Rainforest species relationships

Beastking04

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
If I were to build either a South American, African, or Asian mixed species exhibit, would birds, monkeys, and or fruit bats get along?

Here's some example species.

Capuchin
Squirrel Monkey
Howler Monkey
Macaw
Toucan
Tortoise
Spider Monkey

Colobus
Allen's Swamp Monkey
Wolf's Mona Monkey
Hippopotamus
Fruit Bat
Parrot
Lovebird
Shoebill

Gibbon
Orangutan
Flying Fox
Hornbill
Macaques
Proboscis Monkeys
Tapir

Various other stock birds from these regions
 
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I suspect this question is for Fantasy Zoos Forums

Regardless, the answer is no for most primate species of the Americas. Generally, monkeys should never be mixed with smaller animals; birds, bats or anything else. They'll either use them as food or toys. However, there are exceptions: For example, smaller primates (tamarins, titi monkeys and alike) have been mixed repeatedly with various birds, including macaws and toucans in large enclosures. The generally docile and herbivorous howler monkeys work too, as do Pithecia sakis.

Both colobus and proboscis monkeys are as peaceful (towards other species) and herbivorous as howler monkeys, but the proboscis hasn't done well in zoos outside Asia at all. The remaining African and Asian primates you list all belong firmly in the "no" category when it comes to mixing with birds/fruit bats. Your question was specific to primates, but hippo and shoebill is another pair that shouldn't be mixed. It is well-known that water birds in hippo exhibits sometimes disappear. Some zoos have accepted this risk with e.g. common duck species, but it would be crazy to do it with something as rare as a shoebill.

Various birds (not larger hornbills!) and fruit bats have been mixed many times in larger rainforest halls and this works fine.
 
Then how about the monkey species with other monkey species? And would a walkthrough exhibit be feasible? And how about Pygmy Hippos?
 
Artis Zoo, Amsterdam has a mixed species exhibit that you might be interested in.

It is a walkthrough exhibit with: Northern Tree Shrew, Linne's Two-toed Sloth, White-fronted Marmoset, White-faced Saki, Seba Short-tailed Bat, Rodrigues Fruit Bat, Chinese Water Dragon, Green Iguana, Ground Cuscus, Pygmy Marmoset, Grey-handed Night Monkey, Goeldi's Monkey, Great Argus Pheasant, Sugar Glider.
(Note: not all seen, some just signed)
 
What might work:

Bolivian Squirrel Monkey + Blue-and-yellow/Red-winged macaw
Keel-billed toucan + Yellow/Red footed Tortoise

Pygmy hippo + Egyptian / Straw-coloured flying fox
Pygmy hippo + Angola / Mantled colobus
Pygmy hippo + Wolf's Mona Monkey
Pygmy hippo + Grey-headed lovebird

Lar/Borneo Gibbon + Sumatra /Borneo Orang Utan
Lion-tailed macaque + S/ B Orang Utan
Malayan tapir + S/B OU

What is a "stock bird"?
 
What might work:

Bolivian Squirrel Monkey + Blue-and-yellow/Red-winged macaw
Keel-billed toucan + Yellow/Red footed Tortoise

Pygmy hippo + Egyptian / Straw-coloured flying fox
Pygmy hippo + Angola / Mantled colobus
Pygmy hippo + Wolf's Mona Monkey
Pygmy hippo + Grey-headed lovebird

Lar/Borneo Gibbon + Sumatra /Borneo Orang Utan
Lion-tailed macaque + S/ B Orang Utan
Malayan tapir + S/B OU

What is a "stock bird"?


Sorry. What I ment by stock birds was any small to medium sized birds that you would typically find in a zoo aviary, like sparrows, small toucans, parakeets, lovebirds, etc.
 
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