Am I right in thinking that axolotls would clime out and morph if given land, pretty much halving their lifespan? Or is that just a myth?
Fair point on the pet shop stuff, though I do have 2 of those species myself as they hold a certain charm - I suppose unlike me they don't suppliment it with Kenyan rock agamas, cape house snakes and some other things I've only just got
I think they would only morph if the water level were greatly reduced or if they were treated with hormones. SLC Birmingham had them in the 'stream' at the entrance for a time, where land area is probably more than the water.
Fair point on the pet shop stuff, though I do have 2 of those species myself as they hold a certain charm - I suppose unlike me they don't suppliment it with Kenyan rock agamas, cape house snakes and some other things I've only just got
I think they would only morph if the water level were greatly reduced or if they were treated with hormones. SLC Birmingham had them in the 'stream' at the entrance for a time, where land area is probably more than the water. No, they don't! A shame, as the bird collection is great!
It is a shame that the reptile collection isn't very strong, but then again I wasn't expecting one at all. I suppose it's just the good old fashioned common stuff as to most a lizard is a lizard and a snake is a snake, as their focus is birds the reptile collection is just a suppliment. I would like to visit Birdland, if only because it's the only place in the UK I can see a king penguin these days - they were a favourite at Edinburgh.
Pet shop reptiles can work really well from an education standpoint. Their docile nature means they're well suited to handling sessions for phobia busters, whilst simply housing adult bearded dragons or corn snakes gives people an idea of the size they can reach. Pet shops generally sell young ones, and many buy a young bearded dragon not quite realising the size it gets to. So, I believe these common species have a place in zoos if used for these reasons, but of course it would be nice to see just one or two oddities there. Maybe this idea should be moved to a new thread
The building is themed around 'Eggs', so the herps are really only there as examples of other egg-laying animals. Still think they could be a bit more adventurous though!
The building is themed around 'Eggs', so the herps are really only there as examples of other egg-laying animals. Still think they could be a bit more adventurous though!