Day two of my Dallas trip involved me taking a visit to the city's most famous and well-renowned zoological facility (amongst other ZooChatters at least), the Dallas World Aquarium. Located in the heart of downtown Dallas, this facility isn't very well named- unlike most aquariums, it places more emphasis on South American birds than aquatic creatures! That being said, the "aquarium" houses a multitude of rare and unique bird and other animal species, some of which are the only members of their species not only in the US, but outside their native range. This makes this facility a treasure trove of countless Neotropical rarities, and is on the "must visit" list for many ZooChatters (including myself). However, this doesn't mean this place isn't void of any issues.
Firstly, the signage is just horrendous. Most exhibits have these tablet-sized screens that cycle through frivolous footage of the animals in the exhibit, and maybe give you a name or two if you're lucky. But not even a quarter of the animals (especially the birds and the fish) are shown, so you are left on your own to identify whatever you find (if you don't count the outdated field guide they give you upon purchasing your ticket). The Dallas World Aquarium is the worst facility I have ever been to when it comes to proper signage.
Secondly, some of the exhibits are subpar when it comes to both space and design. Some of the animals such as the free-flying birds, fish, and a few of the small reptiles have more than enough space to thrive, but for others, their enclosures are small, cramped, and bland. A few animals I can think of with horrible or mediocre exhibits include the flamingos, the otters, the pudu, and the dwarf caimans, just to name a few. I guess when you cram hundreds of animals into the space of a city block, quite a few species will have to pay the price for the sake of a large and diverse collection.
Overall though, the DWA has definitely earned the reputation it has of being a world-renowned facility, and it's definitely worth a visit. I would totally, without a doubt visit it again if I ever happen to be in the area again.
Now, onto the most important part: the species list.
Date Of Visit: 3/26/24
Species sharing an exhibit will be written on the same line and separated by commas.
And as always...
Red Text: Animal Off-Exhibit/No-Show (since almost nothing is signed, I will be basing this off of recent sightings of certain animals in an exhibit)
Regular Text: Animal present on my visit
Green Text: Indicates the start of a new zone
I did not pay any attention to what was signed and what wasn't this time around for the most part (almost all of them are unsigned anyway)
I have also indicated what exhibits/notable rarities are easy to miss and have provided tips on where to look.
The Dallas World Aquarium
Borneo:
Lesser Bird-Of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Pheasant Pigeon (Otidiphaps nobilis), Wompoo Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus)
Philippine Hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax)
Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)
Pesquet's Parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), Bali Mynah (Leucopsar rothschildi)
Fly River Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus)
Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), Great Argus (Argusianus argus)
Papuan Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), Great-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) (probably a wild individual who got stuck inside)
Great Indian Hornbill (Buceros bicornis), Victoria Crowned Pigeon (Goura victoria)
(All animals up to this point have been viewable before purchasing your tickets, so these were free exhibits
)
Matschie's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei)
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), Eastern Yellow-Billed Hornbill (Tockus flavirostris), Fischer's Turaco (Tauraco fischeri)
Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)
Blue-Throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) (Easy to miss; located in a glass cage above the stairs, near the restaurant)
The Orinoco Rainforest
Level 3: Canopy
Free Flight Birds (these birds have access to all 3 floors and can be found anywhere, although most of them prefer to be on Level 3): Crested Oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus), Green Oropendola (Psarocolius viridis), Red-Rumped Cacique (Cacicus haemorrhous), Purple-Throated Fruitcrow (Querula purpurata), Epaulet Oriole (Icterus cayanensis), Bay-Headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola), White-Throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) (Probably a wild individual who got trapped inside)
Jungle Jewels: Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana), Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), Guianan Red Cotinga (Phoenicircus carnifex), Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis), Brazilian Tanager (Ramphocelus bresilia), Golden-Headed Manakin (Ramphocelus bresilia)
Jungle Junction: Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), Red-Backed Bearded Saki (Chiropotes chiropotes), Northern Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi pauxi), Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco), Pale-Mandibled Aracari (Pteroglossus erythropygius), Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma)
Exhibit next to Jungle Junction and on top of the rocks (not visible anywhere else): Boat-Billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius), Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber), Black-Necked Aracari (Pteroglossus aracari)
Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor)
Monkey Island: Saw nothing, but heard that White-Faced Sakis (Pithecia pithecia) are supposed to be here.
(The entrance to Cloud Forest Trek starts here, but I will continue the rest of Level 3 first. This area can also be accessible by walking past the restrooms located right next to the Jungle Jewels exhibit.)
Western Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea)
Toucan Encounter: Lettered Aracari (Pteroglossus inscriptus humboldti), Ivory-Billed Aracari (Pteroglossus azara)
Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator), Many-Banded Aracari (Pteroglossus pluricinctus)
Howler Heights: Colombian Red Howler (Alouatta seniculus) (Easy to miss; located directly above the concession stand)
Cotinga Corner: Long-Wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger), Guianan Cock-Of-The-Rock (Rupicola rupicola), Capuchinbird (Perissocephalus tricolor)
Cloud Forest Trek:
Free Flight Birds (technically have access to the rest of the Orinoco, but it seems that most of the species here choose to stay in this section): Black-Necked Aracari (Pteroglossus aracari), Venezuelan Troupial (Icterus icterus), Epaulet Oriole (Icterus cayanensis), Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans), Red-Crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata), Blue-Gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
Rapids: White-Faced Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna viduata), Brazilian Teal (Amazonetta brasiliensis), Puna Teal (Spatula puna), Silver Teal (Spatula versicolor)
Lek Aviary: Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias), Plate-Billed Mountain Toucan (Andigena laminirostris), Golden-Headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps), Andean Cock-Of-The-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus), Capuchinbird (Perissocephalus tricolor), Guianan Red Cotinga (Perissocephalus tricolor), Yellow-Green Grosbeak (Caryothraustes canadensis), Blue-Gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
Black-And-White Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus) (EXTREMELY easy to miss; located to the left of the Lek Aviary. Has access to a part of its exhibit that is not viewable anywhere on the main paths, so you have to get lucky like I did and hope that they fly to the part of the cage that borders the Lek Aviary. From what I saw, there were at least two of them.)
Beneath The Canopy: Handsome Fruiteater (Pipreola formosa), Wire-Tailed Manakin (Pipra filicauda), Lance-Tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata), Golden-Headed Manakin (Ceratopipra erythrocephala), Bay-Headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola)
Sloth Forest: Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus) (Impossible to miss; there is no foliage on the branches it hangs on, so fortunately it is very easy to spot.)
Cottontop Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
Wall Terrariums (from left to right; signage was okay for the first few cages, but was soon replaced by a "See me on exhibit!" sticker instead. These stickers consist of just a simple picture of what is supposed to be inside, without any indication of what species it is. This a recurring occurrence that most of the other terrariums in the aquarium unfortunately have. Most of these ones I did not see anyway, so I will just list out everything that I saw:
Lehman's Poison Dart Frog
Harlequin Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga histrionica "anchicaya") (signed as Oophaga anchicaya)
Blue morph Harlequin Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga histrionica)
Cocorro (Oophaga andresi)
Fringed Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus)
Oophaga anchicayensis (recently split from the Harlequin Poison Dart Frog, so there's no English name from what I can find)
Limosa Harlequin Frog (Atelopus limosus) (one of the signed ones I didn't see)
Spotted Poison Frog (Ranitomeya vanzolinii)
Gliding Tree Frog (Agalychnis spurrelli)
Elegant Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus elegans)
Southern Pudu (Pudu puda) (Easy to miss; there's a thick layer of foliage in front of the enclosure, so you have to squat down to see it. Very easy to miss the entire exhibit if you don't know it's there. Like the eagles, seeing this rarity is again based almost purely on luck, as it has a small shelter it can retreat to, and it isn't possible to view it from there. I was lucky enough to see it out in the open eating.)
Level 2: Understory
Lobos Del Rio: Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) (Exhibit doesn't have one of those tablets, actually has proper signage!)
The Cave: Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulana)
Lizard Cove:
Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
Red-Footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius)
Hidden Treasures:
Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana), Purplish-Backed Quail-Dove (Zentrygon lawrencii), Black-Tailed Trogon (Trogon melanurus), Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus), Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis), Golden-Sided Euphonia (Euphonia cayennensis)
Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas), Blue-Banded Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis)
Yellow-Banded Poison Frog (Dendrobates leucomelas)
Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus)
The River's Edge:
Yellow-Headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix)
Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus), Blue Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus), Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
Bats and Bugs:
Curlyhair Tarantula (Tliltocatl albopilosus)
Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)
Mexican Fireleg Tarantula (Brachypelma boehmei)
Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi)
Crocodile Cove: Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius), Red-Bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
Flooded Forest:
Electric Eel (Electrophorus electricus)
Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle, Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum), Bigtooth River Stingray (Potamotrygon henlei), Prochilodus sp.
Ornate Horned Frog (Ceratophrys ornata)
Waterfowl in manatee pool (technically free flight, but never seem to go beyond the manatee exhibit): Black-Necked Swan (Cygnus melancoryphus), Orinoco Goose (Neochen jubata), Black-Bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis), Southern Pochard (Netta erythrophthalma)
Toucan Terrace:
Red Fan Parrot
Hoffman's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni), Nocturnal Curassow (Nothocrax urumutum)
Orinoco Goose (Neochen jubata), Puna Teal (Spatula puna), Gray-Winged Trumpeter, Yellow-Throated Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus)
Elegant Crested Tinamou (Eudromia elegans), Saffron Toucanet (Pteroglossus bailloni)
Hoffman's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)
Level 1: Aquatic
The River:
Common Surinam Toad (Pipa pipa)
Blue Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius "azureus")
Antillean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manphalus hemioliopterus), Arrau Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), Ripsaw Catfish (Oxydoras niger), Redtail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus)
Aquarium (many thanks to @DaLilFishie and @Sicarius for helping me identify some of the unsigned fish):
Solomon Islands:
Eyelight Fish (Photoblepharon palpebratum)
Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)
Southern Australia:
Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus eques) (Off-Exhibit)
Pot-Bellied Seahorse
Lord Howe Island: Conspicuous Angelfish, Two-Spined Angelfish Blue-Green Chromis (Chromis viridis), Whitesnout Anemonefish, Yellow-Brown Wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens)
Fiji: Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas), Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula), Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus), Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion), Sea Goldie (Pseudanthias squamipinnis), Squarespot Anthias (Pseudanthias pleurotaenia), Moon Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare)
Palau:
Helfrich's Firefish (Nemateleotris helfrichi)
Orangespine Unicornfish (Naso lituratus), Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum), Watanabei Angelfish (Genicanthus watanabei), Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus), Magnificent Rabbitfish (Siganus magnificus), Starck's Demoiselle (Chrysiptera starcki)
New Guinea:
Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus), Yellowtail Blue Damsel (Chrysiptera parasema), Jointed Razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus)
Emperor Angelfish Royal Blue Tang, Black-Lipped Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii), Squarespot Anthias (Pseudanthias pleurotaenia), Threadfin Cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacanthus)
British Colombia: Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Sri Lanka: Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon), Gem Tang (Zebrasoma gemmatum), Indian Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mitratus), Threadfin Anthias (Nemanthias carberryi)
Indonesia: Chocolate Surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus), Bellus Angelfish (Genicanthus bellus), Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni), Sunburst Anthias (Serranocirrhitus latus)
Fire Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica)
Denizens Of The Deep: Longspine Snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax), Japanese Spider Crab (Macrocheira kaempferi)
Japan: Bluelined Angelfish (Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis), Japanese Pygmy Angelfish (Centropyge interrupta), Wrought Iron Butterflyfish (Chaetodon daedalma), Powder Brown Tang (Acanthurus japonicus), Splendid Garden Eel (Gorgasia preclara)
Continental Shelf: Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray (Taeniura lymma), Orbicular Batfish (Platax orbicularis), Bignose Unicornfish (Naso vlamingii), Paletail Unicornfish (Naso brevirostris), Orangeband Surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus), Clown Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus), Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal), Bluecheek Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus), Threadfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga), Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis), Pacific Double-Saddle Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ulietensis), Pennant Butterflyfish (Heniochus acuminatus), Blue Girdled Angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus), Queensland Yellowtail Angelfish (Chaetodontoplus meridithii), Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), Golden-Spot Hogfish (Bodianus perditio), Magnificent Rabbitfish (Siganus magnificus), Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus), Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum), Crosshatch Triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento), Guineafowl Puffer (Arothron meleagris), Freckled Hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri), Lemon Damselfish (Pomacentrus moluccensis)
South Africa:
Blue Coua (Coua caerulea)
African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
Madagascar Big-Headed Turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis)
There were many other terrariums presumably housing small reptiles and amphibians, but due to the weather, they were all moved inside. There were no signage for any of these so I don't know what was in them.
Mundo Maya
Lower Level:
River Delta:
Mexican Alligator Lizard (Abronia graminea)
Hernandez's Helmeted Basilisk (Corytophanes hernandesii)
There were at least 2-3 other terrariums, but I saw nothing in them, nor did they have any signage.
Fishes Of The Cenote:
Mexican Cave Tetra (blind cave form) (Astyanax mexicanus)
Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) (located behind the tetra tank)
Los Petenes:
Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)
Cenote:
Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)
Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis microdon)
Marine Creatures:
Cane Toad (Rhinella marina)
Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger), Clarion Angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis)
Lined Seahorse (Hippocampus erectus), Longsnout Butterflyfish (Prognathodes aculeatus)
Gulf Pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli)
Serpent's Den:
Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus)
Fer-De-Lance (Bothrops asper)
Mexican Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum)
Neotropical rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) (Located behind the beaded lizard; separated by a glass barrier)
Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)
House Of Zotz:
Spectacled Owl (Strix varia)
Seba's Short-Tailed Bat (Carollia perspicillata)
Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)
Spiny-Tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis)
Upper Level:
Free Flight Birds: Red-Rumped Cacique (Cacicus haemorrhous), Yellow-Hooded Blackbird (Chrysomus icterocephalus), Spangled Cotinga (Cotinga cayana), Silver-Beaked Tanager (Ramphocelus carbo), Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea)
Caribbean Creatures: Lookdown (Selene vomer), Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus), French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru), Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), Spotfin Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus), Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus)
Aviary located between the netting of the Orinoco Rainforest and Mundo Maya: Chiriqui Quail-Dove (Zentrygon chiriquensis), Golden-Headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps), Amazonian Motmot (Momotus momota)
Birds Of El Triunfo: Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)
Mayan Temple: Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
Enclosures above the Mayan Temple:
Red-Backed Bearded Saki (Chiropotes chiropotes)
Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)
Selva Maya: Great Tinamou (Tinamus major), Keel-Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)
American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
Pelican Reef: Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
And that wraps up the entire species list for the Dallas World Aquarium. I know the collection of the DWA rapidly changes in a short period of time, but nevertheless, there hasn't been any recent species list for this facility in a while, so I hope this helped anyone out who needed it. My third and final list will involve me going outside the city of Dallas and into the Fort Worth Zoo.
Total Species: 228
Species Seen: 213 (14 no-shows, 1 off-exhibit)
Firstly, the signage is just horrendous. Most exhibits have these tablet-sized screens that cycle through frivolous footage of the animals in the exhibit, and maybe give you a name or two if you're lucky. But not even a quarter of the animals (especially the birds and the fish) are shown, so you are left on your own to identify whatever you find (if you don't count the outdated field guide they give you upon purchasing your ticket). The Dallas World Aquarium is the worst facility I have ever been to when it comes to proper signage.
Secondly, some of the exhibits are subpar when it comes to both space and design. Some of the animals such as the free-flying birds, fish, and a few of the small reptiles have more than enough space to thrive, but for others, their enclosures are small, cramped, and bland. A few animals I can think of with horrible or mediocre exhibits include the flamingos, the otters, the pudu, and the dwarf caimans, just to name a few. I guess when you cram hundreds of animals into the space of a city block, quite a few species will have to pay the price for the sake of a large and diverse collection.
Overall though, the DWA has definitely earned the reputation it has of being a world-renowned facility, and it's definitely worth a visit. I would totally, without a doubt visit it again if I ever happen to be in the area again.
Now, onto the most important part: the species list.
Date Of Visit: 3/26/24
Species sharing an exhibit will be written on the same line and separated by commas.
And as always...
Red Text: Animal Off-Exhibit/No-Show (since almost nothing is signed, I will be basing this off of recent sightings of certain animals in an exhibit)
Regular Text: Animal present on my visit
Green Text: Indicates the start of a new zone
I did not pay any attention to what was signed and what wasn't this time around for the most part (almost all of them are unsigned anyway)
I have also indicated what exhibits/notable rarities are easy to miss and have provided tips on where to look.
The Dallas World Aquarium
Borneo:
Lesser Bird-Of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Pheasant Pigeon (Otidiphaps nobilis), Wompoo Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus)
Philippine Hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax)
Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)
Pesquet's Parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), Bali Mynah (Leucopsar rothschildi)
Fly River Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus)
Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), Great Argus (Argusianus argus)
Papuan Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), Great-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) (probably a wild individual who got stuck inside)
Great Indian Hornbill (Buceros bicornis), Victoria Crowned Pigeon (Goura victoria)
(All animals up to this point have been viewable before purchasing your tickets, so these were free exhibits
)Matschie's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei)
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), Eastern Yellow-Billed Hornbill (Tockus flavirostris), Fischer's Turaco (Tauraco fischeri)
Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)
Blue-Throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) (Easy to miss; located in a glass cage above the stairs, near the restaurant)
The Orinoco Rainforest
Level 3: Canopy
Free Flight Birds (these birds have access to all 3 floors and can be found anywhere, although most of them prefer to be on Level 3): Crested Oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus), Green Oropendola (Psarocolius viridis), Red-Rumped Cacique (Cacicus haemorrhous), Purple-Throated Fruitcrow (Querula purpurata), Epaulet Oriole (Icterus cayanensis), Bay-Headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola), White-Throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) (Probably a wild individual who got trapped inside)
Jungle Jewels: Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana), Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa), Guianan Red Cotinga (Phoenicircus carnifex), Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis), Brazilian Tanager (Ramphocelus bresilia), Golden-Headed Manakin (Ramphocelus bresilia)
Jungle Junction: Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), Red-Backed Bearded Saki (Chiropotes chiropotes), Northern Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi pauxi), Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco), Pale-Mandibled Aracari (Pteroglossus erythropygius), Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma)
Exhibit next to Jungle Junction and on top of the rocks (not visible anywhere else): Boat-Billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius), Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber), Black-Necked Aracari (Pteroglossus aracari)
Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor)
Monkey Island: Saw nothing, but heard that White-Faced Sakis (Pithecia pithecia) are supposed to be here.
(The entrance to Cloud Forest Trek starts here, but I will continue the rest of Level 3 first. This area can also be accessible by walking past the restrooms located right next to the Jungle Jewels exhibit.)
Western Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea)
Toucan Encounter: Lettered Aracari (Pteroglossus inscriptus humboldti), Ivory-Billed Aracari (Pteroglossus azara)
Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator), Many-Banded Aracari (Pteroglossus pluricinctus)
Howler Heights: Colombian Red Howler (Alouatta seniculus) (Easy to miss; located directly above the concession stand)
Cotinga Corner: Long-Wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger), Guianan Cock-Of-The-Rock (Rupicola rupicola), Capuchinbird (Perissocephalus tricolor)
Cloud Forest Trek:
Free Flight Birds (technically have access to the rest of the Orinoco, but it seems that most of the species here choose to stay in this section): Black-Necked Aracari (Pteroglossus aracari), Venezuelan Troupial (Icterus icterus), Epaulet Oriole (Icterus cayanensis), Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans), Red-Crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata), Blue-Gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
Rapids: White-Faced Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna viduata), Brazilian Teal (Amazonetta brasiliensis), Puna Teal (Spatula puna), Silver Teal (Spatula versicolor)
Lek Aviary: Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias), Plate-Billed Mountain Toucan (Andigena laminirostris), Golden-Headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps), Andean Cock-Of-The-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus), Capuchinbird (Perissocephalus tricolor), Guianan Red Cotinga (Perissocephalus tricolor), Yellow-Green Grosbeak (Caryothraustes canadensis), Blue-Gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
Black-And-White Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus) (EXTREMELY easy to miss; located to the left of the Lek Aviary. Has access to a part of its exhibit that is not viewable anywhere on the main paths, so you have to get lucky like I did and hope that they fly to the part of the cage that borders the Lek Aviary. From what I saw, there were at least two of them.)
Beneath The Canopy: Handsome Fruiteater (Pipreola formosa), Wire-Tailed Manakin (Pipra filicauda), Lance-Tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata), Golden-Headed Manakin (Ceratopipra erythrocephala), Bay-Headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola)
Sloth Forest: Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus) (Impossible to miss; there is no foliage on the branches it hangs on, so fortunately it is very easy to spot.)
Cottontop Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
Wall Terrariums (from left to right; signage was okay for the first few cages, but was soon replaced by a "See me on exhibit!" sticker instead. These stickers consist of just a simple picture of what is supposed to be inside, without any indication of what species it is. This a recurring occurrence that most of the other terrariums in the aquarium unfortunately have. Most of these ones I did not see anyway, so I will just list out everything that I saw:
Lehman's Poison Dart Frog
Harlequin Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga histrionica "anchicaya") (signed as Oophaga anchicaya)
Blue morph Harlequin Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga histrionica)
Cocorro (Oophaga andresi)
Fringed Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus)
Oophaga anchicayensis (recently split from the Harlequin Poison Dart Frog, so there's no English name from what I can find)
Limosa Harlequin Frog (Atelopus limosus) (one of the signed ones I didn't see)
Spotted Poison Frog (Ranitomeya vanzolinii)
Gliding Tree Frog (Agalychnis spurrelli)
Elegant Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus elegans)
Southern Pudu (Pudu puda) (Easy to miss; there's a thick layer of foliage in front of the enclosure, so you have to squat down to see it. Very easy to miss the entire exhibit if you don't know it's there. Like the eagles, seeing this rarity is again based almost purely on luck, as it has a small shelter it can retreat to, and it isn't possible to view it from there. I was lucky enough to see it out in the open eating.)
Level 2: Understory
Lobos Del Rio: Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) (Exhibit doesn't have one of those tablets, actually has proper signage!)
The Cave: Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulana)
Lizard Cove:
Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
Red-Footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius)
Hidden Treasures:
Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana), Purplish-Backed Quail-Dove (Zentrygon lawrencii), Black-Tailed Trogon (Trogon melanurus), Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus), Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis), Golden-Sided Euphonia (Euphonia cayennensis)
Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas), Blue-Banded Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis)
Yellow-Banded Poison Frog (Dendrobates leucomelas)
Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus)
The River's Edge:
Yellow-Headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix)
Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus), Blue Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus), Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
Bats and Bugs:
Curlyhair Tarantula (Tliltocatl albopilosus)
Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)
Mexican Fireleg Tarantula (Brachypelma boehmei)
Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi)
Crocodile Cove: Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius), Red-Bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
Flooded Forest:
Electric Eel (Electrophorus electricus)
Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle, Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum), Bigtooth River Stingray (Potamotrygon henlei), Prochilodus sp.
Ornate Horned Frog (Ceratophrys ornata)
Waterfowl in manatee pool (technically free flight, but never seem to go beyond the manatee exhibit): Black-Necked Swan (Cygnus melancoryphus), Orinoco Goose (Neochen jubata), Black-Bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis), Southern Pochard (Netta erythrophthalma)
Toucan Terrace:
Red Fan Parrot
Hoffman's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni), Nocturnal Curassow (Nothocrax urumutum)
Orinoco Goose (Neochen jubata), Puna Teal (Spatula puna), Gray-Winged Trumpeter, Yellow-Throated Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus)
Elegant Crested Tinamou (Eudromia elegans), Saffron Toucanet (Pteroglossus bailloni)
Hoffman's Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni)
Level 1: Aquatic
The River:
Common Surinam Toad (Pipa pipa)
Blue Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius "azureus")
Antillean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manphalus hemioliopterus), Arrau Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), Ripsaw Catfish (Oxydoras niger), Redtail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus)
Aquarium (many thanks to @DaLilFishie and @Sicarius for helping me identify some of the unsigned fish):
Solomon Islands:
Eyelight Fish (Photoblepharon palpebratum)
Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)
Southern Australia:
Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus eques) (Off-Exhibit)
Pot-Bellied Seahorse
Lord Howe Island: Conspicuous Angelfish, Two-Spined Angelfish Blue-Green Chromis (Chromis viridis), Whitesnout Anemonefish, Yellow-Brown Wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens)
Fiji: Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas), Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula), Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus), Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion), Sea Goldie (Pseudanthias squamipinnis), Squarespot Anthias (Pseudanthias pleurotaenia), Moon Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare)
Palau:
Helfrich's Firefish (Nemateleotris helfrichi)
Orangespine Unicornfish (Naso lituratus), Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum), Watanabei Angelfish (Genicanthus watanabei), Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus), Magnificent Rabbitfish (Siganus magnificus), Starck's Demoiselle (Chrysiptera starcki)
New Guinea:
Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus), Yellowtail Blue Damsel (Chrysiptera parasema), Jointed Razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus)
Emperor Angelfish Royal Blue Tang, Black-Lipped Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii), Squarespot Anthias (Pseudanthias pleurotaenia), Threadfin Cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacanthus)
British Colombia: Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Sri Lanka: Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon), Gem Tang (Zebrasoma gemmatum), Indian Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mitratus), Threadfin Anthias (Nemanthias carberryi)
Indonesia: Chocolate Surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus), Bellus Angelfish (Genicanthus bellus), Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni), Sunburst Anthias (Serranocirrhitus latus)
Fire Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica)
Denizens Of The Deep: Longspine Snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax), Japanese Spider Crab (Macrocheira kaempferi)
Japan: Bluelined Angelfish (Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis), Japanese Pygmy Angelfish (Centropyge interrupta), Wrought Iron Butterflyfish (Chaetodon daedalma), Powder Brown Tang (Acanthurus japonicus), Splendid Garden Eel (Gorgasia preclara)
Continental Shelf: Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray (Taeniura lymma), Orbicular Batfish (Platax orbicularis), Bignose Unicornfish (Naso vlamingii), Paletail Unicornfish (Naso brevirostris), Orangeband Surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus), Clown Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus), Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal), Bluecheek Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus), Threadfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga), Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis), Pacific Double-Saddle Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ulietensis), Pennant Butterflyfish (Heniochus acuminatus), Blue Girdled Angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus), Queensland Yellowtail Angelfish (Chaetodontoplus meridithii), Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), Golden-Spot Hogfish (Bodianus perditio), Magnificent Rabbitfish (Siganus magnificus), Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus), Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum), Crosshatch Triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento), Guineafowl Puffer (Arothron meleagris), Freckled Hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri), Lemon Damselfish (Pomacentrus moluccensis)
South Africa:
Blue Coua (Coua caerulea)
African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
Madagascar Big-Headed Turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis)
There were many other terrariums presumably housing small reptiles and amphibians, but due to the weather, they were all moved inside. There were no signage for any of these so I don't know what was in them.
Mundo Maya
Lower Level:
River Delta:
Mexican Alligator Lizard (Abronia graminea)
Hernandez's Helmeted Basilisk (Corytophanes hernandesii)
There were at least 2-3 other terrariums, but I saw nothing in them, nor did they have any signage.
Fishes Of The Cenote:
Mexican Cave Tetra (blind cave form) (Astyanax mexicanus)
Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) (located behind the tetra tank)
Los Petenes:
Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)
Cenote:
Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)
Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis microdon)
Marine Creatures:
Cane Toad (Rhinella marina)
Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger), Clarion Angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis)
Lined Seahorse (Hippocampus erectus), Longsnout Butterflyfish (Prognathodes aculeatus)
Gulf Pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli)
Serpent's Den:
Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus)
Fer-De-Lance (Bothrops asper)
Mexican Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum)
Neotropical rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) (Located behind the beaded lizard; separated by a glass barrier)
Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)
House Of Zotz:
Spectacled Owl (Strix varia)
Seba's Short-Tailed Bat (Carollia perspicillata)
Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)
Spiny-Tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis)
Upper Level:
Free Flight Birds: Red-Rumped Cacique (Cacicus haemorrhous), Yellow-Hooded Blackbird (Chrysomus icterocephalus), Spangled Cotinga (Cotinga cayana), Silver-Beaked Tanager (Ramphocelus carbo), Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea)
Caribbean Creatures: Lookdown (Selene vomer), Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus), French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru), Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), Spotfin Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus), Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus)
Aviary located between the netting of the Orinoco Rainforest and Mundo Maya: Chiriqui Quail-Dove (Zentrygon chiriquensis), Golden-Headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps), Amazonian Motmot (Momotus momota)
Birds Of El Triunfo: Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)
Mayan Temple: Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
Enclosures above the Mayan Temple:
Red-Backed Bearded Saki (Chiropotes chiropotes)
Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)
Selva Maya: Great Tinamou (Tinamus major), Keel-Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)
American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
Pelican Reef: Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
And that wraps up the entire species list for the Dallas World Aquarium. I know the collection of the DWA rapidly changes in a short period of time, but nevertheless, there hasn't been any recent species list for this facility in a while, so I hope this helped anyone out who needed it. My third and final list will involve me going outside the city of Dallas and into the Fort Worth Zoo.
Total Species: 228
Species Seen: 213 (14 no-shows, 1 off-exhibit)
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