How long ago did Dudley stop keeping reptiles in here? I can only remember meerkats in here, no idea what was kept here in between the reptiles and meerkats?
If Dudley has urban Herring Gulls [which I imagine they do], reptiles in this setting would not last long. London Zoo had a similar enclosure for European species for many years, but if it was there now, gulls would quickly empty it.
Also, there are no longer large numbers of cheap [imported wild-caught] European herps on the market [nor should there be].
Having said that, Jersey/Durrell has an outdoor glass-sided Adder encloure that works well, with wires over the top to deter gulls. AND the Adders breed, which I suspect would not have happened in the crowded old-fashioned reptiliaries. These old enclosures were aesthetically satisfying, but probably not ideal for the occupants.
WMSP have (had?) an open-topped adder enclosure in between two of their reserves but had to put netting over it to deter birds as well.
Chizlit, do you have any idea when the grass snakes left? I really only remember the meerkats, I thought prairie marmots may have inhabited it briefly but am now convinved that I was confusing it with Twycross's marmot pit!
Thinking about it they may have been slow worms in there, and whatever was in there have been gone 15 years +
I also seem to remember something else in there before the meerkats, I've got some kind of tortoise in my mind but these days I hardly remember yesterday so am probably wrong as usual.
Thinking about it they may have been slow worms in there, and whatever was in there have been gone 15 years +
I also seem to remember something else in there before the meerkats, I've got some kind of tortoise in my mind but these days I hardly remember yesterday so am probably wrong as usual.
WMSP have (had?) an open-topped adder enclosure in between two of their reserves but had to put netting over it to deter birds as well.
Chizlit, do you have any idea when the grass snakes left? I really only remember the meerkats, I thought prairie marmots may have inhabited it briefly but am now convinved that I was confusing it with Twycross's marmot pit!
Yes, the Otters were there in 1972 per the plan and the order of descriptions in the guide book. It was a reptiliary in both my mid 1960s and circa 1970 guide books displaying "in the summer months various hardy European reptiles like Grass Snakes, Adders and Green Lizards." It is interesting that the reptiliary was one of the original exhibits in the zoo whereas the Reptile House was not opened until 1956, but then I believe reptiliaries were all the rage in the 1930s and were certainly cheaper to operate than reptile houses - no heating, no feed bills when all the specimens died (or in some cases possibly successfully hibernated) and then easy to restock the following year.
Shame that reptiliaries seem to be a part of the past - there is a lot to be said for them if species are stocked according to local climate & if they have some kind of appropriate wire-mesh top or similar to deter predators.They are perfect for those of us who enjoy "slow exhibits" - I mean exhibits that oblige you to slow down and take a good long look to spot the inhabitants, never mind see what they are up to. And great value-for-money for zoos, also!
