Stone Zoo Stone Zoo Review and Species List - August 2025

[MOG2012]

A Stone Zoo Review and Species List​

Hello Zoochatters, I'm back with my longer/more detailed review and species list. For this review, I'll review the somewhat small, AZA-accredited Stone Zoo where I've visited many times.

Stone Zoo is located in Stoneham, Massachusetts which is a small town, 9 miles north of downtown Boston. Franklin Park Zoo, a zoo run by the same organization (Zoo New England) is a little less than 7 miles away (~15-30 min drive)

Stone Zoo is a 26 acre zoo and an accredited member of the AZA. It was founded in 1905 under the name "Middlesex Fells Zoo", named after the state park adjacent to the zoo. During the 1960s, the zoo made very large changes such as more megafauna under the name of the zoo director, Walter D. Stone which is the namesake of the zoo. After that, the zoo had many budget problems but "Major", a polar bear helped maintain a level of popularity which prevented the zoo's downfall. In the early 2000s, the zoo celebrated it's 100th anniversary which led to new exhibits and improved enclosures.

I visited this zoo on August 16, 2025 and spent around 45 minutes at the zoo. My review will be based on this visit. I've visited the zoo many times so the review will also have information about the past visits.

Overall, this zoo isn't that bad. Some exhibits are good like the Caribbean Coast, Himalayan Highlands, and the grey wolf exhibit while others are lackluster like Windows to the Wild and Yukon Creek. The theming style in the zoo is a mixed bag with some "heavily themed" areas like in Treasures of Sierra Madre while Treetops & Riverbeds is just a group of several tropical animals.

This concludes my overview of Stone Zoo. The next post will cover the Caribbean Coast and Treasures of Sierra Madre. I would also like to point out that my inspiration for the style of this review is once again, @Astrotom3000

To Be Continued...

 

[MOG2012]

Part 1 - the Caribbean Coast and Sierra Madre
​

This post will cover the following exhibits;

• the Caribbean Coast
• Butterfly Oasis
• the Treasures of Sierra Madre

the Caribbean Coast​

After entering the zoo, you are greeted by the loud noises of the active flamingoes. The exhibit opened in 2018 with the new entrance (the previous entrance was near Yukon Creek, and the Caribbean coast exhibit was a llama enclosure) When you enter the exhibit, there is 560 sq. m walkthrough aviary with lots of color and some separate smaller exhibits. The exhibit is one of the best in the zoo though the bird collection could be made larger.

• Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) [Unsigned]
• Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) [Signed as American Flamingo]
• Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber)

• Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) [Signed as Blue-and-Gold Macaw]
• Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloropterus) [Signed as Green-Winged Macaw]

• Jamaica Ground Iguana (Cyclura collei) [Signed as Jamaican Iguana]

Outside of the aviary is the Butterfly Oasis and the bush dog enclosure.

• Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus)

Butterfly Oasis​

The Butterfly exhibit recently opened on July 27th, 2025. It lacks major signage of butterflies and I saw more people than butterflies inside of it.

All creatures were unsigned:

• American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
• Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
• Large White (Pieris brassicae)
• Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
• Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
• Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
• Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
• White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)

Treasures of Sierra Madre​

After the Caribbean coast, the path leads to treasures of sierra madre which has mostly animals from the Sierra Madre Mountains. The theming is mostly "western" like in the ringtail enclosure. Most of the enclosures are good but the roadrunner enclosure is very cramped and is like a cage. The same could be said about the coati enclosure. Additionally, the peccary enclosure hasn't been that modified since the coyote departed so the terrain could be improved.

• Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

• Greater Roadrunner (Geococcys californianus) [Signed as Roadrunner]

• Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri)

• Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) [Signed as Cougar]

• West Mexican Milksnake (Lampropeltis polyzona) [Signed as Pueblan Milksnake under the synonym Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli]

• California King Snake (Lampropeltis californiae) [Not Seen]

• Desert Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata) [Signed as Rosy Boa]

• Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus)

• Cape Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura hemilopha) [Signed as Spiny-tailed Iguana under Ctenosaura conspicuosa/hemilopha]
• Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) [Signed as Chuckwalla]
• Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum)

• White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica)

• Seba's Short-tailed Bat (Carollia perspicillata)

• Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)

• Jaguar (Panthera onca)

The next post will cover Windows to the Wild, Crane Exhibit, and more
To Be Continued...

 

[MOG2012]

Part 1 - Windows to the Wild and More​

This post will cover the following exhibits;

• Windows to the Wild
• Animal Discovery Center
• Treetops & Riverbeds
• Alfred Huang North American Crane Exhibit

Windows to the Wild​

After exiting the Madre path, there is a U-shaped enclosure complex which primarily composed of indoor enclosures. It's the worst exhibit complex of the zoo due to little theming, bad enclosures with concrete flooring, etc.​

The complex wraps around a large tortoise enclosure which used to house flamingos

• African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata)

• Linne's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) [Signed as Two-Toed Sloth]

• Mantled Guereza (Colobus guereza) [Signed as Black and White Colobus Monkey] [Indoor Habitat]

• Long-tailed Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) [Not Seen]

• Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)

• Silvery-cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis)

• Cotton-headed Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) [Signed as Cotton-Topped Tamarin]
• Linne's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) [Signed as Two-Toed Sloth]
• Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)

• Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda)

• barren enclosure

• Yellow Quill-tipped Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) [Signed as Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine]

• Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)

• American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata) [Signed as Barn Owl under synonym Tyto alba]

Animal Discovery Center​

This area of the zoo is a building which houses mostly animal ambassadors. Recently, the zoo changed the layout of the public area, swapping the sides the enclosures are at with more benches.

• Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)

• Desert Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata) [Signed as Rosy Boa]

• Common Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) [Signed as Leopard Gecko]

• West Mexican Milksnake (Lampropeltis polyzona) [Signed as Pueblan Milksnake under the synonym Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli]

• Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)
• Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus)
• Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki)

• Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

• Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

• Magnificent Tree Frog (Ranoidea splendida)

Treetops & Riverbeds​

This part of the zoo is just a group of different enclosures with no real theme. The enclosures themselves aren't that bad but could be made more naturalistic with slightly larger exhibits and more vegetation.

• North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)

• Mantled Guereza (Colobus guereza) [Signed as Black and White Colobus Monkey]

• Northern White-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys)

Alfred Huang North American Crane Exhibit​

This exhibit has two adjacent enclosures. It typically has an American alligator in one and the crane (with waterfowl) in the other. They haven't had an alligator in a while but the cranes were still there.

• Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

The next post will cover Himalayan Highlands, Yukon Trail, and more
To Be Continued...

 

[MOG2012]

Part 3 - Himalayas and the Yukon​

This post will cover the following exhibits;

• Himalayan Highlands
• Barnyard
• Mexican Grey Wolf Exhibit
• Yukon Creek

Himalayan Highlands​

This part of the zoo used mostly the natural hills and forests to theme the enclosures.

• Domestic Yak (Bos grunniens) [Signed as Yak]

• Bukharan Markhor (Capra falconeri heptneri) [Signed as Markhor under species level Capra falconeri]

• Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

Barnyard​

Right next to the Himalayas exhibit, there is a typical farm exhibit with only domestics. There used to be pygmy zebu though.

• Domestic Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
• Nigerian Dwarf Goat (Capra hircus hircus)

• Anglo-Nubian Goat (Capra hircus hircus)

Mexican Grey Wolf Exhibit​

This is a standalone exhibit at the top of the hill, past Himalayan Highlands.

• Mexican Grey Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)

Yukon Creek​

This exhibit has mostly lackluster exhibits, being carnivore heavy.

• Domestic Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus f. domesticus)

• Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) [Not Seen]

• Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus)

• Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) [Not Seen]

• North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

• Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

• American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

The final post will cover the summary and review.
To Be Continued...

 

[MOG2012]

Conclusion​

Now that I've finished the species list, here is the breakdown.​

Total Species (not including ambassadors) - 64 species

Spoiler: Mammals - 27

• Carnivorans (Order Carnivora) - 12
  
• Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans (Order Artiodactyla) - 5
• Rodents (Order Rodentia) - 4
  
• Primates (Order Primates) - 3
• Bats (Order Chiroptera) - 1
• Hyraxes (Order Hyracoidea) - 1
• Sloths and Anteaters (Order Pilosa) - 1

Spoiler: Birds - 13

• Cranes, Rails, and Allies (Order Gruiformes) - 2
• Parrots (Order Psittaciformes) - 2
• Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (Order Accipitriformes) - 1
• Waterfowl (Order Anseriformes) - 1
• Hornbills and Hoopoes (Order Bucerotiformes) - 1
• Cuckoos (Order Cuculiformes) - 1
• Falcons and Caracaras (Order Falconiformes) - 1
  
• Landfowl (Order Galliformes) - 1
  
• Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies (Order Pelecaniformes) - 1
  
• Flamingos (Order Phoenicopteriformes) - 1
  
• Owls (Order Strigiformes) - 1

Spoiler: Reptiles - 12

• Lizards (Suborder Sauria) - 5
• Snakes (Suborder Serpentes) - 4
• Turtles and Tortoises (Order Testudines) - 3

Spoiler: Insects - 8

• Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera) - 8

Spoiler: Amphibians - 4

• Frogs and Toads (Order Anura) - 4

Feel free to point out any missing or incorrect information