Fresno Chaffee Zoo Fresno Zoo Species List 2023

[Coelacanth18]

I last made a species list for Fresno Chaffee Zoo in March 2019 and the lineup/exhibits have seen a good amount of change since then, so I’ve made an updated list as of November 2023.

Each line indicates an enclosure. Species that were not seen are in italics, and species that were unsigned are noted as such.

Total Species (excl. fish): 103
Mammals: 29
Birds: 39
Reptiles: 29
Amphibians: 6
Fish: a few, uncounted

Wolf Woods
Red Wolf

Yard outside Reptile House
Crested Screamer, Galapagos Tortoise

Reptile House (in no particular order)
Fijian Banded Iguana
Sheltopusik
Waxy Monkey Tree Frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor)
Spider Tortoise
Prehensile-tailed Skink
Emerald Tree Boa, Poison Dart Frogs (not signed to species; saw Dyeing (2 color morphs, Blue and another one), Golden, and Yellow-banded)
Black-breasted Leaf Turtle, Chinese Crocodile Lizard
Baja Blue Rock Lizard, Gila Monster, San Esteban Chuckwalla
Indigo Snake (Drymarchon sp – digital signage was broken)
California Tiger Salamander
Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle, Boesemann’s Rainbowfish
Philippine Pitviper (Trimeresurus mcgregori)
King Cobra
Biak Tree Monitor
Gray’s Monitor (Butaan)
Black Tree Monitor
Tentacled Snake, Magnificent Tree Frog (Litoria splendida)
Blood Python (Python brongersmai)
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Giant Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma asio)
Taylor’s Cantil
2 empty and unsigned enclosures

Australasian Aviary (walk-through)
Masked Lapwing, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Nicobar Pigeon

Sea Lion Cove
California Sea Lion, Harbor Seal

Kingdoms of Asia (NEW)

Songbird Aviary
Beautiful Fruit Dove, Chinese Hwamei, Bali Myna, Golden-crested Myna, Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon, White-throated Ground Dove, Red-billed Leiothrix, Crested Wood Partridge, Indochinese Box Turtle

Other Exhibits
Malayan Tiger (2 yards)
Sunda Gharial, Malaysian Giant Turtle (Orlitia borneensis), (unsigned) Bala Shark Minnows
Sloth Bear, Asian Small-clawed Otter
Sumatran Orangutan, Siamang
Rhinoceros Hornbill
Future yard for Babirusa and Malayan Tapir
Komodo Dragon

Miscellaneous Older Exhibits between Sea Lion Cove and Kingdoms of Asia
Large Open-topped Yard: Giant Anteater
Small Glass-fronted Grotto: signed as temporarily empty
Open-topped Moated Exhibit: Ring-tailed Lemur
Small Open-topped Yard: Fennec Fox
Large Cage: Guereza Colobus
3 Smaller Cages: Red Ruffed Lemur (2 adjoining cages), Common Squirrel Monkey

Yard across from Kingdoms of Asia entrance
American Flamingo

Stingray Bay (extra admission cost)
Due to additional cost and time restraints I skipped this area; according to the website it has Atlantic Cownose Rays, Southern Stingrays, Nurse Sharks and bamboo sharks

Roo Walkabout (Walk-through Yard)
Red Kangaroo, Tammar Wallaby, Emu

Side Aviary: Laughing Kookaburra

Conservation Action Center (building across from Roo Walkabout)
Not yet completed; when opened it will house Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards

Yards across from Roo Walkabout
Chacoan Peccary (2 yards)

Bird of Prey Aviaries
King Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Andean Condor

Tropical Birdhouse (ring of 3 small outdoor aviaries)
Boat-billed Heron
Socorro Dove
Troupial

Tropical Rainforest Aviary (walk-through)

Side Enclosures
Hyacinth Macaw
(unsigned) Blue-throated Macaw
Empty – once home to Prehensile-tailed Porcupine and Six-banded Armadillo

Main Walk-Through
Black-winged Stilt, Blue-and-Yellow Macaw, Blue-crowned Motmot, Blue-throated Piping Guan, Cape Thick-knee, Inca Tern, Laysan Teal, Puna Teal, Ringed Teal, Roseate Spoonbill, Scarlet Ibis, Sunbittern, Red-lored Amazon, (unsigned) Boat-billed Heron

Tropical Treasures (Indoor Exhibit attached to Aviary):
This building from my 2019 visit is now blocked off and inaccessible to the public. My understanding from reading the master plan is that it is slated for demolition.

Yard outside Tropical Rainforest Aviary
American Alligator

African Adventure

Individual Exhibits
Cheetah
African Lion
Meerkat, Radiated Tortoise
Warthog

Mixed-Species Savanna
There are multiple yards making up this savanna, and I’m not 100% clear the extent to which the different animals mingle. Therefore, I will just list all of them together:

African Elephant, White Rhino, Giraffe, Blue Wildebeest, Impala, Slender-horned Gazelle, Common Eland, Greater Kudu, Ostrich, Pink-backed Pelican

 

[DavidBrown]

Thanks for the species list. I was at the Fresno Zoo three weeks ago and there was a blunt-nosed leopard lizard in the reptile house. I wonder if it passed away or was otherwise moved from one of the empty exhibits. As you note, it looks like their new conservation center will prominently display blunt-nosed leopard lizards, which will be great for raising the profile of this California endemic species with the public.

I was thrilled to see the species, as I have always wanted to see one since learning about them as an endemic Californian endangered species,

 

[Coelacanth18]

I was at the Fresno Zoo three weeks ago and there was a blunt-nosed leopard lizard in the reptile house. I wonder if it passed away or was otherwise moved from one of the empty exhibits.

I knew the reptile house had them on display over the summer, seeing them was one of the reasons I ventured up there. Figures I'd miss the mark by less than a month but at least I know they'll be back by next year, which is usually not the case when a rare species is taken off the roster.

 

[DavidBrown]

I knew the reptile house had them on display over the summer, seeing them was one of the reasons I ventured up there. Figures I'd miss the mark by less than a month but at least I know they'll be back by next year, which is usually not the case when a rare species is taken off the roster.

I went to look for the blunt-nosed leopard lizard in August and it was aestivating, much to my disappointment. I went back through in early October and I saw its little head poking out of its tunnel.