You're forgetting one of the interesting and threatened biomes of the world, the Atlantic forest. Even thought it shares some of the fauna with the Amazon forest, it has a very high endemism and not even one endemic species of this biome can be found in the game.
Ranking the areas still requiring animals
- Thread starter yoav_r
- Start date
But, how relevant is it for zoos? There are many interesting small regions with no zoo relevance.
Over 70% of the Brazilian population lives in the area which was covered by the Atlantic forest before the colonization. So it's probably the area which has the highest zoo density of the whole continent. It may doesn't contain the most commonly kept species in international collections, but it's fundamental for local zoos (and honestly, it wouldn't even need so many species, just give me two or three of the endemics and I'm absolutely fine).
The people are irrelevant. What endemic species from this forest are zoo-relevant enough to be included in the region list as seperate from the general neotropical rainforest?
Golden lion tamarins
Anything else? Note that there's a logic behind the system. We already have a lot of animals from the atlantic forest, enough to make a proper area for it.
There's no reason to single it out from the rest of the tropical rainforest just because it has a few endemics. Every region has a few endemics. If we began to do this deep a split we'd also need to count the cloud forests of Peru as a region, the Phillipines as a region, and so on.
A compromise that could be done is adding a "grey" category for regions that are niche and only have one or two relevant zoo animals, but that's honestly a lot of work and research.
Australia review
Arid Australia received arguably its most important missing addition with the emu, but this still leaves it with only 3 habitat species. I’d say it should remain in yellow until it has at least one more, whether it be something like the yellow-footed rock-wallaby or short beaked echidna or more niche species like the perentie or greater bilby. Well on its way to making it to green though.
Temperate Australia on the other hand is provided further representation by both the emu and the wallaby, bringing it up to 6 species. This is definitely enough to move it from orange to yellow in my eyes, given it isn’t in great need of expansion anymore but is still missing key species like the Tasmanian devil and short-beaked echidna.
The emu technically also provides another species for Tropical Australia and New Guinea, but it’s rarer in the northern parts of its range and of course does not occur in Papua. Therefore I think it should remain in orange until we at least get something like a tree kangaroo.
I updated the post according to everyone's feedback!
The middle east is finally no longer red, and temperate australia and savannah south america moved to yellow.
Barring them from going green is the tasmanian devil and rhea respectively.
Is there an agreement on this, or should these maybe go green?
I'd agree with this - which means temperate Australia is very likely to go green next year! Pretty good after having 0 habitat species in the base game.
For myself (totally understand if people outside Australia wouldn’t agree) I wouldn’t put either temperate or arid Australia to green until both had two macropods (since, even outside Australia, they’re almost always in multi-species habitats (more than two inside Australia but I’m not greedy
) and the ones in game aren’t really compatible ) - I’d add the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and the yellow footed rock wallaby. Over and above those (excluding birds) I’d also want short beaked echidna and devil for Australia …. I’d argue all these are key species, and are needed to bring Australia up to parity with NA or Europe (as they are ATM).
About the Atlantic Forest, I think it's a region that is indeed unique in biodiversity. However, most endemic species are rather small animals or plants and not that suited for this game. Still, I think there can be more attention to the different regions of South America.
For a good overview of South American (mostly Brazilian) fauna, I took some pictures from the Biodiversity Museum in São Paulo which give a nice overview (see below). Note that most animals will live in different biomes, but it's mostly sorted by where they are most commonly found. Not sure if it's helpful, but it may be interesting.
The pictures don't load for meAbout the Atlantic Forest, I think it's a region that is indeed unique in biodiversity. However, most endemic species are rather small animals or plants and not that suited for this game. Still, I think there can be more attention to the different regions of South America.
For a good overview of South American (mostly Brazilian) fauna, I took some pictures from the Biodiversity Museum in São Paulo which give a nice overview (see below). Note that most animals will live in different biomes, but it's mostly sorted by where they are most commonly found. Not sure if it's helpful, but it may be interesting.
This is where I'm split between realism and game logic. The chances of us getting a second wallaby are low. The chances of getting another kangaroo are near zero.For myself (totally understand if people outside Australia wouldn’t agree) I wouldn’t put either temperate or arid Australia to green until both had two macropods (since, even outside Australia, they’re almost always in multi-species habitats (more than two inside Australia but I’m not greedy
I think we need to adjust our expectations of what "complete" is to what is realistic for the game's development.
Imo its a fair request though.
While i agree that the grey kangaroo is unrealistic (and imo a bit boring as we got the grey skin of the red kangaroo), atleast one more wallaby really should come if supports continues for long enough. So here would be some good contenders:
- Parma Wallaby (100 holdings, NT)
The smallest wallaby around 0,5 meters long, 1m including the tail.
They life in eastern temperate and scrublands and are known for being elusive, so elusive they have been declared extinct for over 50 years before
- Swamp Wallaby (29 holdings, least concern)
The wallaby with the largest range, the up to 1,5 meter including tail long swamp wallaby lives all across eastern australia from the north to the south, being found in tropical, temperate and scrubland forests.
No swamps, these guys just stink like one.
Must be nurgle worshippers
They also tend to be more solidary then other wallabys which could differentiate them in gameplay as they need lower group sizes ergo space.
- The Dusky Pademelon (17 holdings, vu)
A threatend small macropod from neuiginea that lives in rainforrests and tropical savanah.
They grow up to 1,2 meters (including tail), for comparison a red necked wallaby including tail is roughly 1,6 meters.
They also look quite unique with their black greysish fur and orange marking in the ears and around the nouse.
-Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby (10 holdings, NT)
Jesus these guys do exist in europe, but zoo tierliste has them unter the name "ringtailed rock wallaby" instead in the german version, which is an old ass name for them
Anyways, they live in deserts and are adept rock climbers.
Also they are just pretty with their yellow feet and up to 1,3 meters in lenght (also including tail)
And lastly while not a wallaby, the common walaroo would also be a nice addition.
The eastern subspecies is on a rise in europe with 8 facilitys holding them, with the zoo Besth being the first holding them since 2011. Since then they have spread to those 7 other zoos with 3 of them recieving them in the last year.
They are spreading at an rapid speed for an animal previously last held in europe in the last century and its really great to see.
And the best part is, they are actually quite interesting.
While being of least concern, the males reach a size of up to 2,3 meters, with the females being a good bit smaller and lighter.
Besides size they also got great gender dimorphism especally in the eastern subspecies with the males having black fur and the females sandy one.
Their general color scheme is also quite diverse, reaching from sany browns over grey and all kinds of light and dark brown to pitch black, while also sometimes having a reddish tint at some places.
In truth these guys would be my favorite new terrestrial macropod addition and i really do hope that if they get added to the game that they will ge the red fox color treatment with many different morphs
In theory, I'd love all the macropods to get in. I think of these the realistic options are the YFRW and maybe the agile wallaby, which you didn't mention but is the only tropical wallaby and looks distinct from the others, it also exists in new guinea.
didnt mention the agile wallaby as its quite plain looking, only has 4 holdings in europe and IMO is completly outclassed as a teresstrial macropod from tropical new guinea by the dusk pardermelon, as its both more common and unique looking.
For simimlar reasons i also didnt mention the tammar wallaby, the only other wallaby hold in the EAZA with 10 holdings thats quite similar to the parmas wallaby
For simimlar reasons i also didnt mention the tammar wallaby, the only other wallaby hold in the EAZA with 10 holdings thats quite similar to the parmas wallaby
From the Mediterranean only Barbary sheep, Dromedary, pelican and Porcupine would catch my attention
Maybe also wild boar since it’s so widespread