Zhoudao Cute Pet Paradise, January 2025
Including all species seen and signed.
This is a little petting zoo I came across unexpectedly between the two buildings of the Shaanxi Nature Museum in Xi’an (it has no connection to the museum other than being in the vicinity). It is not a particularly nice place, with the animals being housed in small cages or pens for the purpose of being patted and fed by visitors.
The initial entrance area is indoors and has amongst its inhabitants Himalayan Marmots and a Collared Crow, but beyond that is an outside area where most of the animals are kept apart for one other room which could be termed the reptile room as it is filled with terrariums (although there are also some mammals and birds in there as well).
Signage is minimal or absent, and of course only in Chinese apart for a few words here and there, so I have no idea how well any of it identified the animals.
Photos are currently in the China Other gallery.
…………………………………
MAMMALS
Domestic Miniature Horse
Alpaca
Domestic Pig
Domestic Goat
Sika
Reeves’ Muntjac
African Dwarf Hedgehog
Domestic Rabbit
Domestic Guinea Pig
Himalayan Marmot
Red-bellied (Pallas’) Squirrel
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Rhesus Macaque (babies)
Meerkat
Brown-nosed Coati
Common Raccoon
BIRDS
Emu
Black Swan
Domestic Chinese Geese
Domestic Ducks
Great White Pelican
Indian Peafowl
Blue and Gold Macaw
Orange-winged Amazon
Eclectus
Budgerigar
Cockatiel
Blue-eyed Cockatoo
Domestic Doves
Plumbeous Water Redstart
Black-throated Tit
Crested Mynah
Collared Crow
REPTILES
Pig-nosed Turtle
African Spurred Tortoise
*baby crocodilians (two in a tank – there is a photo in the ID gallery)
Common Iguana
Plumed Basilisk
Western Plated Lizard
Butterfly Lizard (probably Leiolepis belliana)
Crested Gecko
Leopard Gecko
Peter’s Banded Sand Skink (Scincopus fasciatus)
Common Bluetongue Skink
Bearded Dragon
Veiled Chameleon
Panther Chameleon
Savannah Monitor
*brown python / boa species ( there is a photo in the ID gallery)
California Kingsnake
AMPHIBIANS
African Bullfrog
White’s Tree Frog
INVERTEBRATES
Tarantula (unknown species)
Scorpions (probably either Emperor or Asian Forest Scorpion – whichever would be most likely in the Chinese pet trade)
Including all species seen and signed.
This is a little petting zoo I came across unexpectedly between the two buildings of the Shaanxi Nature Museum in Xi’an (it has no connection to the museum other than being in the vicinity). It is not a particularly nice place, with the animals being housed in small cages or pens for the purpose of being patted and fed by visitors.
The initial entrance area is indoors and has amongst its inhabitants Himalayan Marmots and a Collared Crow, but beyond that is an outside area where most of the animals are kept apart for one other room which could be termed the reptile room as it is filled with terrariums (although there are also some mammals and birds in there as well).
Signage is minimal or absent, and of course only in Chinese apart for a few words here and there, so I have no idea how well any of it identified the animals.
Photos are currently in the China Other gallery.
…………………………………
MAMMALS
Domestic Miniature Horse
Alpaca
Domestic Pig
Domestic Goat
Sika
Reeves’ Muntjac
African Dwarf Hedgehog
Domestic Rabbit
Domestic Guinea Pig
Himalayan Marmot
Red-bellied (Pallas’) Squirrel
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Rhesus Macaque (babies)
Meerkat
Brown-nosed Coati
Common Raccoon
BIRDS
Emu
Black Swan
Domestic Chinese Geese
Domestic Ducks
Great White Pelican
Indian Peafowl
Blue and Gold Macaw
Orange-winged Amazon
Eclectus
Budgerigar
Cockatiel
Blue-eyed Cockatoo
Domestic Doves
Plumbeous Water Redstart
Black-throated Tit
Crested Mynah
Collared Crow
REPTILES
Pig-nosed Turtle
African Spurred Tortoise
*baby crocodilians (two in a tank – there is a photo in the ID gallery)
Common Iguana
Plumed Basilisk
Western Plated Lizard
Butterfly Lizard (probably Leiolepis belliana)
Crested Gecko
Leopard Gecko
Peter’s Banded Sand Skink (Scincopus fasciatus)
Common Bluetongue Skink
Bearded Dragon
Veiled Chameleon
Panther Chameleon
Savannah Monitor
*brown python / boa species ( there is a photo in the ID gallery)
California Kingsnake
AMPHIBIANS
African Bullfrog
White’s Tree Frog
INVERTEBRATES
Tarantula (unknown species)
Scorpions (probably either Emperor or Asian Forest Scorpion – whichever would be most likely in the Chinese pet trade)