jbnbsn99 and ituri go to Arizona

Well apparently I did not see the black scoter, or if I did it was a different speck than the one I thought. Attached is as tight a crop as I can make from my not-very-telephoto picture of the one that I thought the birdwatcher with the binoculars was pointing out to me. But I did a quick Google Images search (since a duck is a duck to me) and black scoters are actually black whereas this unknown duck has a lot of white.
 

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Sorry it's been a few days since the last update. Work has been ever so much fun.

We met up with AD and our mystery guest (who shall remain nameless, for evermore... wait... I'm not teaching Poe this week) around 10ish, and we headed into the zoo.

Reid Park Zoo is small, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a classic zoo with most of your basic species. Honestly, I can find nothing much wrong with this lovely zoo at all. The highlight of the zoo is the new elephant expansion. A lot has been said about it on here, so I will just give my few comments. After having been around Dallas' new exhibit, I can help but thinking... meh. It's a large expanse, which is great for the animals to roam about, but isn't much that I find "awe-inspiring." Sight lines are mostly through cable fences. The nicest looking exhibit (of the two visible yards) was far from the one visitor viewing area. Overall, a solid exhibit, but could have a lot more going for it.

My favorite exhibit, hands down was the exhibit for Rhino and Speke's Gazelle. This exhibit, just by the combination of the two species was exciting and dynamic. Add into that the multiple viewing points and the excellent design, it is hands down the single best exhibit in the zoo (in my humble opinion).

The recent expansion of the former Polar Bear exhibit (now for 2 Grizzly Bears) comes across much better in person than it does in pictures. It was far bigger than I expected. Not the biggest I've seen, but by no means the smallest.

I got to see two new mammal species at RPZ; the Visayan Warty Pig and the Spotted-Necked Otter, but a delight to see. The otter was on her fist day on exhibit, and was highly active and entertaining.

Overall, Reid Park is a well-balance and lovely zoo. I'd recommend it, and I look forward to the plans it has in its future.
 
jbnbsn99 said:
My favorite exhibit, hands down was the exhibit for Rhino and Speke's Gazelle. This exhibit, just by the combination of the two species was exciting and dynamic. Add into that the multiple viewing points and the excellent design, it is hands down the single best exhibit in the zoo (in my humble opinion).
Click to expand...

Yes, I definitely concur.
 
For those who are interested, inspired by geomorph's San Diego thread, I decided to do an exhibit by exhibit breakdown of some of the zoo's I've been to lately. Here is Reid Park Zoo:

REID PARK ZOO

ASIA
1. White-handed Gibbon
2. Malayan Tiger
3. Malayan Sun Bear
4. Visayan Warty Pig
5. Sarus Crane

AFRICA
6. Grevy’s Zebra, Ostrich, East African Crowned Crane
7. Leopard Tortoise
8. Radiated Tortoise
9. Southern White Rhinoceros, Speke’s Gazelle
10. Giraffe
11. South African Bush Elephant
12. Spotted-necked Otter
13. African Lion
14. Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur

ADAPTATIONS
15. Grizzly Bear
16. Aldabra Tortoise
17. Lion-tailed Macaque
18. Chilean Flamingo
19. Flight Connection Aviary
a. Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Moluccan Friarbird
b. Sulfur-crested Cockatoo
c. Trumpeter Hornbill
d. Great Hornbill
e. Hottentot Teal, Marbled Teal, Great Argus Pheasant, Blue-bellied Roller, Bearded Barbet Spotted Dikkop, Violaceous Turaco, Eclectus Parrot, Luzon Bleeding-heart Dove, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Blue Crowned Pigeon, Nicobar Pigeon, Wattled Starling, Emerald Starling, Grosbeak Starling, White-rumped Shama, Taveta Golden Weaver
20. Education Center
a. Green Tree Python
b. Inland Bearded Dragon
c. Marsh Turtle, Western Painted Turtle, Common Musk Turtle, Mosquitofish

SOUTH AMERICA
21. Dwarf Caiman, Amazon Yellow-spotted River Turtle, Black Pacu, Suckermouth Catfish
22. Empty
23. Military Macaw, Blue-and-yellow Macaw
24. King Vulture, Red-footed Tortoise
25. Elegant-crested Tinamou, Yellow-knobbed Curassow, White-faced Whistling-duck, Wood Duck, Rosybill Pochard, Boat-billed Heron, Scarlet Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Red-capped Cardinal, Blue-and-yellow Tanager
26. Andean Bear
27. Giant Anteater
28. Guanaco, Black-necked Swan
29. Llama, Greater Rhea, Galapagos Tortoise
30. Yellow-footed Tortoise
31. Capybara, Rosybill Pochard, Speckled Teal
32. Baird’s Tapir
33. Jaguar
 
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Very impressive! (Of course our small zoo is a bit easier than San Diego). Still that is an amazingly complete list, with only a couple tortoises missing. In African, there is a yard next to leopard tortoise with radiated tortoise. In South America, there is a yard in front of capybara with yellow footed and red footed tortoise.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Very impressive! (Of course our small zoo is a bit easier than San Diego). Still that is an amazingly complete list, with only a couple tortoises missing. In African, there is a yard next to leopard tortoise with radiated tortoise. In South America, there is a yard in front of capybara with yellow footed and red footed tortoise.
Click to expand...

Doesn't Reid Park have tamanduas also?
 
Arizona Docent said:
Very impressive! (Of course our small zoo is a bit easier than San Diego). Still that is an amazingly complete list, with only a couple tortoises missing. In African, there is a yard next to leopard tortoise with radiated tortoise. In South America, there is a yard in front of capybara with yellow footed and red footed tortoise.
Click to expand...

I did forget those ones. Thanks Arizona Docent!
 
Ituri, thank you for the list of Reid Park Zoo animals. Despite our laments that collections are increasingly becoming identical from zoo to zoo, it is interesting to note that about 35 of the species at Reid Park Zoo are not on exhibit at San Diego Zoo!
 
The museum that's a zoo

From Reid Park, we headed across town to a very different kind of zoo (well, after lunch at a nearby Jack in the Box).

Over the years, I've heard many things about the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Aside from its pretentious title, everything I had read and heard told me it is one of the zoological highlights in the world. I still didn't know what to fully expect.

ASDM is the most limited zoological collection in existence. It only focuses on flora and fauna (and geology, and history, and culture) of the Sonoran Desert. I wish there were more places like the ASDM. The narrow focus really is superb.

To give a run-down and full review is probably beyond my scope. I would suggest reading snowleopard's review. Or maybe I'll make ituri write the review for this section. :D

What I will comment on is the overall vibe of the place. First off, I think every zoo should have the pin-point detail that ASDM has. The museum element is perfect. I've thought this for years - you cannot exhibit animals in isolation. Let me say that again - you cannot exhibit animals in isolation.

Without the element of environment, we cannot appreciate the animal.
Without the element of time, we cannot appreciate the animal.
Without the element of culture, we cannot appreciate the animal.

ASDM makes every effort to put every animal in the context of time, environment, culture, geology, etc unlike any place I've ever seen. I WANT MORE!

I have only a few complaints of the place. The cat canyon is woefully outdated compared to the rest of the facility (plus, it needs more cat species). There are a few major species missing, that I feel could really add to the overall "punch" of the facility. Missing were Mule Deer, Pronghorn, and Jaguar. The lack of these charismatic megafauna is sorely missed. The focus on the small animals is highly commended, but that needs to be balanced with keystone species.

A jaguar exhibit located in a new "sky island" exhibit would be a near-perfect climax to the near-perfect zoo.

The setting of the ASDM inside (or just on the edge) of the Saguaro National Forest is magical. I cannot imagine a more perfect setting for this place.

Oh yea, I birded there too. I got 5 new species there.

I guess I should tell the story of one of the birds.
As we were leaving in the parking lot, ituri looked at me and said: "You know, there's one bird I wished we would have gotten here. A phainopepla."
Me: "Maybe we can get it back in Phoenix."
Ituri: "Nope, they aren't that far north."
Me: "What's that bird up ahead in the tree?"
Ituri: "Could it be?"
Me: "There's your Phainopepla!"

And there it was, posing for us in all it's glory. The bird gods smiled on us that one time.
 
jbnbsn99 said:
I guess I should tell the story of one of the birds.
As we were leaving in the parking lot, ituri looked at me and said: "You know, there's one bird I wished we would have gotten here. A phainopepla."
Me: "Maybe we can get it back in Phoenix."
Ituri: "Nope, they aren't that far north."
Me: "What's that bird up ahead in the tree?"
Ituri: "Could it be?"
Me: "There's your Phainopepla!"

And there it was, posing for us in all it's glory. The bird gods smiled on us that one time.
Click to expand...

After you left I found three more Phainopepla in the desert east of Phoenix, guess I was wrong :D
 
Continuing what I did for Reid Park, here is my attempt at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This was a much larger challenge. Two of the areas are only approximations based on faulty memory, as I was unable to record the species there. Life on the Rocks, which has horrible signage and is very confusing about what animals you could even expect to find there, and the Warden Aquarium, which in true aquarium fashion has those rotating electronic signs that take 15 minutes to cycle through every fish in the tank (my attention span wouldn't allow me to record those). So I took the species list from their website and added a couple I noticed that weren't on it.

ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM

REPTILES, AMPHIIBIAN & INVERTEBRATE HALL
1. Spiny-tailed Iguana, San Esteban Island Chuckwalla
2. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
3. Arizona Black Rattlesnake
4. Mojave Rattlesnake
5. Sidewinder
6. Desert Rosy Boa
7. Western Hognose Snake
8. California Kingsnake (amelanistic)
9. Glossy Snake
10. Baja Rat Snake
11. Taylor’s Cantil
12. Arizona Mountain Kingsnake
13. Red Coachwhip
14. Tiger Rattlesnake
15. Green Rat Snake
16. Speckled Rattlesnake
17. Eastern Collared Lizard
18. Brown Vine Snake
19. Black-tailed Rattlesnake
20. Sonoran Desert Toad, Great Plains Toad
21. Green Toad, Red-spotted Toad
22. Woodhouse’s Toad
23. Sonoran Green Toad
24. Tiger Salamander
25. Empty
26. Marine Toad
27. Fishing Spider
28. Arizona Blond Tarantula
29. Black Widow Spider
30. Net-web Spider
31. Vinegaroon
32. Giant Hairy Scorpion
33. Funnel-web Spider
34. Arizona Bark Scorpion
35. Sonoran Giant Centipede
36. Short Horn Walking Stick
37. Large Milkweed Bug
38. Bird Grasshopper
39. Velvet Ant
40. Blue Death Feigning Beetle
41. Isopod
42. Desert Millipede
43. Mexican Fireleg Tarantula


EARTH SCIENCE CENTER
44. Crayfish

MOUNTAIN WOODLAND
45. Thick-billed Parrot
46. Mountain Lion
47. American Black Bear
48. Coue’s White-tailed Deer, Merriam’s Wild Turkey
49. American Kestrel
50. Mexican Gray Wolf
51. Western Scrub-jay

DESERT GRASSLANDS
52. Desert Box Turtle
53. Prairie Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake
54. Western Hognose Snake
55. Desert Massasauga
56. Burrowing Owl
57. Stripe-tailed Scorpion
58. Arizona Blond Tarantula
59. Long-nosed Snake
60. Great Blue Heron
61. Black-tailed Prairie Dog

LIFE on the ROCKS (approximation)
62. Elf Owl
63. White-winged Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon, Lowland Leopard Frog, Canyon Treefrog, Red-spotted Toad, Longfin Dace, Speckled Dace, Sonoran Sucker, Loach Minnow
64. Harris’s Antelope Squirrel
65. Northern Hognose Skunk
66. Sonoran Desert Toad
67. Rosy Boa
68. Glossy Snake
69. Greater Roadrunner
70. Desert Night Lizard
71. Giant Crab Spider
72. Arizona Blond Tarantula
73. Speckled Rattlesnake, Tiger Rattlesnake
74. Black-tailed Rattlesnake
75. Desert Millipede
76. Leaf-cutter Ants
77. Tailless Whipscorpion
78. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
79. Black Widow Spider
80. Arizona Bark Scorpion

ARIZONA UPLAND
81. Coyote
82. Collared Peccary
83. Common Chuckwalla, Eastern Collared Lizard

CAT CANYON
84. North American Porcupine
85. Ocelot
86. Bobcat
87. Gray Fox

RIPARIAN CORRIDOR
88. White-nosed Coati
89. American Beaver, Colorado Pikeminnow
90. Northern River Otter
91. Speckled Dace
92. Bonytail Chub
93. Desert Pupfish
94. Gila Topminnow
95. Sinaloan Cichlid
96. Desert Bighorn Sheep

AVIARY AREA
97. Desert Tortoise
98. Black-bellied Whistling-duck, Mallard, Gambel’s Quail, Masked Bobwhite, Costa’s Hummingbird, Lilac-crowned Parrot, White-winged Dove, Inca Dove, Mourning Dove, Steller’s Jay, Verdin, Hermit Thrush, Rufous-backed Robin, Curve-billed Thrasher, Black-headed Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Western Tanager, Great-tailed Grackle
99. Costa’s Hummingbird, Anna’s Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird

LIFE UNDERGROUND
100. Kit Fox
101. Arizona Blond Tarantula
102. Merriam’s Kangaroo-rat
103. Sonoran Lyre Snake
104. Western Spotted Skunk
105. Western Banded Gecko
106. Ringtail Cacomistle
107. Night Snake
108. Glossy Snake
109. Desert Millipede

WARDEN AQUARIUM (approximation)
• Colorado Pikeminnow
• Razorback Sucker
• Apache Trout
• Bonytail Chub
• Flannelmouth Sucker
• Roundtail Chub
• Beautiful Shiner
• Yaqui Chub
• Yaqui Catfish
• Mexican Stoneroller
• Yaqui Topminnow
• Sonoyta Pupfish
• Rio Sonoyta Longfin Dace
• Pacific Seahorse
• Horn Shark
• California Sea Hare
• Pacific Boxfish
• Longnose Butterflyfish
• Guineafowl Puffer
• Spotted Sharpnose Puffer
• Spotted Garden Eel
• Longnose Hawkfish
• King Angelfish
• Scrawled Filefish
• Black Triggerfish
• Rockmover Wrasse
• Blue-spotted Jawfish
• Popeye Catalufa
• Tailspot Cardinalfish
• Bigscale Soldierfish
• Frogfish
• Scorpionfish
• Balloonfish
• Starry Moray
• Jewel Moray
• Zebra Moray
• Mexican Lookdown
• Cortez Angelfish
• Pacific Creole
• Coral Hawkfish
• Sunset Wrasse
• Cortez Rainbow Wrasse
• Achilles Tang
• Barberfish
• Convict Surgeonfish
• Yellowtail Surgeonfish
• Whitecheek Surgeonfish
• Threebanded Butterflyfish
• Moorish Idol

Perhaps Arizona Docent can help me sort out Life on the Rocks a little better!
 
Ituri said:
(my attention span wouldn't allow me to record those).
Click to expand...

Your attention span was far higher than mine was. I got extremely claustrophobic in most (all?) of the halls and had to leave pretty quickly. Because of this, I probably missed a few species. I never realized how badly claustrophobic I was until ASDM on a busy day.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Very nice list for ASDM. Only thing I noticed is Life On The Rocks, number 69 Roadrunner should also have gila monster. (Unless it is no longer there, but every time I have gone since the exhibit opened there has always been one). Here is a photo of it in the large exhibit which elicited several replies: http://www.zoochat.com/541/worlds-best-gila-monster-exhibit-147114/
Click to expand...

Thanks, I wasn't sure if the roadrunner shared the space with Gila Monsters or not (given their penchant for eating reptiles, but I suppose Gilas are big and tough enough to fend for themselves).
 
(...........sound of crickets chirping..............)
The thread has fallen asleep and we never got to hear about their final day. After the two Tucson zoos on Tuesday, I think they went to the Phoenix Zoo on Wednesday? Can we get a report?

(While we are waiting, here are a pair of shots from the Reid Park visit to tide us over....)
 

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