Tropical Reptiles with Outdoor Access

[Marcus A.]

Could a moderator please update the title and description of this thread with the following edited version? I've made some adjustments, similar to what I did with the primates thread, to make it more ZooChat-friendly:

Title: Tropical Reptiles with Outdoor Access

Welcome to the first of several threads on animal temperature management in captivity by animal group that I’m planning to create. In these threads, I aim to reach out to the community to share their observations and experiences—whether they are trained professionals or avid zoo-goers like myself—on how their local zoos or zoos they have worked at manage certain groups of animals during seasons that these animals typically do not encounter in their natural range.

In this thread, we will explore the outdoor access and management of tropical reptiles that are often or sometimes given outdoor access in the institutions where they are exhibited.

For Zoo-Goers: What observations have you made regarding the outdoor access and seasonal management of tropical reptiles in your local zoo or any other zoo you frequent? Which species are given seasonal or year-round outdoor access? How are their habitats designed? What behavioral observations have you made? Were there any days or circumstances where the species in question were off-exhibit or kept fully indoors?

For Trained Professionals: What can you share about the outdoor access and management of tropical reptiles in the institutions you have worked at? What guidelines did you follow? How did these vary between species? What behavioral observations have you made that differ between various species of tropical reptiles? Which species were more eager to go out on cooler days? Feel free to omit the names of institutions if desired.

For reference and brainstorming, below is a list of tropical reptiles that I’m aware of that potentially receive outdoor access. Of course, information on other species is certainly welcome:

• Crocodilians: Gharial (Indian, Malayan), Crocodile (Saltwater, Nile, American, Cuban, Orinoco, Slender-Snouted, etc.), Caiman (Spectacled, Broad-Snouted, Cuvier’s Dwarf, etc.)
• Testudines: Tortoise (Aldabra Giant, Galapagos Giant, Sulcata, Leopard, Radiated, Asian Brown, Red-Footed, Yellow-Footed, etc.)
• Squamates: Varanid (Komodo Dragon, Nile Monitor, Asian Water Monitor, Crocodile Monitor, Perentie, etc.), Iguana (Rhinoceros, Grand Cayman Blue, Green, etc.), Tegu (Black-and-White, Red)

While I couldn’t come up with examples of tropical freshwater turtles or snakes exhibited outdoors, feel free to share your experiences on these as well.

I’ve excluded temperate species in the description, but if some members have experience with these, please share. However, experiences and information on tropical species are more relevant in the context of this thread.

Thank you in advance for your contributions!

Thanks for making the changes, Dave! I wish there was a tea emoji on this forum.

I saw on video on youtube that cuban crocodile was kept outside in a danisch zoo,
source:

it kinda shocked me, did not look at the details do

I think you are referring to the following video of the same park in the same channel, because in the one you sent I can only see the gators outside. It is indeed quite surprising to see Cuban crocs outside in Denmark, even if seasonally!

 

[Mr Gharial]

The (tropical) reptiles I see outside most are definitely tortoises. Apenheul has Red-footed and African spurred tortoises in outdoor enclosures.
Ouwehands, Amersfoort and Blijdorp have outdoor exhibits for their Giant tortoises, and Dierenrijk, GaiaZOO and Overloon for European (testudo) tortoises.

All of these have heated indoor enclosures where they live in the colder months

Other than those, not a lot of outdoor reptiles in the Netherlands.

 

[DesertRhino150]

I did make a thread roughly on this subject quite a few years ago, but these are some other tropical reptiles kept outdoors in European zoos that I can recall:

Zajezd Zoo in the Czech Republic has a summer outdoor enclosure for chameleons (number three on this map). I cannot find any photographs of it in use however.

Jaszbereny Zoo in Hungary has an outdoor aviary for its Burmese rock pythons (pictured here). Apparently, Reserve Africaine de Sigean in France also has or had an outdoor enclosure for the Burmese python.

While I'm not sure if it suits the remit here, being a species from temperate North America, there is or was an outdoor enclosure for the Pacific rattlesnake at Reptilienzoo Nockalm in Austria. Unfortunately, the forum where photographs of the enclosure exist now requires membership to view, so I cannot link it here.

One 'tropical' species I think could do very well in a seasonal outdoor enclosure is the giant Asian pond turtle - everything I've read about them suggests that they prefer cooler temperatures and certainly private keepers in America and Europe have had great success keeping them outdoors for much of the year, with them just being moved indoors during the winter months.

My local zoo (Colchester Zoo) has outdoor enclosures for African spurred, Aldabra giant and yellow-footed tortoise (the former two in standard paddocks and an indoor house in which they are locked during colder spells, the yellow-footed with seasonal access to a netted walkthrough display shared with sloths and small monkeys), green iguana (in the same netted walkthrough as the yellow-footed tortoise) and slender-snouted crocodile (a tiny seasonally-available outdoor space with no water pool; the crocodile has recently built a nest in this enclosure).

 

[Jana]

Zajezd Zoo in the Czech Republic has a summer outdoor enclosure for chameleons (number three on this map). I cannot find any photographs of it in use however.

I used to have own photos but those are long lost. I can´t find anything decent online. It´s a simple cage made from untreated logs and with very dense mesh that makes taking pics hard. Size ca 2 x 3 x 1 meter. Filled with vegetation.

On this pic, it´s on the very left side, you can see the vertical logs and a species sign.

Source

Here it´s in the centre of the pic, partly obscured by some dry vine. the little cage on side of the orange hut

 

[Batto]

While I'm not sure if it suits the remit here, being a species from temperate North America, there is or was an outdoor enclosure for the Pacific rattlesnake at Reptilienzoo Nockalm in Austria. Unfortunately, the forum where photographs of the enclosure exist now requires membership to view, so I cannot link it here.

It still exists. Serpentarium Calden also keeps Timber rattlesnakes outdoors.

 

[FBBird]

Linton Zoo has outside access, possibly all year round, for large tortoises. Apparently they go outside even in quite cold weather, and are brought inside if they can’t make it back in

 

[Marcus A.]

Thank you, everyone, for all the interesting and informative contributions!

I found another example myself, which I’ll share below in a video. It appears that the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana, keeps their false gharials outside year-round, presumably with a heated pool. In this zoo tour video, the commentary makes it clear several times that temperatures stayed below 50°F (10°C) throughout the day, possibly the coldest day of the year in New Orleans, yet the false gharials were still on exhibit. This came as a big surprise to me, considering they are an equatorial species. For instance, I doubt this setup would work with black caimans, another equatorial species, which various sources mention require relatively consistent warm temperatures. I wonder if the success of this setup is due to the false gharial being related to the gharial, which is subtropical.