Islands Animal Pack

Chuditch

Chuditch
An Island Animal Pack is one of the more popular suggestions for a non-regional pack (technically it is sort of regional but you get what I mean), as well as one of my favourites. I created my own optimal rendition of such a pack, consisting of animals entirely endemic to islands* while maintaining variety by limiting choices to a single species per island/archipelago. Additionally I ensured each species was present in zoos.
*(devils were recently reintroduced to mainland Australia but y'know)

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Above is the list I came up with. I wanted such a pack to not just feature several unique mammals, but also be the first DLC to put a real focus on birds. Unintentionally doubled up as a threatened species pack too but that's just what island living does to you. It also includes four of my top 10 wanted animals (fossa, tree kangaroo, kiwi and devil). Runner up that did not make it onto the list was Japanese Serow, representing the Japanese Archipelago, and I would also be happy to see them in such a pack (would go nice with the macaques). Less fussed about the exhibit animal, although Lord Howe Stick Insect comes to mind (almost nonexistent is zoos although Melbourne Zoo has a breeding population). I think this may be a bit optimistic for what we'd realistically get, but a man can dream.

How would you go about an Islands Animal Pack?
 

Bearcat9948

Bearcat9948
I'm sold on all of these save the nene and kagu. I do appreciate you only picking one animal from each respective island though! It does mean that the takahe and kakapo would get left out unfortunately.

I think of all potential biome related packs, an "Islands" themed pack would sell the highest, probably just beating out "Deserts" which seem to be also pretty highly requested.

Edit: I also think I'd go for Matschie's tree kangaroo over Goodfellows (kinda nitpicky i know). I just think of all the species, Matschie's is the absolute cutest. I would greatly appreciate any of them though.
 

FoxyDee

FoxyDee
Would buy 100%, but to be honest, I would buy anything that has a kiwi and tasmanian devil in it. ;)

Fossa, tree kangaroo and Rockhopper penguin are also some of my favourites.

And I dont really know Nene and Kagu, but could be nice for people that want more birds.
 

Cynogale bennettii II

Cynogale bennettii II
I think an islands pack has some solid potential - islands are found in all climatic zones so there could be some good diversity there. From the original post, I would stick with the Hawaiian goose, fossa, Goodfellow's tree kangaroo, North Island brown kiwi and Tasmanian devil.

To represent the more northerly island of Vancouver (a temperate-taiga biome) I would choose the Critically Endangered Vancouver Island marmot. Another island of high biodiversity I would like to see represented is Sri Lanka - probably the most famous endemic animal there is the Sri Lankan leopard, which is quite commonly-kept in European zoos and would probably be a good pack-seller.

As for an exhibit animal, I would probably most want to see something from the Caribbean archipelago - my top choices would be either the mountain chicken frog or the Puerto Rican crested toad, as they are both being bred in zoos for conservation purposes. Although other good options could be either the Cuban or Jamaican boa, an anole lizard (I would go for Cuban knight anole, just because of its size) or the Utila spinytail iguana.
 

Chuditch

Chuditch
darthquell said:
I never heard that. Are they thriving or is it too soon to know?
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Probably too soon to know. It's currently in more of an experimental phase, with a small population having been established within a feral-free fenced reserve on the Barrington Tops in New South Wales (which has a similar climate to parts of Tasmania). They're monitored, but left to their own devices and live wild. All going well, we'll see them outside the fences someday, but it's taken years just to get to this monumental milestone.
 

DarthQuell

DarthQuell
Chuditch said:
Probably too soon to know. It's currently in more of an experimental phase, with a small population having been established within a feral-free fenced reserve on the Barrington Tops in New South Wales (which has a similar climate to parts of Tasmania). They're monitored, but left to their own devices and live wild. All going well, we'll see them outside the fences someday, but it's taken years just to get to this monumental milestone.
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Hopefully. I believe that they will help the ecosystem get back in control, maybe even putting Dingos in their place. Or, they just will never interact since Dingos are mostly diurnal and Taz is nocturnal
 

Chuditch

Chuditch
darthquell said:
Hopefully. I believe that they will help the ecosystem get back in control, maybe even putting Dingos in their place. Or, they just will never interact since Dingos are mostly diurnal and Taz is nocturnal
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It's currently uncertain how interactions between dingoes and devils will play out (the role the former played in the extinction of the latter is debated), but in any case there are now large areas of Australia free of dingoes with a high habitability for devils. It's one of the main reasons for their reintroduction - due to conflict with sheep grazers, dingoes are unfortunately not likely to ever return to many of these areas, which leaves them without an apex predator.
 

Bearcat9948

Bearcat9948
Chuditch said:
Probably too soon to know. It's currently in more of an experimental phase, with a small population having been established within a feral-free fenced reserve on the Barrington Tops in New South Wales (which has a similar climate to parts of Tasmania). They're monitored, but left to their own devices and live wild. All going well, we'll see them outside the fences someday, but it's taken years just to get to this monumental milestone.
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That's awesome! Hopefully devils will be able to become a natural predator for some of the invasive rats, rabbits and cats that are destroying Australia.
 

NachoB

NachoB
Great list! And great idea. I think i would add some reptile in there and a paradise bird of some kind! A victoria crowned pigeon is also another possibility. I love the fact that is focused on birds :)
 
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