Subterranean animals

[Zoovolunteer]

For obvious reasons, displays of animals that spend most or all of their time below ground are not common in zoos, but they are an important part of the world's fauna. Aside from naked mole rats, what other burrowing animal displays have you seen and were they any good?

 

[aardvark250]

I would say the mole house at Tama is very good.With a large glass table fill with soil for the mole to dig, there is tunnel everywhere for the mole to run around.

 

[Ned]

Dudley has Hart's glass lizard in a subterranean display but I had no luck seeing it.

 

[JVM]

Away from mole rats, not much here, although there are habitats for burrowing owls and prairie dogs - both only offer above-ground viewing, but do have burrows.

There is an aardvark burrow at LPZ.

 

[Jurek7]

Very good exhibit was at the old Emmen zoo. Naked mole rats were in a large network of transparent plastic tubes and chambers lighted by red light (which nocturnal mammals cannot see).

For visitors and animals it was much better than some imitated cut-through earth bank, which never really works and restricts animals only to vertical. It given also the good idea that burrows of wild naked mole rats are extensive. Actually, in the wild, tunnels extend up to 3 km.