Springs Preserve List of Species On Exhibit 4/3/17

geomorph · 23 Apr 2017

This is an attempt to list every species on exhibit at the Origen Museum in the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, Nevada during my visit on 4-3-17. I am including species for which there is a sign on each exhibit. This list may be of more interest to those already familiar with the zoo-like "Desert Survival Trail" portion of this nice cultural and natural history museum since I am not arranging the species by animal type.

INDOOR EXHIBITS: (7 Exhibits)
This portion is signed as "The Desert After Hours".

7 small-sized pedestal terrariums, containing 1 species each:
Western Banded Gecko
Banded Desert Centipede
Desert Night Snake
Bark Scorpion
Desert Recluse Spider
Black Widow Spider
Black Widow Spider

OUTDOOR EXHIBITS: (20 Exhibits)
Nearly all of these exhibits are set in simulated rocky walls and caves.

Small-sized shelf terrarium with 2 burrow windows:
Rough Harvester Ant

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Desert Tarantula

Medium-sized wall terrarium with multiple burrow windows:
Botta's Pocket Gopher

Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Relict Leopard Frog

2 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each:
Great Basin Rattlesnake
Sidewinder

2 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each:
Pinacate Beetle
Vinegaroon

2 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each:
Thistledown Velvet Ant
Rough Harvester Ant

Small-sized yard with 3 small burrow windows:
Desert Tortoise

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Merriam's Kangaroo Rat

3 small-sized wall terrariums, 1 with 2 viewing windows:
Banded Gila Monster

Medium-sized wall terrarium with multiple viewing windows around its perimeter:
Desert Horned Lizard
Long-tailed Brush Lizard
Ornate Tree Lizard
Side-blotched Lizard

Medium-sized wall terrarium with multiple viewing windows around its perimeter:
Desert Spiny Lizard

Medium-sized wall terrarium with multiple viewing windows around its perimeter:
Chuckwalla
Desert Iguana
Great Basin Collared Lizard

Medium-sized netted yard with small den viewing window:
Gray Fox

Medium-sized netted yard with pop-up bubble viewing windows in crawl tunnel:
Desert Cottontail

SUMMARY:
By my count, the total number of exhibits currently at The Springs Preserve's Origen Museum is: 27

By my count, the total number of species in permanent exhibits with identification signs is: 28
The number of species I counted can be broken down into the following categories:
Mammals: 4
Birds: 0
Reptiles: 14
Amphibians: 1
Fish: 0
Invertebrates: 9

geomorph · 23 Apr 2017

There is an additional animal habitat at the Springs Preserve which is not within the Origen Museum: a fenced enclosure of native desert land that is several acres in size contains desert tortoise.

DavidBrown · 23 Apr 2017

They no longer have the pallid bat colony that they once did it looks like. Thanks for the species list.

What did you think of the facility over all? Will you write a review?

geomorph · 23 Apr 2017

DavidBrown, yes the pallid bats are gone but the interpretive batcave is still there with models of bats. I love the Springs Preserve and the Origen Museum is quite good. My review style is so lengthy that it keeps me from starting in the first place anymore, I seem to be happy just making species lists and posting photos now!

DavidBrown · 23 Apr 2017

geomorph said:
DavidBrown, yes the pallid bats are gone but the interpretive batcave is still there with models of bats. I love the Springs Preserve and the Origen Museum is quite good. My review style is so lengthy that it keeps me from starting in the first place anymore, I seem to be happy just making species lists and posting photos now!

I really like the Springs Preserve too. I remember that you did a report of several Vegas animal exhibits a few years back. With the demise of the awful zoo that was in Las Vegas, the closure of the MGM lion exhibit, and the departure of the African penguins from the Flamingo gardens there are fewer animal attractions than there once were (maybe not a bad thing given how bad some of them were).

I just saw that you posted pictures of the mermaid thing at the Silverton. Was that fun? Or cheesy garbage? Or both?

What was your impression of the Bass Pro wildlife exhibits? I've thought about going there if I ever go back to Vegas and would value your opinion of whether that is worth doing.

Did you enjoy Red Rock Canyon? I thought that interpretive area was great and definitely not advertised well enough - one of the great natural history and family attractions in Nevada.

Arizona Docent · 23 Apr 2017

Just for the record, that date should read 3/4/17 to most of you outside the United States. That is why I never abbreviate dates like this on an international forum - I always type out April 4.

I realize their animal collection is very small, but it is surprising they have no birds at all. Also it seems like at least one larger mammal - even something as common as bobcat or coyote - would draw in more visitors.

geomorph · 23 Apr 2017

DavidBrown, the Silverton Casino's Mermaid Aquarium tank was nice, and the adjoining Bass Pro Shop's 4 aquariums were fine too, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see them (again). I understand that many of the Bass Pro Shops have some sort of aquarium in them and that there are many throughout the country but this is the first one I had ever seen. In California for instance we have them in Rancho Cucamonga (Southern California/LA area) and in San Jose, Manteca, and Rocklin (Northern California). The mounted animal displays were numerous and impressive, such as a pride of lions and lions chasing a little herd of greater kudu, so I can easily recommend a visit for that. Red Rock Canyon was fantastic too, a very professionally-designed interpretive center!

SwampDonkey · 24 Apr 2017

Thank you for the information, every time I am in Las Vegas I think about going here but just have not made the time. I believe that I will try and squeeze it in next visit.

How is the Clark County Wetlands Park? I heard they have a smallish nature center too.

geomorph · 25 Apr 2017

tampasteve, I also went to the Clark County Wetlands Park on this trip and its nature center is very good...no live exhibits but museum-quality displays, worth a visit.

SwampDonkey · 25 Apr 2017

Nice, thanks for the info!

geomorph · 4 Jun 2018

When I posted this list last year I never embedded and of the gallery images I had uploaded, so here is a selection of some of the habitats and there are more in the gallery.