My Fantasy Zoo: Dogwood Park Zoo

[Breckenridge]

They're not common but definitely present. I see no reason to remove them.

On the other hand none of the above walkthrough aviaries would work - try to separate larger and smaller birds in general and don't mix tiny birds with much larger birds who wouldn't mind a small snack.
Also would be lovely if you could describe the exhibits as well as providing the species lists? Species lists are all well and good but for all I know the zoo could be awful...

Certainly, I agree that seeing the layout would help a whole lot in determining the zoo's quality. I'm planning on doing the layouts when I finish the species list since it helps me determine the layout of exhibits, paths, and buildings.

As for the aviaries, I feel like I always go overboard on choosing bird species for my zoo. I have over 200 species and I should probably go back and trim some of the fat while reworking the walkthrough aviaries.

 

[Lycaon]

Certainly, I agree that seeing the layout would help a whole lot in determining the zoo's quality. I'm planning on doing the layouts when I finish the species list since it helps me determine the layout of exhibits, paths, and buildings.

As for the aviaries, I feel like I always go overboard on choosing bird species for my zoo. I have over 200 species and I should probably go back and trim some of the fat while reworking the walkthrough aviaries.

Yeah, not every zoo is gonna have every single species. I recommend keeping the species list a little smaller for future fantasy zoos.

 

[Breckenridge]

I shaved the 210 species of birds down to 175 (less than my first species list) and edited the walkthrough aviaries. Let me know what you think.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
African Expedition Aviary

• Climate-controlled, glass panel, circular dome
• African olive pigeon, African pygmy goose, Blacksmith lapwing, Blue-bellied roller, Blue-billed teal, Crested coua, Emerald starling, Green wood hoopoe, Hadada ibis, Hamerkop, Hartlaub's duck, Red-and-yellow barbet, Snowy-crowned robin-chat, Superb starling, Violet-backed starling, White-headed buffalo weaver, White-headed mousebird
• Home's hinge-backed tortoise
• Species: 17 Birds, 1 Reptile

Asian Wilds: Temperate Asian Aviary

• Netted canopy
• Azure-winged magpie, Baikal teal, Chukar partridge, Eastern cattle egret, Golden pheasant, Mandarin duck, Red-breasted goose, Reeves's pheasant, Temminck's tragopan, White-crested laughingthrush
  
• Species: 10 Birds

Asian Wilds: Tropical Southeast Asian Aviary

• Climate-controlled, glass panel, oval dome
• Asian fairy bluebird, Bali mynah, Blue-crowned hanging parrot, Collared finchbill, Crested partridge, Golden-fronted leafbird, Great argus, Nicobar pigeon, Palawan peacock-pheasant, Red-billed leiothrix, Silver-eared mesia, White-winged duck
  
• Forsten's tortoise
• Species: 12 Birds, 1 Reptile

 

[Lycaon]

I shaved the 210 species of birds down to 175 (less than my first species list) and edited the walkthrough aviaries. Let me know what you think.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
African Expedition Aviary

• Climate-controlled, glass panel, circular dome
• African olive pigeon, African pygmy goose, Blacksmith lapwing, Blue-bellied roller, Blue-billed teal, Crested coua, Emerald starling, Green wood hoopoe, Hadada ibis, Hamerkop, Hartlaub's duck, Red-and-yellow barbet, Snowy-crowned robin-chat, Superb starling, Violet-backed starling, White-headed buffalo weaver, White-headed mousebird
• Home's hinge-backed tortoise
• Species: 17 Birds, 1 Reptile

Asian Wilds: Temperate Asian Aviary

• Netted canopy
• Azure-winged magpie, Baikal teal, Chukar partridge, Eastern cattle egret, Golden pheasant, Mandarin duck, Red-breasted goose, Reeves's pheasant, Temminck's tragopan, White-crested laughingthrush
  
• Species: 10 Birds

Asian Wilds: Tropical Southeast Asian Aviary

• Climate-controlled, glass panel, oval dome
• Asian fairy bluebird, Bali mynah, Blue-crowned hanging parrot, Collared finchbill, Crested partridge, Golden-fronted leafbird, Great argus, Nicobar pigeon, Palawan peacock-pheasant, Red-billed leiothrix, Silver-eared mesia, White-winged duck
  
• Forsten's tortoise
• Species: 12 Birds, 1 Reptile

This is excellent!

 

[Lycaon]

@Breckenridge, I am enjoying this species list very much, and I can't wait to see the layouts, so I can recreate your amazing project in Planet Zoo

 

[Breckenridge]

Australian Walkabout

Walkthrough Grassy Exhibit with Rope Fence Barrier

• Parma wallaby, Red-necked wallaby

Open Grassy Exhibit

• Red kangaroo

Wooded Exhibit with Underbrush

• Southern cassowary

Walkthrough Netted Canopy Exhibit

• Matchie's tree-kangaroo

Medium Flight Cages

• Laughing kookaburra
• Leadbeater's cockatoo

Exhibit Building

• Short-beaked echidna, Tawny frogmouth
• Woylie
• Amethystine python
• Carpet python
• Central bearded dragon, Frill-necked lizard
• Crocodile monitor
• Eastern blue-tongued lizard, Eastern shingleback
• Green tree python
• Hosmer's spiny-tailed skink
• Macklot's python
• Mangrove monitor
• Spiny-tailed monitor
• Woma python
• White-lipped treefrog

Indoor Exhibits with access to Outdoor Exhibits

• Crocodile monitor

Climate-controlled Walkthrough Glass Panel Aviary

• Australian shelduck, Blue-faced honeyeater, Chestnut teal, Diamond dove, Eastern rosella, Eclectus parrot, Masked lapwing, Pink-eared duck, Victoria crowned pigeon, Wompoo fruit dove, Eastern snake-necked turtle

Lorikeet Feeding Aviary

• Rainbow lorikeet

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I tried being more descriptive with the exhibits this time. Let me know what you think.

 

[Lycaon]

Great job man!

 

[Breckenridge]

Carolina Trail

Wooded Habitat with Protected Trees and Two Pools connected by Small Waterfall

• American beaver

Several Acre Open Grassy Exhibit

• American bison, Elk

Wooded Exhibit with Rocky Outcroppings and Waterfall

• American black bear

Wooded Exhibits with Rocky Outcroppings and Waterfall

• Coyote
• Red wolf

Long Exhibit with Winding Stream and Multiple Viewing Areas

• North American river otter

Grassy Exhibit with Grove of Trees and Underbrush

• White-tailed deer, Wild turkey

Small Pond with Cypress Trees and Boardwalk Overlook

• American Alligator

Small Ponds with Underwater Viewing

• Chicken turtle, Painted turtle, River cooter, Yellow-bellied slider
• Common snapping turtle

Cliffside Exhibits with Fallen Logs and Netted Canopy

• Bobcat
• Gray Fox
• Raccoon

Large Exhibit with Netted Canopy

• Cougar

Large Flight Cages

• Bald eagle
• Great horned owl
• Red-shouldered hawk
• Red-tailed hawk
• Turkey vulture

Small Pond with Netted Canopy

• Sandhill crane

Exhibit Building: Individual Exhibits

• Big brown bat
• Least weasel
• Muskrat
• Southern flying squirrel
• Virginia opossum
• Barred owl
• Eastern screech-owl

Exhibit Building: Connected Rows of Exhibits simulating Riverbank

• Banded water snake, Brown water snake, Northern water snake, Red-bellied water snake
• Black rat snake, Corn snake, Spotted turtle
• Broad-headed skink, Eastern box turtle
• Copperhead, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Timber rattlesnake
• Cottonmouth
• Eastern hognose snake
• Pine snake
• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Eastern hellbender, Bluehead chub, Creek chubsucker, Fieryblack shiner, Greenfin shiner, Greenside darter, Rosyside dace, Spottail shiner, Swallowtail shiner, Yellowfin shiner

Exhibit Building: Small Terrariums simulating Underground Life

• Scarlet kingsnake
• Carolina gopher frog, Southern toad
• Marbled salamander
• Red salamander
• Spotted salamander
• Three-lined salamander
• White-spotted salamander

Exhibit Building: Terrariums simulating arboreal Life

• Rough green snake
• American green tree frog, Cope's gray treefrog
• Pine Barrens treefrog

Exhibit Building: Aquariums

• Red-spotted newt
• Two-toed amphiuma
  
• Black crappie, Bluegill, Bowfin, Golden shiner, Green sunfish, Longnose gar, Pumpkinseed, Redbreast sunfish, Shorthead redhorse, Shortnose sturgeon, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch
• Cape Fear shiner
• Brook trout

Exhibit Building: Ambient Species in Riverbank Exhibits

• Common creek chub
• Appalachian brook crayfish
• Eastern creekshell, Eastern elliptio, Eastern lampmussel, Roanoke slabshell, Wavy-rayed lampmussel

Large, Netted Canopy Walkthrough Aviary of Wooded Wetland Environment

• American black duck, American coot, American goldfinch, American robin, Baltimore oriole, Blue jay, Blue-winged teal, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Carolina chickadee, Carolina wren, Gray catbird, Green heron, Hooded merganser, Indigo bunting, Killdeer, Mourning dove, Northern bobwhite, Northern cardinal, Northern pintail, Red-bellied woodpecker, Red-winged blackbird, Ruddy duck, Tufted titmouse, Wood duck, Wood thrush, Painted turtle

Carolina Trail
Mammals: 17
Birds: 34
Reptiles: 26
Amphibians: 13
Fish: 25
Invertebrates: 6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have any thoughts or suggestions, I would be glad to hear them, especially pertaining to mixed-species exhibits. The next post will be about Discovery Zone.

 

[Lycaon]

Carolina Trail

Wooded Habitat with Protected Trees and Two Pools connected by Small Waterfall

• American beaver

Several Acre Open Grassy Exhibit

• American bison, Elk

Wooded Exhibit with Rocky Outcroppings and Waterfall

• American black bear

Wooded Exhibits with Rocky Outcroppings and Waterfall

• Coyote
• Red wolf

Long Exhibit with Winding Stream and Multiple Viewing Areas

• North American river otter

Grassy Exhibit with Grove of Trees and Underbrush

• White-tailed deer, Wild turkey

Small Pond with Cypress Trees and Boardwalk Overlook

• American Alligator

Small Ponds with Underwater Viewing

• Chicken turtle, Painted turtle, River cooter, Yellow-bellied slider
• Common snapping turtle

Cliffside Exhibits with Fallen Logs and Netted Canopy

• Bobcat
• Gray Fox
• Raccoon

Large Exhibit with Netted Canopy

• Cougar

Large Flight Cages

• Bald eagle
• Great horned owl
• Red-shouldered hawk
• Red-tailed hawk
• Turkey vulture

Small Pond with Netted Canopy

• Sandhill crane

Exhibit Building: Individual Exhibits

• Big brown bat
• Least weasel
• Muskrat
• Southern flying squirrel
• Virginia opossum
• Barred owl
• Eastern screech-owl

Exhibit Building: Connected Rows of Exhibits simulating Riverbank

• Banded water snake, Brown water snake, Northern water snake, Red-bellied water snake
• Black rat snake, Corn snake, Spotted turtle
• Broad-headed skink, Eastern box turtle
• Copperhead, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Timber rattlesnake
• Cottonmouth
• Eastern hognose snake
• Pine snake
• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Eastern hellbender, Bluehead chub, Creek chubsucker, Fieryblack shiner, Greenfin shiner, Greenside darter, Rosyside dace, Spottail shiner, Swallowtail shiner, Yellowfin shiner

Exhibit Building: Small Terrariums simulating Underground Life

• Scarlet kingsnake
• Carolina gopher frog, Southern toad
• Marbled salamander
• Red salamander
• Spotted salamander
• Three-lined salamander
• White-spotted salamander

Exhibit Building: Terrariums simulating arboreal Life

• Rough green snake
• American green tree frog, Cope's gray treefrog
• Pine Barrens treefrog

Exhibit Building: Aquariums

• Red-spotted newt
• Two-toed amphiuma
  
• Black crappie, Bluegill, Bowfin, Golden shiner, Green sunfish, Longnose gar, Pumpkinseed, Redbreast sunfish, Shorthead redhorse, Shortnose sturgeon, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch
• Cape Fear shiner
• Brook trout

Exhibit Building: Ambient Species in Riverbank Exhibits

• Common creek chub
• Appalachian brook crayfish
• Eastern creekshell, Eastern elliptio, Eastern lampmussel, Roanoke slabshell, Wavy-rayed lampmussel

Large, Netted Canopy Walkthrough Aviary of Wooded Wetland Environment

• American black duck, American coot, American goldfinch, American robin, Baltimore oriole, Blue jay, Blue-winged teal, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Carolina chickadee, Carolina wren, Gray catbird, Green heron, Hooded merganser, Indigo bunting, Killdeer, Mourning dove, Northern bobwhite, Northern cardinal, Northern pintail, Red-bellied woodpecker, Red-winged blackbird, Ruddy duck, Tufted titmouse, Wood duck, Wood thrush, Painted turtle

Carolina Trail
Mammals: 17
Birds: 34
Reptiles: 26
Amphibians: 13
Fish: 25
Invertebrates: 6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have any thoughts or suggestions, I would be glad to hear them, especially pertaining to mixed-species exhibits. The next post will be about Discovery Zone.

Once again, excellent job @Breckenridge!

 

[Breckenridge]

Discovery Zone

* indicates the species is also used as an ambassador animal for keeper talks

Large yard surrounded by pathway for camel rides

• Bactrian camel

Grassy hill yard with tunnels and viewing bubbles for children

• Black-tailed prairie dog*

Large grassy yard

• Aldabra giant tortoise

Canopied Exhibit

• Eurasian red squirrel

Rocky outdoor exhibit with sand and viewing bubbles

• Fennec fox

Flight Cages

• American kestrel*
• Barred owl*
• Black vulture*
• Blue-and-yellow macaw*, Scarlet macaw*
• Fish crow*
• Green aracari*
• Red-tailed hawk*
• Turquoise-fronted amazon*

Farmyard: Barn and Contact Yard

• Alpaca
• Cotswold sheep
• Guinea hog
• Nigerian dwarf goat, Oberhasli goat

Farmyard: Pastures

• American quarter horse
• Milking Devon cow
• Sicilian donkey

Farmyard: Poultry Coops

• Dominique chicken
• Silkie chicken
• Bourbon red turkey

Farmyard: Small Mammal Enclosures

• Flemish giant rabbit*
• Domestic guinea pig*

Farmyard: Flight Cage

• Barn owl*

Farmyard: Duck Pond

• American Pekin duck, Cayuga duck, Koi

Exhibit Building: Exhibits

• Nine-banded armadillo
• Southern tamandua*
• Striped skunk*
• Virginia opossum*
• Woodchuck*

Exhibit Building: Exhibits connected by Tunnels

• Naked mole-rat

Exhibit Building: Terrariums

• Barbary striped grass mouse
• Brown rat*
• Lesser hedgehog tenrec*
• Ball python*
• Black-and-white tegu*
• Black rat snake*
• Common egg-eating snake
• Corn snake*
• Crested gecko*
• Eastern box turtle*
• Eastern kingsnake*
• Kenyan sand boa
• Leopard gecko*
• Prehensile-tailed skink*
• Texas horned lizard*
• American bullfrog*
• Fire salamander*
• Golden poison-dart frog
• Marbled salamander*
• Oriental fire-bellied toad*
• Puerto Rican crested toad
• Red-eyed treefrog
• Tiger salamander*

Exhibit Building: Aquariums

• Axolotl
• Congo dwarf clawed frog
• Neuse River waterdog
• Black-banded sunfish, Eastern mosquitofish, Sailfin molly
  
• Blue discus, Freshwater angelfish, Gold nugget pleco, Kitty tetra, Neon tetra
  
• Mexican tetra

Pollinator Garden with Small Pavilion and Glass-paneled Hive

• Western honeybee

Insectarium: Terrariums

• Appalachian brook crayfish
• Bat cave cockroach
• Blue death feigning beetle
• Caribbean hermit crab*
• Cave whip spider
• Chilean rose tarantula*
• Chinese mantis
• Dead leaf mantis
• Dragon-headed katydid
• Eastern eyed clicked beetle
• Eastern lubber grasshopper
• Emperor scorpion*
• Flamboyant flower beetle
• Flightless dung beetle*
• Giant African millipede*
• Giant spiny stick insect
• Giant stag beetle
• Giant vinegaroon*
• Giant water bug
• Green June beetle
• Indian domino roach
• Indian ornamental tarantula
• Madagascar hissing cockroach*
• Malayan walking stick
• Mexican red-kneed tarantula*
• Rhinoceros katydid
• Southern black widow
• Southern devil scorpion
• Sunburst diving beetle
• Taxicab beetle
• Two-spotted assassin beetle
• Vietnamese centipede
• Yellow garden spider
• Zebra roach
• Zophobas darkling beetle

Insectarium: Butterfly Conservatory

• Atala butterfly, Banded orange heliconian, Blue-banded purplewing, Blue-frosted banner, Cattleheart butterfly, Common buckeye, Common green birdwing, Common postman, Cydno longwing, Doris longwing, Eastern tiger swallowtail, Giant owl butterfly, Giant swallowtail, Glasswing butterfly, Great Southern white, Gulf fritillary, Hecale longwing, Hewitson’s longwing, Julia longwing, Malachite butterfly, Menelaus blue morpho, Monarch butterfly, Painted lady, Paper kite, Pipevine swallowtail, Polydamas swallowtail, Rusty-tipped page, Silver-studded leafwing, Starry night cracker, White peacock, Zebra longwing, Zebra mosaic

Discovery Zone
Mammals: 22
Birds: 13
Reptiles: 13
Amphibians: 11
Fish: 10
Invertebrates: 68
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have any thoughts or suggestions, I would be glad to hear them, especially pertaining to mixed-species exhibits. The next post will be about Polar Passage.

 

[Lycaon]

@Breckenridge Great job man

 

[IndianRhino]

While your species lists do look pretty good, I just have a quick suggestion. I think this would be even better if you described your habitats instead of just listing out species. This is strongly suggested by the mods, as well, for all speculative zoo threads so I hope you take it into consideration

 

[amur leopard]

American black duck, American coot, American goldfinch, American robin, Baltimore oriole, Blue jay, Blue-winged teal, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Carolina chickadee, Carolina wren, Gray catbird, Green heron, Hooded merganser, Indigo bunting, Killdeer, Mourning dove, Northern bobwhite, Northern cardinal, Northern pintail, Red-bellied woodpecker, Red-winged blackbird, Ruddy duck, Tufted titmouse, Wood duck, Wood thrush, Painted turtle

Herons would eat any young birds, likely try and snack on the smaller species either way. There are a few other small problems but that's the main one - I'd definitely change this aviary, and a few others as well appear to have the same problem.

As for the 'descriptions' as I said in the spec zoo thread, would be greatly appreciated if you could properly describe the exhibit rather than just 'individual exhibits' or 'open grassy exhibit'.

 

[Breckenridge]

Herons would eat any young birds, likely try and snack on the smaller species either way. There are a few other small problems but that's the main one - I'd definitely change this aviary, and a few others as well appear to have the same problem.

As for the 'descriptions' as I said in the spec zoo thread, would be greatly appreciated if you could properly describe the exhibit rather than just 'individual exhibits' or 'open grassy exhibit'.

If it was a great blue heron, I'd agree wholeheartedly, but the green heron is a small species and all the sources I've read make no mention of them hunting other birds. However, I appreciate the feedback so I'll work on it some more. What in specific besides the heron caught your attention?

While your species lists do look pretty good, I just have a quick suggestion. I think this would be even better if you described your habitats instead of just listing out species. This is strongly suggested by the mods, as well, for all speculative zoo threads so I hope you take it into consideration

I think you're both right in regards to layout description. I need to create proper layouts and descriptions for these exhibits before the species list. I think I'll draw some layouts, post them here for criticism, and then edit them accordingly. This will likely take a while until I have something satisfactory because I tend to bog myself down in the specifics of path, building, and enclosure layout, so it may be some time until my next post.

 

[KevinB]

If it was a great blue heron, I'd agree wholeheartedly, but the green heron is a small species and all the sources I've read make no mention of them hunting other birds.

I have seen even small herons like little egrets and cattle egrets eat prey items up to the size of one-day chicken chicks, so they could handle a lot of baby birds and small birds.

Admittedly green herons are even smaller, and I have actually seen examples of them being housed with songbirds (both small and larger), and am not aware of any issues. But I'm still unsure whether I would advise it - herons are pretty well known for swallowing large prey items. I think the species selected and the design and furnishing of the aviary could also play a big role in whether such a mix could work or not.

 

[Breckenridge]

I have seen even small herons like little egrets and cattle egrets eat prey items up to the size of one-day chicken chicks, so they could handle a lot of baby birds and small birds.

Admittedly green herons are even smaller, and I have actually seen examples of them being housed with songbirds (both small and larger), and am not aware of any issues. But I'm still unsure whether I would advise it - herons are pretty well known for swallowing large prey items. I think the species selected and the design and furnishing of the aviary could also play a big role in whether such a mix could work or not.

Alright, so I'm thinking of several ways to go about this:

• Split the aviary into two, becoming a mainly temperate forest songbird aviary similar to North America at the Columbus Zoo and a wetland aviary with the green heron and waterfowl, similar to the St. Louis Zoo flight cage.
• Isolate the green heron to its own exhibit, or relocate it to an exhibit with another animal it won't have problems with
• Remove the green heron entirely

Which one do you think is best?

 

[Lycaon]

Alright, so I'm thinking of several ways to go about this:

• Split the aviary into two, becoming a mainly temperate forest songbird aviary similar to North America at the Columbus Zoo and a wetland aviary with the green heron and waterfowl, similar to the St. Louis Zoo flight cage.
• Isolate the green heron to its own exhibit, or relocate it to an exhibit with another animal it won't have problems with
• Remove the green heron entirely

Which one do you think is best?

I would suggest removing the herons entirely.

 

[KevinB]

Alright, so I'm thinking of several ways to go about this:

• Split the aviary into two, becoming a mainly temperate forest songbird aviary similar to North America at the Columbus Zoo and a wetland aviary with the green heron and waterfowl, similar to the St. Louis Zoo flight cage.
• Isolate the green heron to its own exhibit, or relocate it to an exhibit with another animal it won't have problems with
• Remove the green heron entirely

Which one do you think is best?

If you want the green heron included I would suggest that option two is probably the safest.

 

[Bengal Tiger]

Green herons are fairly peaceful, the ideal option would be the first