Perenties Outside Australia

Two zoos here have bred them: Dallas multiple times (first in 2001, then again in 2018 and 2023) and Omaha also in 2023. I know that at least Iguanaland received two of the 2018 hatchlings from Dallas, according to their website.
It seems that 2 from Dallas went to Toledo and Virginia. Then, 2 from Omaha went to Toledo and Virginia. I was told by a keeper at Toledo that the plan is to expand the breeding in the US! Wonder what zoo is next.
 
It seems that 2 from Dallas went to Toledo and Virginia. Then, 2 from Omaha went to Toledo and Virginia. I was told by a keeper at Toledo that the plan is to expand the breeding in the US! Wonder what zoo is next.
Gladys Porter Zoo in South Texas also got a young Perentie earlier this year, I imagine theirs likely came from Dallas
 
Given the show of legitimate imports here, I think what's been going can be reasonable pieced together.

A small number of major AZA zoos seem to have imported Perentie. They have bred, I remember Omaha having a breeding success a few years ago. These animals then made their way into privately-owned specialist reptile facilities. These places are owned by big, trusted names in the herp keeping community and frequently end up with AZA surplus.

In the future, animals bred at these facilities may make their way out more widely into the captive trade, this has happened before to species with similar stories in the US, such as Komodo Dragon.
 
New director, new plan... What has only been an Australia house for a few years is now slated to become an endangered island species exhibit, hence the iguanas.
So, is Australia an island in this plan? Not that I mind, my thoughts on the theming of the Australia House can be found elsewhere here.
 
So, is Australia an island in this plan? Not that I mind, my thoughts on the theming of the Australia House can be found elsewhere here.

I think at least koala are still planned long term, but I expect the Australian theming to disappear at some point in the future.
 
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If your interested, Dallas Zoo made a comment on this post about their 18 year old Perentie Adam which states that every Perentie born in the US can trace their lineage back to him (of course this will change if that new male from the europe import starts being bred)

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If your interested, Dallas Zoo made a comment on this post about their 18 year old Perentie Adam which states that every Perentie born in the US can trace their lineage back to him (of course this will change if that new male from the europe import starts being bred)

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Actually what they say is every Perentie born at an AZA accredited zoo. Which suggests that those at the specialist reptile facilities may not be.
 
Actually what they say is every Perentie born at an AZA accredited zoo. Which suggests that those at the specialist reptile facilities may not be.
True, but to my knowledge the Perenties at the non-AZA facilities such as Iguanaland and Reptilandia came from Dallas. the only place I am not sure about their origin is Reptile Garden's Perenties
 
Interestingly, Reptile Gardens claims to have been the second zoo in the US to breed them: Reptile Gardens

I was surprised by this, but it sort of makes sense; I went back and read Omaha's announcements last year and they specifically state they are the second AZA facility to breed them, not the second North American zoo to do so.

I found a 2011 reference to Reptile Gardens holding Perentie so they've had them a long time, wherever the original ones came from.
 
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