The procyonids (raccoons coatis and relatives) are a group within the musteloids, and are actually more closely related to otters than either is to the red panda, also a musteloid.
Analyzing required animals by Taxonomical group
Musteloidea = Superfamily
Mustelidae = Family
This is why it gets confusing
Mustelidae = Family
This is why it gets confusing
- Wolverine and South American Coati are extremely popular and critical picks
- Sea Otter and Honey badger also strike me as essential, but less so than the other two
- Martens would be a great group to touch on, but they are small, not as popular, and possibly difficult to animate, so I have trouble seeing them as essential. Europe getting another small mammal is probably essential, and the pine or beech marten is a great pick if it works for the devs. The larger yellow throated marten is also striking and would be cool if martens are added. If support was endless, I would wish for the American fisher, too.
- Kinkajous are cool and a great oddball pick for South America.
- If we get the sea otter (NA), the obvious choice for a river otter would be the Eurasian river otter, but I don't think another freshwater otter is essential either way.
- The Black footed ferret is too small for me to view it as a serious contender, but it is endangered and has an interesting conservation story. It is a keystone species for the North American grasslands. It helps keep prairie dog populations in check under normal circumstances, which are also a keystone species. Unfortunately, the population of prairie dogs is also down, which has contributed to the black-footed ferret's decline. The ferrets were thought to be extinct until seven breeding individuals were discovered in the wild. They were carefully bred in captivity before some were released, making them a Lazarus species, too. They are a conservation success story.
- Tayras are kind of cool, and South America needs more animals. I would definitely prioritize the Coati, Ocelot/Margay, Tamandua, Mara, Brazilian Porcupine, Kinkajou, and Bush Dog for South American small mammals over the Tayra.
- There are also ringtails and other weasels that seem to small to bother with. I think other species should have priority over all of them.
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This is almost my exact ranking.
My ranking is also pretty similar to Suzies:
1. Wolverine and a coati are easily the most essential musteloids and among the most essential animals in general. I have a slight preferance for the SA coati but would also be happy with the white nosed
2. Although africa already has plenty of animals, the honey badger would still be something unique among them and is my most wanted african mammal aside from monkey
3. Yellow throated marten would add something unique to the game. Also among the largest martens, so more suited for PZ
4. Something weasle or ferret shaped. Definetly a big step below the rest but still cool and unlike something we already have (besides otter, kinda)
From here on im not really hoping for them but they would still be cool
Tayra and kinkajous: These are such cool animals, but with the lack of SA there are so many animals that are more needed that i cant call them a priority
Sea otter: Would be neat, tho it would look a little out of place without aquariums and marine stuff.
Temperate river otter: preferable the eurasian one since NA got the beaver for a small diving animal. But i have no problem using asian small clawed as a stand in here, so i dont really need them
1. Wolverine and a coati are easily the most essential musteloids and among the most essential animals in general. I have a slight preferance for the SA coati but would also be happy with the white nosed
2. Although africa already has plenty of animals, the honey badger would still be something unique among them and is my most wanted african mammal aside from monkey
3. Yellow throated marten would add something unique to the game. Also among the largest martens, so more suited for PZ
4. Something weasle or ferret shaped. Definetly a big step below the rest but still cool and unlike something we already have (besides otter, kinda)
From here on im not really hoping for them but they would still be cool
Tayra and kinkajous: These are such cool animals, but with the lack of SA there are so many animals that are more needed that i cant call them a priority
Sea otter: Would be neat, tho it would look a little out of place without aquariums and marine stuff.
Temperate river otter: preferable the eurasian one since NA got the beaver for a small diving animal. But i have no problem using asian small clawed as a stand in here, so i dont really need them
- Wolverine, my most wanted animal right now.
- South American coati, the raccoon's friends are my friends too.
- Eurasian otter, I've been asking for a cold biome otter for a long time. Since we got the American beaver, I think it's fair to get the Eurasian instead of the NA river otter (remember, the Eurasian covers Europe, Asia and Africa).
- European mink, could be an alternative for the otter. It's critically endangered and zoos are playing an important role in its conservation.
- A marten, it would be nice for diversity, but it's not a priority for me.
I think the following are necessary:
- South American Coati - This would be a nice unique arboreal animal for South America, it is also extremely common in zoos.
- Honey Badger - Pretty unique from all other mustelids, it is also one of the more iconic African species we are still missing as it is infamously ferocious. It also ranges into India meaning it's quite versatile.
- European Mink - Might be considered an oddball pick for some but I think its a great choice, we don't have any kind of weasel in the game and this is such an iconic group that getting some representation would be nice... It isn't a group too common in zoos but the European mink is critically endangered, semi-aquatic and a victim of invasive species. I think it's a great pick for all these reasons.
- Yellow-Throated Marten - Martens are another very iconic type of mustelid and this is easily the best choice, it has striking colouration and is found across much of East and Southeast Asia as well as the Himalayas. It would be really great to have another small carnivore for these areas.
- Wolverine - Probably needs no introduction, one of the most iconic animals still missing which would have a completely new rig and animations. Ideal for Taiga exhibits.
Only thing I'd swap is the wolverine and the honey badger because we have many cold climate musteloids, but the only hot climate musteloids we have are otters.
The raccoon, European badger and even the striped skunk are also hot climate musteloids since they have the grassland biome and resist high temperatures in the game. The raccoon even has the tropical biome. The only pure cold musteloid we have is the red panda if I'm not mistaken.
Wanted to bring up this thread again because its buried real far back and I really like this thread. So, I wanted to pose a question to people. The general consensus for september/October pack is a temperate pack.
Because of this what species do you think from the temperate theme could be added to hep groups with a currently low diversity?
Because of this what species do you think from the temperate theme could be added to hep groups with a currently low diversity?
Mute swan and white stork would bring a new type of bird.
For exhibits, a true toad and a tuatara would offer something new too.
The obvious highly requested ones are Tassie and kiwi but obviously plenty of bird options, since there are so few in-game.
Golden snub-nosed monkey would add a monkey although, really, we need tropical monkeys, rather than temperate ones… on the other hand, I think a temperate pack is far from a consensus, let alone a certainty.
Golden snub-nosed monkey would add a monkey although, really, we need tropical monkeys, rather than temperate ones… on the other hand, I think a temperate pack is far from a consensus, let alone a certainty.
Honestly quite alot
Swans, Geese, Ducks, Martens, Marsupials, Non European Deer, Mustelids, Squirrels, Cranes, Pheasents, Storks, Non Tropical Suids, Etc
Do i expect all of them to come? Hell nah
By this years output we are propaply gonna see the european wild cat, roe deer, american black bear and coyote, but that would be just frontier being frontier i guess.
For a dream pack id like one duck, be it mallard, mandarin or wood i dont care, the european red squirrel or if thats to hard beech marten, wild boar and a small deer, either reevees muntjac (for being the most common and fitting well in one of the few open niches left in south east asia) or the souther pudu (south america) with an exhibit that i dont care about.
Swans, Geese, Ducks, Martens, Marsupials, Non European Deer, Mustelids, Squirrels, Cranes, Pheasents, Storks, Non Tropical Suids, Etc
Do i expect all of them to come? Hell nah
By this years output we are propaply gonna see the european wild cat, roe deer, american black bear and coyote, but that would be just frontier being frontier i guess.
For a dream pack id like one duck, be it mallard, mandarin or wood i dont care, the european red squirrel or if thats to hard beech marten, wild boar and a small deer, either reevees muntjac (for being the most common and fitting well in one of the few open niches left in south east asia) or the souther pudu (south america) with an exhibit that i dont care about.
I would say more European animals. If we're talking about taxonomic groups, I'd say suidaes, cervids and musteloids for me. There're lots of interesting musteloids to pick especially Wolverine and South American Coati. We have three suidaes now, in my opinion, Wild Boar and Visayan Warty Pig (I don't think VWP lives in temperate climate?) are what need to complete suidae family, and peccaries too as well. Some more cervids including small cervids like muntjacs would be great additions.
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Wild boar is kinda obvious, a pelican could also work.
I want a non-tropical pig as much as everyone. However, considering pigs come in ~21 species (including peccaries!) they are already well-represented. Never mind, there are only 3 pigs in game. We have a seventh of pigs in game. That is pretty low. Compared to beloved Canidae which has (according to free online encyclopedia anyone can edit) 37 species. Somehow, we have nearly a fifth of canids in game. Cats have 41 species of which 11 are in game... About a quarter of cats are in game.
My point is that people could stop complaining about canids. When we have a quarter of all cat species yet people are ok with ocelots, or Pallas' cat or serval. Compared to pigs they are a bit more well represented yes but at the same time, do you really go to the zoo to see a pig?
My point is that people could stop complaining about canids. When we have a quarter of all cat species yet people are ok with ocelots, or Pallas' cat or serval. Compared to pigs they are a bit more well represented yes but at the same time, do you really go to the zoo to see a pig?
The difference is the current cat roster is skewed to larger species, there is still a lot of smaller but still important species missing. Does it really matter if you go to the zoo to see a pig? Not everyone visits to see ABC animals, and pigs are clearly popular enough as they are quite common zoo animals and many are threatened.
I could literally say the same thing about the canid roster... Larger species~wolf/wild dog. And... important is highly subjective. To me, the bat-eared fox is just as important as the serval since its represented in many zoos and it can't be substituted with anything in game. The serval even has its niche covered partly by the caracal imo.