Put Me In The Zoo: Los Angeles Zoo Living Amphibian, Invertebrates, and Reptiles (LAIR) review
The old LA Zoo reptile house had a great collection of reptiles and amphibians in a wooden building with typical reptile house terrariums. The building was unusual in that it was essentially an outdoor reptile house with visitors walking around the outside of the building underneath a wooden roof. The building was from 1966 when the current zoo opened and was not doing well in the 21st century as it was literally falling apart. In 2007 the old reptile house was shut down, the residents moved behind the scenes or to other institutions, and the building was knocked down to make room for the expansion of the Asian elephant exhibit.
The new LA Zoo reptile house, the LAIR, has opened as of March 7, 2012 with a member preview event. I attended this event with ZooChat friend Blackduiker.
The bottom line is that the exhibit is fantastic. It may be a model of 21st century reptile-amphibian-invertebrate house design. The emphasis is on quality of the collection and conveying a meaningful narrative to visitors about the natural history and conservation of reptiles and amphibians rather than displaying a huge collection of species.
The layout of the exhibit is quite unusual and has several components, which I will describe in the sequence that a visitor experiences them. I will try and include as many species as I remember but no doubt species composition will change over time and if you want to know what is in the building at any given time I would advise consulting the LA Zoo webpage which generally does a good job of listing the current species roster at the zoo (although the LAIR’s species have not yet been added at the time I write this which is one day before the official public opening on March 8, 2012).
The first exhibit encountered is a recreation of a Southern California oak woodland pond. It is a pond planted with native plants, and the thought is that native reptile and amphibian species of the Santa Monica Mountains where the zoo is located will eventually colonize it. This may include species such as Western fence lizards, Pacific tree frogs, and Western toads. The plantings are all young and it will likely be several years before this becomes a mature landscape, but it is a good start.
The main LAIR building contains three themed zones. The first zone encountered is the Damp Forest, which to great non-surprise contains a number of reptile and amphibian species that occur in damp forests. One critique that I have of the opening of the building is that it is rather narrow for the entrance to a major zoo exhibit. There are likely going to be major bottlenecks in the opening gallery of the LAIR as it contains many smaller exhibits that only a couple people at a time can look into. The theming of this gallery is quite cool however as it is covered in tropical flora and the exhibits are imbedded in a wall with roots and vines protruding from it. There is a soundscape of frog calls, bird song, and other forest nature noises. I found this section of the LAIR to be immersive, which is the only time that I recall being drawn into a reptile house this way. There are immersive outdoor reptile exhibits at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, but I found this to be a unique indoor reptile immersion experience. The lighting in the main building is rather subdued in order to make one feel like you are in a forest. That is quite effective when combined with the soundscape and lush (fake) vegetation “blooming” out of the building walls.
The superstar of the Damp Forest section of the LAIR is the Chinese giant salamander. There are 2 tanks for this species, of which only one was occupied during my visit. There was a volunteer stationed by the tank to point the animal out to people. One of the features of the LAIR that I really like is that there are volunteers stationed at several of the exhibits throughout the whole complex to point out species hidden in crevices and plants, and conveying natural history information at the same time. Reptile exhibits can be frustrating when the occupants are hidden and one of the great strengths of the LAIR is the size and complexity of the exhibits. All of the indoor exhibits are relatively large and contain plants, rocks, and other cover and climbing surfaces appropriate to the species occupying them. Many of the exhibits are as large in the horizontal dimension as they are in the vertical, stretching from floor to ceiling (see Blackduiker’s photos in the gallery for examples). Having knowledgeable volunteers wandering around and helpfully pointing out where species are and imparting fun natural history info at the same time is genius.
Species found in the Damp Forest section include Fiji Island Banded Iguana, Usambra Two-horned Chameleon, Vietnamese Mossy Frog, Mexican Leaf Frog, Iranian Harlequin Newt, Poison Dart Frogs, Rowley’s Palm Viper, and several others. Another very popular exhibit is a large tank for Fly River Turtles, Australian Lungfish, Archer Fish, and Rainbow Fish. Perhaps this exhibit should truthfully be called the LAIRF.
The next section of the main building is called Bite and Squeeze and focuses on how reptiles and amphibians eat. The Fly River turtle tank bridges the Damp Forest and this section. Species exhibited here include Mexican Beaded Lizards (venom injectors), carpet pythons (constrictors), and many venomous snake species including bushmaster, gaboon viper, green mamba, mangshan pitviper, and copperhead. There is a tank of Poti Island Snake-necked turtles to illustrate hunting by snapping. The snake exhibits are especially impressive in their size and furnishing. The copperhead and gaboon vipers practically disappear in the substrate in their exhibits, very effectively demonstrating cryptic coloration of these species. These are some of the best snake exhibits that I have seen. There are also fun design elements like a lifelike sculpture of cobra in strike position that is exactly aimed at adult knee-level (I found that fun; others may find it creepy).
The last section of the main LAIR building is called Care and Conservation, focusing on endangered species. There is a large behind the scenes animal care room behind a glass wall where visitors will presumably be able to watch keepers doing animal husbandry projects and tasks. There is a large terrestrial turtle exhibit for Madagascan spider tortoises and spider tortoises; this exhibit also has an outdoor yard. Grey’s monitors and Aruba Island rattlesnakes are also exhibited in this area.
Exiting the main LAIR building one enters a large courtyard surrounded by desert gardens. At the center of the courtyard is a large exhibit for native Californian desert reptile species including desert tortoise, spiny lizards, desert iguana, and collared lizards. A clutch of tiny spiny lizards were born in the exhibit on member preview day and provided a highlight. There are volunteers in the courtyard interpreting the species in this large outdoor exhibit. There are also two caged outdoor exhibits for exotic tortoises; one is an extension of the indoor exhibit for the Madagascan spider and radiated tortoises the other is for Burmese star tortoises.
The exhibit continues into a second building called the Desert LAIR, which non-confusingly features reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates of the southwestern deserts of North America. LA Zoo reptile house 1.0 had a specialty focus on this region and it is spectacularly continued in this building. The building has a large skylight, which lets in natural light. There is a desert mural of a incoming thunderstorm on the walls of this building which is accompanied by a soundscape of a desert thunderstorm. For me it was a satisfyingly immersive experience. All of the exhibits in this building are large and excellent. There is a great Gila monster exhibit with a mob of the beautiful beasties. This is the only section of the LAIR that actually has invertebrates, currently Sonoran giant centipede, vinegaroon, and desert hairy scorpion. One of my only disappointments with the lair is the tiny presentation of invertebrates. I was hoping that there would be a more comprehensive presentation of arthropods, but it is not the case. Other species in this area include tiger salamander, California kingsnake, red diamond rattlesnakes, southwest speckled rattlesnake, Santa Catalina rattlesnake, Sonoran toads, sidewinder, rosy boa, and others.
Leaving the Desert Lair one passes by a large outdoor crocodile exhibit featuring two male tomistomas (AKA false gharials). I don’t know if there are plans to eventually have a breeding pair in here. There is a sandy beach for them to haul out on and a deep pond. Blackduiker pointed out that it would have been nice if the exhibit had underwater viewing. It is a nice basic exhibit for a spectacular species.
I think the thing that impressed me most about the LAIR was the effect that it seemed to be having on visitors. People seemed genuinely engrossed in looking at and for species in large, complex, vegetated exhibits. This exhibit is greatly enhanced by the presence of several volunteers throughout the whole exhibit complex who make it an interactive experience. The sum of the experience is an immersive, stimulating experience that transcends the traditional reptile house experience of passively looking at a series of glass-fronted boxes. I did not hear a single negative thing said about how creepy or gross the animals were, but rather I heard comments about how pretty and interesting the snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, etc. were. I think that transforming perceptions of animals and instilling appreciation where there was formerly disdain or indifference is one of the greatest achievements that a zoo exhibit can make, and I think that the LAIR achieves this level of excellence.
The old LA Zoo reptile house had a great collection of reptiles and amphibians in a wooden building with typical reptile house terrariums. The building was unusual in that it was essentially an outdoor reptile house with visitors walking around the outside of the building underneath a wooden roof. The building was from 1966 when the current zoo opened and was not doing well in the 21st century as it was literally falling apart. In 2007 the old reptile house was shut down, the residents moved behind the scenes or to other institutions, and the building was knocked down to make room for the expansion of the Asian elephant exhibit.
The new LA Zoo reptile house, the LAIR, has opened as of March 7, 2012 with a member preview event. I attended this event with ZooChat friend Blackduiker.
The bottom line is that the exhibit is fantastic. It may be a model of 21st century reptile-amphibian-invertebrate house design. The emphasis is on quality of the collection and conveying a meaningful narrative to visitors about the natural history and conservation of reptiles and amphibians rather than displaying a huge collection of species.
The layout of the exhibit is quite unusual and has several components, which I will describe in the sequence that a visitor experiences them. I will try and include as many species as I remember but no doubt species composition will change over time and if you want to know what is in the building at any given time I would advise consulting the LA Zoo webpage which generally does a good job of listing the current species roster at the zoo (although the LAIR’s species have not yet been added at the time I write this which is one day before the official public opening on March 8, 2012).
The first exhibit encountered is a recreation of a Southern California oak woodland pond. It is a pond planted with native plants, and the thought is that native reptile and amphibian species of the Santa Monica Mountains where the zoo is located will eventually colonize it. This may include species such as Western fence lizards, Pacific tree frogs, and Western toads. The plantings are all young and it will likely be several years before this becomes a mature landscape, but it is a good start.
The main LAIR building contains three themed zones. The first zone encountered is the Damp Forest, which to great non-surprise contains a number of reptile and amphibian species that occur in damp forests. One critique that I have of the opening of the building is that it is rather narrow for the entrance to a major zoo exhibit. There are likely going to be major bottlenecks in the opening gallery of the LAIR as it contains many smaller exhibits that only a couple people at a time can look into. The theming of this gallery is quite cool however as it is covered in tropical flora and the exhibits are imbedded in a wall with roots and vines protruding from it. There is a soundscape of frog calls, bird song, and other forest nature noises. I found this section of the LAIR to be immersive, which is the only time that I recall being drawn into a reptile house this way. There are immersive outdoor reptile exhibits at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, but I found this to be a unique indoor reptile immersion experience. The lighting in the main building is rather subdued in order to make one feel like you are in a forest. That is quite effective when combined with the soundscape and lush (fake) vegetation “blooming” out of the building walls.
The superstar of the Damp Forest section of the LAIR is the Chinese giant salamander. There are 2 tanks for this species, of which only one was occupied during my visit. There was a volunteer stationed by the tank to point the animal out to people. One of the features of the LAIR that I really like is that there are volunteers stationed at several of the exhibits throughout the whole complex to point out species hidden in crevices and plants, and conveying natural history information at the same time. Reptile exhibits can be frustrating when the occupants are hidden and one of the great strengths of the LAIR is the size and complexity of the exhibits. All of the indoor exhibits are relatively large and contain plants, rocks, and other cover and climbing surfaces appropriate to the species occupying them. Many of the exhibits are as large in the horizontal dimension as they are in the vertical, stretching from floor to ceiling (see Blackduiker’s photos in the gallery for examples). Having knowledgeable volunteers wandering around and helpfully pointing out where species are and imparting fun natural history info at the same time is genius.
Species found in the Damp Forest section include Fiji Island Banded Iguana, Usambra Two-horned Chameleon, Vietnamese Mossy Frog, Mexican Leaf Frog, Iranian Harlequin Newt, Poison Dart Frogs, Rowley’s Palm Viper, and several others. Another very popular exhibit is a large tank for Fly River Turtles, Australian Lungfish, Archer Fish, and Rainbow Fish. Perhaps this exhibit should truthfully be called the LAIRF.
The next section of the main building is called Bite and Squeeze and focuses on how reptiles and amphibians eat. The Fly River turtle tank bridges the Damp Forest and this section. Species exhibited here include Mexican Beaded Lizards (venom injectors), carpet pythons (constrictors), and many venomous snake species including bushmaster, gaboon viper, green mamba, mangshan pitviper, and copperhead. There is a tank of Poti Island Snake-necked turtles to illustrate hunting by snapping. The snake exhibits are especially impressive in their size and furnishing. The copperhead and gaboon vipers practically disappear in the substrate in their exhibits, very effectively demonstrating cryptic coloration of these species. These are some of the best snake exhibits that I have seen. There are also fun design elements like a lifelike sculpture of cobra in strike position that is exactly aimed at adult knee-level (I found that fun; others may find it creepy).
The last section of the main LAIR building is called Care and Conservation, focusing on endangered species. There is a large behind the scenes animal care room behind a glass wall where visitors will presumably be able to watch keepers doing animal husbandry projects and tasks. There is a large terrestrial turtle exhibit for Madagascan spider tortoises and spider tortoises; this exhibit also has an outdoor yard. Grey’s monitors and Aruba Island rattlesnakes are also exhibited in this area.
Exiting the main LAIR building one enters a large courtyard surrounded by desert gardens. At the center of the courtyard is a large exhibit for native Californian desert reptile species including desert tortoise, spiny lizards, desert iguana, and collared lizards. A clutch of tiny spiny lizards were born in the exhibit on member preview day and provided a highlight. There are volunteers in the courtyard interpreting the species in this large outdoor exhibit. There are also two caged outdoor exhibits for exotic tortoises; one is an extension of the indoor exhibit for the Madagascan spider and radiated tortoises the other is for Burmese star tortoises.
The exhibit continues into a second building called the Desert LAIR, which non-confusingly features reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates of the southwestern deserts of North America. LA Zoo reptile house 1.0 had a specialty focus on this region and it is spectacularly continued in this building. The building has a large skylight, which lets in natural light. There is a desert mural of a incoming thunderstorm on the walls of this building which is accompanied by a soundscape of a desert thunderstorm. For me it was a satisfyingly immersive experience. All of the exhibits in this building are large and excellent. There is a great Gila monster exhibit with a mob of the beautiful beasties. This is the only section of the LAIR that actually has invertebrates, currently Sonoran giant centipede, vinegaroon, and desert hairy scorpion. One of my only disappointments with the lair is the tiny presentation of invertebrates. I was hoping that there would be a more comprehensive presentation of arthropods, but it is not the case. Other species in this area include tiger salamander, California kingsnake, red diamond rattlesnakes, southwest speckled rattlesnake, Santa Catalina rattlesnake, Sonoran toads, sidewinder, rosy boa, and others.
Leaving the Desert Lair one passes by a large outdoor crocodile exhibit featuring two male tomistomas (AKA false gharials). I don’t know if there are plans to eventually have a breeding pair in here. There is a sandy beach for them to haul out on and a deep pond. Blackduiker pointed out that it would have been nice if the exhibit had underwater viewing. It is a nice basic exhibit for a spectacular species.
I think the thing that impressed me most about the LAIR was the effect that it seemed to be having on visitors. People seemed genuinely engrossed in looking at and for species in large, complex, vegetated exhibits. This exhibit is greatly enhanced by the presence of several volunteers throughout the whole exhibit complex who make it an interactive experience. The sum of the experience is an immersive, stimulating experience that transcends the traditional reptile house experience of passively looking at a series of glass-fronted boxes. I did not hear a single negative thing said about how creepy or gross the animals were, but rather I heard comments about how pretty and interesting the snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, etc. were. I think that transforming perceptions of animals and instilling appreciation where there was formerly disdain or indifference is one of the greatest achievements that a zoo exhibit can make, and I think that the LAIR achieves this level of excellence.
Last edited:
I am glad that you and Blackduiker had the opportunity to head down there and see the exhibit first hand. For those of us here on ZooChat who can't visit the Los Angeles Zoo and LAIR itself, you and Blackduiker, with his fantastic photos over in the gallery, have provided us with the very next best thing. A thank you to the two of you, and I am looking forward to seeing and hearing more about the Zoo's newest exhibit. 
