ZooChat Cup Group G: Berlin Tierpark vs Taronga

[CGSwans]

My home zoo makes its debut. Well, not quite, but 900km isn’t so many in scheme of things, and it’s the closest I’ve got in the competition, anyway.

Taronga. Berlin Tierpark. Ectotherms.

The rules:

• You have three votes to award. If you think it's a tight match, award 2 votes to the stronger zoo and 1 to the weaker one. But if you think it's a wider margin than that, award all 3 votes to the winner.
• Your criteria for how you make your decision is entirely up to you, *except* that you must stay only within the given category. That includes ignoring the results of the other match: no strategic voting.
• All votes are public, and all votes can be changed. The purpose of the game is to provoke debate, so make your case for why people should vote the same way as you do. Be open to reconsidering your vote.

Tags: I’ve decided to hold back the tagging unless a match is proceeding a little more slowly than I’d like.

Note: I’m going to experiment with pulling matches back to 2 days, give or take a few hours. The last day of any thread is pretty slow anyway. Can always increase it again if it has a negative effect on participation.

 

[Coelacanth18]

Well, by accidentally going through primate species on Zootierliste for Berlin TP instead of Burgers, I've had a look at their ectotherm list as well . Boy, do they have a lot of fish.

It looks like Taronga has done a lot of important conservation work breeding and releasing corroboree and yellow-spotted bell frogs. According to their map they also have a spider exhibit? That might be cool if someone knows more about that.

 

[snowleopard]

I was just at Berlin Tierpark a few weeks ago, but I haven't been back to Taronga Zoo since my solitary visit in 2007. Does anyone have a species list for either zoo?

 

[Chlidonias]

So I'll point out that Taronga has Tuatara and Berlin Tierpark doesn't. So easy win for Taronga, obviously...

 

[lintworm]

This is probably TP Berlins weakest category. There are only a few aquaria in the main restaurant and since the closure of the Reptile house there is not much in that category either. The Crocodile house has a good variety of crocs, as well as tortoises, Green iguana and a Monitor species. Then there are a few terraria spread throughout the zoo, in the Monkey and Pachyderm house, as well as a house for Giant tortoises. When the Alfred-Brehm house reopens reptile diversity should increase again, but as it stands now, Tierpark has very little to offer....

 

[Brum]

I gave Berlin a point because the crocodile house looks pretty good for an old building, and having multiple species always impresses me. But Taronga seem to have better exhibitry and a better collection, including the afore-mentioned tuatara.

 

[amur leopard]

I gave Berlin a point because the crocodile house looks pretty good for an old building, and having multiple species always impresses me. But Taronga seem to have better exhibitry and a better collection, including the afore-mentioned tuatara.

I agree - although Tierpark Berlin does have quite a few reptile species according to Zootierliste. However, from what I have seen, Taronga's exhibits are more up to date, so 2-1 to Taronga imo

 

[Chlidonias]

I haven't got a detailed list for Taronga, but for herptiles you're looking at about ten frog species - most of which are held for conservation purposes (including both species of Corroboree Frogs); American Alligator, Freshwater Crocodile and Saltwater Crocodile for Brum's multiple-crocodylian category; five or so Australian turtle species; maybe twenty Australian lizard species; ten or fifteen Australian snake species; and of course Tuatara as well.

They have quite a few other exotic reptiles too which can be seen here: Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles in Australian Zoos