What would you want to see?

[Ontario_herper]

Jeff do you plan on housing any crocodilians? Caimans perhaps?

[wetlander]

For experienced herpers I would want to see a collection that attracts visitors for 2 reasons.
1) a collecton of species that are rarely kept such as a wide assortment of Australian venomnous snakes. Very few people keep hots and even fewer have an Australian collection. Add to that some large monitors and smaller crocs such as Chinese Alligators.
2) a collection of rare (read as so rare the only way a collector could get one would land them in jail or with outrageous fines) species kept in very natural conditions in a captive breeding program.

These would keep me coming back since it would be the only way I could see these species and my admission fees would be supporting a breeding program.

Doug

[CamHanna]

Thought of a few more I forgot to mention

- Brahminy Blind snakes (interesting because of evolution and reproduction[perhaps housed in an ant farm type set up])
- Glass Lizard, Legless Lizard, Slow Worm or something like that (as a parrelel to the blinds)
- I like the ETB/GTP idea
- something about speciation (perhaps a few different rosies)
- Melanistic garters, incorporating Mendel’s genetics
- Slowinski's corns, they'd likely be dead weight for bringing in a crowd but it would be nice to have someone breeding them
- Also hellbenders or even those huge Oriental salamanders

As mentioned, elaborate setups are interesting and I'd say that good interpretations are a necessity.

[Gary D.]

Hellbenders would be cool but brutal to setup as they require running water. I suppose with a large enough pump and a large filter resevoir. A 5'x10' flowing stream with under water viewing would be a kick butt display.

[Scales Zoo]

Gary did ask what kind of reptiles, the average reptile person would get a kick out of seeing at a reptile zoo.

Boiga irregularis would be an interesting species, we've all heard about them and Guam, but who's ever seen one in person...

Other things I think would be neat to see.

2 headed snakes. Live preferably, but in a jar would be better than nothing.

Scaleless snakes.

Native Canadian species, and / or species native to the area.

Rhino rats, indigos, tiger rats, 100 flower, bamboo rats, mandarins - gold star for breeding any of these.

Cool Reptile related museum artifacts, like skeletons, replica skulls, dinosaur and reptile fossils etc..

Very large water monitor, very large crocodile, gila monsters, caecilian's.

My favorite venomous (to look at behind glass) are king cobras, albino monacled cobras, rhino vipers, gaboons, cerestes, rattlesnakes, black mamba's, green mamba's, mangroves....

Ryan

[Gary D.]

Thinking about it colubrids wouldn't be too bad, even for me. 3 or 4 interesting snakes from each of 6 continental regions, and your half way to 50. It's the really juicy ones that might take a bit of searching, like Madagascan Vines, tentacled snakes, or white headed snakes.

[Jeff Hathaway]

No crocodilians, Dave! No alligator snappers, either, and no venomous snakes beyond massasaugas and possibly timbers or westerns.

Our collection will continue to focus on: Ontario species, other Canadian species, appropriate pets vs. inappropriate pets, and selected conservation or biological items or issues. I've considered the ETB/GTP convergent evolution example but decided not to allocate the space to it. Might use some other example though.

Hey Cam, we'll have melanistic garters, too. I think corns are more useful for Mendelian genetics, though. No hellbenders, but mudpuppies instead.

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[hhw]

Monitor lizards in naturalistic setups would definitely be great to see; both small and large varieties.

As a hobbyist though, I'm not so geared on seeing species that I wouldn't be able to buy with some effort so much as seeing particularly nice specimens. Of course, I would expect to see a lot of species that aren't offered in pet stores. An ETB/GTP would definitely be great to see side by side.

With that said, perhaps something that a zoo could have that a hobbyist wouldn't is some indigenous species that's rarely seen.

I for one live in BC yet have never seen a rubber boa despite hundreds of hours searching for them in my youth. A rubber boa would also be interesting due to the tail that doubles as a fake head educational example.

[Katt]

ok, Calabar burrowing python!!

Definitely. I liked the one we had and I would love to see another.

[Scales Zoo]

I think I will do a GTP / ETB side by side, with notes on convergant evolution, since a few have said they liked the idea too.

Jeff, when are you planning to open the doors? Have you decided what to call it yet?

Ryan

[Thrush]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scales Zoo
[B]I think I will do a GTP / ETB side by side, with notes on convergant evolution, since a few have said they liked the idea too.

Yup, I really like that idea. And what about CHAMELEONS! They are some of the coolest looking reptiles around. I'd love to see large vivariums with some of the more unusual larger species, and maybe some really colourful panthers, just because! The setup could be spectacular if carefully done.

[Gary D.]

You know, as cool as Calabar burrowing pythons are, the Loxocemus kicks it's butt. Thanks for passing on her for me and thanx to Nyx for letting me have her

And Chameleons are definately a must.



GD

[Jeff Hathaway]

Ryan, we're still not sure when we'll actually open. Lots to do yet. Structural work is largely complete now, but we're really only just getting started on enclosures. I'm hoping for opening to groups by appointment next fall, and then to the general public in 2006. Depends on how time and money allow our renovation schedule to progress. Scales Nature Park is still our working title, though we're open to changes. I'm considering having a 'naming contest' to see if anyone can come up with anything better, since I haven't been able to.

hhw- we'll have one monitor enclosure, likely for a black roughneck. I hope to have rubber boas in the collection, but I doubt they'd be very useful as a display- they're so secretive no one would ever see them. Better to use them as a hands-on specimen, I think.

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[nyx]

Originally posted by Gary D.
[B]You know, as cool as Calabar burrowing pythons are, the Loxocemus kicks it's butt. Thanks for passing on her for me and thanx to Nyx for letting me have her

Glad you like her. I kinda miss her already.

[Scales Zoo]

Originally posted by Jeff Hathaway
Scales Nature Park is still our working title, though we're open to changes.

I had not realized you already picked a name, that's a pretty "catchy" name.

Ryan