Alligator Lizards and Galliwasps in US zoos

SusScrofa

SusScrofa

Well-Known Member
I love these guys and was wondering what species are kept at zoos in the USA. I can only confirm I've seen two:

Green Arboreal Alligator Lizard (Abronia graminea) - Zoo Miami
Hatian Giant Galliwasp (Celestus warreni) - Audobon Zoo, New Orleans

I might of soon a few native North American species at facilities in Arizona (for some reason I recall Phoenix Zoo might have had one), but I can't remember. Any lists available?
 
Mexican alligator lizard I've seen at Long Island Aquarium and Electric City Aquarium in Pennsylvania. Also held at Nashville, National and Buffalo
Arboreal alligator lizard I've seen at VA Zoo
Haitian Galliwasp should still be at Brookfield and I think Nashville
 
Abronia graminea is or was at Houston, San Antonio, and Fort Worth.

Nashville may still have the Haitian giant galliwasps. I know they had success breeding Diploglossus monotropis in 2018. The Photo Ark has a picture of Diploglossus milepunctatus from Nashville as well.

Dallas, Houston, and Forth Worth have or had Haitian giant galliwasps.

The Photo Ark has a picture of Haitian galliwasps in Saint Louis.

I also found a Instagram post from Philadelphia Zoo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNNmQq-AbzE/
 
Bengal Tiger said:
Nashville may still have the Haitian giant galliwasps. I know they had success breeding Diploglossus monotropis in 2018. The Photo Ark has a picture of Diploglossus milepunctatus from Nashville as well.
Click to expand...

They have hundreds. I'm not sure what the exhibit status is - it's been a long time since I've been there, and Diploglossus aren't generally the best exhibit animals - but Nashville is the premier breeder and holder of this species, pretty much carrying this SSP on their shoulders. It's been a longtime species of interest to their herp curator
 
drill said:
Mexican alligator lizard I've seen at Long Island Aquarium and Electric City Aquarium in Pennsylvania. Also held at Nashville, National and Buffalo
Arboreal alligator lizard I've seen at VA Zoo
Haitian Galliwasp should still be at Brookfield and I think Nashville
Click to expand...
When you say Mexican Alligator are you referring to Gherronotus liocephalus/infernalis or Abronia graminea? If its the latter, isn't Arboreal Alligator the same species?
I was at Philadelphia zoo this past summer, I'd need to look at old photos to see if I saw one. I don't specifically remember seeing one, but it was a while ago.
 
drill said:
Haitian Galliwasp should still be at Brookfield and I think Nashville
Click to expand...
Bengal Tiger said:
Nashville may still have the Haitian giant galliwasps.
Click to expand...
Aardwolf said:
I'm not sure what the exhibit status is - it's been a long time since I've been there, and Diploglossus aren't generally the best exhibit animals - but Nashville is the premier breeder and holder of this species, pretty much carrying this SSP on their shoulders.
Click to expand...

Putting this to rest: Nashville *does* have Haitian Galliwasp on exhibit. I documented this in November, in a species list and in the zoo's gallery ;)

At least two places in Texas have Haitian Galliwasp on display, Abilene and El Paso. A third, Texas State Aquarium, may as well. Other than Nashville those are the only current on-exhibit animals I've confirmed recently. Philly and Fort Worth also had them in recent years.

Alligator lizards are around in decent numbers; I know ~15 places that have displayed them in recent years. Most of the ones I've confirmed species for are Abronia graminea, with a couple of Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria multicarinata); however, it's one of the more frustrating herps in that the common names zoos use for them often don't confirm the species.
 
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