Question if you will about winter

[Daktari JG]

I suppose this is primarily about San Diego Safari but could be applicable to other places
(the Wilds, the new collaboration between SD and Audubon etc). I know there are few if any barns for the ungulates so do they do anything to minimize cold damage- such as heated pads? The average temp gets to below 50 F like for 5 months of the year. Never really thought about it , my guess is the critters get acclimated, but do they bring in some of the smaller species during the winter?

 

[FBBird]

I suppose this is primarily about San Diego Safari but could be applicable to other places
(the Wilds, the new collaboration between SD and Audubon etc). I know there are few if any barns for the ungulates so do they do anything to minimize cold damage- such as heated pads? The average temp gets to below 50 F like for 5 months of the year. Never really thought about it , my guess is the critters get acclimated, but do they bring in some of the smaller species during the winter?

It's below 50F a lot of the time here in the UK, and we don't even regard that as cold for most warm-blooded creatures.

 

[Chlidonias]

50 degrees Fahrenheit is only ten degrees Celsius. That's not cold.

 

[Great Argus]

I suppose this is primarily about San Diego Safari but could be applicable to other places
(the Wilds, the new collaboration between SD and Audubon etc). I know there are few if any barns for the ungulates so do they do anything to minimize cold damage- such as heated pads? The average temp gets to below 50 F like for 5 months of the year. Never really thought about it , my guess is the critters get acclimated, but do they bring in some of the smaller species during the winter?

I recall seeing heat lamps for several of the birds during winter, but I think a lot of the animals acclimate pretty well. It's really not all that cold.

 

[Coelacanth18]

The AZA generally recommends providing a warm indoor space or additional heat for larger tropical mammals when the temperature drops below 50 F, which would indicate that most are tolerant to lower temperatures for limited periods of time. I would guess that the minimum safe temperatures for many tropical mammals would be around freezing (32 F or 0 C) but it depends on species, individual, and level of acclimation.

Also a side note: San Diego and New Orleans do not have average temps of 50 F or less any month of the year, let alone 5 months.

 

[Daktari JG]

well by below 50 several months the average low is around 43 which means it
definitely gets below 40 maybe even now and then freezing (32F) that's pretty cold for ungulates from around the equator.

also the average low temp gets below 50 for 5 months , not the average, the average low. I see I screwed that

 

[lintworm]

well by below 50 several months the average low is around 43 which means it
definitely gets below 40 maybe even now and then freezing (32F) that's pretty cold for ungulates from around the equator.

also the average low temp gets below 50 for 5 months , not the average, the average low. I see I screwed that

Even though much of Africa is in the (sub-)tropics, it does not mean it is always warm. Especially in North and Southern Africa nighttime temperatures can easily be around 0 degrees celsius, especially in the highlands. Also Africa has many areas of above 1000 meters above sea level and also above 2000, especially in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. In night time it certainly gets cold there, though normally not below 10 degrees celsius.

And many animals also have a wider climatic range than they currently inhabit, animals like lions do grow a winter coat in Europe, which is still present in their genetic make-up, even though in Tropical Africa they do not.

 

[Buldeo]

Never really thought about it , my guess is the critters get acclimated, but do they bring in some of the smaller species during the winter?

I know Denver Zoo brings in their elephants if it's too cold, but that's obvious. And while I imagine San Diego has similar protocol, San Francisco brings the koalas in if it gets below ~50 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[elefante]

Giraffes, elephants, and rhinos seem to be brought in when it gets around the 40 degree F mark.

African savannah species can likely tolerate 40 degree temperatures. I've seen specials where it was cold enough to see their breath and I know in South Africa at least, it does get cold enough to frost.