Saharan Oasis Orb: The Reptiles

My Zoo ~ Madagascar Orb: The Design

As the 5th biosphere in this project, it initiates a design concept repeated two more times in the initial project--the Island environment. The entire terrestrial portion of the orb is an island surrounded by sea water. Water that is pumped in a counter clockwise rotation to mimic tides and ocean currents.

There is one study center associated with the Madagascar Orb--The Center for the Study of Non-Apelike Primates. The facility includes a state of art medical hospital and an active breeding program that both extends beyond the animals living in the habitat.

The width of the biome is 425 meters or just shy of half a kilometer, and its' height reaches 138 meters at its apex.

Once again interior features are crafted to copy natural elements from Madagascar.

The orb is located in the North West quadrant of the park due west of the Australia orb and North of the North American Prairie-Western Mountain/Valley Orb.

Madagascar Orb: The Mammals

Choosing the animals for a biome from Madagascar is a painful experience. You want to include everyone! They are all so amazing and wonderful. But you have a limited space and there are quality of life issues... Here are the 18 I'd start with, the largest number of mammals in a single biome so far, and it's a relatively smaller biome.

Additionally, this is the first orb in which conservation of endangered species plays a significant role in both who is in and who is out.

Madagascar Orb: The Birds

Madagascar Orb: The Reptiles

The choice of reptiles for this biome was both critical and comical. With the large portion of rodents, population control is critical, with the amazing variety and beauty of species "costume" ended up playing a role--at least in the initial inhabitants.

Madagascar Orb: The Amphibians

The amphibians of this orb are represented by two amazingly beautiful frogs: the Golden and Green Mantella. While most of the orbs make no claims to being habitats for rare and endangered species, the Madagascar Orb stands in contrast. Both of these beautiful animals fall into those critically important categories and it is the hope that both of these species will propagate fluently allowing for not only a rich experience for visitors, but a faithful source for returning to the wilds of Madagascar an irreplaceable aspect of its own gift to the zoo.

Awesome New Stamps

My Zoo ~ Appalachian Orb: The Design

The fourth orb is another North American habitat: Appalachia. A familiar idea and yet an elusive concept, Appalachia runs from New York to Georgia along the eastern coast of the United States. This orb seeks to capture the essential experience of the deciduous forests that blanket those ancient mountains.

There are two Study Centers: 1) The Center for the Study of Deciduous Trees, and 2) The Center for the Study of North American Song Birds.

Technically, the Appalachian Orb has a diameter of 500 meters, and a height of 118 meters.

The major waterfall feature is patterned after Black Water Falls in West Virginia.

The experience of the environments encompassed in the orb should look like these images. The trees are overall deciduous including Yellow Poplar, Northern Red Oak, Sweet Gum, Beech, Sugar Maple, Hickory, White Ash, Purple Ash, Sassafras, Redbud, Dogwood, and Chestnut. Additional trees include American Holly, White Pine, and Tamarack. Boulders help to define the landscape throughout the orb. A flatland meadow and wetland completes the biome-diversity of the orb.

The Appalachian Orb is located directly south of the Prairie-Western Mountain/Orb, in the southwestern quadrant of the zoo.