15 years ago. I wonder if zoos like Omaha and Berlin Tierpark actually had Blue-eyed Black Lemurs during my visits and not Black Lemurs as I listed, judging by photos from other zoo nerds in the gallery, but for some of the older zoos there's probably no way of ever knowing the truth. I'm just being honest and supplying the information I came across. I've got it down as Black Lemurs at 14 zoos and Blue-eyed Black Lemurs at 9 zoos, but it could just as easily be 12 zoos and 11 zoos, or even 10 zoos and 13 zoos as far as anyone could possibly figure out since the taxonomic changes. At least we know that there's a combined 23 zoos to play around with and I'm open to any advice.
1- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2008
2- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2008
3- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2010
4- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2011
5- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2014
6- Racine Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2014
7- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2019
8- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2019
9- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2023
I'll take a trip down memory lane and highlight all 9 zoos where I've seen these primates.
I'm not sure how many zoo nerds can even tell Black Lemurs apart from these Blue-eyed Black Lemurs, which are also sometimes labeled as Sclater's Lemurs. It can get confusing!
@Goura
For many years, Indianapolis Zoo (USA) had Blue-eyed Black Lemurs sharing an exhibit with Red Ruffed Lemurs. If I'm not mistaken, this whole area was eventually demolished to create space for the "Orangutan Rocketship" complex.
Here's another angle of the Indy Zoo's old lemur exhibit:
In the summer of 2008, I was at Los Angeles Zoo (USA) and I saw Blue-eyed Black Lemurs there as well.
@mstickmanp
Two years later, I saw this abysmal Blue-eyed Black Lemur exhibit at Philadelphia Zoo (USA), with tiled flooring and zero outdoor access.
In the summer of 2011, I was pleasantly surprised to see Blue-eyed Black Lemurs in this spacious habitat at Oakland Zoo (USA):
@geomorph
Here's what I came across for Blue-eyed Black Lemurs at Como Park Zoo (USA) in 2014:
Racine Zoo (USA) is yet another all-indoor exhibit for Blue-eyed Black Lemurs and I saw this one in 2014:
In Europe, this species was incredibly difficult to find. I did see some at Cologne Zoo (Germany), and here's a photo of a male at the bottom of one of those wacky metal ball globes:
@twilighter
Of course, the superlative and comprehensive Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) has Blue-eyed Black Lemurs. One thing for sure is that these lemurs have stunning eyes:
@Jakub
Lastly, San Diego Zoo (USA) has Blue-eyed Black Lemurs (and I saw a male in the undergrowth) in its Africa Rocks complex.
@Moebelle
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos
Black Lemurs - 14 zoos
Blue-eyed Black Lemurs - 9 zoos
I've seen the latter at 9 zoos, as I'm going with the signs posted at each zoological institution that I've recorded over the years, although definitely zoo signage can be hit-and-miss on many occasions. This is not the next most common lemur species that I've seen in zoos, but it makes sense to tag this post onto my last one for continuity's sake. I think that @Neil chace has been very helpful with so many of his comments and he has an excellent point in regards to the lemur taxonomy for Black Lemurs changing around 15 years ago. I wonder if zoos like Omaha and Berlin Tierpark actually had Blue-eyed Black Lemurs during my visits and not Black Lemurs as I listed, judging by photos from other zoo nerds in the gallery, but for some of the older zoos there's probably no way of ever knowing the truth. I'm just being honest and supplying the information I came across. I've got it down as Black Lemurs at 14 zoos and Blue-eyed Black Lemurs at 9 zoos, but it could just as easily be 12 zoos and 11 zoos, or even 10 zoos and 13 zoos as far as anyone could possibly figure out since the taxonomic changes. At least we know that there's a combined 23 zoos to play around with and I'm open to any advice.
1- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2008
2- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2008
3- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2010
4- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2011
5- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2014
6- Racine Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2014
7- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2019
8- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2019
9- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2023
I'll take a trip down memory lane and highlight all 9 zoos where I've seen these primates.
I'm not sure how many zoo nerds can even tell Black Lemurs apart from these Blue-eyed Black Lemurs, which are also sometimes labeled as Sclater's Lemurs. It can get confusing!
@Goura
For many years, Indianapolis Zoo (USA) had Blue-eyed Black Lemurs sharing an exhibit with Red Ruffed Lemurs. If I'm not mistaken, this whole area was eventually demolished to create space for the "Orangutan Rocketship" complex.
Here's another angle of the Indy Zoo's old lemur exhibit:
In the summer of 2008, I was at Los Angeles Zoo (USA) and I saw Blue-eyed Black Lemurs there as well.
@mstickmanp
Two years later, I saw this abysmal Blue-eyed Black Lemur exhibit at Philadelphia Zoo (USA), with tiled flooring and zero outdoor access.
In the summer of 2011, I was pleasantly surprised to see Blue-eyed Black Lemurs in this spacious habitat at Oakland Zoo (USA):
@geomorph
Here's what I came across for Blue-eyed Black Lemurs at Como Park Zoo (USA) in 2014:
Racine Zoo (USA) is yet another all-indoor exhibit for Blue-eyed Black Lemurs and I saw this one in 2014:
In Europe, this species was incredibly difficult to find. I did see some at Cologne Zoo (Germany), and here's a photo of a male at the bottom of one of those wacky metal ball globes:
@twilighter
Of course, the superlative and comprehensive Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) has Blue-eyed Black Lemurs. One thing for sure is that these lemurs have stunning eyes:
@Jakub
Lastly, San Diego Zoo (USA) has Blue-eyed Black Lemurs (and I saw a male in the undergrowth) in its Africa Rocks complex.
@Moebelle
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos
Black Lemurs - 14 zoos
Blue-eyed Black Lemurs - 9 zoos
Racine Zoo has not held blue-eyed black lemur for a number of years -- I believe the pictured exhibit is now used as a dayroom for either the spider monkeys or lar gibbons, both of which have outdoor access. I'm not sure which of the two, but I know I saw the background mural when I visited. I have not yet seen the blue-eyed species.
Henson Robinson still had at least one female black lemur on my visit last September, although they now share a space with the ringtail lemur. They are not held in the exhibit pictured anymore; I don't think the new exhibit would be viewed as a major improvement or anything though.
Henson Robinson still had at least one female black lemur on my visit last September, although they now share a space with the ringtail lemur. They are not held in the exhibit pictured anymore; I don't think the new exhibit would be viewed as a major improvement or anything though.
Osedax
Well-Known Member
The eye colour should help
With the exception of telling Eulemur rufus apart from Eulemur rufifrons, which is tricky unless you've managed to learn the knack to it, it really isn't hard at all to tell the various species apart
Tierpark Berlin had *both* species until shortly before your visit
so you missed Blue-eyed there quite narrowly.I mean, quite apart from the eye colour the females look completely different
Black lemurs have ruffs while blue-eyed black lemurs don’t, which I think makes it pretty easy to tell the two species apart.The conundrum over which animals are Black Lemurs and which are Blue-eyed Black Lemurs at all these zoos highlights what a monumental task this thread is. But I can't stop now!
I think that @Neil chace has been very helpful with so many of his comments and he has an excellent point in regards to the lemur taxonomy for Black Lemurs changing around 15 years ago. I wonder if zoos like Omaha and Berlin Tierpark actually had Blue-eyed Black Lemurs during my visits and not Black Lemurs as I listed, judging by photos from other zoo nerds in the gallery, but for some of the older zoos there's probably no way of ever knowing the truth. I'm just being honest and supplying the information I came across. I've got it down as Black Lemurs at 14 zoos and Blue-eyed Black Lemurs at 9 zoos, but it could just as easily be 12 zoos and 11 zoos, or even 10 zoos and 13 zoos as far as anyone could possibly figure out since the taxonomic changes. At least we know that there's a combined 23 zoos to play around with and I'm open to any advice.
1- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2008
2- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2008
3- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2010
4- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2011
5- Como Park Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2014
6- Racine Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2014
7- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2019
8- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2019
9- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Blue-eyed Black Lemur – 2023
I'll take a trip down memory lane and highlight all 9 zoos where I've seen these primates.
I'm not sure how many zoo nerds can even tell Black Lemurs apart from these Blue-eyed Black Lemurs, which are also sometimes labeled as Sclater's Lemurs. It can get confusing!
@Goura
For many years, Indianapolis Zoo (USA) had Blue-eyed Black Lemurs sharing an exhibit with Red Ruffed Lemurs. If I'm not mistaken, this whole area was eventually demolished to create space for the "Orangutan Rocketship" complex.
Here's another angle of the Indy Zoo's old lemur exhibit:
In the summer of 2008, I was at Los Angeles Zoo (USA) and I saw Blue-eyed Black Lemurs there as well.
@mstickmanp
Two years later, I saw this abysmal Blue-eyed Black Lemur exhibit at Philadelphia Zoo (USA), with tiled flooring and zero outdoor access.
In the summer of 2011, I was pleasantly surprised to see Blue-eyed Black Lemurs in this spacious habitat at Oakland Zoo (USA):
@geomorph
Here's what I came across for Blue-eyed Black Lemurs at Como Park Zoo (USA) in 2014:
Racine Zoo (USA) is yet another all-indoor exhibit for Blue-eyed Black Lemurs and I saw this one in 2014:
In Europe, this species was incredibly difficult to find. I did see some at Cologne Zoo (Germany), and here's a photo of a male at the bottom of one of those wacky metal ball globes:
@twilighter
Of course, the superlative and comprehensive Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) has Blue-eyed Black Lemurs. One thing for sure is that these lemurs have stunning eyes:
@Jakub
Lastly, San Diego Zoo (USA) has Blue-eyed Black Lemurs (and I saw a male in the undergrowth) in its Africa Rocks complex.
@Moebelle
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos
Black Lemurs - 14 zoos
Blue-eyed Black Lemurs - 9 zoos
After the three extremely common lemur species (Ring-tailed, Black-and-white Ruffed, Red Ruffed) there is such a large drop-off that all the rest of the lemur species are quite rare in captivity. I've seen Mongoose Lemurs at only 12 zoos.
1- Denver Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2006
2- Memphis Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2008
3- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2010
4- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2010
5- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2010
6- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2011
7- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2012
8- Potter Park Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2012
9- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2012
10- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Mongoose Lemur – 2012
11- Peoria Zoo (2014) – Mongoose Lemur – 2014
12- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Mongoose Lemur – 2019
Mongoose Lemur:
@geomorph
The very first time I ever saw Mongoose Lemurs was at Denver Zoo (USA) in 2006, in Primate Panorama, an exhibit complex that seems to have 20+ primate species at all times.
Saint Louis Zoo (USA) has had Mongoose Lemurs for a long time and the species is still there today.
@CMP
Here's my photo of the Mongoose Lemur exhibit at Saint Louis Zoo (USA) before the Primate Canopy Trails complex opened:
Philadelphia Zoo (USA) had a number of scarce species in their Rare Animal Conservation Center back when I visited in 2010. It's just a pity that the exhibits were so poor, including this one for Mongoose Lemurs and Malagasy Giant Rats.
I've visited Sacramento Zoo (USA) on 3 occasions and each time the Mongoose Lemurs have been in a slightly different exhibit. Here's my photo from 2011, where it's possible to see two of the lemurs:
A photo from 2017:
I was just there last month and the Mongoose Lemur exhibit currently looks like the one in this photo. It's the same footprint as the 2011 exhibit, but with different containment barriers and a more textured and naturalistic backdrop.
@Hipporex
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) had Mongoose Lemurs and Malagasy Giant Rats together inside the Expedition Madagascar building in 2012. A dreary all-indoor enclosure.
This historic building opened in 1930 at Potter Park Zoo (USA), and I saw Mongoose Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs together in this all-indoor exhibit. I'm guessing that the cage is an original, 94 year-old piece of construction but I could be wrong. Does anyone know?
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) has an area called Curiosity Caverns and it's a quiet little covered cave area that held Mongoose Lemurs when I was there in 2012. It's actually a tunnel easily missed by visitors.
A somewhat forgotten fact is that for a few years Calgary Zoo (Canada) had Mongoose Lemurs in a walk-through exhibit long before they opened Land of Lemurs in 2017. When I was there in 2012, I had a Mongoose Lemur run right over my head along a branch in what is a walk-through African Aviary inside the same building as the Gorillas. Here's a Mongoose Lemur up in the canopy:
@Dibatag
A small, all-indoor enclosure for Mongoose Lemurs at Peoria Zoo (USA):
@Milwaukee Man
Remarkably, almost all of my sightings of Mongoose Lemurs occurred a long time ago. Since 2014, I've still visited hundreds of zoos, including many roadside American collections. I've also toured 120 European zoos and aquariums, amassing a large total of zoos in this time period. But, in literally a dozen years, I've only come across Mongoose Lemurs ONCE at a new zoo and that was Berlin Tierpark (Germany) in 2019.
@Dianamonkey
@twilighter
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos
Black Lemurs - 14 zoos
Mongoose Lemurs - 12 zoos
Blue-eyed Black Lemurs - 9 zoos
1- Denver Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2006
2- Memphis Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2008
3- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2010
4- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2010
5- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2010
6- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2011
7- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2012
8- Potter Park Zoo (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2012
9- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Mongoose Lemur – 2012
10- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Mongoose Lemur – 2012
11- Peoria Zoo (2014) – Mongoose Lemur – 2014
12- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Mongoose Lemur – 2019
Mongoose Lemur:
@geomorph
The very first time I ever saw Mongoose Lemurs was at Denver Zoo (USA) in 2006, in Primate Panorama, an exhibit complex that seems to have 20+ primate species at all times.
Saint Louis Zoo (USA) has had Mongoose Lemurs for a long time and the species is still there today.
@CMP
Here's my photo of the Mongoose Lemur exhibit at Saint Louis Zoo (USA) before the Primate Canopy Trails complex opened:
Philadelphia Zoo (USA) had a number of scarce species in their Rare Animal Conservation Center back when I visited in 2010. It's just a pity that the exhibits were so poor, including this one for Mongoose Lemurs and Malagasy Giant Rats.
I've visited Sacramento Zoo (USA) on 3 occasions and each time the Mongoose Lemurs have been in a slightly different exhibit. Here's my photo from 2011, where it's possible to see two of the lemurs:
A photo from 2017:
I was just there last month and the Mongoose Lemur exhibit currently looks like the one in this photo. It's the same footprint as the 2011 exhibit, but with different containment barriers and a more textured and naturalistic backdrop.
@Hipporex
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) had Mongoose Lemurs and Malagasy Giant Rats together inside the Expedition Madagascar building in 2012. A dreary all-indoor enclosure.
This historic building opened in 1930 at Potter Park Zoo (USA), and I saw Mongoose Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs together in this all-indoor exhibit. I'm guessing that the cage is an original, 94 year-old piece of construction but I could be wrong. Does anyone know?
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) has an area called Curiosity Caverns and it's a quiet little covered cave area that held Mongoose Lemurs when I was there in 2012. It's actually a tunnel easily missed by visitors.
A somewhat forgotten fact is that for a few years Calgary Zoo (Canada) had Mongoose Lemurs in a walk-through exhibit long before they opened Land of Lemurs in 2017. When I was there in 2012, I had a Mongoose Lemur run right over my head along a branch in what is a walk-through African Aviary inside the same building as the Gorillas. Here's a Mongoose Lemur up in the canopy:
@Dibatag
A small, all-indoor enclosure for Mongoose Lemurs at Peoria Zoo (USA):
@Milwaukee Man
Remarkably, almost all of my sightings of Mongoose Lemurs occurred a long time ago. Since 2014, I've still visited hundreds of zoos, including many roadside American collections. I've also toured 120 European zoos and aquariums, amassing a large total of zoos in this time period. But, in literally a dozen years, I've only come across Mongoose Lemurs ONCE at a new zoo and that was Berlin Tierpark (Germany) in 2019.
@Dianamonkey
@twilighter
Lemurs:
Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos
Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos
Black Lemurs - 14 zoos
Mongoose Lemurs - 12 zoos
Blue-eyed Black Lemurs - 9 zoos
NNM.
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I certainly missed this. I was wondering where mongoose lemurs were at Busch Gardens, because I mostly only remember the larger animals’ enclosures, which I remember being surprisingly solid, but that fact being soured by the unnatural atmosphere and giant sky-spanning rides disrupting the peace. I often question the ethics of Busch Gardens for this reason.