Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species Mammalian and Non-Mammalian

[snowleopard]

No, only those two. The northern hairy-nosed is the only other species and has never been kept in zoos, at least in my lifetime.

When I said "there might be some more hairy-nosed species" I meant that some of the zoos labeled with Common Wombats might actually have had Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats instead. I know that there was zero chance of me seeing a Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, but I can totally understand how my wording wasn't entirely clear. It's all good.

The Wombat Burrow houses Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats. Did you see this exhibit on your visit? The interior is similar to Melbourne's burrow system. The Common / Bare-nosed Wombats were housed next to the now-demolished Platypus House at that time.

I remember seeing Wombats at Taronga Zoo in 2007, but I'm not sure which species I watched. I wasn't writing extensive zoo reviews or taking hundreds of photos at that time. On a side note, I'm tackling kangaroos and wallabies in my spare time and those Aussie zoos in 2007 are difficult to figure out.

What animals do you plan on doing next?

The element of surprise is underrated. I have stated before that after my big zoo trip in August, I will then finish off some odds n' ends creatures and it will be hoofed animals galore in the fall.

As for my trip, I can state that I will be flying somewhere on August 1st and not returning to Canada until August 23rd. My Snowleopard Road Trip will be overseas and 22 nights in length. More information will be forthcoming, but the whole thing is all planned and set to go!

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

When I said "there might be some more hairy-nosed species" I meant that some of the zoos labeled with Common Wombats might actually have had Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats instead. I know that there was zero chance of me seeing a Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, but I can totally understand how my wording wasn't entirely clear. It's all good.



I remember seeing Wombats at Taronga Zoo in 2007, but I'm not sure which species I watched. I wasn't writing extensive zoo reviews or taking hundreds of photos at that time. On a side note, I'm tackling kangaroos and wallabies in my spare time and those Aussie zoos in 2007 are difficult to figure out.



The element of surprise is underrated. I have stated before that after my big zoo trip in August, I will then finish off some odds n' ends creatures and it will be hoofed animals galore in the fall.

As for my trip, I can state that I will be flying somewhere on August 1st and not returning to Canada until August 23rd. My Snowleopard Road Trip will be overseas and 22 nights in length. More information will be forthcoming, but the whole thing is all planned and set to go!

While you are on your "Snowleopard Road Trip", will you still be posting a species per day on this thread or will there be a break from you posting on it?

 

[snowleopard]

While you are on your "Snowleopard Road Trip", will you still be posting a species per day on this thread or will there be a break from you posting on it?

I will 100% be having a break for those 3 weeks as I won't have an hour or two each day to be doing these lists of species. I'll return to Canada both rejuvenated and exhausted!

 

[snowleopard]

After this post today, my next species one will be in 48 hours as I have a big drive tomorrow. I'm just letting people know as sometimes if I don't post anything then I get messages wondering what's going on. Haha. Don't worry, I will keep banging these lists out until I finish this epic thread around Christmastime, apart from my 3-week break in August to visit approximately 55 zoos in 23 days.

I've seen Opossums at 32 zoos and I've viewed at least 7 different species. That's not including any Opossums I cannot definitely recall or even any behind-the-scenes critters. I typed up extremely detailed reviews when I was on my 2019 and 2022 European road trips and yet in visiting 120 different European zoos, I've seen Opossums there exactly...twice! Even in North American zoos, seeing an Opossum that was not a 'Virginia' one has been a very rare occurrence. I've seen Opossums in my backyard (southern British Columbia, Canada) on a handful of occasions, which is more common than most of my zoo trips. It's bizarre how rare they are in captivity.

32 zoos and 34 exhibits (7 species: 26 zoos with Virginia Opossums, 2 Gray Short-tailed, 2 Murine Mouse, 1 Common Brushtail Possum, 1 Common Ringtail Possum, 1 Peruvian Dwarf, 1 Striped)

1- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Peruvian Dwarf Opossum, Virginia Opossum – 1998
2- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Common Brushtail Possum, Common Ringtail Possum – 2007
3- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2008
4- Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2008
5- Emperor Valley Zoo (Trinidad & Tobago) – Murine Mouse Opossum – 2008
6- Wildlife Safari (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2010
7- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2010
8- Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) – Striped Opossum – 2010
9- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Gray Short-tailed Opossum – 2010
10- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2010
11- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2012
12- Busch Wildlife Sanctuary (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2012
13- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2012
14- Topeka Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2012
15- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2014
16- Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2014
17- Zoo Montana (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2015
18- Austin Nature & Science Center (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2015
19- Bearizona (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2015
20- Lindsay Wildlife Experience (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2017
21- Orange County Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2017
22- Howell Nature Center: Wild Wonders Wildlife Park (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2018
23- Blandford Nature Center (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2018
24- Animal Gardens Petting Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2018
25- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2018
26- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2018
27- Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2018
28- Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) – Murine Mouse Opossum – 2019
29- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Gray Short-tailed Opossum – 2019
30- Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2023
31- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2023
32- CALM (California Living Museum) (USA) – Virginia Opossum – 2023

Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) had two Opossum species in the late 1990s, both inside a sort of nebulous Discovery Center that has been closed down for years. The animals were found in a darkened environment, similar to Taronga Zoo (Australia) having two Opossum species (or just 'Possum') species at one time in a Nocturnal House in 2007. One would imagine that perhaps Melbourne Zoo and Adelaide Zoo would possibly have had a type of Opossum back in 2007, but I'm hesitant to say yes as I have no proof or recollection and so I'm leaving them off the list. It really doesn't matter to me either way.

Also, many American zoos have Virginia Opossums as 'ambassador animals', meaning that these critters appear in shows or in demonstrations. Sometimes they can be carried or walked around a zoo (on a leash). I have not included any of those Virginia Opossums because they don't have an on-show public exhibit and are kept behind-the-scenes. Here is one at Woodland Park Zoo (USA) that is not in a visible on-show enclosure.

@RatioTile

The photo is a bit blurry, but it's fascinating to see an exhibit for a Virginia Opossum at Saint Louis Zoo (USA) that offers up absolutely zero height. This was in the Children's Zoo in 2010 at one of the best zoos in the nation and the enclosure is terrible.

A real 'possum' highlight for me was visiting Fort Wayne Children's Zoo (USA) and seeing the Australian zone there in 2010. What is now Stingray Bay, once held a large Fruit Bat exhibit, a Short-beaked Echidna enclosure and a spacious, semi-darkened Striped Possum exhibit. I was taken behind the scenes by @Rookeyper, who was a keeper in the Aussie section, and it was a great experience. Here's what a Striped Possum looks like:

From the website NatureRules1Wiki

Mesker Park Zoo (USA) built a big rainforest complex called Amazonia: Forest of Riches and I visited this zoo in 2010. Inside this building was a variety of species, including a Gray Short-tailed Opossum.

I would later see a sleeping Gray Short-tailed Opossum at Dortmund Zoo (Germany) inside the Amazon House in 2019. Here's what the species looks like, showcased in this photo taken at Plzen Zoo (Czech. Rep.):

@HOMIN96

Since this thread is not just about the animals I've come across in all my years of visiting zoos, but in many ways a pseudo-historical thread about zoos in general, it's important for me to mention an animal I never did see. At Dallas World Aquarium (USA) in 2010, I went back and forth to the Yapok/Water Opossum exhibit on countless occasions but unfortunately never saw the animal. A near miss!

Both photos from that 'Species Hunter Extraordinaire' @Giant Eland

This next exhibit, for a Virginia Opossum, is not the best as the floor is made entirely of wood, but at least there's a few climbing options at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary (USA).

Here's an ultra-tiny Virginia Opossum cage at Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA), where staff would take the animal out and let it be petted by members of the public. Ugh. Those same, generic species signs show up at dozens of roadside American zoos.

Virginia Opossum exhibit at Henson Robinson Zoo (USA):

You can see a Virginia Opossum eating from its food dish in this small indoor exhibit at Zoo Montana (USA):

A decently sized Virginia Opossum exhibit can be found at Howell Nature Center: Wild Wonders Wildlife Park (USA) as both structures were connected to form one enclosure.

Here's a Virginia Opossum in a small cage with a wire floor at Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA). I'm not sure how anyone could feel good about keeping an animal in such a contraption.

The head of a Virginia Opossum sticking out of a green box at Animal Haven Zoo (USA) makes me question whether this place is a 'haven' for animals at all.

At Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) and Emperor Valley Zoo (Trinidad & Tobago), I saw Murine Mouse Opossums and this is what these active, fast-paced mammals look like:

@Giant Eland

Last summer, I saw a Virginia Opossum at Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center (USA) inside an exhibit that looked like a tiny Swiss chalet with its green-lined roof.

A diabolically tiny Virginia Opossum exhibit, with a sleeping possum curled up inside its mini 'den', was at Monterey Zoo (USA):

Non-primate or carnivore mammals:

Asian Elephants - 61 zoos
Giant Anteaters - 57 zoos
African Elephants - 53 zoos
Tree Kangaroos - 33 zoos (2 species: 24 zoos with Matschie's, 9 Goodfellow's)
Opossums - 32 zoos and 34 exhibits (7 species: 26 zoos with Virginia Opossums, 2 Gray Short-tailed, 2 Murine Mouse, 1 Common Brushtail Possum, 1 Common Ringtail Possum, 1 Peruvian Dwarf, 1 Striped)
Koalas - 25 zoos
Short-beaked Echidnas - 22 zoos
Tamanduas - 21 zoos
Wombats - 18 zoos (2 species: Common, Southern Hairy-nosed)
Aardvarks - 15 zoos
Tasmanian Devils - 10 zoos
Platypuses - 5 zoos

* On the top of page 60, I have my final lists for Carnivora (130 species) and Primates (141 species) = 271 species at the 551 different zoos/aquariums I've visited.

 

[snowleopard]

Two posts today!

To piggyback on my 'Possum' post, I've seen Cuscuses in 4 zoos. They are incredibly rare animals!

4 zoos (3 species: 2 Spotted, 1 Ground, 1 Sulawesi Bear)

1- Memphis Zoo (USA) – Spotted Cuscus – 2008
2- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Ground Cuscus – 2012
3- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Sulawesi Bear Cuscus – 2019
4- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Spotted Cuscus – 2019

At both Memphis Zoo (USA) and Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands), I've seen a Spotted Cuscus in a Nocturnal House.

@twilighter

Here is the exterior of the Nocturnal House at Ouwehands:

@KevinB

Here is my photo of a Ground Cuscus at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA), in an exhibit located in what used to be called Jambo Junction.

Many zoo nerds have made the pilgrimage to Pairi Daiza (Belgium), arguably the most extraordinary zoo in the world. That establishment has an exhibit for Sulawesi Bear Cuscus and I had a blast standing there and admiring such a remarkably rare species.

@Therabu

@KevinB

@robreintjes

Non-primate or carnivore mammals:

Asian Elephant - 61 zoos
Giant Anteater - 57 zoos
African Elephant - 53 zoos
Tree Kangaroos - 33 zoos (2 species: 24 zoos with Matschie's, 9 Goodfellow's)
Virginia Opossum - 26 zoos
Koala - 25 zoos
Short-beaked Echidna - 22 zoos
Tamandua - 21 zoos
Wombat - 18 zoos (2 species: Common, Southern Hairy-nosed)
Aardvark - 15 zoos
Tasmanian Devil - 10 zoos
Platypus - 5 zoos
Cuscuses - 4 zoos (3 species: 2 zoos with Spotted, 1 Ground, 1 Sulawesi Bear)
Gray Short-tailed Opossum - 2 zoos
Murine Mouse Opossum - 2 zoos
Common Brushtail Possum - 1 zoo
Common Ringtail Possum - 1 zoo
Peruvian Dwarf Opossum - 1 zoo
Striped Possum - 1 zoo

* On the top of page 60, I have my final lists for Carnivora (130 species) and Primates (141 species) = 271 species at the 551 different zoos/aquariums I've visited.

 

[Smaggledagle]

I will 100% be having a break for those 3 weeks as I won't have an hour or two each day to be doing these lists of species. I'll return to Canada both rejuvenated and exhausted!

After you come back from the trip, will past lists be updated with the future facilities on the trip or are you only using the 551 zoos you visited in 2023 and back for hoofstock and beyond?

 

[Dassie rat]

32 zoos and 34 exhibits (7 species: 26 zoos with Virginia Opossums, 2 Gray Short-tailed, 2 Murine Mouse, 1 Common Brushtail Possum, 1 Common Ringtail Possum, 1 Peruvian Dwarf, 1 Striped)

Opossums - 32 zoos and 34 exhibits (7 species: 26 zoos with Virginia Opossums, 2 Gray Short-tailed, 2 Murine Mouse, 1 Common Brushtail Possum, 1 Common Ringtail Possum, 1 Peruvian Dwarf, 1 Striped)

Please note that some of the species listed don't belong to the opossum family (Didelphidae). The common brushtail possum belongs with cuscuses in the Phalangeridae, The common ringtail possum belongs in the Pseudocheiridae and the striped possum belongs with sugar gliders in the Petauridae.

 

[snowleopard]

After you come back from the trip, will past lists be updated with the future facilities on the trip or are you only using the 551 zoos you visited in 2023 and back for hoofstock and beyond?

That's a great question and I'm not sure what I will do. I could provide some updates on older lists and I will have to think about that. As with every trip, I will definitely see some brand-new species that I've never come across before and so it would be neat to maybe have some kind of quick update on past lists and then highlight new species as well.

Please note that some of the species listed don't belong to the opossum family (Didelphidae). The common brushtail possum belongs with cuscuses in the Phalangeridae, The common ringtail possum belongs in the Pseudocheiridae and the striped possum belongs with sugar gliders in the Petauridae.

I knew the 'taxonomic police' would come for me...haha! I love your attention to detail and I always appreciate your insight. It was just easier for me to lump all the 'possums' into one post and I'm not going to do Sugar Gliders as they are fairly common as pets and I haven't accumulated much data on them in zoos. Don't worry, I will be sticking with taxonomic families when it comes to my species lists for hoofed mammals.

 

[PossumRoach]

2- Taronga Zoo (Australia) – Common Brushtail Possum, Common Ringtail Possum – 2007

I get that common brushtails are not popular as a drab, non-endangered, nocturnal, and invasive species but I am surprised you only managed to see one zoo with common brushtail possums. I take it they aren’t popular in Australia the way raccoons are viewed in the US.

 

[turkeyfox]

I get that common brushtails are not popular as a drab, non-endangered, nocturnal, and invasive species but I am surprised you only managed to see one zoo with common brushtail possums. I take it they aren’t popular in Australia the way raccoons are viewed in the US.

However, raccoons are immensely popular outside of the US (which baffled me at first) and I feel like Australian possums would be similarly popular in the US as an exotic counter to our native opossum, if they were available in this country.

 

[Dassie rat]

Thanks for your kind comments, snowleopard. When I did my Zoology degree, I did my specialist essay on 'Marsupial Evolution'. I must admit that I was surprised that you put possums from different families in your list. I think it's the first time you've done that during this thread. There are some species that I've seen that you haven't (not as many as Giant Eland, though). I can remember roughly where and when I saw some of them, but I'm very impressed by your meticulous records. Well done. .

 

[pachyderm pro]

Two posts today!

To piggyback on my 'Possum' post, I've seen Cuscuses in 4 zoos. They are incredibly rare animals!

4 zoos (3 species: 2 Spotted, 1 Ground, 1 Sulawesi Bear)

1- Memphis Zoo (USA) – Spotted Cuscus – 2008
2- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Ground Cuscus – 2012
3- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Sulawesi Bear Cuscus – 2019
4- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Spotted Cuscus – 2019

At both Memphis Zoo (USA) and Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands), I've seen a Spotted Cuscus in a Nocturnal House.

@twilighter

Here is the exterior of the Nocturnal House at Ouwehands:

@KevinB

Here is my photo of a Ground Cuscus at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA), in an exhibit located in what used to be called Jambo Junction.

Many zoo nerds have made the pilgrimage to Pairi Daiza (Belgium), arguably the most extraordinary zoo in the world. That establishment has an exhibit for Sulawesi Bear Cuscus and I had a blast standing there and admiring such a remarkably rare species.

@Therabu

@KevinB

@robreintjes

Non-primate or carnivore mammals:

Asian Elephants - 61 zoos
Giant Anteaters - 57 zoos
African Elephants - 53 zoos
Tree Kangaroos - 33 zoos (2 species: 24 zoos with Matschie's, 9 Goodfellow's)
Opossums - 32 zoos and 34 exhibits (7 species: 26 zoos with Virginia Opossums, 2 Gray Short-tailed, 2 Murine Mouse, 1 Common Brushtail Possum, 1 Common Ringtail Possum, 1 Peruvian Dwarf, 1 Striped)
Koalas - 25 zoos
Short-beaked Echidnas - 22 zoos
Tamanduas - 21 zoos
Wombats - 18 zoos (2 species: Common, Southern Hairy-nosed)
Aardvarks - 15 zoos
Tasmanian Devils - 10 zoos
Platypuses - 5 zoos
Cuscuses - 4 zoos (3 species: 2 zoos with Spotted, 1 Ground, 1 Sulawesi Bear)

* On the top of page 60, I have my final lists for Carnivora (130 species) and Primates (141 species) = 271 species at the 551 different zoos/aquariums I've visited.

About 10 years ago I was able to pet a cuscus at San Diego. Had no idea what a rare and unusual animal it was at the time, but I’m lucky to have had the experience in the first place!

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I knew the 'taxonomic police' would come for me...haha! I love your attention to detail and I always appreciate your insight. It was just easier for me to lump all the 'possums' into one post and I'm not going to do Sugar Gliders as they are fairly common as pets and I haven't accumulated much data on them in zoos. Don't worry, I will be sticking with taxonomic families when it comes to my species lists for hoofed mammals.

It's more than just a case of different taxonomic families - opossums belong to an entirely different superorder to the Australasian marsupial lineage so it's a bit like doing moose and mouse in the same post due to the similar spelling!

 

[Osedax]

I get that common brushtails are not popular as a drab, non-endangered, nocturnal, and invasive species but I am surprised you only managed to see one zoo with common brushtail possums. I take it they aren’t popular in Australia the way raccoons are viewed in the US.

They are actually relatively common in Australian zoos' nocturnal houses. I too was surprised that @snowleopard has only seen Common Brushtail and the far more common (in zoos) Common Ringtail in one zoo - that being Taronga which does not currently have either species on display (although there are several ringtails off display in the Education department).

 

[ralph]

I've had a huge streak of bad luck with American opossums

They've been a no-show for me in Brno (Monodelphis domestica) as well as Plzen (Philander opossum) when I visited those zoos when they had opossums on public display. Then, when I visited Plzen behind the scenes, both species of possum they kept there (M. domestica, Didelphis marsupialis) were no-shows as well! Such a bummer. When I visited Liberec, the possums were signed but the enclosure empty (M. domestica). I could have seen 4 species of possum in zoos, but only saw 1 and only once at that; Virginia oppossum in VallaZoo in Mexico. So I have never seen a opossum in an European zoo!

I also had a very near miss of seeing wild opossum in Costa Rica. The guide didn't manage to alert me about that sighting, only caring about her Spanish-speaking guests.I'm still mad about it. It was the only time I ever demanded a refund for a guided tour.
I am hoping to see a wild opossum this year in Nicaragua!

I've had more luck with the Australian possums, including seeing Common striped possum twice (both in Plzen with the second time being behind the scenes) and seeing a
Short-eared possum (Trichosurus caninus) in Currumbin Wildlife sanctuary. I've seen a ringtail once (Sydney Wildlife World) and common brush-tailed possums in a lot of places. I've seen the latter species in the wild and I've personally worked with them for a while as well.

I have seen the three same species of cuscus.

 

[MRJ]

I feel it is my duty, as a member of the taxonomic police, to mention that cuscus belong to the same family as brushtail possums, so are also "Australian possums".

 

[biggest_dreamer]

As a young child who engrossed myself in animal-related content, I often found myself a bit out of touch as to what animals other people would be familiar with. I used to go on and on about cuscuses in particular fully expecting other people to know what they were, since to me they felt like just another universally understood animal no different from lions or elephants. It's for this reason that the spotted cuscus is probably one of my biggest white whale species, and one that I'm all but guaranteed to never get to see.

 

[MRJ]

To the best of my memory, I have only seen a cuscus once. It was at Melbourne Zoo maybe 55 years ago or so and was as a furry object curled up in box. It was displayed in their koala exhibit, which at the time consisted of a crescent of pens situated where the lemur (former ape grotto) is situated. Not sure what species but it would have been one of the Australian species.

Can't remember all the Australian species I have seen in captivity but have seen 15 species of possum and glider in the wild. My impression is that the number of species in zoos has declined in recent years.

At Moonlit we have feathertail gliders, squirrel gliders and yellow-bellied gliders, all obviously on our evening tours.

We have kept a ringtail and brushtail possum as well as sugar gliders, however as all three species are wild on the property no longer do. Esmeralda the brushtail was something of a movie star, featuring in at least two wildlife documentaries and one feature film.

As far as American opossums go, I have seen the occasional North American opossum in American zoos, and one dead one in the wild. However earlier this year I saw four species in the wild in Panama.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

To the best of my memory, I have only seen a cuscus once. It was at Melbourne Zoo maybe 55 years ago or so and was as a furry object curled up in box. It was displayed in their koala exhibit, which at the time consisted of a crescent of pens situated where the lemur (former ape grotto) is situated. Not sure what species but it would have been one of the Australian species.

That honestly rather surprises me; I'd have never imagined that I would have seen more cuscus species than you! My total is three taxa at a total of sixteen collections (Sulawesi Bear Cuscus at Tierpark Berlin, Wroclaw and Pairi Daiza, Common Spotted Cuscus at Ouwehands, and Ground Cuscus at Prague, Plzen, Jihlava, Budapest, Blackpool, Bristol, Cotswold Wildlife Park, Edinburgh, Hamerton, Kirkley Hall, Twycross and Artis).

Of course, when looking at the various families of Australasian possums as a whole, you're far, far ahead of me given the fact I've only seen an additional six or seven

 

[MRJ]

However, raccoons are immensely popular outside of the US (which baffled me at first) and I feel like Australian possums would be similarly popular in the US as an exotic counter to our native opossum, if they were available in this country.

I think you are right, as the wild brushtails are always popular with American guests on our evening tours. There should be no problem in obtaining them, as I would think the New Zealanders would have no problems in supplying them from their feral populations. However they would need to be displayed in a nocturnal house and in a fairly large enclosure, so that is a limiting factor.