This simple of an answer is utterly false and way over simplified to the philosophies of mixed species. If given ample space, many snake species can THRIVE in mixed species environments. I have seen Red-tailed ratsnakes, a species that seldom reaches the ground, mixed with a Blood Python, a species that never leaves the ground and stays in one place all day, in a mixed species exhibit with no problems. To say that it is risky to mix snakes or to say you don't think my specific mix of three species would work is a valid opinion, but to say snakes can't be mixed at all is a completely false statement.
Mixed species exhibit ideas
- Thread starter LowlandGorilla4
- Start date
I'm not sure about the amount of peafowl to be honest, as these are normally monogamous pairs. I'd only keep 1.1 to be honest.
Paradise Shelduck are usually too aggressive to keep with other waterfowl
Two of your Robin Chats will pair up, and kill the other two.
Emerald Starlings, on the other hand, would do better in a larger group. Also, as said elsewhere, Congo Peafowl are monogamous
1: Seems like the kangaroos could stress out the koala's, and you also increase the risk of disease transfer which is never a good idea with koala's.
2: Has been done, would only be careful with harbor pups and grey males together.
3: I think this could work, as ducks + red panda does
4: Should work, has been done plenty of times before
5: Same as always, mixing snakes both in terms of individuals and species is already a risk for most species. These do come from roughly the same region, but that doesn't give any guarantee. And whilst many species can live together for years, this does not give any guarantee that they thrive. I've known 4 cobra in my local zoo living in the same exhibit for 6+ years or so, and then suddenly 2 vanished in thin air (or at least that's what it must have looked like for the keepers). And when looking at your average American snake terrarium, I wouldn't exactly speak of thriving. Even in the more adequate European terraria making multiple species or even multiple individuals thrive is a challenge.
6:Should work, but again I'm of the philosophy that less species and bigger groups is the way to go.
7: Might work, though the gulls might prey on penguin chicks.
chaotic_froggie
Well-Known Member
Probably, Geladas are very pacifist
Noah Butas
Well-Known Member
Can large hornbills go with other birds like bulbuls, starlings, parrots, herons?
No. Hornbills tend to kill other birds in such mixes. Possibly your herons or something like a stork or Ibis would work, but definitely not Bulbul or starlings.
I know that some of these species aren't kept in captivity, but theoretically, could this work?
- Crabeater Seal
- King Penguin
- Adele Penguin
- Chinstrap Penguin
- Gentoo Penguin
- Yellow-Billed Pintail
- Kelp Gull
The gulls will be temporarily removed from the exhibit during the other birds' breeding season.
- Crabeater Seal
- King Penguin
- Adele Penguin
- Chinstrap Penguin
- Gentoo Penguin
- Yellow-Billed Pintail
- Kelp Gull
The gulls will be temporarily removed from the exhibit during the other birds' breeding season.
Pinnipeds usually end up eating any birds they are mixed with.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t Crabeater Seals only eat krill or at least specialize in eating it?
I will note that crabeaters are specialist krill-eaters, so I wouldn't expect these guys specifically to do any killing. I wouldn't recommend the pintail or gull though, because Adelie penguins are very capable of terrorizing (and being...sexually violent to) species smaller than them.
Interesting. Might work then. Although I wonder how much of a threat Kelp Gulls would be smaller species. I believe they’re similar in size to Greater Black-backed Gulls, which I wouldn’t trust with anything the same size or smaller.
In non-breeding setups large asian hornbills have been kept with various other small species (starlings, pigeons, bulbuls, thrushes, ..., look up Burgers’ Bush and Blijdorp victoriaserre). Do not that in those cases, breeding has sometimes triggered predation on small species. Large African hornbills have been kept with many other species in breeding setups (look up Antwerpen Buffelsavanne on zoolex).
I’ve seen what a breeding pair of large hornbills can do to a pheasant and a medium sized Corvid.
I would not trust a Hornbill in this situation. I've seen a single, female Silvery-cheeked Hornbill kill multiple different unsuspecting finches, sparrows, etc. that entered its Outdoor aviary. If they could do this, I could only imagine what it could do to Bulbuls, starlings, etc. in the same space as it. Maybe it's one of those some individuals work, some don't type deal- but still very risky.
EDIT- this link could help Avian Scientific Advisory Group
I'd think that space and spacial diversity is also an important part. When looking at the three setups (Buffelvolière in Antwerp, Victoriaserre in Blijdorp and Burgers' Bush in Burgers'), all these three have in common that they are sizable to huge. And a bird which is used to the aviary unlike some uninvited guests also has a way better chance of knowing spots to retreat to. Diet might also play an important role here, too little protein and the bird might be more likely to hunt other birds. That's also what they suspect to be the reason why in Burgers', the pair lived peacefully with the other species initially but started hunting when they needed more proteins for their chicks.
But I agree, especially large Asian hornbills are very risky to mix with most species.
chaotic_froggie
Well-Known Member
Smaller hornbills are ok though right? I’ve seen species like trumpeter, yellow-billed and von der decken’s mix with small birds.
I've seen trumpeter, Von-der-Decken and grey hornbill mixed in Antwerp and Silvery-cheeked in Pierelatte (didn't bother the passerines, though they ate Crocodile eggs there so they planned on removing him back then).