I am planning on making a dreams vs nightmares post about North America at some point, but because I'm pretty confident an African Animals pack is coming next, it won't be until after that passes.
I think for me, the most important thing about a NA pack is using it to
showcase the diverse biomes and landscapes, especially ones found in the United States, just because that has the greatest variation. The animals I'd like to see represent the theme of diversity, while also making sure we get some animals whose absences have been notably felt.
- California sea lion (Aquatic, Temperate): As the most showcased pinniped in captivity, it was somewhat surprising that this animal was excluded from the Aquatic pack, but this is a perfect example to make up for that. This animal would do a great job of representing the Western Coastlines of NA.
- Mountain lion (Taiga, Temperate, Grassland, Tropical, Desert): This is the pinnacle of the diversity theme. Mountain lions are one of the single most adaptable mammals in the world, and though I generally think of them as a NA animal since that's where I'm from, the range all the way from Alaska and Northern Canada to the southern most tips of the Andes. As such, it could fit into many different themed areas in our zoos, but we'll just say for now that it's a great representative for NA's Mountains.
- American Alligator (Aquatic, Temperate, Tropical): As the most showcased crocodilian in captivity, it was somewhat surprising that this animal was excluded from the Aquatic pack, but this is a perfect example to make up for that. Haha, does that sound familiar? I think that's justification enough for it to be included, but also, don't discount the fact that it's a great way to show case the Southern Wetlands of the USA!
- Black-footed ferret (Grassland): This incredibly endangered animal is up there with the American bison and California condor in terms of amazing NA conservation success stories. I assume this would come after the African Animals pack, and as such would easily be able to use the Meerkat model/rig as a jumping off point. It's a small mammal, which is a huge plus, and might not be to well known outside of NA, so it's a great chance to introduce people to this wonderful little ferret. It also represents the Prairies of NA.
- Whooping Crane (Aquatic, Temperate, Tropical, Taiga): Like the ferret, this is another great example of conservation at work in NA. It adds another bird, which is well deserved representation (my Africa pack assumes two new birds, the African penguin and a Guinea fowl will be added, but this is unique enough compared to those two). Ultimately it's conservation status and broader migratory range give it the edge over the roseate spoonbill to represent the Eastern Coastlines of NA.
- White-nosed coati (Desert, Temperate, Tropical): Though these animals have a broad range that stretches all the way down to the end of Central America, a significant portion of their habitat consists of arid desert in the Southwestern USA and most parts of Mexico. I know some people would probably rather see a peccary in this spot, but given the fact that we have two pig species already, I had to go with this far more unique omnivore to represent NA's Deserts.
- Eastern Moose (Aquatic, Temperate, Taiga): This particular animal is highly requested due to it being included in past zoo sim games such as ZT1 and ZT2. It would be just the second deer species in PZ, and would be able to showcase some fascinating diving behaviors as an fully amphibious mammal. One fun fact they could use is that aquatic plants actually make up a higher % of a moose's diet than a hippos! This particular subspecies is not the largest moose in NA, but it is the best choice to represent the Eastern Deciduous Forests!
- Tiger Salamander (Temperate Rainforest): We currently have no salamander or newt species in the game, and this dlc is a prime opportunity to fix that. I know that the alligator snapping turtle would be the most popular choice, but since the theme today is diversity of biomes, this is an amazing opportunity to not only give us a unique amphibian, but also a new exhibit biome that would be specific to just this animal. Super cool! It perfectly represents the Western Temperate Rainforests of NA!
Those are the some of the most diverse options I could think of! Some zoo theming options off the top of my head:
-Prairies: Bison, pronghorn, timber wolf, black-footed ferret
-Rocky mountains: Grizzly, timber wolf, mountain lion
-Everglades: American alligator, diamondback terrapin, mountain lion, whooping crane
-Southwestern USA: Whooping crane, mountain lion, white-nosed coati
-California coastlines: California sea lion, mountain lion, tiger salamander
-Eastern forests: Timber wolf, mountain lion, Eastern moose
