zooboy28
Well-Known Member
I visited Ti Point Reptile Park today, 29/7/2011, for the first time in a couple of years, and it was looking pretty good, even though there were a few species missing (hopefully just off-display in the cooler months). Prices are rather steep ($18 for adults, kids $8 - large increase from 2008 prices of $10 and $5 respectively), but it is a small private collection which really needs the money.
The Park is set on a steep hillside, and there is a simple loop track which takes visitors around all the exhibits. Having previously been a zoo, many of the reptile exhibits are ex-mammal or bird enclosures, and in general a very good size. Most are extremely well-vegetated, with the smaller terrarium-style exhibits having fresh cuttings.
The first exhibits are in the entry building (except for a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo in a small aviary just by the entrance), and consist of one large (floor to ceiling) exhibit for Forest Geckos and a native skink, four smaller rocky exhibits on the ground holding Otago Skinks (didn't see any), and seven exhibits above these with Rough Gecko, Goldstripe Gecko, Jewelled Gecko, Nelson Green Gecko, Auckland Green Gecko, Southern Alps Gecko, Pacific Gecko, Duvaucels Gecko, Common Skink & Striped Skink (various mixes). All were glass fronted, very leafy, and I saw most of the gecko species (http://www.zoochat.com/398/entry-exhibits-ti-point-reptile-park-226192/).
The next set of exhibits are the 'tortoise paddocks' and consist of several paddocks with low-chainlink next to the visitor path and very low wooden divisions separating paddocks and small gardens. The first and largest exhibit has Eastern Water Dragons, Eastern Bearded Dragons & Spur-thighed Tortoise, followed by a smaller exhibit for juvenile Eastern Bearded Dragons circled by an elevated boardwalk. Next are paddocks for Texas Tortoise, Hermann's Tortoise, Chaco Tortoise & Star Tortoise (http://www.zoochat.com/398/tortoise-paddocks-ti-point-reptile-park-226194/). At the bottom of this complex is the new exhibit for the male Galapagos Tortoise Willy (ex-Auckland), who was shut in his (probably too small) indoor house today (http://www.zoochat.com/398/galapagos-tortoise-ti-point-reptile-park-226193/).
Next up are a divided aviary-style exhibit for a pair of Leopard Tortoises and then their offspring. This backs on to a series of four raised glass fronted exhibits, the first of which is accessible to the leopard tortoise offspring. The next held a Jackson's Chameleon, which the owner fed a locust too for us, which was very cool. The last two exhibits held juvenile Red-Eared Terrapins & Bearded Dragons repectively.
From this, the path leads down a steep hill (with great views out across to the islands) to a set of exhibits for native lizards. This is a corrugated iron-covered visitor area, with mesh-covered lizard runs extending out one side (http://www.zoochat.com/398/lizard-runs-ti-point-reptile-park-226195/). At the front of the runs are a series of six low concrete and glass exhibits, with Duvaucel's Gecko, Marlborough Green Gecko, Nelson Green Gecko, Goldstripe Gecko & Falla's Skink (plus others probably, various mixes). The runs are large exhibits, open to the elements, with native skinks (Falla/Otago/Robust I think).
Heading further down the hill is a aviary-style exhibit for a pair of elderly Black-capped Capuchins (http://www.zoochat.com/398/capuchin-exhibit-ti-point-reptile-park-226196/). I'm still trying to find out what this exhibit originally held, as it looks more like a small cat (serval or even maybe leopard) cage rather than a primate one. Next are the two exhibits for American Alligators, a large male and a younger female, imported with the Auckland Zoo alligators from Australia in 2010. These exhibits are fully meshed over, with basic grass banks and ponds with underwater-viewing (http://www.zoochat.com/398/american-alligator-exhibits-ti-point-reptile-226197/). At the very bottom of the hill is a low walled exhibit for Red-Eared Terrapins, which I suspect previously held otters (http://www.zoochat.com/398/red-eared-terrapin-pond-ti-point-226204/). This is followed by another Red-Eared Terrapin exhibit, this time with a tall chainlink fence (http://www.zoochat.com/398/red-eared-terrapin-exhibit-ti-point-226205/).
Heading back up the hill, this time through denser bush, is a large area, with some scattered exhibits, and a building which would probably be best called a Reptile House. The first exhibit is another tall aviary-style exhibit, split into two sections, with a heated house at the back (http://www.zoochat.com/398/yellow-footed-tortoise-exhibit-ti-point-226206/). The back part of the first half held a single Yellow-Footed Tortoise, while the other half appeared empty. A similar, although narrower, exhibit held a pair of Malayan Box Turtles, which appear to be an exciting new species (http://www.zoochat.com/398/malayan-box-turtles-ti-point-reptile-226207/)! I am not sure where they have come from, but it doesn't look like they have come from another ZAA institution. The entry to the Reptile House has a medium-sized, open exhibit, again with underwater viewing, which has previously had alligators, but now just has Eastern Water Dragons (http://www.zoochat.com/398/reptile-house-ti-point-reptile-park-226208/).
Entering the house, the first exhibit is a glass-fronted exhibit for Leopard Geckos, opposite a taller exhibit for Shingleback Skinks. Next are a series of three exhibits, including one which goes over the visitors heads, for Jackson's Chameleons. There is then a large outdoor exhibit with an elevated jetty-style structure sticking out over it, but this was empty (previously had water dragons and red-eared terrapins). Tanks for Japanese Fire Bellied Newts & Whistling Tree Frogs, then Green and Gold Bell Frogs follow, opposite which is another outside exhibit for Three-toed Box Turtles. Back inside are separate exhibits for Bearded Dragons, Tuatara, Snake-neck Turtles & Leopard Geckos. Next is a large sloping, rainforest-themed exhibit, previously home to South American Red-Footed Tortoise, but now divided in two and holding a single Florida Soft-Shelled Turtle and Reeve's Turtles. Next is an exhibit for Spotted House Geckos, and then two for Madagascan Giant Day Geckos, with a Cunningham Skink exhibit at the exit.
Heading further up the hill, the very last exhibit is for Duvaucel's Geckos, in an aviary which used to hold native parakeets. It appears that another exhibit is being built opposite this, and that a shortcut back to the top is also being installed here.
Overall, the Reptile Park is really good species-wise, easily the best reptile collection in New Zealand, including best collection of native species, and well worth a visit. It does need a bit of maintenance, some painting and work on paths would lift it a bit, and some more detailed signage would help (many are just common name, latin name, distribution, and all are just text), but there is nothing wrong with most of the enclosures themselves. A visit on a nice summer day would be best, highlighting the location, surroundings and animals, rather than the aging infrastructure.
The Park is set on a steep hillside, and there is a simple loop track which takes visitors around all the exhibits. Having previously been a zoo, many of the reptile exhibits are ex-mammal or bird enclosures, and in general a very good size. Most are extremely well-vegetated, with the smaller terrarium-style exhibits having fresh cuttings.
The first exhibits are in the entry building (except for a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo in a small aviary just by the entrance), and consist of one large (floor to ceiling) exhibit for Forest Geckos and a native skink, four smaller rocky exhibits on the ground holding Otago Skinks (didn't see any), and seven exhibits above these with Rough Gecko, Goldstripe Gecko, Jewelled Gecko, Nelson Green Gecko, Auckland Green Gecko, Southern Alps Gecko, Pacific Gecko, Duvaucels Gecko, Common Skink & Striped Skink (various mixes). All were glass fronted, very leafy, and I saw most of the gecko species (http://www.zoochat.com/398/entry-exhibits-ti-point-reptile-park-226192/).
The next set of exhibits are the 'tortoise paddocks' and consist of several paddocks with low-chainlink next to the visitor path and very low wooden divisions separating paddocks and small gardens. The first and largest exhibit has Eastern Water Dragons, Eastern Bearded Dragons & Spur-thighed Tortoise, followed by a smaller exhibit for juvenile Eastern Bearded Dragons circled by an elevated boardwalk. Next are paddocks for Texas Tortoise, Hermann's Tortoise, Chaco Tortoise & Star Tortoise (http://www.zoochat.com/398/tortoise-paddocks-ti-point-reptile-park-226194/). At the bottom of this complex is the new exhibit for the male Galapagos Tortoise Willy (ex-Auckland), who was shut in his (probably too small) indoor house today (http://www.zoochat.com/398/galapagos-tortoise-ti-point-reptile-park-226193/).
Next up are a divided aviary-style exhibit for a pair of Leopard Tortoises and then their offspring. This backs on to a series of four raised glass fronted exhibits, the first of which is accessible to the leopard tortoise offspring. The next held a Jackson's Chameleon, which the owner fed a locust too for us, which was very cool. The last two exhibits held juvenile Red-Eared Terrapins & Bearded Dragons repectively.
From this, the path leads down a steep hill (with great views out across to the islands) to a set of exhibits for native lizards. This is a corrugated iron-covered visitor area, with mesh-covered lizard runs extending out one side (http://www.zoochat.com/398/lizard-runs-ti-point-reptile-park-226195/). At the front of the runs are a series of six low concrete and glass exhibits, with Duvaucel's Gecko, Marlborough Green Gecko, Nelson Green Gecko, Goldstripe Gecko & Falla's Skink (plus others probably, various mixes). The runs are large exhibits, open to the elements, with native skinks (Falla/Otago/Robust I think).
Heading further down the hill is a aviary-style exhibit for a pair of elderly Black-capped Capuchins (http://www.zoochat.com/398/capuchin-exhibit-ti-point-reptile-park-226196/). I'm still trying to find out what this exhibit originally held, as it looks more like a small cat (serval or even maybe leopard) cage rather than a primate one. Next are the two exhibits for American Alligators, a large male and a younger female, imported with the Auckland Zoo alligators from Australia in 2010. These exhibits are fully meshed over, with basic grass banks and ponds with underwater-viewing (http://www.zoochat.com/398/american-alligator-exhibits-ti-point-reptile-226197/). At the very bottom of the hill is a low walled exhibit for Red-Eared Terrapins, which I suspect previously held otters (http://www.zoochat.com/398/red-eared-terrapin-pond-ti-point-226204/). This is followed by another Red-Eared Terrapin exhibit, this time with a tall chainlink fence (http://www.zoochat.com/398/red-eared-terrapin-exhibit-ti-point-226205/).
Heading back up the hill, this time through denser bush, is a large area, with some scattered exhibits, and a building which would probably be best called a Reptile House. The first exhibit is another tall aviary-style exhibit, split into two sections, with a heated house at the back (http://www.zoochat.com/398/yellow-footed-tortoise-exhibit-ti-point-226206/). The back part of the first half held a single Yellow-Footed Tortoise, while the other half appeared empty. A similar, although narrower, exhibit held a pair of Malayan Box Turtles, which appear to be an exciting new species (http://www.zoochat.com/398/malayan-box-turtles-ti-point-reptile-226207/)! I am not sure where they have come from, but it doesn't look like they have come from another ZAA institution. The entry to the Reptile House has a medium-sized, open exhibit, again with underwater viewing, which has previously had alligators, but now just has Eastern Water Dragons (http://www.zoochat.com/398/reptile-house-ti-point-reptile-park-226208/).
Entering the house, the first exhibit is a glass-fronted exhibit for Leopard Geckos, opposite a taller exhibit for Shingleback Skinks. Next are a series of three exhibits, including one which goes over the visitors heads, for Jackson's Chameleons. There is then a large outdoor exhibit with an elevated jetty-style structure sticking out over it, but this was empty (previously had water dragons and red-eared terrapins). Tanks for Japanese Fire Bellied Newts & Whistling Tree Frogs, then Green and Gold Bell Frogs follow, opposite which is another outside exhibit for Three-toed Box Turtles. Back inside are separate exhibits for Bearded Dragons, Tuatara, Snake-neck Turtles & Leopard Geckos. Next is a large sloping, rainforest-themed exhibit, previously home to South American Red-Footed Tortoise, but now divided in two and holding a single Florida Soft-Shelled Turtle and Reeve's Turtles. Next is an exhibit for Spotted House Geckos, and then two for Madagascan Giant Day Geckos, with a Cunningham Skink exhibit at the exit.
Heading further up the hill, the very last exhibit is for Duvaucel's Geckos, in an aviary which used to hold native parakeets. It appears that another exhibit is being built opposite this, and that a shortcut back to the top is also being installed here.
Overall, the Reptile Park is really good species-wise, easily the best reptile collection in New Zealand, including best collection of native species, and well worth a visit. It does need a bit of maintenance, some painting and work on paths would lift it a bit, and some more detailed signage would help (many are just common name, latin name, distribution, and all are just text), but there is nothing wrong with most of the enclosures themselves. A visit on a nice summer day would be best, highlighting the location, surroundings and animals, rather than the aging infrastructure.
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They could put them behind a large glass window (ranch-slider sized), with maybe 10cm of earth behind it, would be an interesting display, and an amazing one if they displayed their bioluminosity.