jerseygorilla
Well-Known Member
Yes, behind the scenes they are breeding Round Island Boas, and have Round Island Skinks on show.
The Best Reptile Collection in the UK ?...
- Thread starter Bwassa
- Start date
Yes, behind the scenes they are breeding Round Island Boas, and have Round Island Skinks on show.
Definately London Zoo (sorry, ZSL London Zoo). Particularly good collection of venomous snakes. The Reptile House may be an old one, but it's one of the best in the UK, and it's possible to spend a considrable amount of time in there. The tanks are superbly, and naturalistically, furnished, though you do wonder at times how the reptile staff keep an eye on all the inhabitants with so much cover in the cages. It's not quite so suitable for the larger reptiles and so I commend the fact that the Komodo Dragons and giant tortoises are not kept in the main reptile house but housed in separate exhibits nearby. For all its plus points, of which there are many, the main problem with the old-style of reptile house is that viv after viv after viv doesn't encourage general visitors to stare too long into each one. It's like having a long line of aviaries. Visitors don't pause for more than a few seconds at each one. Much better to have single aviaries scattered around the grounds. And the same is true for reptiles. From this point of view, the current trend in zoos of incorporating a reptile viv or two into other themed exhibits is more conducive to encouraging visitors to stop and look, rather than hurrying onto the next one.
Bristol's reptile collection is also excellent, as is the Cotswold Wildlife Park, and, for some very rare reptiles, so is Jersey (I do wish Jersey wouldn't entertain such things as Burmese Pythons, however, which, whilst they are, on account of their size, popular with the public, are just too ubiquitous within zoos these days).
Twycross has very few reptiles since the old (and small) reptile house was converted into a tropical house. Molly Badham and Natalie Evans, the founders and first directors, only added reptiles to the collection originally because the public expected them, and their lack of interest in this group of animals was obvious.
West Midlands Safari Park does have a very nice reptile house, but on my last visit (admittedly several years ago) I was disappointed, and surprised, to see the anacondas had only a very small pool.
Bristol's reptile collection is also excellent, as is the Cotswold Wildlife Park, and, for some very rare reptiles, so is Jersey (I do wish Jersey wouldn't entertain such things as Burmese Pythons, however, which, whilst they are, on account of their size, popular with the public, are just too ubiquitous within zoos these days).
Twycross has very few reptiles since the old (and small) reptile house was converted into a tropical house. Molly Badham and Natalie Evans, the founders and first directors, only added reptiles to the collection originally because the public expected them, and their lack of interest in this group of animals was obvious.
West Midlands Safari Park does have a very nice reptile house, but on my last visit (admittedly several years ago) I was disappointed, and surprised, to see the anacondas had only a very small pool.
I personally disagree with this perspective on the following basis:
1. Keeping them all under one roof enables the genuinely interested to compare and contrast species which is difficult to do if they're spread accross a zoo;
2. From a financial perspective I'd imagine it's far easier, and cost effective, to have and heat/light them all in one place;
3. From a husbandry perspective (especially with venomous protocols) it's far more practical to have them all in one place rather than a reptile keeper having to waste his time traipsing accross the zoo;
4. I'm sceptical visitors spend more time looking at them if they're spread out. i.e. a small reptile is not going to hold the attention of the average visitor long if there's a cage of active monkeys or some elephants in the line of sight.
Just my two penneth worth.
My experience of London's reptile house is that visitors do spend a long time looking at the exhibits. Unfortunately the always seen to dwell alongside the exhibits with the reptiles I want to photograph and whiz past the ones I don't want to photograph. It can take a very long time for me to get a shot some days.
I've noticed that too. But I get my own back by standing in front of the tank of the pig-nosed turtles for ages trying to get close-ups and wide angle shots and then more close-ups etc
Alan
The Best Reptile Collection in the UK
A bygone exhibit at London Zoo was the Reptiliary, where European snakes and lizards were shown outside in a sort of moated rockery with a low wall. This came to an end about the time wild Herring Gulls started to nest in the area. They either made, or would have made, short work of the Reptiliary inhabitants; nice enclosure wild it lasted [which I think was many decades].
A bygone exhibit at London Zoo was the Reptiliary, where European snakes and lizards were shown outside in a sort of moated rockery with a low wall. This came to an end about the time wild Herring Gulls started to nest in the area. They either made, or would have made, short work of the Reptiliary inhabitants; nice enclosure wild it lasted [which I think was many decades].
Yes, I too liked the outdoor Reptiliary very much.
It lasted more than four decades; I believe it was built to coincide with the opening of the current Reptile House (i.e. 1927) and it was demolished about 1970 to make way for the development of the Sobell Pavilions.
WildEncounters
Member
I agree, viv after viv makes for an exhibit that will not hold the interest of the public, unless of course, like us you are reptile enthusiasts, however the point about cost effectiveness and time wasting is also valid, but a reptile house can make use of its space through naturalistic themeing to tie in with the natural history of the animals, with different exhibits scattered throughout the building rather than window after window after window. I also believe that modern reptile houses should have interactive features inside to help guests understand the animals. One of the best reptile houses I have been involved with is at Ushaka Marine World in South Africa. It is well layed out, beautifully themed, full of information, has a wide variety collection wise and has many interactive features to help educate, for example next to one of the constrictor exhibits was a tube in which one puts there arm and pulls a lever which makes the tube constrict displaying how an animal would kill its prey.
As far as the safari park goes, Mark O Shea and the reptile team completely stripped the old reptile house and has recently refurbished the whole thing, The Anacondas now have a very large pool with an underwater viewing window and naturalistic decor.
As far as the safari park goes, Mark O Shea and the reptile team completely stripped the old reptile house and has recently refurbished the whole thing, The Anacondas now have a very large pool with an underwater viewing window and naturalistic decor.