BisonBlake's Speculative Zoo Design Thread

[Bisonblake]

I've been on this site for a few years, and I have finally decided to start my own speculative design thread. This is something I've been considering for a long time, but I've never had the time to properly design a zoo to a great level of detail (mostly just incomplete species lists).

The first zoo I will be adding to my thread will be called Zoo Michigan. This is a small/medium-sized zoo, roughly 40 acres, located in the state of Michigan. The zoo holds a total of 108 species, here's a breakdown as to what kind of species are kept:

• Mammals: 33
• Birds: 32
• Reptiles: 21
• Amphibians: 3
• Fish: 19

The species list may change in the future if I feel species may be added or removed. All species are represented through 6 different areas in the zoo. Here's a quick summary of each area, and why I chose these areas:

Wildlife Learning Center
This area will be the main education building at the zoo and will be located just near the entrance to the zoo. I like to think of this area as a better version of the Animal Encounters Village at the Colombus Zoo. This building will have many exhibits for different small mammals. Inside the building, there will also be a small amphitheater where keepers can talk about different ambassador species that live at the zoo. The reason I chose a learning center is that I want education to be a huge focus of this zoo.

Hidden Worlds
This building is inspired by Unseen New Worlds at the Nashville Zoo. This building will have two sections to it. The first section will be a reptile house with a few exhibits for amphibians and fish mixed in. The next section will be a large tropical walkthrough aviary. The main reason I wanted to include a building like this is to have a focus on species that aren't always easy to see out in the wild.

Michigan's Backyard
This is a small area that focuses on species native to the state of Michigan. The reason I chose this area is that a lot of zoos across the country have small areas that focus on wildlife native to the state the zoo is located in. While the wildlife in Michigan may not be very interesting to most people, I still want to educate people on some of the native wildlife.

Yellowstone
This area has a huge focus on the wildlife native to Yellowstone National Park. One building in this area will be the Hunter's Lodge which serves as an education point where guests could learn more about the history of Yellowstone and some of the important species that live at the national park. The reason I chose Yellowstone is that there is a lot of history connected to the park, and it is probably my favorite national park.

Asian Forest
This is a small area that will focus on species from Asia. There aren't any specific reasons why I chose this area rather than to represent species of Asia

Plains of Africa
This is the largest area in the entire zoo. This area was slightly inspired by both Heart of Africa at the Columbus Zoo and The Plains at the Indianapolis Zoo. Just like the Asian forest, there aren't any reasons why I chose this area than to represent species of Africa.

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Each area will be given its own detailed description, starting tomorrow with the entrance and the Wildlife Learning Center. I will not do one every day though as I may need to change the details of certain areas, or I won't have time to post the description.

Feedback will be much appreciated! If you have any questions let me know!

p.s. For those of you that would like a species list, I will provide a full one at the end when I am done with this zoo. I don't want to provide one yet because I'm positive I will make changes to the current list.

 

[Bisonblake]

So, when I said "tomorrow" I actually meant today so here we go!

The Entrance
As guests walk up to the main entrance, there will be a statue of American bison in the middle of the pathway. Once guests enter the zoo, there will be one building on either side of them. On the left side will be the gift shop, and on the right side will be the information building as well as stroller rentals. From the entrance there will be two different pathways, one leads towards the Wildlife Learning Center, and the other one leads to the rest of the zoo. There will be no species in this area.

Wildlife Learning Center
As I stated in my original post, this will be the main education point in the zoo. I want education to be a huge focus in this project. This area is located just beyond the left side of the entrance. As guests walk up to the center, there will be a large aviary in the middle of the path for rescued bald eagles. The aviary will have plenty of perches for the eagles. Considering the likelihood the birds won't have the ability to fly, some perches will be connected to the ground so it's easier for the birds to rest on them. There will also be some trees in other plants scattered around the exhibit to give the birds some privacy.

Behind the aviary, guests will be able to enter the Wildlife Learning Center. As guests enter the building, they will enter a huge lobby with an aquarium in the middle with fish from the Atlantic Ocean. This exhibit will be a 360-degree column tank with Atlantic blue tangs, French angelfish, bicolor angelfish, Atlantic spadefish, Florida pompanos, and yellowtail snappers. Guests can walk to the back of the lobby to view two species from the African desert.

One of the exhibits is for slender-tailed meerkats. This exhibit will have a sandy substrate with a few desert plants scattered around. The substate will be deep enough to allow the meerkats to dig tunnels in the exhibit. There will also be a tunnel that kids can crawl through and then pop up through a hole in the middle of the exhibit. Next to the meerkats will be an exhibit for fennec foxes. This exhibit has a similar design to the meerkat exhibit with a sandy substrate and a few desert plants in the exhibit. The foxes will also have a small cave where they can hide from guests and rest. Now, from the lobby guests can either go to the left or the right.

If guests choose to go to the left, they will see a few tropical species. The first exhibit on this side will be for Asian small-clawed otters. This is the largest exhibit in the Wildlife Learning Center. The otters have a 5,000-gallon pool that is 6 feet deep. Every once in a while small fish will be put in the pool as enrichment for the otters. Next to the otters will be a mixed-species exhibit for Linne's two-toed sloth and red-footed tortoises. The top of the exhibit will have two fake trees with vines connected between the branches of the trees. for the tortoises, the basking lamp will be connected to the side of the exhibit to prevent the sloth from possibly climbing on the chain/rope holding the lamp up and causing it to fall. There will be many plants around the exhibit to make the exhibit feel more like a rainforest, as well as a small, shallow pool on the ground. The next exhibit will be for Brazillian porcupines. This exhibit will have a very similar design to the sloth and tortoise exhibit with fake trees, vines, lots of plants, and a shallow pool. Behind the porcupine exhibit, will be a staircase that leads to the second floor where the classrooms are located.

If guests choose to go to the right, they will find two exhibits for primates. The larger primate exhibit will have ring-tailed lemurs. The lemurs will also have access to an outdoor exhibit. The lemurs will be able to use the outdoor exhibit when the weather is warmer outside. Both the indoor and outdoor portions will have fake trees and vines, but the outdoor will also have plants scattered around the exhibit. The smaller exhibit will have cotton-top tamarins. This exhibit will have lots of plants to give the animals some privacy, as well as some trees and vines. Both the lemur and tamarin indoor exhibits will have sunroofs to allow for some natural light. At the end of the hallway will be a small amphitheater for keeper talks. Keepers will be able to bring out a few species to show to the public. There are many ambassador species kept behind the scenes that will be brought out for this show.

As an additional education point, there will be many areas around the learning center where guests can learn about different ways species around the world are being endangered such as poaching, global warming, deforestation, and others.

Here is a list of the species in this area (an asterisk* indicates species also used as ambassador species):

• WLC Aviary
  • bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Wildlife Learning Center
  • Atlantic blue tang Acanthurus coeruleus
  • French angelfish Pomacanthus paru
  • bicolor angelfish Centropyge bicolor
  • Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterus faber
  • Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus
  • yellowtail snapper Ocyurus chrysurus
  • slender-tailed meerkat Suricata suricatta
  • fennec fox* Vulpes zerda
  • Asian small-clawed otters Aonyx cinereus
  • Linne's two-toed sloth* Choloepus didactylus
  • red-footed tortoise* Chelonoidis carbonarius
  • Brazillian porcupine Coendou prehensilis
  • ring-tailed lemur Lemur catta
  • cotton-top tamarin* Saguinus oedipus
• Ambassador species
  • prehensile-tailed skink Corucia zebrata
  • southern tamandua Tamandua tetradactyla
  • three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes tricinctus
  • North American kestrel Falco sparverius
  • Patagonian cavy Dolichotis patagonum
  • serval Leptailurus serval
  • red kangaroo Macropus rufus
  • blue-tongued skink Tiliqua scincoides
  • ball python Python regius

In total, this area has 24 different species (12 mammals, 6 fish, 4 reptiles, 2 birds). Next, I will do a description for Hidden Worlds. I probably won't post it until next Thursday because I will be in Atlanta for a few days.

 

[Bisonblake]

Alright, I'm back from my trip so let's get back into this!

Hidden Worlds
This huge building is a cross between an aviary, herptarium, and an aquarium. This building took some inspiration from Unseen New World at Nashville Zoo, and Slimy, Scaly, and Spectacular at Zoo Atlanta. The idea of this building is inspired by Unseen New World, hence the similar name. The design and layout of the building took some slight inspiration from Slimy, Scaly, and Spectacular.

Rainforest Aviary
The first area of Hidden Worlds is a huge rainforest aviary. The first thing guests will see when guests enter the aviary is a 30-foot waterfall crashing into a large pond below. Some species that will be found around this area are African pygmy geese and green herons. The aviary will be heavily planted with plants at every level of the aviary. This will allow the birds to choose whether they want to go all the way to the top, or on the ground. There will also be some rock walls along the paths and the perimeter of the aviary. The other bird species found in the aviary are scarlet ibis, masked lapwing, Luzon bleeding-heart dove, hamerkop, Bali mynah, jambu fruit dove, gold-breasted starling, Nicobar pigeon, Azure-winged magpie, violet turaco, and taveta golden weaver.

Rainforest aviary (terrariums)
There are also a few terrariums spread out through the aviary. The first terrarium will be on the left side of the entrance. This terrarium will be 4'L x 2.5' W, 6.5' H, and be home to emerald tree monitors. To prevent possible bird collisions, there will be small squares on the glass. This terrarium A few meters down will be a fenced-off area for yellow-footed tortoises. The tortoises will have a small pool and a heat lamp, with a few rocks and plants spread across. The final terrariums will be inside caves, each cave will have two terrariums in each. The first cave will have two species of dart frogs, dyeing poison dart frogs and bumblebee poison dart frogs. These will be located roughly in the middle of the aviary. The second and final cave will be right at the exit of the aviary, one for red-eyed tree frogs, and a second larger one for a green tree python.

Main Gallery
This is where the majority of the reptiles and amphibians will be kept. Starting on the left side, as soon as guests walk in there will be four terrariums for reptiles found in temperate areas. These exhibits will be designed to look like a forest floor with high-reaching plants. The four species in these exhibits are pine snake, copperhead, eastern massasauga rattlesnake, and eastern box turtle. The box turtle exhibit will be more open to provide them with more land space. The next set of exhibits will be for aquatic/semi-aquatic turtles. These exhibits will be at the back right next to the temperate exhibits. These exhibits will have split-level viewing so the guests can watch the turtles swim underwater, or go on land if they choose to do so. There will be three exhibits for alligator snapping turtle, matamata, and Roti island snake-necked turtle. The water in this exhibit will be about 3 feet deep.

Guests will then be forced to make a sharp right turn. This next set of exhibits will be for reptiles found in the deserts. Starting on the right side, the first exhibit will be the only mixed-habitat in the main gallery for pancake tortoise and African plated lizard. The next exhibit will be a very large one for an argus monitor. There will be lots of rocks to provide the lizard with areas to climb and bask. One basking spot will be a log in between two rocks with a heat lamp right above the log. In the middle of the walkway, will be an exhibit for Burmese star tortoise. This exhibit will allow guests to walk around it to view the tortoises from different sides. This species isn't necessarily a desert species, but they do live in dry forests which is why they are in this area. On the left side will be two more exhibits. The first one will go from floor-to-ceiling and have an African rock python. The last desert exhibit will be for Mexican beaded lizards.

After the desert exhibits, there will be two more sets of exhibits on either side. Starting on the right side are the amphibians of the main gallery. The first exhibit will have split-level viewing and have lake Titicaca frogs. The land area for this exhibit will be small because of how much time they spend in the water. Next to the frogs are two more exhibits for emperor spotted newts and tiger salamanders. Finishing off the amphibians with three exhibits for tropical frog species, waxy monkey tree frog, Panamanian golden frog, and green-and-black poison dart frog. Across the hall on the left side are four exhibits for arboreal snake species. The snake species are emerald tree boa, eyelash pit viper, Jamaican boa, and mangrove snake. The Jamaican boa and mangrove snake will be given larger exhibits that go all the way up to the ceiling.

The main gallery will end off with two exhibits for larger reptile species. The exhibit on the right will be home to a reticulated python. The python will have a large enough pool for the snake to submerge its entire body in. There will also be branches strong enough if the python chooses to go up high. On the left side will be the largest exhibit in the main gallery home to African slender-snouted crocodiles. The exhibit will have a large pool being 5 feet deep at the deepest point with a 15-foot waterfall. The crocodiles will have a basking spot on land as well.

Aquarium Gallery
After guests exit the main gallery, they will enter a small aquarium gallery in the shape of a circle. All the aquariums in the gallery are 500-gallons except one. Starting on the right side are the freshwater tanks. The first aquarium will have fish from the amazon, with neon tetras, cardinal tetras, Amazonian angelfish, and harlequin rasboras. This tank will be covered in plants and have pieces of wood scattered in the exhibit. The next aquarium will have discus. This exhibit will have sticks going from top to bottom that simulate roots on a tree, as well as some plants. The third aquarium will have red-bellied piranhas. The final freshwater aquarium will have peacock cichlids. This aquarium will have slate stone structures to give the fish some places to get away if they need to.

Moving over to the left side is the saltwater aquariums. The first aquarium will have a small group of red lionfish. The next aquarium will be a large, floor-to-ceiling, 5,000-gallon aquarium of the Hawaiian reef. The bottom of the tank is where most of the rock will be, while at the top it is more open. There will also be some parts from a shipwreck. The species in this exhibit are yellow tang, naso tang, orange-shoulder tang, longnose butterflyfish, raccoon butterflyfish, reef triggerfish, Moorish idol, and zebra moray eel. This exhibit will not have any living corals. The next aquarium however will have live corals as this will be a living reef. There will be various corals both hard and soft, as well as anemones and various invertebrates. The species in this tank will be occelaris clownfish, blue tang, Kole tang, lyretail anthias, green Chromis, Foxface rabbitfish, bangaii cardinalfish, diamond watchman goby, royal gramma, and leopard wrasse.

There are a total of 71 species in Hidden Worlds (14 birds, 9 amphibians, 22 reptiles, and 26 fish). Here's a species list of the species that live here.

• Rainforest Aviary
  • Scarlet ibis Eudocimus ruber
  • Masked lapwing Vanellus miles
  • Blue-gray tanager Thraupis episcopus
  • Azure-winged magpie Cyanopica cyanus
  • Green heron Butorides virescens
  • Violet turaco Musophaga violacea
  • Taveta golden weaver Ploceus castaneiceps
  • African pygmy goose Nettapus auritus
  • Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica
  • Gold-breasted starling Lamprotornis regius
  • Jambu fruit dove Ptilinopus jambu
  • Bali mynah Leucopsar rothschildi
  • Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
  • Luzon bleeding-heart dove Gallicolumba luzonica
• Rainforest Aviary (terrariums)
  • Dyeing poison dart frog Dendrobates tinctorius
  • Emerald tree monitor Varanus prasinus
  • Yellow-footed tortoise Chelonoidis denticulata
  • Green-tree python Morelia viridis
  • Red-eyed tree frog Agalychnis callidryas
  • Bumblebee poison dart frog Dendrobates leucomelas
• Main Gallery
  • Pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus
  • Argus monitor Varanus panoptes
  • Green and black poison dart frog Dendrobates auratus
  • Panamanian golden frog Atelopus zeteki
  • Emperor spotted newt Neurergus kaiseri
  • Waxy monkey tree frog Phyllomedusa sauvagii
  • Jamaican boa Epicrates subflavus
  • Reticulated python Malayopython reticulatus
  • African slender-snouted crocodile Mecistops cataphractus
  • Tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum
  • African rock python Python sebae
  • Mexican beaded lizard Heloderma horridum
  • Eastern massasauga rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus
  • Eyelash pit viper Bothriechis schlegelii
  • Lake Titicaca frog Telmatobius culeus
  • Emerald tree boa Corallus caninus
  • Roti island Snake-necked turtle Chelodina mccordi
  • Mata mata Chelus fimbriata
  • Alligator snapping turtle Macrochelys temminckii
  • Mangrove snake Boiga dendrophila
  • African plated lizard Gerrhosaurus major
  • Pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri
  • Eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina carolina
  • Burmese star tortoise Geochelone platynota
  • Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix
• Aquarium Gallery
  • neon tetra Paracheirodon innesi
  • cardinal tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi
  • Amazonian angelfish Pterophyllum leopoldi
  • harlequin rasbora Trigonostigma heteromorpha
    
  • Discus Symphysodon discus
  • red-bellied piranha Pygocentrus nattereri
  • peacock cichlid Aulonocara
  • red lionfish Pterois volitans
  • yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens
  • naso tang Naso lituratus
  • orange-shoulder tang Acanthurus olivaceus
  • longnose butterflyfish Forcipiger flavissimus
  • raccoon butterflyfish Chaetodon lunula
  • reef triggerfish Rhinecanthus rectangulus
  • Moorish idol Zanclus cornutus
  • zebra moray eel Gymnomuraena zebra
    
  • occelaris clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris
  • blue tang Paracanthurus hepatus
  • Kole tang Ctenochaetus strigosus
  • lyretail anthias Pseudanthias squamipinnis
  • green Chromis Chromis viridis
  • Foxface rabbitfish Siganus vulpinus
  • bangaii cardinalfish Pterapogon kauderni
  • diamond watchman goby Valenciennea puellaris
  • royal gramma Gramma loreto
  • leopard wrasse Macropharyngodon meleagris

Next, I will provide a walkthrough of Michigan's Backyard within the coming days.

 

[Bisonblake]

Alright, I'm back from my trip so let's get back into this!

Hidden Worlds
This huge building is a cross between an aviary, herptarium, and an aquarium. This building took some inspiration from Unseen New World at Nashville Zoo, and Slimy, Scaly, and Spectacular at Zoo Atlanta. The idea of this building is inspired by Unseen New World, hence the similar name. The design and layout of the building took some slight inspiration from Slimy, Scaly, and Spectacular.

Rainforest Aviary
The first area of Hidden Worlds is a huge rainforest aviary. The first thing guests will see when guests enter the aviary is a 30-foot waterfall crashing into a large pond below. Some species that will be found around this area are African pygmy geese and green herons. The aviary will be heavily planted with plants at every level of the aviary. This will allow the birds to choose whether they want to go all the way to the top, or on the ground. There will also be some rock walls along the paths and the perimeter of the aviary. The other bird species found in the aviary are scarlet ibis, masked lapwing, Luzon bleeding-heart dove, hamerkop, Bali mynah, jambu fruit dove, gold-breasted starling, Nicobar pigeon, Azure-winged magpie, violet turaco, and taveta golden weaver.

Rainforest aviary (terrariums)
There are also a few terrariums spread out through the aviary. The first terrarium will be on the left side of the entrance. This terrarium will be 4'L x 2.5' W, 6.5' H, and be home to emerald tree monitors. To prevent possible bird collisions, there will be small squares on the glass. This terrarium A few meters down will be a fenced-off area for yellow-footed tortoises. The tortoises will have a small pool and a heat lamp, with a few rocks and plants spread across. The final terrariums will be inside caves, each cave will have two terrariums in each. The first cave will have two species of dart frogs, dyeing poison dart frogs and bumblebee poison dart frogs. These will be located roughly in the middle of the aviary. The second and final cave will be right at the exit of the aviary, one for red-eyed tree frogs, and a second larger one for a green tree python.

Main Gallery
This is where the majority of the reptiles and amphibians will be kept. Starting on the left side, as soon as guests walk in there will be four terrariums for reptiles found in temperate areas. These exhibits will be designed to look like a forest floor with high-reaching plants. The four species in these exhibits are pine snake, copperhead, eastern massasauga rattlesnake, and eastern box turtle. The box turtle exhibit will be more open to provide them with more land space. The next set of exhibits will be for aquatic/semi-aquatic turtles. These exhibits will be at the back right next to the temperate exhibits. These exhibits will have split-level viewing so the guests can watch the turtles swim underwater, or go on land if they choose to do so. There will be three exhibits for alligator snapping turtle, matamata, and Roti island snake-necked turtle. The water in this exhibit will be about 3 feet deep.

Guests will then be forced to make a sharp right turn. This next set of exhibits will be for reptiles found in the deserts. Starting on the right side, the first exhibit will be the only mixed-habitat in the main gallery for pancake tortoise and African plated lizard. The next exhibit will be a very large one for an argus monitor. There will be lots of rocks to provide the lizard with areas to climb and bask. One basking spot will be a log in between two rocks with a heat lamp right above the log. In the middle of the walkway, will be an exhibit for Burmese star tortoise. This exhibit will allow guests to walk around it to view the tortoises from different sides. This species isn't necessarily a desert species, but they do live in dry forests which is why they are in this area. On the left side will be two more exhibits. The first one will go from floor-to-ceiling and have an African rock python. The last desert exhibit will be for Mexican beaded lizards.

After the desert exhibits, there will be two more sets of exhibits on either side. Starting on the right side are the amphibians of the main gallery. The first exhibit will have split-level viewing and have lake Titicaca frogs. The land area for this exhibit will be small because of how much time they spend in the water. Next to the frogs are two more exhibits for emperor spotted newts and tiger salamanders. Finishing off the amphibians with three exhibits for tropical frog species, waxy monkey tree frog, Panamanian golden frog, and green-and-black poison dart frog. Across the hall on the left side are four exhibits for arboreal snake species. The snake species are emerald tree boa, eyelash pit viper, Jamaican boa, and mangrove snake. The Jamaican boa and mangrove snake will be given larger exhibits that go all the way up to the ceiling.

The main gallery will end off with two exhibits for larger reptile species. The exhibit on the right will be home to a reticulated python. The python will have a large enough pool for the snake to submerge its entire body in. There will also be branches strong enough if the python chooses to go up high. On the left side will be the largest exhibit in the main gallery home to African slender-snouted crocodiles. The exhibit will have a large pool being 5 feet deep at the deepest point with a 15-foot waterfall. The crocodiles will have a basking spot on land as well.

Aquarium Gallery
After guests exit the main gallery, they will enter a small aquarium gallery in the shape of a circle. All the aquariums in the gallery are 500-gallons except one. Starting on the right side are the freshwater tanks. The first aquarium will have fish from the amazon, with neon tetras, cardinal tetras, Amazonian angelfish, and harlequin rasboras. This tank will be covered in plants and have pieces of wood scattered in the exhibit. The next aquarium will have discus. This exhibit will have sticks going from top to bottom that simulate roots on a tree, as well as some plants. The third aquarium will have red-bellied piranhas. The final freshwater aquarium will have peacock cichlids. This aquarium will have slate stone structures to give the fish some places to get away if they need to.

Moving over to the left side is the saltwater aquariums. The first aquarium will have a small group of red lionfish. The next aquarium will be a large, floor-to-ceiling, 5,000-gallon aquarium of the Hawaiian reef. The bottom of the tank is where most of the rock will be, while at the top it is more open. There will also be some parts from a shipwreck. The species in this exhibit are yellow tang, naso tang, orange-shoulder tang, longnose butterflyfish, raccoon butterflyfish, reef triggerfish, Moorish idol, and zebra moray eel. This exhibit will not have any living corals. The next aquarium however will have live corals as this will be a living reef. There will be various corals both hard and soft, as well as anemones and various invertebrates. The species in this tank will be occelaris clownfish, blue tang, Kole tang, lyretail anthias, green Chromis, Foxface rabbitfish, bangaii cardinalfish, diamond watchman goby, royal gramma, and leopard wrasse.

There are a total of 71 species in Hidden Worlds (14 birds, 9 amphibians, 22 reptiles, and 26 fish). Here's a species list of the species that live here.

• Rainforest Aviary
  • Scarlet ibis Eudocimus ruber
  • Masked lapwing Vanellus miles
  • Blue-gray tanager Thraupis episcopus
  • Azure-winged magpie Cyanopica cyanus
  • Green heron Butorides virescens
  • Violet turaco Musophaga violacea
  • Taveta golden weaver Ploceus castaneiceps
  • African pygmy goose Nettapus auritus
  • Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica
  • Gold-breasted starling Lamprotornis regius
  • Jambu fruit dove Ptilinopus jambu
  • Bali mynah Leucopsar rothschildi
  • Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
  • Luzon bleeding-heart dove Gallicolumba luzonica
• Rainforest Aviary (terrariums)
  • Dyeing poison dart frog Dendrobates tinctorius
  • Emerald tree monitor Varanus prasinus
  • Yellow-footed tortoise Chelonoidis denticulata
  • Green-tree python Morelia viridis
  • Red-eyed tree frog Agalychnis callidryas
  • Bumblebee poison dart frog Dendrobates leucomelas
• Main Gallery
  • Pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus
  • Argus monitor Varanus panoptes
  • Green and black poison dart frog Dendrobates auratus
  • Panamanian golden frog Atelopus zeteki
  • Emperor spotted newt Neurergus kaiseri
  • Waxy monkey tree frog Phyllomedusa sauvagii
  • Jamaican boa Epicrates subflavus
  • Reticulated python Malayopython reticulatus
  • African slender-snouted crocodile Mecistops cataphractus
  • Tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum
  • African rock python Python sebae
  • Mexican beaded lizard Heloderma horridum
  • Eastern massasauga rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus
  • Eyelash pit viper Bothriechis schlegelii
  • Lake Titicaca frog Telmatobius culeus
  • Emerald tree boa Corallus caninus
  • Roti island Snake-necked turtle Chelodina mccordi
  • Mata mata Chelus fimbriata
  • Alligator snapping turtle Macrochelys temminckii
  • Mangrove snake Boiga dendrophila
  • African plated lizard Gerrhosaurus major
  • Pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri
  • Eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina carolina
  • Burmese star tortoise Geochelone platynota
  • Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix
• Aquarium Gallery
  • neon tetra Paracheirodon innesi
  • cardinal tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi
  • Amazonian angelfish Pterophyllum leopoldi
  • harlequin rasbora Trigonostigma heteromorpha
    
  • Discus Symphysodon discus
  • red-bellied piranha Pygocentrus nattereri
  • peacock cichlid Aulonocara
  • red lionfish Pterois volitans
  • yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens
  • naso tang Naso lituratus
  • orange-shoulder tang Acanthurus olivaceus
  • longnose butterflyfish Forcipiger flavissimus
  • raccoon butterflyfish Chaetodon lunula
  • reef triggerfish Rhinecanthus rectangulus
  • Moorish idol Zanclus cornutus
  • zebra moray eel Gymnomuraena zebra
    
  • occelaris clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris
  • blue tang Paracanthurus hepatus
  • Kole tang Ctenochaetus strigosus
  • lyretail anthias Pseudanthias squamipinnis
  • green Chromis Chromis viridis
  • Foxface rabbitfish Siganus vulpinus
  • bangaii cardinalfish Pterapogon kauderni
  • diamond watchman goby Valenciennea puellaris
  • royal gramma Gramma loreto
  • leopard wrasse Macropharyngodon meleagris

Next, I will provide a walkthrough of Michigan's Backyard within the coming days.

I forgot to mention this, Hidden Worlds is located straight across from the entrance.

 

[Bisonblake]

Michigan's Backyard
From the entrance, the pathway splits in three ways. If guests continue to go straight they will head to Hidden Worlds. The path leading to the left heads towards the Wildlife Learning Center and Plains of Africa. Finally, the path leading to the right leads to Michigan's Backyard, Yellowstone, and Asian Forest. Today I will talk about Michigan's Backyard. This is a small area of the zoo that focuses on some of the species native to the state of Michigan. While guests may see all of the animals in this area regularly in the wild, I feel it would be a good idea to educate them more on the animals they share this state with.

Once guests enter the area, the first exhibit they see will be on the right side for sandhill cranes. This exhibit will have a 6-foot chainlink fence for the perimeter of the exhibit. In the middle of the exhibit will be a small pond surrounded by plants and a few trees. The next exhibit will be the songbird aviary, located next to the sandhill cranes. Guests can view this aviary by either staying on the path or walking through it. The aviary will be made of mesh netting. The aviary will have lots of plants and trees all around the aviary to make it feel like a forest. The species in this aviary are northern cardinal, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, eastern bluebird, American robin, American goldfinch, red-winged blackbird, and northern flicker. When guests exit the aviary, the path will then lead to the next two exhibits.

Moving over to the left side of the path, are two exhibits for some of the carnivores of Michigan. Both exhibits will have a similar design to them. At the back of the exhibit will be a large rock wall. Along the path will be a chainlink fence about 9 feet tall, and a glass window at the same height. Both exhibits will be heavily planted to give the animals some privacy. To prevent possible escapes, the top of the exhibits will be covered in mesh. The first carnivore exhibit will be for the red fox. The second, larger exhibit will be for coyotes. To give the guests a more enjoyable experience, the area around the glass windows will be covered to prevent possible glare from the sun.

Across from the covered viewing area for the red fox and coyote, there is another path that goes towards two aviaries for some birds of prey. Both aviaries have branches around the exhibit to give the birds areas to perch. There will be some plants at the bottom of the aviaries to make them feel more natural. The two birds in these aviaries are red-tailed hawk and great gray owl. Guests can go the way they came to go back to the main pathway.

Ending off Michigan's Backyard is a large, half-acre habitat for a herd of white-tailed deer. The fence of the exhibit will be about 10 feet high to prevent the deer from jumping over. In the middle of the habitat will be a medium-sized pond only about knee-high for the deer. Along the perimeter of the exhibit will be lots of plants and trees to give the deer both some privacy and shade. There will also be some plants and trees around the pond. Once guests leave the area, guests can either turn left and head for the Asian Forest or go straight towards Yellowstone.

There is a total of 14 species in this area, 3 mammals and 11 birds. Here is the species list for Michigan's Backyard:

• Mammals
  • Red fox Vulpes vulpes
  • Coyote Canis latrans
  • White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus
• Birds
  • Sandhill crane Grus canadensis
  • Red-tailed hawk Buteo jamaicensis
  • Great gray owl Strix nebulosa
  • Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
  • Black-capped chickadee Poecile atricapillus
  • Blue jay Cyanocitta cristata
  • Eastern bluebird Sialia sialis
  • American robin Turdus migratorius
  • American goldfinch Spinus tristis
  • Red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
  • Northern flicker Colaptes auratus

The next area I will talk about will be Yellowstone. I will probably have it posted by Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Bisonblake]

Being the first national park in the United States, Yellowstone National Park holds a lot of history. The history, animals, and the many landmarks of Yellowstone could make for a great zoo exhibit. This area was inspired by Teton Trek at the Memphis Zoo. The idea of having an area dedicated to a national park seems like a great idea and one that would be nice to see more often.


The area starts right across from the exit to Michigan’s Backyard. As guests enter the area there is a sign on the left side of the path that says “Welcome to Yellowstone National Park.” On the right side of the path is a smaller replica of Tower Falls, one of the waterfalls located at Yellowstone.


The first exhibit in the area will be on the right side. This exhibit is the largest in the zoo at 3 acres, home to American bison, pronghorn, and rocky mountain elk. This exhibit will display both the plains and forests to show where both of the animals could be seen in the wild. For a water feature, there will be a small stream that flows through the exhibit.


Across the path is a half-acre exhibit for black bears. This exhibit will have a huge waterfall at the back of the exhibit which pours into a river that leads to a pool. This exhibit will have lots of plants and a cave to give the bears some privacy. Another exhibit on the same side of the path is a one-acre exhibit for gray wolves. These wolves are an important species to Yellowstone, so they make a great addition to this area of the zoo. This exhibit will also have a lot of plants to give the wolves some privacy. In between the wolves and bears is a building called the “Yellowstone History Museum.” This is a small museum that talks about the history of Yellowstone and the wildlife that live at the park. The building also provides additional viewing areas for the wolf and bear exhibits.


The final exhibit in this area is for one of the keystone species of Yellowstone National Park, the American beaver. The exhibit has a split-level viewing area where guests can watch the beavers swim in the water, or walk on land. The pool for the beavers is about 4 feet deep. Due to the nocturnal behavior of the beavers, there will be a camera in the beaver den so guests can still see the beavers even when they aren’t outside.


At the end of Yellowstone is Yellowstone Grill, the only restaurant located at the zoo. This restaurant is elevated on top of a hill. Guests can sit outside and overlook the entire area of Yellowstone.

There are 6 species that live in this area, all of which are mammals.

• American bison Bison bison
• pronghorn Antilocapra americana
• Rocky Mountain elk Cervus canadensis nelsoni
• black bear Ursus americanus
• gray wolf Canis lupus
• American beaver Castor canadensis

Tomorrow I will have a description of the Asian Forest. Then I will have a description of Plains of Africa in the next few days as well. That will be the final area of Zoo Michigan. I will also provide a complete species list and map when I'm done.

 

[Bisonblake]

Sorry for the delay, some personal stuff got in the way.

Asian Forest
Asian Forest is found in the middle of the zoo. This is a small area that focuses on species found in the forests of Asia. Most species in this area are found in colder climates of Asia, to be able to tolerate the long winter months in Michigan.

The first exhibit can be seen from the “main path” and the path that goes through Asian Forest for Japanese macaques. Both viewing areas will have glass windows to allow the guests to get closer to the macaques. The middle of the exhibit will have a large rock structure with a waterfall. There will also be a hot tub to simulate a hot spring for the macaques. There will also be smaller rock structures around the exhibit. To give the macaques some climbing area, there will be logs around the exhibit as well as a mix of fake and real trees. The fakes trees also serve the important purpose of holding up the mesh netting around the exhibit.

The next two exhibits are across from the macaque exhibit for two arboreal species. Both exhibits will have mesh on the top and sides of the exhibit to prevent anyone from escaping. The first, smaller exhibit will have red pandas. A large portion of the exhibit will be a climbing structure with a small hut to give the pandas a place to rest during the day. The next exhibit is a larger one for binturongs. This exhibit will also have a climbing structure and sleeping hut, and also a small hammock. Both exhibits will have some plants to make the environment of both species more natural.

Moving on, next to the macaques is an aviary for Reeve’s muntjac, golden pheasant, and Lady Amherst’s pheasant. Due to the shy demeanor of the Reeve’s muntjac, the bottom of the aviary will have lots of plants and rocks to give them somewhere to stay hidden from the public. There will be some trees and perches higher up to give the pheasants somewhere to perch. Unlike the two other aviaries at the zoo, guests will not be able to walk through this one.

Next to the aviary is a 0.3-acre habitat for snow leopards. The exhibit will be situated on the side of a hill, and guests will be able to view the exhibit from the bottom. Throughout the exhibit, there will be rock structures to make this hill feel more like a mountain. The back and sides of the exhibit will also have rock walls, but the front will have wire mesh. Throughout the exhibit, there will be a few trees and plants to make the exhibit feel more natural. There will be mesh covering the top of the exhibit to prevent the leopards from escaping. The final exhibit in Asian Forest is a 0.43-acre habitat for Amur tigers, located across from the snow leopards. This exhibit will have lots of trees to make the exhibit feel more like a forest. At the front of the exhibit, there will be a moat to help prevent any escapes. This will also provide guests with an unobstructed view of the tigers. The rest of the exhibit will be surrounded by both rock walls and high fencing. Some other features of the exhibit are a large pool and cave.

The Asian Forest has 8 species (6 mammals, 2 birds). Here’s the complete list:

• Japanese macaque Macaca fuscata
• Red panda Ailurus fulgens
• Binturong Arctictis binturong
• Reeve’s muntjac Muntiacus reevesi
• Golden pheasant Chrysolophus pictus
• Lady Amherst’s pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae
• Snow leopard Panthera uncia
• Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica

The description for Plains of Africa will be out within the coming days. This will be the final description for Zoo Michigan. I will also provide a full species list and a map.

 

[Bisonblake]

Very long delay but I am back to working on my speculative design thread. I didn't forget about this project, I just lost my motivation to come on ZooChat and post. Here is the last section of Zoo Michigan: Plains of Africa.

Plains of Africa
The Plains of Africa is the largest area in Zoo Michigan, consisting of multiple exhibits larger than 1 acre. All of the animals are found in the grasslands of Africa. The entrance is located near the main entrance, on the left side. As guests enter the area, they will walk past a fake baobab tree and two giraffe statues. There is also a sign that says “Welcome to the Savanna!”


The first exhibit is on the right-hand side for common warthogs. The substrate in this exhibit is mostly a mix of sand and dirt, and a little bit of grass. The exhibit also has some rocks and burrows spread around the exhibit. To give the warthogs some shade, there will be one large tree in the middle of the exhibit. Across the path is another exhibit for white storks, white-faced whistling ducks, and blue cranes. The middle of the exhibit has a small pond the birds could wade or swim in. Around the exhibit are various plants for both privacy, and to make the exhibit more natural.


The next exhibit is a 2.5-acre open savanna exhibit, the second largest exhibit in the zoo. The path wraps around the exhibit giving guests different vantage points to see the species that call this exhibit their home. The species that will live here are plains zebra, common ostrich, greater kudu, common eland, and reticulated giraffe. At one area of the exhibit is a giraffe feeding platform that allows guests to feed the giraffes. There are some trees sparsely scattered around the exhibit to give the animals some shade but still keep a savanna-like feel.


The next exhibit on the left side of the path will be for West African lions. At one acre this exhibit will able to hold a sizeable pride. The back of the exhibit will be a mock-rock wall with multiple ledges to give these big cats an area to sleep. Towards the front of the exhibit is a cave for both the guests and lions. The two will be separated by a one-way glass barrier, allowing the lions to feel like they have some privacy if they choose to nap here. To prevent any guests from banging on the glass there will be a barrier about a meter away.


The final exhibit is also an acre in size but is also split into two 0.5-acre yards. This exhibit will be for the black rhinoceros. Both of the yards will have a similar design with a large shade structure, and a sand/dirt substrate. Each yard will also have one large tree. Foliage is minuscule in this exhibit due to the destructive behavior of these pachyderms.

The Plains of Africa has 11 species (7 mammals, 4 birds). Here is the species list:

• Common warthog Phacochoerus africanus
• White stork Ciconia ciconia
• White-faced whistling duck Dendrocygna viduata
• Blue crane Anthropoides paradiseus
• Plains zebra Equus quagga
• common ostrich Struthio camelus
• greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros
• common eland Taurotragus oryx
• reticulated giraffe Giraffa reticulata
• West African lion Panthera leo
• Black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis

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That concludes my first speculative zoo to my design thread. It took a lot longer for me to complete than I wanted to, but I'm glad it's done now. I did say I would provide a map of the zoo, but I can't find it anywhere. I have to re-draw it so I will post it once that is done. Zoo Michigan has a total of 134 species, 26 more than the originally posted 108. I have created a document that I will update as I contribute more zoos to this thread. There is a complete species list of Zoo Michigan at the end of the document.

Bisonblake's Speculative Zoo Design

The next project will be posted in the coming weeks. If anyone has any comments and/or suggestions feel free to mention I would appreciate any feedback.