Nocturnal houses

C

CGSwans

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Am I right in thinking that there are six nocturnal houses in Australian Zoos, at Taronga, Healesville, Adelaide, Perth, Alice Springs and Territory Wildlife Park? Have I missed any?

Can anyone provide species lists? Or rank them from best to worst? The two I've seen are Healesville and Taronga - I'd say that Taronga's is better overall - it has more species, slightly larger enclosures and the ghost bats and excellent spinifex hopping mouse enclosure are highlights.
 
The Alice Springs Desert Park has a brilliant nocturnal house that is the largest in the southern hemisphere, but I cannot recall the list of species that is in that building. I've seen 5 out of 6 (missing the Territory Wildlife Park), although the Perth nocturnal house was a long time ago for me.

1- Alice Springs Desert Park (hugely impressive)
2- Taronga Zoo
3- Adelaide Zoo
4- Healesville Sanctuary
5- Perth Zoo (too long ago to effectively remember)
 
Yes, it has reptiles, mammals and some invertebrates as well. Easily the biggest and best nocturnal house in Australia, and the second best I've ever seen in my life. The largest and arguably greatest in the world is "Kingdoms of the Night" at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.
 
I think Dreamworld has one too although I don't remember it well. I can only remember sugar gliders. :)
 
For completeness, Trowunna at Mole Creek in Tasmania has/had a small one. For a while Phillip Island Wildlife Park at Cowes had one, they used the old farm house, you would walk down the central corridor and the 5 or 6 rooms on either side had large windows cut into the walls, so you could see in. I'm sure they would have had problems in terms of maintenance, with all timber walls and floors. Australian Wildlife Park at that theme park in western Sydney also had one, and I seem to remember that Featherdale had a tiny one too.

Michael
 
Also Fleay's on the Gold coast has a nocturnal house, Dreamworld also has a small one for natives
 
Sydney's Wildlife World at Darling Harbour has a level darkened specifically for nocturnal species.
 
I think you will find alot of smaller parks do hav them in some capacity. Even at Bredl's Wonder World of Wildlife theres a Darkened Indoor Possum exhibit. Urumbirra in SA has one too.
 
PAT said:
I think Dreamworld has one too although I don't remember it well. I can only remember sugar gliders. :)
Click to expand...

dreamworld has a small one but i thought it was impressive because the exhibits some of the exhibits simulate a possum in your backyard, eg. the enclosure has a clothesline, verandah, deck-chair etc. the nocturnal house also has tawny frogmouths, rufous bettong, barn owl, sugar and feathertailed gliders and brushtail and ringtail possums.
 
Jesse said:
dreamworld has a small one but i thought it was impressive because the exhibits some of the exhibits simulate a possum in your backyard, eg. the enclosure has a clothesline, verandah, deck-chair etc. the nocturnal house also has tawny frogmouths, rufous bettong, barn owl, sugar and feathertailed gliders and brushtail and ringtail possums.
Click to expand...

Thanks...That's the one I remember. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top