Rtas' zoo pics

It may not be an interesting species to many people but it's a zoologists dream, I really need to make a photography log of zoo animals as I have many decent photos that'll share very soon

Thank you for the compliment and your interesting info about zootierliste Pardo !

Probably this database is more inaccurate for small zoos or small, poorly known species not interesting for the general public like that spiny mouse. It is actually located in the vivarium and it is not really put forward. One can easily visit the zoo without seeing them.

Pardofelis wrote:

I must say that La Flèche zoo, is of course listed in Zootierliste: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] however golden spiny mice don't appear nor in their current nor in their former listings.

Yes, that's what I meant. La Flèche is quite a major zoo in France, of course it is on zootierliste.

Species : Dingo

Spot : Spaycific zoo, Sarthe, France
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Dingos are not common in French zoos and Spaycific zoo is the only place where I have seen them. The resemblance with domestic dogs is striking and it's hard not to want to enter the enclosure and hug them like if they were friendly doggies !

Never seen dingoes, but I am sure they are friendly, like the ones at Australia zoo

Nice dingo

Species : African lion

Spot : La Bourbansais zoo, Brittany, France
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35 zoo pics posted on this forum and still none of the king ?! I had to change that.

Bonus pic : Portrait of the queen
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I have rarely seen African lions as I mainly see Asiatic lions

Species : Komodo dragon

Spot : Aquatis, Lausanne, Switzerland
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During my stay in the Alps, it rained half the time. Since it prevented us to walk in the mountain, we had to find a plan B. So, we decided to drive three hours to Switzerland in order to see the Lake Geneva and visit Aquatis, the largest freshwater aquarium in Europe. We had seen a documentary about it a few years ago and it was definitely the opportunity we were waiting for to visit it. And we were not disappointed ! It was the very first freshwater aquarium I visited so I enjoyed very much seeing several salmon and truit species, large pikes, an European eel and those very strange and mesmerizing paddlefishes from the Mississippi. But fishes have never been my main interest in zoology and I was much more captivated by the reptile collection of Aquatis, which is also a vivarium. Indeed, it is in my opinion the main strenght of this museum : mixing aquariums and terrariums so that you never get bored of fishes ! Reptiles are not very numerous in Aquatis but EVERY SINGLE specied they kept is absolutely amazing ! I have to confess I am a venomous snakes fetishist. The more deadly a snake is, the more excited I get ! In Aquatis, I saw the fattest and most beautiful gaboon viper in my life, as well as a two metres long gorgeous green mamba. And I just thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw inland taipans, the most venomous snake in the world, a species I had never seen and definitely did not expect to find in Aquatis. The museum also keeps a rare and little known crocodile species, the desert or West African crocodile. But I have to admit, what really lured us to Aquatis was the Komodo dragon. I had seen it only once in London zoo but in very poor conditions as it was far away and inactive. We were able to see Aquatis's specimen much better and it's quite impressive as it is slightly more than two metres long. However, it had been monthly fed two days ago and was still digesting so it did not move (we stayed one hour and a half, until closing time, in front of its vivarrium waiting for it to get up and walk). As a result, I still have to see an active dragon, that's why I will continue to seek them in zoos and reptile centres.

I really enjoyed Aquatis's concept and I will come back everytime I am in the region. I don't know if Pardofelis is still active on forum but I would really like to know his opinion about that amazing aquarium/vivarium.

Bonus pics :
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Wonderful to see your animal portraits again. I agree, Komodo dragons are really impressive creatures and I've never seen one in real, just a desert monitor that is much smaller and it was enough to impress me. Great pictures really, we can see every single detail. I hope quaria workers of this planet learn that they should not feed a dragon before Ben's visit.

The second one is great, he looks so happy relaxing on a rock

RtasVadumee wrote:

I don't know if Pardofelis is still active on forum but I would really like to know his opinion about that amazing aquarium/vivarium.

Yes, still active, tough maybe a bit less. What can I say. It's difficult to have an opinion about a place where I never have been. Not even the country. Tough it's a place I know slightly, by other reports, photos, species list... I always believed that my hometown aquarium, Saragossa fluvial aquarium, is the largest freshwater one in the world. That's what they claimed when built it, but it's very probably it has been surpassed after. Anyway both places probably are very similar since they are focused in same thematic. My hometown aquarium also have some fully terrestrial reptiles (and marmosets, bats and a turaco during my last visit), tough none venomous snake. Since he have radically different tastes you can't expect my opinion to ve valid for your own taste. Venomous snakes are boring for me, what I like is bright colours, exquisite patterns and strange shapes in the reptile world, fully independiently from the venonous ability. I'm also bored about Komodo dragons. As an ABC species that I've seen in many, many zoos, I just pass by the enclosures of it enough for have a few seconds sight, that is what I need for write it in the list of animals seen in every zoo I visit. It's what I do with common boring species such as lions, zebras, meerkats, etc... while I seek only for good photo opportunities of those species that I lack or that I have only bad photos of. Anyway Komodo dragons, like all monitors, doesn't like to move too much. Even if not digesting food, you rarely can expect see them walking. I would be infinitely more excited by the many fishes that would be new for me, and overall THE FISH: the Missisippi paddlefish, that I dream about since so many years ago, and despite being relatively common in public aquariums I never saw in my life. It's probably my most wished and favourite of the common zoo animals of the world, and I hope to get a photo of one some day. I also want desperately a good, accurate and decent-sized figurine of a Missisipi paddlefish, but none exists. Resuming, Aquatis Lausanne is a place I would like to visit, despite that, like everything in Switzerland, it's overhelmingly expensive. If some year I find paddlefishes in a different places before I visit this place, probably I will have not enough reasons for visit it.

P. S. if you're a fan about venomous snakes, I recommend you to visit Welt der Gifte, in Germany. It's a small newly founded zoo focused exclusively in the world of venom, both in animal, fungus and plant kingdoms.

Amazing photos!

Very nice pictures...

Nice pics

Pardofelis wrote:

RtasVadumee wrote:

I don't know if Pardofelis is still active on forum but I would really like to know his opinion about that amazing aquarium/vivarium.

Yes, still active, tough maybe a bit less. What can I say. It's difficult to have an opinion about a place where I never have been. Not even the country. Tough it's a place I know slightly, by other reports, photos, species list... I always believed that my hometown aquarium, Saragossa fluvial aquarium, is the largest freshwater one in the world. That's what they claimed when built it, but it's very probably it has been surpassed after. Anyway both places probably are very similar since they are focused in same thematic. My hometown aquarium also have some fully terrestrial reptiles (and marmosets, bats and a turaco during my last visit), tough none venomous snake. Since he have radically different tastes you can't expect my opinion to ve valid for your own taste. Venomous snakes are boring for me, what I like is bright colours, exquisite patterns and strange shapes in the reptile world, fully independiently from the venonous ability. I'm also bored about Komodo dragons. As an ABC species that I've seen in many, many zoos, I just pass by the enclosures of it enough for have a few seconds sight, that is what I need for write it in the list of animals seen in every zoo I visit. It's what I do with common boring species such as lions, zebras, meerkats, etc... while I seek only for good photo opportunities of those species that I lack or that I have only bad photos of. Anyway Komodo dragons, like all monitors, doesn't like to move too much. Even if not digesting food, you rarely can expect see them walking. I would be infinitely more excited by the many fishes that would be new for me, and overall THE FISH: the Missisippi paddlefish, that I dream about since so many years ago, and despite being relatively common in public aquariums I never saw in my life. It's probably my most wished and favourite of the common zoo animals of the world, and I hope to get a photo of one some day. I also want desperately a good, accurate and decent-sized figurine of a Missisipi paddlefish, but none exists. Resuming, Aquatis Lausanne is a place I would like to visit, despite that, like everything in Switzerland, it's overhelmingly expensive. If some year I find paddlefishes in a different places before I visit this place, probably I will have not enough reasons for visit it.

P. S. if you're a fan about venomous snakes, I recommend you to visit Welt der Gifte, in Germany. It's a small newly founded zoo focused exclusively in the world of venom, both in animal, fungus and plant kingdoms.

Thank you for your opinion my friend !

Keep in mind that I am far from having visited half as many zoos and aquariums as you and, as a result, some species that are common for you are still rare for me (including the Komodo dragon only exhibited in three zoos in France). Remember that the red river hog is a scarce species for me

Indeed, the paddlefish is clearly the fish star of the place, it is much highlighted in their advertising campaign. They are very numerous and presented in a very large pool, similar to the sharks pools in sea water aquariums.

Thank you for the advice about Welt der Gifte but I am not going to visit Germany any time soon. Fortunately, we have a very similar reptile centre here in Brittany. It is extremely small and almost unknown by the general public, it is not even an official zoo, but it keeps a few very dangerous snakes as the black mamba, the Indian cobra, the South American rattlesnake, the western diamondback rattlesnake, the puff adder, the copperhead...