Analyzing required animals by Taxonomical group

Discussion #11: Small cats, xenarthrans, Geckos, bugs

What we have:

Small cats:
  1. Cheetah
  2. Clouded leopard
  3. Cougar
  4. Eurasian lynx
  5. Caracal

Xenarthrans (anteaters, sloths, armadillos):
  1. Giant anteater
  2. Nine banded armadillo
Geckos:
None

Bugs:
  1. Goliath Beetle
  2. Sacred Scarab Beetle
  3. Titan Beetle
  4. Giant burrowing Cockroach
  5. Giant Malayan leaf insect
  6. Cloudless Sulphur
  7. European Peacock
  8. Menelaus Blue Morpho
  9. Monarch
  10. Old World Swallowtail

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.
Small Cats

Well, as it is I'm satisfied. I don't think I'd want any more cats in the game...

Xenarthans

We have a great roster and I'm pretty happy. I'd say the only important thing is 1 sloth. I don't care what, but most say that the two-toed is more common

Geckos

I kinda already talked about this in the lizards category...😬
EDIT: Ok, for geckos, 4 species I consider important: Madagascar day gecko, leopard gecko, crested gecko, tokay gecko

Bugs

Just bring the following, which I've seen often in collections:
  • Jungle nymph
  • Madagascar hissing cockroach
  • Mantis (any species)
 
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Discussion #11: Small cats, xenarthrans, Geckos, bugs

What we have:

Small cats:
  1. Cheetah
  2. Clouded leopard
  3. Cougar
  4. Eurasian lynx
  5. Caracal

Xenarthrans (anteaters, sloths, armadillos):
  1. Giant anteater
  2. Nine banded armadillo
Geckos:
None

Bugs:
  1. Goliath Beetle
  2. Sacred Scarab Beetle
  3. Titan Beetle
  4. Giant burrowing Cockroach
  5. Giant Malayan leaf insect
  6. Cloudless Sulphur
  7. European Peacock
  8. Menelaus Blue Morpho
  9. Monarch
  10. Old World Swallowtail

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.

Well it's never too late to enter these threads.

Small Cats

I think our small cats roster has nice representation, but isn't quite complete. Mountain Lions and Cheetahs aren't necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when I think of small cats, but then again I don't know two things about taxonomy. My two suggestion would be Ocelot and Arabian Sand Cat.

Both, in my mind, represent truly small cats. Both represent two very under-represented regions in game: Central and South America and Middle East. And I believe both are iconic enough and "sellable" enough to warrant their spaces in some upcoming packs in future. Of course there are more candidates, but I believe these two take the crown.

arabian-sand-cats-kittens.jpg
ocelot.jpg


Xenarthrans

I think it goes without saying that we are due to a sloth species. Now the only question is - are they doable? And if so in what way? But since we're discussing let's say we are getting one, and in that case, I'll follow with the popular opinion, since I personally agree with it as well, and go with Two Toed Sloth. There are two (maybe more?) subspecies Linneaus and Hoffman and either one will do it, whichever is more realistic pick. However I would also strongly argue for another armadillo species as well. The Big Hairy Armadillo - with existing armadillo rig should be very easy to make. It has very distinct look compared to the Nine Banded one, it also inhabits different regions and habitats, representing Argentine fauna and Southern Pampas of South America. It's representation in zoos is also great, especially in European ones, and it would be nice to have some options rather than THE armadillo when choosing for habitat. The only other realistic candidate I see for this group could be some species of Tamandua, but I'm not too hot on them, especially now that we have Giant Anteater in game, and as it lives in tropical forests, I believe there are lot more favorites for that niche yet to be included.
two-toed-sloth.jpg
big-hairy-armadillo.jpg


GECKOS

As for Geckos...either way, not the biggest fan, but I don't hate them. I believe most species are too small for our current exhibits, but so are Salamander and Newt and I love their inclusions. If I had to pick maybe the Leaf Tailed Species from Madagascar and the Giant ones from New Caledonia
 
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Discussion #11: Small cats, xenarthrans, Geckos, bugs

Well first off I may have laughed at the idea of a cheetah and cougar being a small cat but maybe the science or whatever says they are

Small Cats
  • We will never have enough cats 😁so essential cats could be
    • Pallas Cat - great for Asian representation and one of the best Highland animals (imo)
julie-larsen-maher-2684-pallass-cat-batu-ppz-04-08-21-hr.jpg


  • European Wildcat - would be great have a local critically endangered small cat. Near impossible to make a Scottish zoo with no wildcat
Scottish-Wildcat-credit-Charlie-Bishop.jpg


  • Ocelot - like the clouded leopard but for south America. Maybe this would come with realistic jumping
Types-of-wild-cats-Ocelot-e1662277432751.jpg


  • Other cats could be .... Sand Cat, bobcat, Canada Lynx, serval and fishing cat
Xenarthrans
  • I can only think of 2 essiential animals for this group. I feel we don't really need another armadillo as they are all pretty much the same
    • Two toed sloth - either the Hoffman or Linnaeus
hero_two-toed_sloth_animals.jpg


  • Tamandua - again either the northern or southern. Likely leaning towards the northern
Tamandua.jpg



Geckos
  • I'm not really that knowledgeable on geckos other than it's just another lizard but the leopard gecko catches my eye so I'll go with that
leopard-gecko (1).jpg


Bugs
  • Forgetting my phobia towards anything with more than 4 legs , some essiential bugs could be:
    • Madagascar hissing cockroach - common representative in African zoo areas
1200px-Female_Madagascar_hissing_cockroach.jpeg

  • Assassin bug - cool name
Zelus-longipes.jpg

  • Leafcutter ant - ant colony's would be so cool to have
leafcutter-ants--costa-rica-534963116-9cf836fe5d554aa4b28380b30d21ea52.jpg

  • Other bugs could be .... Nope I'm not searching for bugs, I value my sanity
 
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Small cats:
  1. Cheetah
  2. Clouded leopard
  3. Cougar
  4. Eurasian lynx
  5. Caracal

Xenarthrans (anteaters, sloths, armadillos):
  1. Giant anteater
  2. Nine banded armadillo
Geckos:
None

Bugs:
  1. Goliath Beetle
  2. Sacred Scarab Beetle
  3. Titan Beetle
  4. Giant burrowing Cockroach
  5. Giant Malayan leaf insect
  6. Cloudless Sulphur
  7. European Peacock
  8. Menelaus Blue Morpho
  9. Monarch
  10. Old World Swallowtail
For small cats we need more tropical species such as ocelot (not my favorite small cat but we are still desperate for SA representation) and fishing cat (fine I am biased bc it is my favorite felid but otherwise it is a very unique cat imo). Otherwise I don’t know if we need anymore temperate or arid-land species such as bobcat and serval. Such species are okay if we have a longer support by devs.

For Xenarthans I have the hot take that I would be okay without a sloth. Otherwise I would be okay with a tamandua. A second species of armadillo might work if we have longer dev support.

If we are to get any geckies I think popular animals such as leopard, crested, tokay, and/or Madagascar giant day geckos would be great candidates since they are the most “basic” species people are familiar with.

For the buge I would advocate for colony species such as leaf cutter ants and honey bees. Otherwise I would advocate for the iconic Hercules beetle (albeit any rhinoceros and stag beetle could work), the ubiquitous Madagascar hissing cockroach, and the peculiar blue death-feigning beetle.
 
Well first off I may have laughed at the idea of a cheetah and cougar being a small cat but maybe the science or whatever says they are
Felines are split into categories: small cats and pantherines, the latter includes panthers and clouded leopards, and the former all other cats.

I did cheat a little by including the clouded leopard in this discussion but in the main post it will be in its proper place.
 
My thoughts:

  • I don't think we need more cats small or big.
  • xenarthrans: I would like a sloth (preferably two-toed). Also a tamandua (preferably Southern or Paraguayan). Other than that we are good.
  • geckos: just one nice specie of Gecko would be ok. Not really a preference.
  • I don't care much about bugs but more butterfly or moth species (some are so beautiful) and a mantis would be nice.
 
Discussion #11: Small cats, xenarthrans, Geckos, bugs

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.
Small cats: They are way more prevalent in zoos than they are in the game. I think the absence of small sized cats is very obvious. Part of going to the zoo is trying to find the grumpy little cat hiding in its den. I would say the 3 most popular species would do a lot to fill this hole and are all very essential: Ocelot, Serval, and Pallas's Cat. The next tier would include the Arabian sand cat, the fishing cat, and maybe the bobcat (in between tiers for me). I don't think they are quite essential, but they are still really, really good. The rest would be nice, too, but I don't expect them. I hope we get enough animals to justify them all.

1677535296124.png

Margay, ocelot, serval, Pallas's Cat
1677535331334.png

Arabian sand cat, fishing cat, bobcat, Asian golden cats with different coats
1677535403505.png

Jaguarundi, Andean cat, Pampas cat, European wild cat, Iberian lynx, black footed cat
  1. Serval: My favorite small cat, common in zoos, could educate on domestic hybrids, distinct appearance, smaller animal for Africa, long legs, big ears
  2. Margay (or Ocelot): The ocelot is the most popular and iconic for SA. We definitively need at least one. The only problem is that it is larger than some realize and often mistaken for a Jaguar. If they are too close in appearance, I would suggest substituting the Margay Cat, which is almost identical but smaller. Margays are often mistaken for ocelots, and their larger eyes give them a very distinct face. As long as we get one, I'm happy.
  3. Pallas's Cat: Meme animal, small mountain carnivore, represents the Asian highlands, range extends into western Asia.
  4. Arabian Sand Cat: Very cute, Middle East rep, might be a little too small, I've see it in zoos, a little desert cat
  5. Fishing Cat: SEA small cat with an affinity for water, unique behaviors, common in zoos
  6. Bobcat: Give NA at least one little cat. So many of our zoos have this or the Canadian Lynx. Eurasian lynx is the biggest, and the bobcat is the smallest of that group. Wide range through all biomes except tropics and tundra. Only downside is it looks like the Eurasian lynx, and it isn't as popular.
  7. Asian Golden Cat: SEA small cat with some cool coat variation. It is one of a handful of animals that I want specifically for that reason.
  8. Pampas Cat/Jaguarundi/Andean Cat: Something else would be good for SA variety.
  9. European Wildcat/Iberian Lynx: Europe could use another couple of small mammals even though it already has the lynx. They are decent choices, but I'm worried the wild cat looks too much like a domestic.

Xenarthrans (anteaters, sloths, armadillos): I would say the tamandua and especially the sloth are essential.
  1. Sloth: It might work better as an exhibit animal. If so, they could add more than one. All of the 302 sloth votes have a higher total than the Tasmanian Devil's 278. The sloth is the most requested animal and thus is essential. It is very iconic for South America.
  2. Southern Tamandua: Popular and adds variety to SA, also ranges outside of the rainforest, distinctive coat, and critical if the sloth is skipped or put in an exhibit.
  3. A second armadillo: There were plenty of people that wanted a different subspecies. It's not high priority, but it could be nice.
Geckos: A blue gecko would be awesome, and the camouflaged leaf-tailed gecko would be incredible. I think 2 geckos would be essential.
  1. Leaf-Tailed Gecko: Really cool camouflaged critter
  2. Tokay Gecko or Electric Blue Gecko: I want a blue one
1677535456347.png

Leaf-tailed gecko, tokay gecko, orchid mantis
Bugs: The Orchid Mantis and Emerald Swallowtail (need a green one) are essential.
  1. Orchid Mantis: Gorgeous and popular camo critter
  2. Stick Insect: Another camo critter
  3. Other Butterflies/Moths: Luna moth, Sara Longwing, Zebra Longwing, Blue Moon, and Emerald Swallowtail would be great butterflies
1677535490087.png

Emerald swallowtail, luna moth, Sara longwing, zebra longwing, blue moon butterfly
 
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This time im early!

Small Cats:
There are already plenty of cats in the game but they are all medium to large species. Also its likely we will get more cats in the future so i hope they will focus more on the smaller species.
The ones i think are good options are:

-Pallas cat, its pretty popular and from a area thats lacking animals
-Ocelot, super iconic
-Serval, common zoo species
-Margay, a true small jungle cat that i would actually prefer over the ocelot
-European wildcat, europe could use some more animals.


Xenathrans:
There are two animals that come to mind here.

  • a Sloth, i dont really care which species its going to be, but if the go through the trouble of making a sloth they might aswell slap a differnet skin on it and give us both. Its adds to the lacking SA roster.
  • Tamandua, also a great candidate for SA

Geckos:
Were kinda lacking in tank lizards. Which is weirde since lizards are THE terrarium animals. IDK what the future will bring for the standard exhibits but if we get more ill hope to see:

-Tokay gecko, one of the biggest and most beautiful geckos. They are also super common in captivity. If we get a gecko my bet would be on this species.
-Giant day gecko, likely the most well known gecko, also super beautiful.
-Leopard gecko, the most common lizard in captivity, would be a cool addition.

Bugs: im not sure what the definition of a Bug is and i always assumed its more of a general term for arthropods but i list the stuff id like anyways.

-Giant millipede, these guys are just super cool, also completely harmless so nice as embassadors
-Bees, id really love bees in some way.
-Leafcutter ants
- some kind of net building spider, orbweavers maybe?
 
I don't know much about bugs or geckos to feel comfortable saying anything about them...

The other two groups I think have one essential species each.

Small Cats:

We need the  serval. This species is so common in smaller zoos and it's unique appearance and jumping abilities would make it a great addition.
There is more cats I would like to see such as the European wildcat, ocelot, Pallas's Cat, fishing cat... But the serval is the only one I feel comfortable saying is necessary considering how many cats we already have and the limited slots left.

Xenarthrans:

We have an anteater and an armadillo, all that is left is the sloth and we all know that Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth is the only good option here... Absolutely necessary and I don't think I need to explain why.

That being said I would also quite like to see the southern tamandua and another more typical "zoo" armadillo make it in as well but the sloth is easily the priority.
 
Discussion #11: Small cats, xenarthrans, Geckos, bugs

What we have:

Small cats:
  1. Cheetah
  2. Clouded leopard
  3. Cougar
  4. Eurasian lynx
  5. Caracal

Xenarthrans (anteaters, sloths, armadillos):
  1. Giant anteater
  2. Nine banded armadillo
Geckos:
None

Bugs:
  1. Goliath Beetle
  2. Sacred Scarab Beetle
  3. Titan Beetle
  4. Giant burrowing Cockroach
  5. Giant Malayan leaf insect
  6. Cloudless Sulphur
  7. European Peacock
  8. Menelaus Blue Morpho
  9. Monarch
  10. Old World Swallowtail

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.
I skipped out on the last bit because I just didn't have anything to really contribute, I'm neutral, but I do have on here. This is all just my opinion of course...but

We. Don't. Need. Anymore. Small. Cats. - I don't think the Ocelot or Sand Cat would be unwelcome, but I'm really good with felines as a whole much less small cats. Key word for me is "need" and I just feel like we don't.

Xenarthrans - hmmm I don't know...there seems like there should be something there.....kidding kidding! Yes, of course, we need a sloth. It's probably the most high profile mammal not in the game as yet. I'd prefer the Brown Throated 3 toed, but that's because it's the species I visualize when I think of sloths. But I'd also be quite happy with some other species.

Slothy!.jpg



Geckos - None I think. Aside from a couple of reptiles, I think the Standard Exhibits are well balanced.

Bugs - see above. Nothing needed.
 
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Bovines:
I don't think we really need any more bovines, but I think we have space for at least one or two more members. Domestic cattle are gaining traction recently, with the Highland Cattle being the most popular it seems, and I wouldn't it. I personally would want either the Texas Longhorn or the Ankole-Watusi due to their impressive horns. In terms of wild species, the Lowland Anoa adds a smaller member of the family, but while it's popular on the forums, I personally don't really care for it (wouldn't be mad at it's inclusion, just not interesting to me because of the water buffalo). I'd like to advocate for the Gaur, the largest wild cattle species, and the Wisent, which finishes of the bison with a forest dwelling European species and another animal with a long conservation history.

Lemuriformes:
Same thing as I said with the bovines, we don't need more lemurs, but a few more wouldn't hurt. However, any more lemurs would need to be truly unique to stand out and be worth it imo. Luckily, the two most popular are just that. The Coquerel's Sifaka (or any sifaka tbh) and it's unique form of locomotion would allow for some interesting exhibit builds, and the Aye-Aye is literally just a lil freak and should get in purely on that merit alone. Of course, lemuriformes also includes all the other weirdo non-monkey and non-ape primates (aside frome tarsiers). Of the remaining groups, I'm only really interested in a species of Slow Loris, only if we get a sloth as well. Not high priority, but they're interesting enough that I think they'd make good additions to the game (an Asian nocturnal house would be sweet).

Gruiformes:
Not super well-versed on this group, so I was surprised that I have more than one species I wanna mention. The striking Grey Crowned Crane would add to the surprisingly few African birds in the roster whilst standing out entirely from the Red-Crowned Crane so there'd be extremely limited overlap. I also wish to bring up the Guam Rail, due to it's recent conservation success story, going from Extinct in the Wild to Critically Endangered thanks to captive breeding. Neither species would be regarded as high priority in my eyes, but once again would be really neat to have.

Salamanders:
I don't think any more salamanders are necessary, purely due to already having 3 and more focus needs to be put on the currently lacking lizards. That being said, I wouldn't pass at the opportunity to have a giant salamander species. Hellbender is probably the most realistic given it's size, but either the Japanese or Chinese Giants would be much better picks imo (though I wouldn't complain about any of the 3). Olms have also recently become an option again due to their return to captivity. It may only be one zoo, but they're too unique a species for us to pass up if we had more spots in the roster left. I also wanna bring up the Iberian Ribbed Newt, but having two European salamander species already kinda dampens its chances (yes, the Olm is also European, but it's far more distinct than the newt).
Oh GOSH I forgot about the Olm! I’d absolutely love these and Blind Cave Fish to but in my Nocturnal House!
 
Small cats:
  1. Serval - absolutely essential - „This species is so common in smaller zoos and it's unique appearance and jumping abilities would make it a great addition.” @Mayki
  2. Ocelot - nice to have
  3. Pallas cat - nice to have
  4. Jaguarundi - nice to have
  5. Sand cat - nice to have

Xenarthrans (anteaters, sloths, armadillos):
  1. Sloth - super essential, any kind but with preference for three toed sloth
  2. Tamandua - nice to have
  3. Brazilian three-banded armadillo - nice to have
Geckos:

1. Tokay gecko - essential
2. New Caledonian Giant gecko - essential

Bugs:
  1. Hercules beetle - essential
  2. Chinese mantis - essential
  3. Desert locust - essential
  4. Atlas moth - essential
  5. Leafcutter ants colony - essential
 
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Small cats: IMO we don't need more cats. But one small cat species would still be okay. If we should get one, I would prefer the fishing cat or the ocelot.

Xenarthrans: We need a sloth. And more precisely the two-toed sloth as it's the one that is common in zoos. Other than that, nothing essential but I would love to get a tamandua (and don't forget we have a scenery piece for this guy...)

Geckos: I think we need at least one gecko. Don't really care which species.

Bugs: There are still a lot of cool options but not a priority for me. I would like more butterflies and moths though. Leafcutter ants and honey bees could also be cool but they seem complicated to implement given the number of animals we would need for a colony...

To sum it up, essentials here are the two-toed sloth and a gecko (any species).
 
Discussion #11: Small cats, xenarthrans, Geckos, bugs

What we have:

Small cats:
  1. Cheetah
  2. Clouded leopard
  3. Cougar
  4. Eurasian lynx
  5. Caracal

Xenarthrans (anteaters, sloths, armadillos):
  1. Giant anteater
  2. Nine banded armadillo
Geckos:
None

Bugs:
  1. Goliath Beetle
  2. Sacred Scarab Beetle
  3. Titan Beetle
  4. Giant burrowing Cockroach
  5. Giant Malayan leaf insect
  6. Cloudless Sulphur
  7. European Peacock
  8. Menelaus Blue Morpho
  9. Monarch
  10. Old World Swallowtail

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.
Nothing :)
But more detailed:
Small Cats: We got so many cats allready, while smaller ones would be nice we still got 5 while other much more needed animal groups have 1,2 or even 0. They also arguably arnt very special in habitat designs with for example the sand cat being like the fenek fox or the ocelot like a coati for example.

Xenarthrans:
Sloths are cool but due to their nature of doing nothing not essential, meanwhile tamandua are just another climbing SA non monkey with the coati being by far more essential for that slot and lastly while id still like to see the yellow armadillo (also known as big hairy and 6 banded), it would defenetly fall under neat and not essentials.

Geckos and Bugs are exhibit animals so i activly hope we dont get anymore as i couldnt care less if these animals where deleated from the game and am also not delusional enough to suggest them as habitat animals. The butterflys are pretty cool, but now that we have them no more are needed
 
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