Planckendael - very good zoo in Belgium - has a walkthrough exhibit with golden-headed lion tamarins and they are doing pretty well. They even got babies last year. It's a big island with huge trees so the tamarins can definitely stay up in the trees and away from visitors if they want to. But sometimes they come pick up food in feeders placed close to the path and you can have them very close to you. Of course, it's forbidden to touch them and there is always an employee of the zoo or a volunteer present to check that people are behaving correctly (and to give info about the animals).
Analyzing required animals by Taxonomical group
Oh boy this one is a biggie. All cathegories that need a lot of fleshing out, but clearly NW monkeys and waterfowls are the ones in desperate need.
NW monkeys
Top priority and absolutly necessary: any spider monkey, any howler monkey, any squirrel monkey and tamarin (although golden lion is my preffered choice)
Other good options but not "necessary" imo are the bald uakari, white face saki, marmosets
I think for the game to "feel complete" in this regard we need at least three: spider, tamarin and howler in that order.
Why these three? Other than being the most common and popular choices, spider monkeys could use the brachiating system implemented for gibbons, howlers would benefit from the chorus behaviour and a small monkey (mostly tamarins) are just very iconic zoo animals and if they can be implemented well would work even as WE animals (not the ideal option but if done well i wouldn't mind that much, specially if they get some kind of guest interaction animation like the butterflies)
Caprines
There are a lot of caprines that we could still get. The dall sheep always felt like an odd choice but i'm glad we have it, and the ibex was very needed. The other two that i think are absolute must of this group are the markhor and the musk ox. The musk ox i think is the one arctic land animal that we are missing. Of course it would be great to get a snow hare or even a ptarmigan but the musk ox is too iconic, visually distinctive and very representative of cold tundra / arctic regions. The markhor would add rep to the mountains of central Asia which i think are lacking. And also this is a bit more personal, but both of them were some of my favorite animals in ZT2 so i guess nostalgia plays a role here as well.
But if i could choose a third caprine would be the takin. I think they will contribute to fill in the fauna from China, is pretty common in zoos and again, has a distinctive look.
Other goats such as the chinese goral (which could be mixed with the takin if we get both), the japanase serow (an interesting choice if we get an Islands animal pack but not very common in captivity i believe) and the barbary sheep are cool but i think should not be consider before we get the previous three.
Same goes for the big horn sheep unfortunally. I would love this one to add to the roster of NA desert animals but i can live with the mods if we never get it officially and i recognize is not a priority.
Also i understand and somewhat agree that small domestic goats are very common in zoos and a must have for many people, but i honestly prioritize wild exotic animals over domestic ones.
Frogs
I'm ok with what we have but there are some species i would like to see, mainly: fire bellied toad, surinam toad, desert rain frog, the argentine horned frog and the australian green tree frog.
And i think is necessary that they add morphs to the poison dart frogs we have since that would allow for multiple species that i think are indeed necessary without the need of using slots for exhibit animals in future DLCs
Waterfowls
Oh man... we have none of these. Not even wading birds, but i assume this cathegory is refering to ducks, geese and swans. If that's the case then i think we need AT LEAST one of each. My personal preference for a duck is the mandarin duck, originary from Asia but with introduced populations world wide, common in captivity and visually striking (arguably the most beautiful of the ducks), but any duck at this point would do and the mallard duck is the duck of ducks so i would be ok with it as well.
As for swans i prefer the mute swan but the black necked or the black swan are also interesting choices, specially because they are both from the southern hemisphere.
The canadian goose or nene goose are good options for geese, but out of this group of birds i think the geese are the ones on the bottom of the list for priority. If we get a duck and a swan i would be ok without any geese.
Now if we could get a unlimited number of ducks there are several species i would like to see: king eider (visually distinctive, arctic duck), white faced whistling duck (rep to the souther hemisphere also tropical duck), green winged teal (another duck of ducks), hooded merganser (another visually unique and beautiful duck), wood or harlequin ducks (my second and third choices if we don't get a mandarin), the african pygmy goose (another visually striking waterfowl and also good for african sections) and the muscovy duck (cool weird looking species that could also work as a domestic breed).
NW monkeys
Top priority and absolutly necessary: any spider monkey, any howler monkey, any squirrel monkey and tamarin (although golden lion is my preffered choice)
Other good options but not "necessary" imo are the bald uakari, white face saki, marmosets
I think for the game to "feel complete" in this regard we need at least three: spider, tamarin and howler in that order.
Why these three? Other than being the most common and popular choices, spider monkeys could use the brachiating system implemented for gibbons, howlers would benefit from the chorus behaviour and a small monkey (mostly tamarins) are just very iconic zoo animals and if they can be implemented well would work even as WE animals (not the ideal option but if done well i wouldn't mind that much, specially if they get some kind of guest interaction animation like the butterflies)
Caprines
There are a lot of caprines that we could still get. The dall sheep always felt like an odd choice but i'm glad we have it, and the ibex was very needed. The other two that i think are absolute must of this group are the markhor and the musk ox. The musk ox i think is the one arctic land animal that we are missing. Of course it would be great to get a snow hare or even a ptarmigan but the musk ox is too iconic, visually distinctive and very representative of cold tundra / arctic regions. The markhor would add rep to the mountains of central Asia which i think are lacking. And also this is a bit more personal, but both of them were some of my favorite animals in ZT2 so i guess nostalgia plays a role here as well.
But if i could choose a third caprine would be the takin. I think they will contribute to fill in the fauna from China, is pretty common in zoos and again, has a distinctive look.
Other goats such as the chinese goral (which could be mixed with the takin if we get both), the japanase serow (an interesting choice if we get an Islands animal pack but not very common in captivity i believe) and the barbary sheep are cool but i think should not be consider before we get the previous three.
Same goes for the big horn sheep unfortunally. I would love this one to add to the roster of NA desert animals but i can live with the mods if we never get it officially and i recognize is not a priority.
Also i understand and somewhat agree that small domestic goats are very common in zoos and a must have for many people, but i honestly prioritize wild exotic animals over domestic ones.
Frogs
I'm ok with what we have but there are some species i would like to see, mainly: fire bellied toad, surinam toad, desert rain frog, the argentine horned frog and the australian green tree frog.
And i think is necessary that they add morphs to the poison dart frogs we have since that would allow for multiple species that i think are indeed necessary without the need of using slots for exhibit animals in future DLCs
Waterfowls
Oh man... we have none of these. Not even wading birds, but i assume this cathegory is refering to ducks, geese and swans. If that's the case then i think we need AT LEAST one of each. My personal preference for a duck is the mandarin duck, originary from Asia but with introduced populations world wide, common in captivity and visually striking (arguably the most beautiful of the ducks), but any duck at this point would do and the mallard duck is the duck of ducks so i would be ok with it as well.
As for swans i prefer the mute swan but the black necked or the black swan are also interesting choices, specially because they are both from the southern hemisphere.
The canadian goose or nene goose are good options for geese, but out of this group of birds i think the geese are the ones on the bottom of the list for priority. If we get a duck and a swan i would be ok without any geese.
Now if we could get a unlimited number of ducks there are several species i would like to see: king eider (visually distinctive, arctic duck), white faced whistling duck (rep to the souther hemisphere also tropical duck), green winged teal (another duck of ducks), hooded merganser (another visually unique and beautiful duck), wood or harlequin ducks (my second and third choices if we don't get a mandarin), the african pygmy goose (another visually striking waterfowl and also good for african sections) and the muscovy duck (cool weird looking species that could also work as a domestic breed).
Just to say it makes me feel so happy that a lot of people are mentioning the Argentine horned frog. Best frog.
I have one as a pet. His name is Bruce
And we're back!
Discussion #10: Bovines, Lemuriformes, Gruiformes, Salamanders
What we have:
Bovines:
Gruiformes (Cranes and rails):
Explain what you think is still needed from the aforementioned groups, and give your reasoning as to why. Take into account that slots in the roster are not unlimited, so try to keep the discussion realistic.
Discussion #10: Bovines, Lemuriformes, Gruiformes, Salamanders
What we have:
Bovines:
- African buffalo
- American bison
- Wild water buffalo
- Red ruffed lemur
- Ring tailed lemur
- Black-and-white ruffed lemur
Gruiformes (Cranes and rails):
- Red crowned crane
- Axolotl
- Fire Salamander
- Danube Crested Newt
Explain what you think is still needed from the aforementioned groups, and give your reasoning as to why. Take into account that slots in the roster are not unlimited, so try to keep the discussion realistic.
Bovines
Definitely want more. Not much, but for wild species the wisent seems nice and would add to Europe. I'd also choose the gaur for India. For other domestics, I'd choose domestic species. The watusi-ankole speaks to me, as well as the zebu...
- Wisent - perfect for Europe. Bring it
- Gaur - great for India, which lacks ungulates
- Ankole-watusi - just love these guys. Their horns are magnificent
- Zebu - I like them a lot
I definitely want a 4th lemur: the sifaka, my favorite. Other than that, I don't know about the rest, but I like the slow loris...
- Sifaka - bring it. Unique locomotion and my favorite lemur
- Slow loris - interesting tailless primate
There are many choices. Whooping crane is one for an endangered species. I also like shoebills (are storks included?). Grey-crowned crane as well...
- Whooping crane - bring it for protected species
- Grey-crowned crane - bring it for Africa
- Shoebill - such a weird bird it should be included. I saw one many many years ago
Salamanders are amazing. I'd say bring a few more. Japanese giant salamander is a great choice. Hellbender (aka snot otter) is another, although not needed. I also like tiger salamanders and marbled newts...
- Japanese giant salamander - a lovely animal from Japan (who knew?) and the inspiration for the kappa
- Tiger salamander - popular pets and would be interesting to keep
- Marbled newt - same as above
- Hellbender - a strange, slimy salamander from North America
Bovines:
- No way near enough bovines ingame currently. I do edge towards domestics for bovine inclusions like the Scottish Highland Cow and Banteng. Both from underrepresented areas it would also increase the likeability of general hoofstock habitats. I would also look at the Wisent and Lowland Anoa yet again to look at both European and Asian inclusions. I feel north America doesn't really need a bovine with the American bison already representing
lemuriformes:
- Pretty much the best way to represent Madagascar is to add even more lemurs, yes we have 3 but why not even more. Blue Eyed Black Lemur, and the Red Bellied Lemur is probably the 2 other main lemurs I would look at including in mixed lemur habitats. outwith of lemurs, the Aye Aye and pygmy slow Loris comes to mind. The latter 2 would be great for nocturnal houses
Gruiformes:
- Probably my most favourite bird to add into habitats whether it is wetlands or mixed open habitats. Thinking of essential cranes the Grey Crowned Crane is the absolute must for this group. Very common crane in captivity often appearing in mixed savanna habitats , it would bring a much needed diversity to African areas. Other cranes I would look at would be the tallest bird of north America - the Whopping Crane , another Asian crane could be the White Naped Crane or the Eurasian Crane. Couldn't care less about rails, it's all about cranes here
Salamanders:
- I'm not really a huge fan on the salamanders considering these are just exhibit box animals that are really really hard to actually see. However there is the Chinese Giant Salamander that could be a habitat animal in a sense due to its impressive size. We also get a exhibit representation for mainland Asia
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Forgot all about these
Make sure to not whst do you consider essential and what you don't.
Bovines:
Ironically, besides a domestic species i think we are good here. While there are arguments for the wisent and i have quite the softspot for the african forest buffalo, both really arnt anywhere close to needed.
That honor goes to:
Jokes on you, i forgot the lowland anoa again. While i wouldnt call it essential like the 3 domestics, they certanly are among the better choices, as we lack smaller ungulates and being from sulawesi makes them work well with the babirusa
Lemuriformes:
No more Lemures are essential, as the thing madagascar needs to differentiate itself are more non lemure animals to be able to have diverse sections and habitats.
- Loris: But i would call these guys essential. Theyd be perfect for nocturnal houses and no matter which one we get id be happy. They also would fill one of the SEA niches only lightly coverd by being a small arboreal animal.
Gruiformes:
Salamanders:
Propaply Exhibit so i dont care, but if would get them as habitat animals i wouldnt say no to a giant salamander
Ironically, besides a domestic species i think we are good here. While there are arguments for the wisent and i have quite the softspot for the african forest buffalo, both really arnt anywhere close to needed.
That honor goes to:
- Domestic Yak: Important to himalayan culture and visually distinct, theyd do a great job at giving us a shaggy highland bovine and some much needed himalayan representation
- Watussi: Would be great for mixed habitats with the african dwarf goat and many other ungulates, visually stirking with their giant horns
- Scottish Highland Cattle: Propaply the most disinct and iconic "normal" lifestock cattle that isnt black and white, they are common in zoos and would be a great fit thats "normal" enough while also looking highly distinct and recognisable
Jokes on you, i forgot the lowland anoa again. While i wouldnt call it essential like the 3 domestics, they certanly are among the better choices, as we lack smaller ungulates and being from sulawesi makes them work well with the babirusa
Lemuriformes:
No more Lemures are essential, as the thing madagascar needs to differentiate itself are more non lemure animals to be able to have diverse sections and habitats.
- Loris: But i would call these guys essential. Theyd be perfect for nocturnal houses and no matter which one we get id be happy. They also would fill one of the SEA niches only lightly coverd by being a small arboreal animal.
Gruiformes:
- Grey Crowned Crane: While i dont really have any personal attatchment to them and could do without, i recognise that they are a very different and unique animal that would function as a more gracious alternative to the ostrich. They are also really common in zoos.
- Demoiselle Crane: IF we should get another "normal" crane, these guys would be my choice, due to their large range across central asia, india, anatolia and along the nile river. They are also among the most common in zoos and look rather unique with their feather tuffts. I wouldnt call another normal crane essential, but theyd defenetly be among the more favor contendors for the clone of the pack
Salamanders:
Propaply Exhibit so i dont care, but if would get them as habitat animals i wouldnt say no to a giant salamander
Bovines: If we get domestics, the Highland cow is top priority. A warm-climate wild cow would be a great choice as well for a domestic pack, and I would pick the Watusi. In the absence of a domestic pack, I would consider the Lowland anoa an especially strong contender. There are a few other non-essential but still very good options. I don't think more cows are essential if we don't get domestics.
- Highland Cow: good rep for Europe, adorable, common in zoos (I've personally seen it in more than one, and it's the only domestic I've been excited to see in a zoo.)
- Lowland anoa: Not essential, but very cute and would be cool with Babirusa. Good contender for a warm-weather cow.
- African forest buffalo: I can't call it essential, but it's so darn cute.
- Soala: They are very rare and unique, but they might be extinct already? Not sure about this one for the game, but they are very cool. Maybe they could add one to celebrate if there is another confirmed sighting while we still have support.
- Wisent: As an American player, I doubt I'd ever pick it over our bison. Still, it is relevant for its conservation story, and some of the European players want it. The wisent is in a similar boat as the small marsupials. I feel like Europe could use 1-3 more wild ungulates (depending on support, of course), with popular contenders including the wild boar, chamois, mouflon, roe deer, and wisent. While I would get the most use out of another goat, I'd feel weird trying to decide which ungulates when I'm not particularly invested in any. I'd rather let the people that care more make this call.
- Other wild cows: Guar, banteng, etc. They could take the Anoa's place.
- Other domestics: a yak, watusi, and a zebu could also be good, but I would be a bit annoyed if they came before the highland. If we get a domestic pack, there should probably be a warm-climate cow. I would pick the watusi for its unique horns, but I would not be upset with another breed.
Lemuriformes: I can't say anything is essential from here, but I would not be opposed to more. Aye-aye might be the best nocturnal primate, which is almost essential. A sifaka would be very cool, but there are about 15 more unique primates I'd pick first.
- Coqueral's Sikfaka (Zoboomafoo): It is quite cute and popular. I don't need it, and I would prefer tropical monkeys. Still, its inclusion would make me smile. I would be open to other Sifakas. There are a few that would look interesting different from the lemurs we have. Diademed and crowned seem good, too.
- Aye Aye: It is a weird combo of freaky and cute. It is the largest nocturnal primate. I want a nocturnal primate, and it is a contender. Nocturnal primates are almost essential.
- Loris/Galago/Sportive lemur/Tarsier: While tarsiers are not in the lemur group, I would like one of these. I am not sure if they are big enough to look good in a habitat. They might be a better exhibit animal. Very cool, but not essential.
Gruiformes: Grey crowned crane is essential, and sandhill could meet NA's missing habitat bird (though I would personally pick the turkey)
- Grey crowned crane: common in zoos, interesting to look at, a good bird for Africa, which definitely needs more habitat birds
- Sandhill crane: good choice for a NA habitat bird. We still need one.
- Blue or Demoiselle: They seem good, but I would not call them essential.
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Bovines: to be honest, I don't see any more essentials for this one. Although I was a really big defender of a gaur and an anoa, the water buffalo kind of covered both of them, specially if you consider it as being a domestic species. So I could live with the addition of further species, but they don't rank high on my wishlist.
Lemuriformes: as with almost all primates, this is a lacking taxon. I really wanted a sifaka species, I still want it, to be honest, but it's not one of the most common held species. But thinking about the unique rig it has, I think it would be a good addition, I would say the same about the aye-aye, but I kind if ranks lower. A species of slow loris and greater galago would be nice, but I also wouldn't consider them essentials, and the slow loris ranks a bit higher do to its conservation status. At last, I also wouldn't be opposed about the addition of another species of Lemuridae, a species of Eulemur would be nice, but is also far from essential.
Gruiformes: that's another group where I don't see a lot of necessities but a lot of would be nice to have. The red-crowned crane was the species I really wanted, but I am not opposed of the addition of an African species, even an American or Australian species could be nice. A grey-winged trumpeter would be nice for out Tropical houses/aviaries. As for the rails, I just see four species which could be added (size wise and with a population in human care). The most obvious one would be the South Island takahe, which has a strong presence in New Zeland and would add some diversity for this underrepresented region. The purple swamphen is taxonomically a bit of a mess, but technically it would add representation to Eurasia, Africa and even Onceania. A common moorhen would also add representation to Africa and Eurasia, as it also could resemble the very similar looking common gallinule from the Americas. At last, there's the giant wood rail, which is also common in European zoos and would definitely add an unique South American bird. The Guam rail may be interesting due its conservation history, but it may be way too small. As I said, all of these species are far from being essentials.
Salamanders: again, as these are exhibit animals, so nothing I see as essential. Although, a giant salamander would be nice. I don't care if it's a Japanese, Chinese or even a hellbender.
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Bovines: Personally, I'd be fine without anymore. Nothing against them, they just don't work out to being high priority species for me. I think a domestic bovine would be our best bet, but they're only around fifth place or so in my domestic mammals list - a goat, donkey, dromedary, and probably pig all take precedence, and that's about as many domestics as I can justify if we do have just one more year left. Still, the two domestic bovines I'd most like to see would be the Ankole-Watusi and zebu. The Ankole-Watusi is obviously visually distinct with its massive horns, and while it works fine in a domestic section, they're just as at home in mixed African savanna exhibits (misguided as this may be). The zebu would offer similar options: familiar enough for domestic sections, but still exotic enough that most people wouldn't bat an eye at it in an Asian section. While I'm not exactly clamoring for it, I'd be fine with the lowland anoa showing up in an Islands Animal Pack. It's a solid Asian hoofstock choice, but it's hardly a priority in my eyes. Lastly I'll mention the African forest buffalo because it's absolutely beautiful - but subspecifying the African buffalo of all things is not something I care to do. There's plenty of better African hoofstock options anyway.
Lemuriformes: I absolutely adore these guys, but I'm not sure I can actively push for any more in good conscience if we have just one year left, especially because we've got the three most well-known and common ones and there are better choices to flesh out Madagascar in particular. I'd welcome any and all with open arms, though. I'd say the one that comes closest to warranting inclusion at this point is the aye-aye, which is practically iconic for its weird uniqueness. Perfect balance of creepy and cute, great nocturnal house addition, minimal overlap with our existing lemurs. Coquerel's sifaka is an easy second place in that regard with its comparatively unique upright resting posture and propensity for jumping. Still, both of those qualify as nice but not high priority if I'm trying to be objective. And then there's a whole list of options for another more conventional lemur - blue-eyed black lemur, crowned lemur, brown lemur (in order of priority). Actually, thinking on it a bit more, I don't think the blue-eyed black lemur in particular would be all that bad of an inclusion. They're critically endangered and have very noticeable sexual dimorphism, so bonus points for those. Lastly, to extend from proper lemurs, I've been a big fan of pygmy slow loris ever since I saw them in two zoos on back to back days a few months back. I just don't think we have the proper mechanisms to include them in the game as it stands, full stop.
Gruiformes: I think we can easily fit one more in our roster, but in an ideal world there's two I'd love to see. Absolute top priority is the grey-crowned crane. It's probably about tied with the greater rhea as my most desired habitat bird. I think it's just a really beautiful bird, and functions well enough on its own, in makeshift aviaries, or in mixed savanna habitats. Second choice is the demoiselle crane, although it's quite a bit lower down the priority list. But it's an incredibly unique looking species, and would be a nice bit of added central Asian representation. I also wouldn't be opposed to the sarus crane (strikingly red head and covers both Asia and Australia!) or the sandhill crane (mainly to get a NA bird on the board, and it's most distinct from the red-crowned crane than the whooping crane is).
Salamanders: Nah. I was really hoping to see the hellbender in one of the North America, Wetlands, or Conservation packs, but we're possibly/probably past the point of getting traditional exhibit species anyway, and I'm still feeling fatigued from three salamanders in a row. And I really don't think giant salamanders would be habitat species - they're still going to want to be in a highly controlled environment as far as temperature and humidity go, and more importantly they're fully aquatic.
This has probably been my least enthusiastic post yet and it's a real shame, because I really do love lemurs in particular.
Cespite my personal biases for cattle and that I personally would want more of them, I belive that we have enough bovids that could satisfy the average player. I would also say that simmilar to how people propose the HBB be replaced with the European Brown bear, I personally believe that the wild water bufallo should be replaced with the domestic water buffalo. Otherwise while not essential, I would adovcate for the red forest buffalo (a colorful representative from the African jungle), lowland anoa (a candidate chosen for its small size and narrow horns), gaur (while this animal isn't an household name amongst the common denominator, I am sure its beefy appearance is unforgettable), and banteng (great sexual dimorphism). For domestics, other than the buffalo replacement, I would advocate for Zebu, Scottish highland cattle, Friesian dairy cattle or Jersey cattle.
Despite the fact that I want more, I don't think we need any lemurs from the family Lemuridae is too essential. I would still advocate for greater bamboo lemur (the most distinct bamboo lemur), mongoose lemur, and black lemur. If we need any new lemurs we need unique species such as the aye-aye (amongst nocturnal primates it is a representative with its large size) and a species of sifakah (their jumping is iconic, albeit a new rig for it might be challenging for the devs). For Lemuroids, wile I presonally would like to have the greater bushbaby (it is a good rep for a lemuroid outside Madagascar), I do not see it as an essential animal.
For cranes, I think one African species (grey crowned), one American species (Sandhil), and another Asian species (demosielle) would work out well. For other gruiformes I would advocate for grey-winged trumpeter and giant wood rail since those are the only zoo-kept gruiformes that I know which are not too small, however these are not as necessary as cranes.
Again, herps are too diverse. For salamanders I would advocate for any giant salamander (Japanese, Chinese, Heckbender I don't care), three-toed amphiuma, and greater siren. The latter two I think would be great evamples to show how salamander bodies vary
This is the easiest one so far:
Bovines:
- I think a yak is needed for representation for the Himalayas, because they are well-known animals and because I want them to share my p. horses habitat like in my local zoo.
- The European bison is another essential animal for me, being the largest herbivore in Europe and because their common presence in zoos and their conservation history. This is one of the best candidates for the "reskin slot" in a future pack.
I don't need more lemurs or salamanders.
For cranes, the grey crowned crane is the only one I wouldn't mind, but it's not essential. I prefer other African birds first such as the secretary.
Bovines
I would say the banteng verges on being essential at this point - they are kept in zoos in Europe, America and Australia, are an endangered species with a great colour scheme and are being recommended as a replacement for other bovines in zoos whose populations are stagnating or falling (such as gaur).
Conversely, a domesticated bovine does nothing for me. Even the zoos I know that do have a petting zoo tend not to have domestic cattle breeds. Apart from the banteng, I'd say I'm good for bovines.
Lemuriformes
A true lemur would be a great addition to the game, just to add variety to a mixed-species exhibit. I wouldn't mind seeing either a red-bellied, crowned, black or mongoose lemur, but I wouldn't say the game is incomplete if they didn't come. The Lac Alaotra gentle lemur would be a great addition to represent a Madagascan habitat not occupied by any other in-game species (freshwater wetlands), but I fear they may have missed their chance of getting into the game - Wetlands would have been the ideal pack for them. An aye-aye would be nice, but their rarity in captivity means I can hardly consider them necessary and while lorises of various species would be nice (Asian slow, pygmy and slender lorises and the African potto), they aren't really suited either to habitats or walkthrough exhibits, so I'd err on them being left out.
Gruiformes
The main group of the Gruiformes are the cranes, of which I would say the grey crowned crane is the most important addition. Extremely charismatic, endangered and able to be kept in large mixed exhibits, they are up there as one of my most-wanted habitat birds. I would say with an African crane added, the absolutely necessary crane roster would be complete (other cranes would be nice, but I wouldn't say the game is incomplete without them).
The other Gruiform that I think 'yes, this is necessary' is the grey-winged trumpeter. While they are not the most vividly colourful birds, they would add a noisy, highly sociable and, most pressingly, South American rainforest habitat bird species to the game. They are pretty common in European and American zoos, are able to live in large walkthrough enclosures and can be kept in open-topped outdoor enclosures, mixed with primates.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_0IjZxZ9pg
While I wouldn't consider it necessary, I would advocate for a species of swamphen to come at some time. There are three species I would choose, each with their own colour schemes and distributions that would make any of them great. The African swamphen is the most colourful and represents sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, the Western swamphen is also richly coloured and represents western Europe and northwest Africa while the grey-headed swamphen is the least colourful but most widespread, occurring from the Middle East through India to southern China and northern Thailand. All three are kept in zoos.
From left-to-right: African swamphen, Western swamphen, grey-headed swamphen
Salamanders
While I did get a bit sick of seeing salamanders or newts cropping up three times in a row, there is still one species I would absolutely adore seeing - the Luristan or Kaiser's spotted newt. They are pretty common in zoos (over 30 in Europe, also definitely found in a number of American zoos), threatened, represent a very underrepresented part of the world (desert mountains in Iran) and are stunningly beautiful.
A giant salamander would also be nice, but not necessary for the game in my view.
I would say the banteng verges on being essential at this point - they are kept in zoos in Europe, America and Australia, are an endangered species with a great colour scheme and are being recommended as a replacement for other bovines in zoos whose populations are stagnating or falling (such as gaur).
Conversely, a domesticated bovine does nothing for me. Even the zoos I know that do have a petting zoo tend not to have domestic cattle breeds. Apart from the banteng, I'd say I'm good for bovines.
Lemuriformes
A true lemur would be a great addition to the game, just to add variety to a mixed-species exhibit. I wouldn't mind seeing either a red-bellied, crowned, black or mongoose lemur, but I wouldn't say the game is incomplete if they didn't come. The Lac Alaotra gentle lemur would be a great addition to represent a Madagascan habitat not occupied by any other in-game species (freshwater wetlands), but I fear they may have missed their chance of getting into the game - Wetlands would have been the ideal pack for them. An aye-aye would be nice, but their rarity in captivity means I can hardly consider them necessary and while lorises of various species would be nice (Asian slow, pygmy and slender lorises and the African potto), they aren't really suited either to habitats or walkthrough exhibits, so I'd err on them being left out.
Gruiformes
The main group of the Gruiformes are the cranes, of which I would say the grey crowned crane is the most important addition. Extremely charismatic, endangered and able to be kept in large mixed exhibits, they are up there as one of my most-wanted habitat birds. I would say with an African crane added, the absolutely necessary crane roster would be complete (other cranes would be nice, but I wouldn't say the game is incomplete without them).
The other Gruiform that I think 'yes, this is necessary' is the grey-winged trumpeter. While they are not the most vividly colourful birds, they would add a noisy, highly sociable and, most pressingly, South American rainforest habitat bird species to the game. They are pretty common in European and American zoos, are able to live in large walkthrough enclosures and can be kept in open-topped outdoor enclosures, mixed with primates.
While I wouldn't consider it necessary, I would advocate for a species of swamphen to come at some time. There are three species I would choose, each with their own colour schemes and distributions that would make any of them great. The African swamphen is the most colourful and represents sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, the Western swamphen is also richly coloured and represents western Europe and northwest Africa while the grey-headed swamphen is the least colourful but most widespread, occurring from the Middle East through India to southern China and northern Thailand. All three are kept in zoos.
From left-to-right: African swamphen, Western swamphen, grey-headed swamphen
Salamanders
While I did get a bit sick of seeing salamanders or newts cropping up three times in a row, there is still one species I would absolutely adore seeing - the Luristan or Kaiser's spotted newt. They are pretty common in zoos (over 30 in Europe, also definitely found in a number of American zoos), threatened, represent a very underrepresented part of the world (desert mountains in Iran) and are stunningly beautiful.
A giant salamander would also be nice, but not necessary for the game in my view.
Bovines: I think our bovine roster is good enough so nothing is essential. But I would love to get the lowland anoa. It's beautiful and we need Asian ungulates. I'm not opposed to gaur, banteng or even ankole-watusi but would really prefer the anoa.
Lemuriformes: Nothing essential left here either. But I love lemurs and would not say no to a 4th one. Preference is black lemur or crowned lemur. I also would love to get the pygmy slow loris.
Gruiformes: GREY CROWNED CRANE ! This is one of my favorite birds. Too beautiful and iconic to be left out. This is an essential for me. Other than that, I think we're good.
Salamanders: I'm satisfied with what we have. The Japanese or Chinese Giant Salamander would be an understandable inclusion but honestly I would prefer to get more frogs than more salamanders.
To sum it up, only one essential inclusion here for me is the GREY-CROWNED CRANE. Anoa, another lemur and pygmy slow loris I would like but not essential.
Lemuriformes: Nothing essential left here either. But I love lemurs and would not say no to a 4th one. Preference is black lemur or crowned lemur. I also would love to get the pygmy slow loris.
Gruiformes: GREY CROWNED CRANE ! This is one of my favorite birds. Too beautiful and iconic to be left out. This is an essential for me. Other than that, I think we're good.
Salamanders: I'm satisfied with what we have. The Japanese or Chinese Giant Salamander would be an understandable inclusion but honestly I would prefer to get more frogs than more salamanders.
To sum it up, only one essential inclusion here for me is the GREY-CROWNED CRANE. Anoa, another lemur and pygmy slow loris I would like but not essential.
Lemurs... A must-have for me is the coquerel's sifaka, with its lovely colors, humanish short arms & long legs, and impressive leaping skills. For fitting small spaces in nocturnal areas, a galago/bushbaby or slow loris would be a nice but not necessary addition.
Cranes... My two essentials are the whooping crane, the tallest bird of North America, and the beautiful grey crowned (or black crowned) crane. Nice but not essential would be the sandhill crane and a lovely multi-colored rail called the purple gallinule. It once took me the better part of a day to track down and photograph a purple gallinule in the American Everglades.
Bovines... Nice but not necessary would be the African forest buffalo with its lovely color scheme, the Indian gaur, and the Lowland anoa as a smaller bovine. For domestic cattle, I'd opt for the hardy, distinctive-looking, and docile Scottish Highland.
Salamanders... don't need more.
Summary of essentials: coquerel's sifaka, whooping crane, grey-crowned (or black-crowned) crane
Cranes... My two essentials are the whooping crane, the tallest bird of North America, and the beautiful grey crowned (or black crowned) crane. Nice but not essential would be the sandhill crane and a lovely multi-colored rail called the purple gallinule. It once took me the better part of a day to track down and photograph a purple gallinule in the American Everglades.
Bovines... Nice but not necessary would be the African forest buffalo with its lovely color scheme, the Indian gaur, and the Lowland anoa as a smaller bovine. For domestic cattle, I'd opt for the hardy, distinctive-looking, and docile Scottish Highland.
Salamanders... don't need more.
Summary of essentials: coquerel's sifaka, whooping crane, grey-crowned (or black-crowned) crane
Bovines:
I feel like there is none thats really essential, but there are quite a few that would be good inclusions and i expect that we get atleast one more.
-Lowland Anoa in an islands pack
-Highland cattle for a potential petting zoo
-Wisent as an anniversary maybe?
Lemuriformes:
I think were good on the classic 'Lemur' lemurs if you get what i mean, and i cant really imagine a pack were something else wouldnt be a better pick. Like: Rainforest? Yeah would pick something like a NW monkey over a 4th lemur any day of the week. Same for something like island.
To clarify im really just talking about stuff like black lemurs here, the only exeption here is a Sifaka. So the 3 Species id like to see are:
-Aye-Aye in a Islands or Nocturnal Pack
-Slow loris in a Nocturnal or Rainforest Pack
-Sifaka in a Islands or Woodlands/Forest Pack
Gruiformes:
There is pretty much just one species id still like to see:
-Red crowned crane in a Safari Pack
Salamanders:
If we ever get more standard exhibits i feel like those slots should go to lizards instead.
There is one salamander id like to see however, this being either chinese or japanese giant salamanders. There are to big for the 4x4 box in my opintion so maybe we could get them in an exhibit update introducing larger ones? Some people mentioned them as habitat species, and yeah its not Impossible, but would feel weird.
I feel like there is none thats really essential, but there are quite a few that would be good inclusions and i expect that we get atleast one more.
-Lowland Anoa in an islands pack
-Highland cattle for a potential petting zoo
-Wisent as an anniversary maybe?
Lemuriformes:
I think were good on the classic 'Lemur' lemurs if you get what i mean, and i cant really imagine a pack were something else wouldnt be a better pick. Like: Rainforest? Yeah would pick something like a NW monkey over a 4th lemur any day of the week. Same for something like island.
To clarify im really just talking about stuff like black lemurs here, the only exeption here is a Sifaka. So the 3 Species id like to see are:
-Aye-Aye in a Islands or Nocturnal Pack
-Slow loris in a Nocturnal or Rainforest Pack
-Sifaka in a Islands or Woodlands/Forest Pack
Gruiformes:
There is pretty much just one species id still like to see:
-Red crowned crane in a Safari Pack
Salamanders:
If we ever get more standard exhibits i feel like those slots should go to lizards instead.
There is one salamander id like to see however, this being either chinese or japanese giant salamanders. There are to big for the 4x4 box in my opintion so maybe we could get them in an exhibit update introducing larger ones? Some people mentioned them as habitat species, and yeah its not Impossible, but would feel weird.