Denver Zoo List of Species on Exhibit 6-8-16

geomorph

geomorph

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
This is an attempt to list every species on exhibit at the Denver Zoo during my visit on 6-8-16. I am arranging the list by the current visitor map. I am including species for which there is a sign on each exhibit; I am not including education animals that have no permanent exhibit. This is not intended to be a full account of the collection. Also, species on exhibit are sometimes moved, so some that were there one day may have disappeared from public view the next. This list may be of more interest to those already familiar with the zoo since I am not arranging the species by animal type. I will list each zone in a separate entry in the thread for clarity. This tour will generally be a clockwise route, starting from the entrance.

PREDATOR RIDGE: (8 Exhibits)
This excellent exhibit complex opened in 2004 and is the first encountered by visitors since it is adjacent to the zoo entrance.

Small-sized simulated rocky and termite mound yard:
African Crested Porcupine
Banded Mongoose

Small-sized simulated rocky yard:
Kirk's Dik-dik

3 species-rotation yards of various sizes, containing 1 species in each:
African Lion
African Wild Dog
Spotted Hyena

3 medium-sized wall terrariums inside Pahali Ya Simba viewing bulding, containing 1 species in each:
Nile Monitor
Sudan Plated Lizard
African Rock Python
 
FELINES: (10 Exhibits)
These exhibits opened in 1964 and include two visitor buildings for indoor viewing as well as the outdoor exhibits.

Large-sized walled and moated yard, including indoor viewing area in Western building:
Striped Hyena

Medium-sized indoor habitat behind glass in Western building:
Red Panda

Small-sized indoor exhibit behind glass in Western building:
Dwarf Mongoose

2 small-sized caged outdoor habitats, each connected to their own 2 small-sized indoor habitats behind glass in Western building:
Snow Leopard
Fossa

Large-sized fenced yard between buildings:
Maned Wolf

2 small-sized caged outdoor habitats, each connected to their own 2 small-sized indoor habitats behind glass in Eastern building:
Serval
Amur Leopard

Small-sized indoor exhibit behind glass in Eastern building:
Northern Tree Shrew

Large-sized walled and moated yard with 2 small-sized indoor habitats, including indoor viewing area in Eastern building:
Siberian Tiger
 
NORTHERN SHORES: (6 Exhibits)
This exhibit complex opened in 1987.

Medium-sized walled and moated yard:
Polar Bear

Medium-sized walled yard with underwater viewing:
Empty

Small-sized walled and moated yard:
Empty

Medium-sized walled yard with underwater viewing and den:
North American River Otter

Large-sized pool yard with underwater viewing:
California Sea Lion

Small-sized pool yard:
California Sea Lion
Harbor Seal
 
TROPICAL DISCOVERY: (102 Exhibits)
This excellent and extensive indoor complex contains the majority of the collection's reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates and was opened in 1993. The visitor path through the building is basically a one-way journey and I will list the exhibits as they are encountered by section.

The first section is the largest, contained in a highly detailed environment of simulated rocky walls and temple masonry and planted with a wide variety of small live tropical plants, augmented by simulated plants in some exhibits. This section is brightly lit from the large glass pyramid-shaped ceiling overhead. The following are the exhibits on the right side of the visitor path through the large pyramid section:
Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Mexican Spiny-tailed Iguana

Small-sized open-top aquarium in cave:
Blind Cave Fish

Large-sized wall terrarium:
Crocodile Monitor

Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Giant Waxy Tree Frog

7 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species in each:
Empty
Imitating Poison Dart Frog
Mexican Leaf Frog
Golden Poison Dart Frog
Yellow-banded Dart Frog
Eyelash Viper
Amazon Milk Frog

Medium-sized open-top aquarium:
Madagascar Cichlid Fishes (unidentified)
Madagascar Rainbow Fishes (unidentified)

Medium-sized open-top aquarium:
Red-bellied Piranha

Medium-sized open-top aquarium:
Black Spiny Catfish
Dow's Cichlid
Pacu
Peacock Bass
Red-tailed Catfish
Shovelnose Tiger Catfish
Spotline Peacock Cichlid
Suckermouth Catfish
Vermiculate River Stingray

Medium-sized wall terrarium with open-top aquarium:
Green Anaconda

Medium-sized rocky yard with netted enclosure and 2 viewing areas:
Black Howler Monkey
Capybara

Large-sized wall terrarium with medium-sized open-top aquarium and multiple viewing areas:
Caiman Lizard
Spot-bellied Side-necked Turtle

Medium-sized open-top aquarium:
Coral Cat Shark
Epaulette's Shark
Porcupine Puffer
Round Stingray
Shortnosed Unicorn Tang
White-spotted Bamboo Shark
Yellow Stingray

Small-sized open-top aquarium:
Archerfish
Mudskipper

Small-sized open-top aquarium:
Copper Banded Butterfly Fish
Green Chromis

The following are the exhibits on the left side of the visitor path through the large pyramid section:
Medium-sized open-top aquarium:
Peacock Bass
Red-hooked Silver Dollar
Severum Cichlid
Shovelnose Catfish
White Cichlid
White-spotted River Stingray
Yellow-spotted Side-necked Turtle

Medium-sized rocky yard with netted enclosure:
Tri-colored Squirrel

Small-sized wall terrarium:
New Caledonia Gecko

Medium-sized cave behind glass:
Vampire Bat

Medium-sized cave behind glass:
Big Fruit Bat
Short-tailed Bat

Medium-sized open-top aquarium:
Bala Shark
Boseman's Rainbow Fish
Cherry Barb
Clown Loach
Giant Danio
Pink Kissing Gouramis
Red-tailed Black Shark
Tiger Barb

Small-sized open-top aqaurium:
Brichard's Cichlid
Feather Fin Synodontis Catfish
Frontosa Cichlid
Lemon Cichlid
Marlier's Julie

10 small-to-medium-sized wall terrariums set in temple room walls, containing 1 species in each:
Neotropical Rattlesnake
Suphan Cobra
Empty
King Cobra
Sumatran Pit Viper
White-lipped Island Pit Viper
Brazilian Fer-de-Lance
Palm Viper
Wagler's Viper
East African Gaboon Viper

10 small-sized wall terrariums set in temple walls, containing 1 species in each:
Green Tree Monitor
Hognose Viper
West African Green Mamba
Empty
McGregor's Viper
Neotropical Bird Snake
Common Cantil
Many-horned Adder
Cuban False Chameleon
Vietnamese Pit Viper

4 small-sized wall terrariums set in mudbank walls, containing 1 species in each:
Jameson's Mamba
Fiji Island Banded Iguana
Meller's Chameleon
Tentacled Snake

Small-sized wall aquarium:
African Butterfly Cichlid
African Butterfly Fish
Congo Tetra
Kribensis
Synodontis Catfish
Variegated Shark

Small-sized wall terrarium (the end of the large pyramid section):
Prairie Rattlesnake

The next section is signed as Tropical Reefs, where the visitor path enters a plain hallway in contrast to the previous section's detailed theming. Exhibits on the left side of the hall are:
Largish-sized wall aquarium with multiple viewing areas:
Achilles Tang
Annulated Angelfish
Arc Eye Hawkfish
Auriga Butterfly Fish
Bicolor Pygmy Angelfish
Big Nose Unicorn Fish
Blueface Angel Fish
Blue Rabbit Fish
Clown Tang
Eclipse Hogfish
Emperor Angelfish
Eyestripe Tang
Flame Angelfish
Foxface Tang
Gold-spotted Rabbitfish
Harlequin Spotted Sweetlips
Heniochus Butterfly Fish
Hepatic Blue Tang
Hi Fin Snapper
Indian Brown Sailfin Tang
Klein's Butterfly Fish
Longnose Butterfly Fish
Magnificent Foxface
Metallic Foxface Tang
Naso Tang
Orange Shoulder Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Raccoon Butterfly Fish
Sargent Major
Scribble Angelfish
Scott's Velvet Wrasse
Spotted Unicorn Fish
Starry Rabbitfish
Yellow Tang

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Bubble Sea Anemone
Pajama Cardinal Fish
Percula Clown Fish
Sixline Wrasse

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Fire Shrimp
Firefish Goby
Yellow-headed Jawfish

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Chocolate Chip Starfish
Warty Frogfish

Tropical Reefs exhibits on the right side of the hall:
Small-sized wall aquarium:
Comet
Coris Wrasse
Dogface Puffer
Falco Hawkfish
Flame Basselet
Greyface Moray Eel
Harlequin Tusk Fish
Long-horned Cowfish
Regal Angelfish
White-mouthed Moray Eel
Zebra Moray

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Atlantic Seahorse
Camel Back Shrimp
Longnose Hawkfish
Shrimp Fish

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Bicolor Chromis
Chinese Zebra Goby
Convict Tang
Picasso Trigger Fish
Red Sailfin Fairy Wrasse

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Flame Angel
Giant Clam
Green Brain Coral
Hammer Coral
Leather Coral
Mandarin Goby
Red Sea Cardinal Fish

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Cottonwick Grunt
Flame Cardinal
French Angelfish
Long Snout Butterfly Fish
Queen Angelfish
Reef Squirrelfish
Tobacco Fish
Web Burrfish

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Blackcap Basslet
Bluehead Wrasse
Fairy Basslet
Four-eyed Butterfly Fish
High Hat
Spotfin Butterfly Fish
Starry Blenny

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Lionfish
Ornate Spiny Lobster

Cypress Swamps is the next named section, a continuation of the plain hallway, although the two larger open-top exhibits in a widening point in the hall have a mural of a swamp in the background that creates some interest. Exhibits on the right side of the hall are:
3 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species in each:
Florida Kingsnake
Empty
Copperhead

Medium-sized open-top aquarium with swamp theming in background:
Alabama Map Turtle
Black Crappie
Bowfin
Common Cooter
Diamondback Terrapin
Dollar Sunfish
Florida Red-bellied Turtle
Mississippi Map Turtle
Red Breast Sunfish
Spotted Gar

Medium-sized open-top aquarium with swamp theming in background:
Alligator Snapper

Cypress Swamps exhibits on the left side of the hall are:
Small-sized wall terrarium:
Barking Tree Frog
Cuban Knight Anole
Spotted Turtle

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Eastern Newt

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Eastern Glass Lizard

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Rosefin Shiner
Rosyside Dace
Southern Redbelly Dace

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Everglades Rat Snake

Dragons of Komodo is the next named section, which is a short dead-end spur pavilion off the hall. The visitor area is plain and dim in contrast to the 3 main exhibit habitats which are naturally lit from unseen skylights above. Exhibits in a counter-clockwise direction around this hall are:
3 medium-sized rocky yards behind glass, containing 1 species in each:
Rhinoceros Iguana
Komodo Dragon
Komodo Dragon

Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Black Tree Monitor
Philipine Sailfin Lizard

Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Empty

2 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species in each:
Giant New Caledonia Gecko
Indian Star Tortoise

The next section is in a highly detailed landscape of simulated riverbank rockwork and live plants, this time housed beneath a smaller glass pyramid-shaped ceiling similar to the first section.
Medium-sized aquatic yard behind glass with 3 viewing areas:
Siamese Crocodile

Medium-sized open-top aquarium:
Matamata Turtle

The final section of the building is again in a plain hallway. Exhibits on the left side of the hall are:
3 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species in each:
Giant Whip Scorpion
Two-spotted Assasin Bug
Tarantula (unidentified species)

Small-sized wall aquarium:
Blue Discus Fish
Cardinal Tetra
Flounder
Ghost Shrimp
Glowlight Tetra
Julii Catfish
Penguin Tetra
Rummy Nose Tetra
Serpae Tetra
X-ray Tetra

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Mangshan Viper

2 small-sized wall aquariums, containing 1 species in each:
Lake Titicaca Frog
Reimann's Snake-necked Turtle

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Frilled Lizard
Shingleback Skink

2 tiny-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species in each:
Bumble Bee Toad
Mossy Frog

Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Mexican Beaded Lizard

2 small-sized wall aquariums, containing 1 species in each:
Tequila Splitfin
Glass Catfish

2 small-to-medium-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species in each:
Giant Hump-headed Lizard
Brent's Spiny-tailed Lizard

Exhibits on the right side of the hall are:
4 small-sized terrariums, containing 1 species in each:
Black-breasted Leaf Turtle
Horned Bush Viper
Side-striped Palm Viper
Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake
 
HOOFSTOCK YARDS: (19 Exhibits)
This is not a named zone on the current visitor map, but the exhibits are all clustered in one large area and a majority contain hoofstock. Most are located within a large oval of land that occupies the center of the zoo, and I will list them as they are encountered in a clockwise direction, beginning after Predator Ridge and ending at Predator Ridge. Then, a smaller cluster will be listed that is across the main visitor path from some of the previously listed yards. Most of the exhibits have simple concrete moat walls at the visitor path, with simple chainlink fencing enclosing all other sides.

Large-sized yard:
Grevy's Zebra

Large-sized yard with visitor path to feeding deck and visitor access to holding building:
Reticulated Giraffe

Large-sized yard:
Okapi

Large-sized yard:
Okapi
Saddle-billed Stork
Secretary Bird

Large-sized yard:
Somali Wild Ass

Medium-sized narrow yard:
Empty

2 large-sized yards, containing 1 species in each:
Bongo
Common Eland

Large-sized yard:
Lesser Kudu
Kori Bustard

4 Large-sized yards, containing 1 species in each:
Maned Wolf
Cheetah
Red Kangaroo
Cape Buffalo

Large-sized yard:
Gerenuk
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
West African Crowned Crane

The rest of the exhibits are in the cluster across the main visitor path from the previously listed ones, nearest to the first Okapi exhibit:
3 large-sized yards, containing 1 species in each:
Mongolian Wild Horse
Bactrian Camel
Dromedary Camel

2 small-sized rocky yards:
Empty
Empty
 
ELEPHANT PASSAGE: (15 Exhibits)
This fine exhibit complex opened in 2012 and features 5 species-rotation exhibit yards with multiple viewing areas as well as several other exhibits exclusively for one species. This list is arranged generally from East to West.

Large-sized species-rotation yard with amphitheater for demonstrations and connecting bridge over visitor path, containing 1 species at a time:
Asian Elephant OR
Greater One-horned Rhinoceros OR
Malayan Tapir

Large-sized species-rotation yard on East side of Elephant House, containing 1 species at a time:
Asian Elephant OR
Greater One-horned Rhinoceros OR
Malayan Tapir

Medium-sized netted yard:
Clouded Leopard

The next 6 exhibits are indoors in the Village Hall:
Small-sized wall terrarium:
Leaf-nosed Rat Snake

Medium-sized aviary behind netting:
Great Hornbill

Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Prehensile-tailed Skink

Medium-sized room exhibit behind glass:
Asian Small-clawed Otter

Medium-sized room exhibit behind glass:
Fishing Cat
Fish (unsigned)

Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Green Tree Python

Large-sized species-rotation yard adjacent to Village Hall, containing 1 species at a time:
Asian Elephant OR
Greater One-horned Rhinoceros OR
Malayan Tapir

Medium-sized yard on West side of Village Hall:
Sarus Crane

Large-sized species-rotation yard on West side of Elephant House, containing 1 species at a time:
Asian Elephant OR
Greater One-horned Rhinoceros OR
Malayan Tapir

Island habitat composed of 3 small islands connected with ropes above visitor path:
Northern White-cheeked Gibbon

Large-sized species-rotation yard surrounding island habitat, containing 1 species at a time:
Asian Elephant OR
Greater One-horned Rhinoceros OR
Malayan Tapir

Small-sized yard with canopy shade structure:
Malayan Tapir
 
PACHYDERMS: (5 Exhibits)
This is an older building with visitor access to the holding areas for a few of the exhibits that surround it.

Large-sized yard with small-sized pool and indoor holding viewing areas:
Hippopotamus

Medium-sized yard:
Cinereous Vulture

Large-sized yard with indoor holding viewing areas:
Black Rhinoceros

The next two exhibits are in the Be A Zookeeper Zone for children, adjacent to one side of the Pachyderms building:
Small-sized plain wire aviary:
Red-tailed Hawk

Medium-sized yard:
Llama
 
BIRDS: (34 Exhibits)
This area is dominated by an indoor exhibit building called Bird World, opened in 1975, but also has a collection of nearby outdoor bird exhibits from different eras.

The first 4 exhibits are outdoors, attached to the Bird World building:
Medium-sized rocky yard with shallow pool:
African Penguin

Large-sized aviary:
Stellar's Sea Eagle

Small-sized aviary:
Kea

Large-sized fenced yard:
Double-wattled Cassowary

The next 21 exhibits are those contained within the Bird World building, listed as they are encountered along its one-way visitor path:
8 small-sized aviaries behind glass, containing 1 species in each except where noted:
Snowy-headed Robin Chat
Crested Wood Partridge (with Shama Thrush)
Shama Thrush (with Crested Wood Partridge)
Scarlet-faced Liocichlas
African Pygmy Falcon
Micronesian Kingfisher
Tawny Frogmouth
Hawk-headed Parrot
White-eared Catbird

Medium-sized walk-through aviary with skylights, signed as 'Rain Forest':
Blue and Gold Macaw
Blue-crowned Laughing Thrush
Boat-billed Heron
Golden-breasted Starling
Green-winged Dove
Green-winged Macaw
Hammerkop
Hottentot Teal
Lady Ross' Turaco
Nicobar Pigeon
Pekin Robin
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Silver-beaked Tanager
Sunbittern
White-faced Whistling Duck
Yellow-breasted Ground Dove

Medium-sized aviary behind netting with skylights, signed as 'The Jungle':
African Pygmy Goose
Blue Dacnis
Hooded Pitta
Luzon Bleeding-heart Dove
Mariana Fruit Dove
Turquoise Tanager

Medium-sized walk-through aviary with skylights, signed as 'Tropical Forest':
Blue-gray Tanager
Crested Wood Partridge
Golden-breasted Starling
Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon
Jambu Fruit Dove
Paradise Tanager
Spur-winged Plover
White-headed Buffalo Weaver

Small-sized aviary behind glass:
Rhinoceros Hornbill

Medium-sized walk-through aviary with skylights, signed as 'Aquatic Bird Habitat':
Boat-billed Heron
Common Piping Guan
Crested Oropendola
Hammerkop
Inca Tern
Ringed Teal
Rothschild's Peacock Pheasant
Storm Stork
Two-toed Sloth
White-faced Whistling Duck

Small-sized aviary separated from visitor path by railing only:
Egyptian Plover

Medium-sized aviary behind netting with skylights, signed as 'Deep In A Swamp':
African Pygmy Goose
Chestnut-backed Thrush
Mariana Fruit Dove
Pileated Woodpecker
Spur-winged Plover
Three-toed Box Turtle
Yellow-breasted Ground Dove

6 small-sized aviaries behind glass, signed as 'Living Jewels of the Bird World', containing 1 species in each except where noted:
Blue-crowned Motmot
Green Wood Hoopoe
Tawny Frogmouth
Violaceaous Euphonia
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
Green Aracari (with Red-legged Honeycreeper)
Red-legged Honeycreeper (with Green Aracari)

The remainder of the exhibits in the Birds section are not part of the Bird World complex:
Medium-sized indoor seasonal exhibit in a barn, viewed through glass:
Empty (flamingos are kept here when not in the large-sized pond yard described later)

Small-sized wire aviary:
Bald Eagle

Medium-sized wire aviary:
Andean Condor

The next 4 exhibits are in the complex called Nurture Trail, which is the part of the Avian Propagation building that is viewable for visitors.
2 large-sized fenced yards, containing 1 species in each:
Red-crowned Crane
Cinereous Vulture

Medium-sized aviary attached to building:
Laughing Kookaburra
Palm Cockatoo

Medium-sized aviary attached to building:
Red-legged Seriema
Toucan (unsigned and unidentified)

Large-sized walk-through aviary for feeding, called 'Lorikeet Adventure':
Rainbow Lorikeet and 6 other unsigned species of lories and lorikeets, according to docents

Large-sized pond yard:
American Flamingo
Canada Goose
Chilean Flamingo
Mallard Duck
North American Wood Duck
 
PRIMATE PANORAMA: (25 Exhibits)
This extensive exhibit complex occupies much of the far Western side of the zoo and is encountered along a looping visitor path. Most exhibits are outdoors, although a significant cluster of them are indoors in a building called Emerald Forest. This list begins with several habitats that are seen from the main visitor path of the zoo before starting on the main loop of the complex's visitor path in a general counter-clockwise direction.

Large-sized netted yard, connected to small-sized indoor exhibit behind glass in Emerald Forest building:
Mongoose Lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur

Large-sized netted yard:
Wolf's Guenon

Medium-sized island exhibit surrounded by moat, connected to 2 small-sized indoor exhibits behind glass in Emerald Forest building:
Red-ruffed Lemur

Medium-sized walled yard adjacent to Emerald Forest building:
Black-crested Macaque
Lion-tailed Macaque

Medium-sized walled room exhibit adjacent to Emerald Forest building:
Black-crested Macaque

The next 9 exhibits are indoor exhibits within the Emerald Forest building, each viewed through glass:
Small-sized room exhibit with 3 viewing windows:
Pale-headed Saki
Southern Tamandua

Small-sized room exhibit:
Coppery Titi
White-eared Titi

Small-sized room exhibit:
Golden-lion Tamarin

Small-sized room exhibit:
Emperor Tamarin
Golden-lion Tamarin
Giant Elephant Shrew

Small-sized room exhibit with 3 viewing windows:
White-fronted Marmoset

Small-sized room exhibit:
Pygmy Marmoset

Small-sized room exhibit with 2 viewing windows:
Pale-headed Saki
Giant Elephant Shrew

2 small-sized room exhibits with 3 viewing windows in darkly-lit nocturnal hall, called 'Primates of the Night': (I am not sure if this might be 3 exhibits, in the dark it looked like two that can be connected or separate)
Aye-aye

Leaving the Emerald Forest building, the remainder of the exhibits in the complex are outdoor ones:
2 large-sized netted yards, containing 1 species in each:
Red-crowned Mangabey
Golden-cheeked Gibbon

Medium-sized walk-through aviary, called 'Forest Aviary': (it was locked so this is a partial list of the signs and birds I could identify from the outside)
Barrows Goldeneye
Egyptian Vulture
Helmeted Curassow
Marbled Teal
Nene
Pacific Brant Goose
Ruddy Shelduck
Scarlet Ibis

2 large-sized walled yards with indoor holding viewing area, containing 1 species in each:
Orangutan (unidentified common name species, but scientific name is for Bornean)
Western Lowland Gorilla

Medium-sized yard:
Yellow-backed Duiker

2 connected medium-sized yards, both containing:
Red River Hog

2 adjoining large-sized netted yards, containing 1 species in each:
Mandrill
Debrazza's Monkey

Large-sized netted yard:
Black and White Colobus
 
BEAR MOUNTAIN AREA: (10 Exhibits)
This is not a specific named zone except for the Bear Mountain complex, so I have lumped together the remaining adjacent exhibits in this generally oldest part of the zoo.

Bear Mountain is an important historic complex opened in 1918, composed of 3 simulated rocky exhibits:
2 smallish-sized moated grottos, containing 1 species in each:
Grizzly Bear
Asiatic Black Bear

Small-sized moated grotto with dramatic overhang and masonry supports:
Coati (unspecified common name, but it is Nasua narica, or White-nosed Coati)

Small-sized rocky aquatic yard with viewing shelter:
Humboldt Penguin

Large-sized historic moated island, opened in 1937, called 'Monkey Island':
Crested Screamer (unsigned)
Hooded Capuchin
White Pelican

Small-sized wire cage on outside of historic Monkey House:
Hooded Capuchin

Small-sized wire cage on outside of historic Monkey House:
Hanuman Langur
Silvered Leaf Monkey

Small-sized wire cage on outside of historic Monkey House:
Spider Monkey (unidentified species)

2 medium-sized yards dominated by large simulated rocky hills, containing 1 species in each:
Dall Sheep
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
 
SUMMARY:

By my count, the total number of exhibits currently at Denver Zoo is: 234

By my count, the total number of species in permanent exhibits is: 419
The number of species I counted can be broken down into the following categories:
Mammals: 85
Birds: 97
Reptiles: 68
Amphibians: 12
Fish: 145
Invertebrates: 12
 
Geomorph, another unbelievable achievement! I'm curious as to how long it takes you to compile such lists, as typing them up must take innumerable hours. It took me a long time just to read the damn thing! :) Thanks for taking the effort.

Anyway, Denver Zoo is a facility that I believe is a strong contender for one of the 10 best zoos in the USA and I visited the establishment in 2006 and 2012. The captive collection is outstanding with a wide range of species right across the animal kingdom. I'm a huge fan of Primate Panorama, with its 25 exhibits and 20+ primate species; Tropical Discovery with its 102 exhibits is a truly underrated zoo building; Predator Ridge and Toyota Elephant Passage have been terrific additions during the past decade; and I even love the sprawling 19 exhibits of the Hoofstock Yards as that style of exhibitry has practically become extinct in major American zoos. Of course the zoo has the outdated, 1960's-era Feline House, a scruffy-around-the-edges Bird World and a few other antiquated sections but overall Denver is a terrific zoo.

Geomorph, I know that you keep detailed rankings of the zoos you visit...so where would you place Denver?
 
snowleopard, I spent the entire day at the zoo, as is my custom, and took quick uncomposed pictures of every exhibit and sign I could find, preferably in some order so that I could more easily translate them into an orderly list. The making of the list took about 6 hours over a few days, the lengthy time spent is most certainly on a short description of the exhibits, and the monster task of listing those in Tropical Discovery! I did take composed pictures of Tropical Discovery and Elephant Passage (my first time seeing it, my previous visit was in 2009 while it was under construction) and I am now editing those pictures for posting in the future, while the others I will delete in a few weeks when any forum questions about specific exhibits or species have tapered off.

I rank Denver Zoo at #17 of the 62 zoos I have visited; I like it slightly better than Dallas Zoo (although that zoo has an extensive highlight area for me, Wilds of Africa/Giants of the Savanna, that exceeds anything at Denver Zoo) and slightly less than my distant memory of Tierpark Hellabrun.

Here is a question for you: do you like the exhibit descriptions in bold, with the common species names in the exhibit not bold, or should I reverse that in the future?
 
geomorph said:
Here is a question for you: do you like the exhibit descriptions in bold, with the common species names in the exhibit not bold, or should I reverse that in the future?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that it matters but for your next epic species list perhaps you should reverse the bold font and we can then see which way looks better.
 
geomorph said:
snowleopard, I spent the entire day at the zoo, as is my custom, and took quick uncomposed pictures of every exhibit and sign I could find, preferably in some order so that I could more easily translate them into an orderly list. The making of the list took about 6 hours over a few days, the lengthy time spent is most certainly on a short description of the exhibits, and the monster task of listing those in Tropical Discovery! I did take composed pictures of Tropical Discovery and Elephant Passage (my first time seeing it, my previous visit was in 2009 while it was under construction) and I am now editing those pictures for posting in the future, while the others I will delete in a few weeks when any forum questions about specific exhibits or species have tapered off.

I rank Denver Zoo at #17 of the 62 zoos I have visited; I like it slightly better than Dallas Zoo (although that zoo has an extensive highlight area for me, Wilds of Africa/Giants of the Savanna, that exceeds anything at Denver Zoo) and slightly less than my distant memory of Tierpark Hellabrun.

Here is a question for you: do you like the exhibit descriptions in bold, with the common species names in the exhibit not bold, or should I reverse that in the future?
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Great List! Would you be willing to provide a ranked list of the 62 zoos you've visited. I apologize if you already have...I'm searching now! Anyway...it would be really cool to see your list. If Denver, which sounds awesome, is #17, 1 - 16 must be very impressive.
 
I actually prefer the bold description, without it, I don't think I'd bother reading them and I would just look at the list of animals.
 
Fantastic List. I go to Denver about once a month and it's a pretty good zoo. I can't wait to see what they have in store with their master plan.
 
Thank you so much for this!

I went on Black Friday, with my aunt who can only stand to spend two hours at the zoo at a time, and this list allowed me to see most of the animals I missed wanted to see. I missed the bowfin and vampire bats because we skipped Tropical Discovery (since you had to go through the polar exhibit to get there), the maned wolf because it was off-exhibit and signed as such, the fossa because the zoo no longer has it (I asked explicitly; the sign was gone), and the pygmy marmosets because the primate house was rearranged and my aunt decided she was done. (Several animals seemed to be in the wrong enclosures for the signs, and since my aunt wanted to leave on the high note of having seen the aye-aye I didn't get to look in each enclosure to see what was there, though I didn't see a sign for for the pygmy marmoset.)

However I mostly noticed the bird exhibits since that's where I spent most of my time. The main building exhibit was rearranged a bit, with some of the birds you had in individual exhibits in walk-through aviaries and some in different walk-through aviaries, however the only birds on your list I'm absolutely certain weren't on display were the red-legged honeyeater and green aracari (I was looking for the honeyeater and noticed it was replaced with a duplicate scarlet-faced liocichlas) and the unidentified toucan (I wanted to see if I could identify it), which I suspect was taken indoors and off display for the winter. I didn't notice the pileated woodpecker, spur-winged plover, blue-gray tanager or signs for them, but I also wasn't specifically looking for them. Every other bird on your list in the Bird World section I either saw or saw signs for and failed to see (like the storm stork and Lady Ross's turaco).

The barn enclosure which was signed for flamingos had rosette spoonbills and some sort of ibis, I didn't look too closely because I've seen tons of those in the wild in Florida. Also, the lorikeet aviary now has signs identifying the various species, though only six are labled. Five were members of the rainbow lorikeet species complex including the leaf lorikeet (one individual), one was the rainbow lorikeet proper, and three were members of the complex which weren't the marigold lorikeet (the leaf and marigold lorikeets are the only members of the complex I can keep straight). The other lory was a blue-eared lory (also one individual).
 
Love the List! It took me 10 minutes to read the whole thing but it was definitely worth it.

The Denver zoo sounds amazing and with its supposedly great Predator Ridge and Elephant Passage, Denver is a zoo I want to see in the future
 
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