American Herping: A Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians in US Zoos

[Coelacanth18]

Today we'll be covering a sister clade to the Agamidae, and one of my favorite types of lizard.

Family Chamaeleonidae – Chameleons

Whimsical, kaleidoscopic, spy gadget reptile toys with karate chop hands and bullet tongues. These primarily African lizards are so well-known to everybody that I probably don’t need to explain any of that. Arboreal hunters with prehensile tails, they are best kept in enclosures that prioritize vertical space. Species range in habitat from deserts to rainforests, and in length from a nail to a garden hoe. The survey yielded 12 species from 37 zoos, with one of those being new in 2023.

Chameleons are short-lived compared to most reptiles; on average they last anywhere from 2 to 8 years depending on the species and conditions. This fact – combined with environmental sensitivity and the availability of specimens from the private trade – is probably why chameleons often cycle in and out of zoos quickly. See them at your local zoo while you can; they could very well be gone by next year or sooner.

Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) – Prevalent

One of the two most common chameleons in zoos and in the pet trade. Hailing from northern Madagascar, these are popular due to their striking coloration (which is based largely on temperature, mood, and light conditions – not camouflage, as is commonly thought).

Taken at the Florida Aquarium by @ZooBinh

Veiled Chameleon (Chamelaeo calyptratus) – Prevalent

The other most common chameleon in zoos and the pet trade. In Europe this is more common than Panther in zoos; it's not clear to me whether this is also true in the US. These chameleons are from Saudi Arabia and Yemen; the default color is a pastel green, but as with many other species color can vary greatly between individuals and depends on current environmental conditions and mood.

Taken at Reptiland (Pennsylvania) by @zoo_enthusiast

Meller’s Chameleon (Trioceros melleri) – Uncommon

The largest chameleon from mainland Africa, males typically reach about 2 ft in length. This seems to be a chameleon of choice for several major US zoos, and the Virginia Zoo bred this species in 2019.

Taken at Denver Zoo by @geomorph

Jackson’s Chameleon (Trioceros jacksoni) – Uncommon to Rare

Also called three-horned chameleons, these are found in higher elevation regions of East Africa. Despite being one of the more common species in the private trade, you don’t see Jackson’s Chameleons in many zoos – here or in other regions. If you’re dying to see one though, they’re also invasive in Hawaii - in case you needed a good excuse for an island vacation

Taken at Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den (Pennsylvania) by @TinoPup

Oustalet’s Chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti) – Rare

This is one of the two largest chameleons in the world (alongside Parsons, which is held by a few European zoos but did not appear in my survey). For this reason, it is also called the Malagasy Giant Chameleon. It is commonly found along forest edges on Madagascar, including in agricultural and urban areas.

Brookesia – Leaf Chameleons
Status in US Zoos: Rare

These tiny chameleons are found in Madagascar. I only found 2 holdings in the past 5 years:

Decary’s Leaf Chameleon (Brookesia decaryi) at Fort Worth Zoo
Plated Leaf Chameleon (Brookesia stumpffi) at Disney's Animal Kingdom (only reported once in 2022, absent from more recent species lists)

These are rare in western Europe too, with only 2 current holders listed by ZTL - the more consistent one being the Zajesd Zoo in the Czech Republic, which is known for its chameleon collection and has multiple Brookesia species.

Taken at Fort Worth Zoo by @d1am0ndback

Other chameleons found in the survey (all Rare):
Elephant-eared Chameleon (Calumma brevicorne)
Jeweled Chameleon (Furcifer campani) - a new species, first reported at Bronx Zoo in 2023
Carpet Chameleon (Furcifer lateralis)
Minor’s Chameleon (Furcifer minor) – also a new species; first reported at Zoo Knoxville in 2021 then bred there the following year
Spiny Chameleon (Furcifer verrucosus)
Four-horned Chameleon (Trioceros quadricornis) – possibly gone, last reported from Fort Worth Zoo in Feb 2020

 

[15399]

Plated Leaf Chameleon (Brookesia stumpffi) at Disney's Animal Kingdom (only reported once in 2022, absent from more recent species lists)

I saw these guys at DAK in Feb. 2022, and didn't even realize it was a rare species. Had I known DAK was the only holder, I would've finished Bonafide Rarity Hunter in your 2022 ZC Challenge North America, oh well though it was a fun challenge regardless and I'm not exactly the kind of person to obsess over a species' rarity.

 

[Aardwolf]

I've always been amazed that Agama agama (just dealing with it loosely as an umbrella species) never became more popular in the US. I've almost never seen any in zoos, though I have had some as pets years ago. It's a beautiful, active, social (with great potential for mixed exhibit species), diurnal species, easy to care for and SO COMMON. I did a herp survey in college in East Africa; over 80% of the *individual* animals that I recorded were agamas. They are so evocative of the kopjes and savannahs of the region. They should be like the meerkats of the African reptile exhibit world.

 

[Astrotom3000]

I saw these guys at DAK in Feb. 2022, and didn't even realize it was a rare species. Had I known DAK was the only holder, I would've finished Bonafide Rarity Hunter in your 2022 ZC Challenge North America, oh well though it was a fun challenge regardless and I'm not exactly the kind of person to obsess over a species' rarity.

They were there when I visited in Jan 2022 as well. I had no idea they were that rare either. Along with the Javan Gibbons at GSC, looks like I am adding B. stumpffi to my list of exceptional rarities in US Zoos.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

As well as the facilities above, Guatemalan are also on display at Cameron Park in Waco.

I have only seen H. alvarezi three times (all this year, coincidentally) -- at the Gladys Porter Zoo, the Chiricahua Desert Museum in Rodeo, New Mexico, and the San Diego Zoo.

Now that's interesting! I've only seen both Guatemalan and Chiapan once each, both at Zoo Atlanta. I knew the former was around a bit more and spreading slowly, but I was always under the impression that Atlanta was the only holder of Chiapan. Great news to hear otherwise!

~Thylo

 

[Jurek7]

And what would you do with the "replacable" Gila monsters & Beaded lizards?

Send them to Heloderma lovers based in Austria, of course.

I could see the argument for replacing Mexican or Rio Fuerte with Guatemalan or Chiapan over the long term, if the latter breed well.

Sure, breeding of Guatemalan and Chiapan and phasing out of common beaded lizards will take many years, possibly about 20. And some common ones will remain in small zoos and as rescued pets. But it is worth doing, especially when a common form and an extremely rare form (500 is about 10 times rarer than giant pandas) are so similar in all aspects.

The same can be done with other reptiles. For example poison frogs Dendrobatidae include 24 critically endangered, 34 endangered and 24 vulnerable species. Agamid lizards contain 10 critical, 25 endangered and 27 vulnerable species. Even if a minority of them are available and attractive in zoos, there is lots to protect. To be sure, I support education and display goal, but they are not in competition - an endangered herp can be used to educate about more things that visitors can take.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I'd like to add that the vast majority of frilled lizards in zoos and the pet trade are the New Guinea locality; the Australian locality, which is larger, is seldom exported. Does anyone know of any confirmed Australian frillnecks in U.S. zoos?

Interestingly, all the kingii I've seen listed to locality in the private trade have been called Australian. Never seen a zoo animal named to a locality, though I suppose the assumption is that any animal not labeled to a locality is probably a New Guinea.

~Thylo

 

[RatioTile]

Interestingly, all the kingii I've seen listed to locality in the private trade have been called Australian. Never seen a zoo animal named to a locality, though I suppose the assumption is that any animal not labeled to a locality is probably a New Guinea.

~Thylo

I can confirm the Bronx ones are New Guinea locality; I asked a reptile keeper once.

 

[Coelacanth18]

I've always been amazed that Agama agama (just dealing with it loosely as an umbrella species) never became more popular in the US. I've almost never seen any in zoos, though I have had some as pets years ago. It's a beautiful, active, social (with great potential for mixed exhibit species), diurnal species, easy to care for and SO COMMON.

It was one of the findings from the survey that surprised me the most as well; I really can't think of a good reason they'd be largely absent from US zoos, and there are several African lizards around in greater numbers that seem less engaging from a visitors' perspective. They're more common in European institutions, but not that common still... so I assume there's some underlying reason.

 

[birdsandbats]

Agama agama is also invasive in Florida, for what it's worth.

 

[Coelacanth18]

Agama agama is also invasive in Florida, for what it's worth.

As are three chameleon species I mentioned the fun never ends!

The whole "Florida is the international airport of tropical herps" gag continues to amuse me, but half the species I mention in this thread are probably roaming the state at this point... so my notes about invasive status going forward will likely get scaled down to the important ones, like iguanas and Burmese pythons. People can continue to chime in about it, though - could be useful information for anyone planning a visit there.

 

[birdsandbats]

I've been trying to work on a full list of established non-native herps in Florida, but they are generally poorly documented and it appears even Florida Fish and Wildlife is getting tired of keeping track of them all. Here are all the ones I'm aware of:

Cane Toad
Common Coqui
Cuban Tree Frog
Greenhouse Frog

Aquatic Caecillian

Spectacled Caiman

African Five-lined Skink
Argentine Black-and-white Tegu
Ashy Gecko
Asian House Gecko
Ba Den Golden Gecko
Bark Anole
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Brown Anole
Brown Basilisk
Common Butterfly Lizard
Common Sun Skink
Crested Anole
Cuban Green Anole
Dusky Giant Ameiva
Flat-tailed House Gecko
Giant Ameiva
Giant Whiptail
Gold Dust Day Gecko
Gold Tegu
Green Iguana
Hispaniolan Green Anole
Hispaniolan Khaki Curly-tailed Lizard
Hispaniolan Stout Anole
Indo-Pacific House Gecko
Jamaican Giant Anole
Knight Anole
Madagascar Giant Day Gecko
Mediterranean Gecko
Mourning Gecko
Nile Monitor
Northern Curly-tailed Lizard
Ocellated Gecko
Ocellated Skink
Oriental Garden Lizard
Oustalet's Giant Chameleon
Panther Chameleon
Peter's Rock Agama
Rainbow Whiptail
Red-banded Butterfly Lizard
Ringed Wall Gecko
Saint Vincent Bush Anole
Texas Horned Lizard
Tokay Gecko
Tropical House Gecko
Veiled Chameleon
Western Spiny-tailed Iguana
Yellow-headed Gecko

African Rock Python
Brahminy Blindsnake
Burmese Python
Common Boa
Javan File Snake

Chiapas Giant Musk Turtle
Pond Slider

I have no doubt I've missed a few.

 

[Batto]

Send them to Heloderma lovers based in Austria, of course.

I'm afraid that there are not enough Heloderma lovers based in Austria for that...

 

[Antimony96]

Family Agamidae
Pogona – Bearded Dragons
Status in US Zoos: Very Common to Abundant (adjusted up from survey count)

Unsurprisingly, one of the most common pet herps is also very common in zoos… and even my adjusted estimate is only counting zoos that exhibit them (many zoos have them as education/outreach animals instead). Also unsurprisingly, they are more likely to be found in private and/or smaller zoos, as the major league players are less likely to dedicate exhibit space to common pet store herps.

Interested in how the other super common pet store herps fare on this list. Anecdotally I think corn snakes are often on-exhibit, while ball pythons and leopard geckos are more likely to just be ambassador animals.

 

[birdsandbats]

Interested in how the other super common pet store herps fare on this list. Anecdotally I think corn snakes are often on-exhibit, while ball pythons and leopard geckos are more likely to just be ambassador animals.

I would actually swap those. Corn Snakes on-exhibit aren't rare but I bet there's way more exhibited Ball Pythons and Leopard Geckos.

 

[15399]

I would actually swap those. Corn Snakes on-exhibit aren't rare but I bet there's way more exhibited Ball Pythons and Leopard Geckos.

Leopard Geckos are the one I've seen on exhibit least often. Personally, I would expect that corn snakes may be slightly more commonly exhibited than the other two species solely because it'll get a boost from native-only facilities.

 

[Astrotom3000]

I would actually swap those. Corn Snakes on-exhibit aren't rare but I bet there's way more exhibited Ball Pythons and Leopard Geckos.

Not sure how it is for the rest of the US, but in the Southeast at least, I've seen Corn Snakes on exhibit more often than Ball Pythons (although I will say Ball Pythons were more common than I initial). And I don't think I have been to a single facility that had Leopard Geckos on display.

 

[birdsandbats]

Not sure how it is for the rest of the US, but in the Southeast at least, I've seen Corn Snakes on exhibit more often than Ball Pythons (although I will say Ball Pythons were more common than I initial). And I don't think I have been to a single facility that had Leopard Geckos on display.

Lots of smaller collections have Common Leopard Geckos. There's a few other leopard gecko species around too that sometimes appear in larger AZA zoos.

 

[SusScrofa]

I would actually swap those. Corn Snakes on-exhibit aren't rare but I bet there's way more exhibited Ball Pythons and Leopard Geckos.

In the midwest or west coast maybe. But east the Corn Snake is far more common. Only herp I see more frequently is Eastern Box Turtles, they're everywhere here.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

In the midwest or west coast maybe. But east the Corn Snake is far more common. Only herp I see more frequently is Eastern Box Turtles, they're everywhere here.

Are you talking nature centers and such? Ball Pythons are still by far the more common snake that I see in zoos. Eastern Box Turtles are definitely one of the most common herps full-stop here.

~Thylo