I would call this pack the 'Gondwana Animal Pack' - the eight animals have been chosen because they have a long evolutionary history in South America and Oceania:
1. Capybara - The rodents arrived in South America, probably from Africa, around forty million years ago - before South and North America were connected. This is the most requested animal and would really add to the tropical rainforest sections of both larger and smaller zoos.
2. Venezuelan red howler monkey - Around thirty-six million years ago, just after the rodents, the first monkeys crossed from Africa to South America. Although not the most commonly-kept monkey in real zoos, they are a striking-looking species that would add another Amazon rainforest animal.
3. Yellow armadillo - The armadillos, anteaters and sloths (a group called the xenarthrans) are one of the original endemic mammals of South America; this is a fairly sizeable species from both forest and savannah habitats that can be kept in larger outdoor enclosures in zoos.
4. Sunbittern - These are the more commonly-kept species of a strange group of birds that evolved when South America and Oceania were still connected (its only living cousin is the New Caledonian kagu); these are a visually striking bird that would fit well into an Amazon flooded forest display with the capybara, dwarf caiman and otter.
5. Bennett's wallaby - Although they probably evolved in North America, around seventy percent the marsupials now survive only in Oceania; this species is different in appearance and habitat to the red kangaroo already in the game.
6. Short beaked echidna - Echidnas are the largest and most commonly-kept of the monotremes, a group of mammals that evolved in the Southern Hemisphere and only survive in Australia today.
7. Victoria crowned pigeon - Pigeons were one of three major bird groups (the others being parrots and songbirds) that evolved in Australia; this is the largest of the pigeons and is primarily ground-dwelling.
Exhibit. Tuatara - Although they are part of an ancient group (the Rhynchocephalia) whose earliest records are from Europe, the tuatara now survives only on New Zealand; they would probably need a new temperate-type exhibit.
1. Capybara - The rodents arrived in South America, probably from Africa, around forty million years ago - before South and North America were connected. This is the most requested animal and would really add to the tropical rainforest sections of both larger and smaller zoos.
2. Venezuelan red howler monkey - Around thirty-six million years ago, just after the rodents, the first monkeys crossed from Africa to South America. Although not the most commonly-kept monkey in real zoos, they are a striking-looking species that would add another Amazon rainforest animal.
3. Yellow armadillo - The armadillos, anteaters and sloths (a group called the xenarthrans) are one of the original endemic mammals of South America; this is a fairly sizeable species from both forest and savannah habitats that can be kept in larger outdoor enclosures in zoos.
4. Sunbittern - These are the more commonly-kept species of a strange group of birds that evolved when South America and Oceania were still connected (its only living cousin is the New Caledonian kagu); these are a visually striking bird that would fit well into an Amazon flooded forest display with the capybara, dwarf caiman and otter.
5. Bennett's wallaby - Although they probably evolved in North America, around seventy percent the marsupials now survive only in Oceania; this species is different in appearance and habitat to the red kangaroo already in the game.
6. Short beaked echidna - Echidnas are the largest and most commonly-kept of the monotremes, a group of mammals that evolved in the Southern Hemisphere and only survive in Australia today.
7. Victoria crowned pigeon - Pigeons were one of three major bird groups (the others being parrots and songbirds) that evolved in Australia; this is the largest of the pigeons and is primarily ground-dwelling.
Exhibit. Tuatara - Although they are part of an ancient group (the Rhynchocephalia) whose earliest records are from Europe, the tuatara now survives only on New Zealand; they would probably need a new temperate-type exhibit.
