Butterfly Creek Butterfly Creek walk-through / species list

[Chlidonias]

There isn't much said about Butterfly Creek on the forum, just little snippets of news every so often. I've been a couple of times, but not for many years, so I thought I'd do a little walk-through from my visit here on the 23 August 2023.

Butterfly Creek is situated at the Auckland Airport (about fifteen minutes walk from the domestic terminal) and originally opened as a tropical butterfly house, hence the name. Extra attractions have been added over time, most recently Small-clawed Otters and a Kiwi House (in 2017), and Meerkats and Crested Porcupines (in 2022). There is also a large area for animatronic dinosaurs.

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Freshwater Tropical Tank:
The signage was close to complete for the species in the tank, which is very often not the case with aquariums. There was a lot of rock-work in the tank so it's possible I missed some unsigned species, but the only one I noticed was a Striped Catfish. One signed species was not seen (Black Ghost Knifefish).

Jaguar Cichlid Parachromis managuensis
Oscar Astronotus ocellatus
Convict Cichlid Amatitlania nigrofasciata
Cigar Shark Leptobarbus rubripinna
albino Tinfoil Barb Barbonymus schwanenfeldii
Six-banded Distichodus Distichodus sexfasciatus
Flagtail Prochilodus Semaprochilodus insignis
Silver Dollar Metynnis argenteus / M. hypsauchen
Silver Arowana Osteoglossum bicirrhosum
Clown Knifefish Chitala ornata
Black Ghost Knifefish Apteronotus albifrons (not seen)
Clown Loach Chromobotia macracanthus
Sailfin Plecostomus (probably Pterygoplichthys pardalis)
Royal Plecostomus Panaque nigrolineatus
Red-tail Plecostomus Pseudacanthicus leopardus
Striped Catfish Platydoras armatulus (not signed)


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Tropical Marine Tank:
In contrast, this tank was entirely lacking in signage. There were a few anemones and soft corals as well as the fish. There was a little school of the Monos but the other three fish were singletons. I may have missed one or two fish if they were hiding amongst the rocks. An older photo in the gallery shows the tank with a lot more fish than are there currently: Saltwater reef aquarium - ZooChat

Silver Mono Monodactylus argenteus
Blue Tang Paracanthurus hepatus
Yellow-tail Blue Damselfish Chrysiptera parasema
Red Coris Wrasse Coris gaimardi

 

[Chlidonias]

The next three sections used to be the Butterfly House but after some renovations during 2021/22 has been divided, with the Butterfly House now being smaller and entered and exited through rooms for reptile enclosures.


First reptile room:
There was also a freshwater tropical tank in here (in the enclosure for the Red-bellied Turtle) but it was still being set up and thus lacking in inhabitants. There were three reptile species here (Eastern Water Dragon, American Alligator, Red-bellied Turtle), two tanks for tarantulas (Brazilian Black and Peruvian Pink-toed), and a case for pupating butterflies.


Eastern Water Dragon Intellagama lesueurii

American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis

Red-bellied Turtle Emydura subglobosa

Brazilian Black Tarantula Grammostola pulchra
Peruvian Pink-toed Tarantula Avicularia juruensis
Butterfly pupae

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Butterfly House:
There was a netted breeding area in here for Postman Butterflies, but otherwise the signage only listed "the twelve most common species" they hold (as listed below). There was also a pool with fish in it (Giant Gourami and Convict Cichlid as far as I saw).

Yellow-edged Giant Owl Caligo atreus
Tiger Longwing Heliconius hecale
Postman Butterfly Heliconius melpomene
Blue Moon Hypolimnas bolina
Paper Kite Idea leuconoe
Blue Morpho Morpho peleides
Pink Rose Pachliopta kotzebuea
Great Yellow Mormon Papilio lowi
Scarlet Mormon Papilio rumanzovia
Arcas Cattleheart Parides arcas
The Clipper Parthenos sylvia
Golden Birdwing Troides rhadamantus

Giant Gourami Osphronemus goramy
Convict Cichlid Amatitlania nigrofasciata


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Second reptile room after the Butterfly House:
The American Alligator enclosure mentioned earlier is between the two reptile "rooms" (actually one room with separate viewing areas) and can be seen from both. Four species are housed here - Eastern Blue-tongue Skink, Madagascar Day Gecko, Leopard Tortoise, and Green Iguana.


Eastern Blue-tongue Skink Tiliqua scincoides

Madagascar Day Gecko Phelsuma madagascariensis

Leopard Tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis
Green Iguana Iguana iguana

 

[Chlidonias]

Saltwater Crocodiles:
Two enclosures for Saltwater Crocodiles, and along the corridor two enclosures for Inland Bearded Dragons. There was also an unoccupied and unsigned tank which looked like it should have been for Bell Frogs (Litoria sp.) but an older photo in the gallery labels it as being for baby Eastern Water Dragons.


Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus

Inland Bearded Dragon Pogona vitticeps

Unoccupied tank:

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Kiwi House:
Two enclosures for North Island Brown Kiwi. The entrance area has a display about Moa, and a tank for Giant Weta (Wetapunga) but this was currently unoccupied with a tv screen informing that they have all been released. Just beside the Kiwi enclosures was a small display tank in the wall (can be seen in the photo below of the Kiwi House) which presumably was intended for live Cave Weta but only has plastic weta in it.


Unoccupied tank for Giant Weta Deinacrida heteracantha

North Island Brown Kiwi Apteryx mantelli

 

[Chlidonias]

Outside enclosures:
Exiting the Kiwi House there are a series of enclosures for small mammals - Cottontop Tamarins, Small-clawed Otters, Meerkats and South African Crested Porcupines. To the right of the path is a large pond across which a walkway was being constructed. At the end of the mammal enclosures was a pool for New Zealand Shortfin Eels. The path then led on to the dinosaurs.


Cottontop Tamarin Saguinus oedipus

Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Meerkat Suricata suricatta
South African Crested Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis

New Zealand Shortfin Eel Anguilla australis

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Dinosaurs and Mythical Creatures:
A fairly large area occupied by animatronic dinosaurs (and a mammoth), and a barn for "mythical creatures", some of which are also animatronic. Photos of these can be seen in the gallery if interested. There is also an outdoor enclosure for American Alligators along the path.


American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis

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Buttermilk Farm:
Basically a "childrens zoo" with farm animals which can mostly be fed and patted. There is also a large aviary here which, when it was constructed, housed a variety of exotic parrots but now only contains Budgies. I only took a couple of photos here.

Alpaca
Goat
Sheep
Rabbit
Guinea Pig
Domestic Rat
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Domestic Chicken
Ostrich
Budgerigar