What is the best American zoo for reptiles and amphibians?
Best American Zoo for Reptiles + Amphibianss
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
Here are perhaps the 7 best zoos for reptiles and amphibians (in no specific order):
Fort Worth - 850 animals of 100 species in a 30,000 sq. ft., $19 million building that opened in 2010
San Diego - around 100 exhibits between the Reptile House, Reptile Mesa and assorted other areas scattered around the zoo
Saint Louis - 700 animals of 150 species in a brilliant, historic (1927) building
Detroit - 250 animals of 85 species in the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles, but there is also a top-notch separate building (Amphibiville) with more species, plus a 2-acre wetland zone between the two structures
Omaha - there is not a specific Reptile House but instead around 110 exhibits between Lied Jungle, Desert Dome, Kingdoms of the Night, Expedition Madagascar and Exploration Station. Like everything else at this zoo that might be the biggest collection in America.
Dallas - A 1960's-era building with a staggering number of off-exhibit species, including over 70 venomous species in the collection. Does anyone know how many terrariums there are?
Denver - about 80 species in the vast Tropical Discovery building
Any others that you'd consider? Los Angeles's LAIR has 49 exhibits and about 60 species...Nashville and Aububon have excellent collections...any other zoo?
Fort Worth - 850 animals of 100 species in a 30,000 sq. ft., $19 million building that opened in 2010
San Diego - around 100 exhibits between the Reptile House, Reptile Mesa and assorted other areas scattered around the zoo
Saint Louis - 700 animals of 150 species in a brilliant, historic (1927) building
Detroit - 250 animals of 85 species in the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles, but there is also a top-notch separate building (Amphibiville) with more species, plus a 2-acre wetland zone between the two structures
Omaha - there is not a specific Reptile House but instead around 110 exhibits between Lied Jungle, Desert Dome, Kingdoms of the Night, Expedition Madagascar and Exploration Station. Like everything else at this zoo that might be the biggest collection in America.
Dallas - A 1960's-era building with a staggering number of off-exhibit species, including over 70 venomous species in the collection. Does anyone know how many terrariums there are?
Denver - about 80 species in the vast Tropical Discovery building
Any others that you'd consider? Los Angeles's LAIR has 49 exhibits and about 60 species...Nashville and Aububon have excellent collections...any other zoo?
agreed. atlanta, st. augustine and abq biopark should also be added.
I've visited every zoo on the list and every zoo that has been suggested (except for Cape May) and here are a few thoughts:
- any list is subjective so all opinions should be respected, but....some of the suggestions are not even close to the zoos listed in the poll.
- Zoo Atlanta's collection is fantastic but the Reptile House is horrendous and a new, $20 million building will soon be constructed. The current one will be bulldozed in 2014 or 2015.
- St. Augustine has 23 species of crocodilians but pales in comparison to the rest of the zoo's on the list when it comes to other taxons
- Rio Grande zoo has a so-so Reptile House that just had a slight renovation in 2012, but when I visited in 2010 it was badly in need of a fresh lick of paint
- San Antonio has a great collection in tiny terrariums (which sums up the entire zoo)
- Houston is possibly a top 10 zoo with around 80 species and it would be a contender for a "best of the rest" list
- Los Angeles's LAIR is supposedly brilliant but it has around 50% of the species of Fort Worth, San Diego, Saint Louis, Omaha or Detroit. Detroit has 80 species of reptiles and about 80 species of amphibians in a separate building.
- any list is subjective so all opinions should be respected, but....some of the suggestions are not even close to the zoos listed in the poll.
- Zoo Atlanta's collection is fantastic but the Reptile House is horrendous and a new, $20 million building will soon be constructed. The current one will be bulldozed in 2014 or 2015.
- St. Augustine has 23 species of crocodilians but pales in comparison to the rest of the zoo's on the list when it comes to other taxons
- Rio Grande zoo has a so-so Reptile House that just had a slight renovation in 2012, but when I visited in 2010 it was badly in need of a fresh lick of paint
- San Antonio has a great collection in tiny terrariums (which sums up the entire zoo)
- Houston is possibly a top 10 zoo with around 80 species and it would be a contender for a "best of the rest" list
- Los Angeles's LAIR is supposedly brilliant but it has around 50% of the species of Fort Worth, San Diego, Saint Louis, Omaha or Detroit. Detroit has 80 species of reptiles and about 80 species of amphibians in a separate building.
TeamTapir223
Well-Known Member
Having visited everyone of these choices but Denver it would be easy to just pick MOLA being that it truly seperates itself in both collection and display.However vote went for Detroit with Dallas being a close runner up.
We think Toledo zoo should be in the mix too.
Knoxville also has an incredible collection but only dislays a small portion of it in a substandard setting.With a new facility next on the horizon Knoxville could soon be another contender here.
Team Tapir223
We think Toledo zoo should be in the mix too.
Knoxville also has an incredible collection but only dislays a small portion of it in a substandard setting.With a new facility next on the horizon Knoxville could soon be another contender here.
Team Tapir223
I voted for Fort Worth Zoo, but what about the Bronx Zoo? A decent reptile house, plus reptiles situated in other areas of the zoo as well.
uszoo
Well-Known Member
I agree that Bronx should be added because between Congo gorilla forest, jungle world, the children's zoo, Madagascar and the reptile house there must be more than 100 reptile exhibits and many of them are world class. Also they have 133 different species throughout the zoo according to the 2011 annual report.
arcticwolf
Well-Known Member
I know that it isn't the best for reptiles overall, but Zoo Miami has an outstanding South American reptile and amphibian collection in Amazon and Beyond. There are orinoco crocodiles, anacondas, and lots of venomous snakes. I just thought that it deserved to be mentioned.
I personal love Bronx's collection. Many of their exhibits may be just average and definitely aren't getting awards for some of them but they have a great collection with some rarities. They do great breeding work with some pretty endangered species, too! Another thing I like is that it's always changing! Every time I've gone into World of Reptiles I've seen new animals in many of the exhibits.
I like Smithsonian's collection as well. Their exhibits are much better than Bronx and it seems they're doing some great work with endangered amphibians.
One thing I don't like about both zoos is that they seem to do a bad job at displaying crocodilians. The exhibits are pretty small for the sizes of the animals and the ponds are too shallow. Is this a trend in most zoos? I've seen the same thing at ZooAmerica although Beardsley's exhibit is alright for the sizes of the gators.
~Thylo
I like Smithsonian's collection as well. Their exhibits are much better than Bronx and it seems they're doing some great work with endangered amphibians.
One thing I don't like about both zoos is that they seem to do a bad job at displaying crocodilians. The exhibits are pretty small for the sizes of the animals and the ponds are too shallow. Is this a trend in most zoos? I've seen the same thing at ZooAmerica although Beardsley's exhibit is alright for the sizes of the gators.
~Thylo
I personal love Bronx's collection. Many of their exhibits may be just average and definitely aren't getting awards for some of them but they have a great collection with some rarities. They do great breeding work with some pretty endangered species, too! Another thing I like is that it's always changing! Every time I've gone into World of Reptiles I've seen new animals in many of the exhibits.
I like Smithsonian's collection as well. Their exhibits are much better than Bronx and it seems they're doing some great work with endangered amphibians.
One thing I don't like about both zoos is that they seem to do a bad job at displaying crocodilians. The exhibits are pretty small for the sizes of the animals and the ponds are too shallow. Is this a trend in most zoos? I've seen the same thing at ZooAmerica although Beardsley's exhibit is alright for the sizes of the gators.
~Thylo
When I visited Gladys Porter Zoo as a kid, they had some pretty good-sized exhibits for their American alligators, though some rather small ones for their other crocodilians. Crocodilian exhibits in general do tend to be pretty small. The Nile crocodile exhibit at the San Antonio Zoo does seem a bit small when you take the size of the animal into account, though it does have quite a bit of room to dive. (I'm not sure this species needs a lot of land space anyway, but you can correct me if I'm wrong) The other species they have are smaller and do have better sized exhibits, though. San Antonio may not be a top zoo for reptiles, but they have a lot of crocodilians. (including the Orinoco crocodile, one of my favorites
)