Inside the Tree (Continued)…
Continuing on from the spray toad enclosure, we make our way into the interior of our exhibit, exploring the winding trails within the tree. The first exhibit we come across is a large and very heavily foliated exhibit. This exhibit houses two different species, existing as the only mixed-species exhibit in the Inside the Tree area. This exhibit features Baron's mantella (Mantella baroni) and Black-eared mantella (Mantella milotympanum), two poisonous frog species from the island of Madagascar. This exhibit is equipped with rain and mist machines that keep the habitat constantly damp and makes sure the frogs remain happy and healthy at all times.
Nearby, the next exhibit replicates the side of a tree with tons of branches and leaves that provide home to seven green anole (Anolis carolinensis), a small lizard species from the Southeastern United States. This exhibit features mostly perching as the green anole is a mainly arboreal species utilizing the trees as a place to find insects to eat.
Moving farther down the center we pass by the second largest exhibit in the complex, a large burrow cave system with roots hanging down to symbolize being deep underground. This exhibit is a nocturnal exhibit and utilizes the same blue light that the bat-eared fox enclosure uses. This enclosure houses a rotating pair of a male and female aardvark (Orycteropus afer). The two do not share the habitat at the same time and instead only one is out at a time due to territorial issues. This exhibit features sand pit features for the animals to dig into, artificial termite mounds stuffed with real termites (dampwood termites harvested behind the scenes) provide amazing enrichment as well. Just like the other nocturnal exhibits, the day lights come on when the sun sets as an opposite to avoid ruining the circadian rythm.
Just ahead of the aardvark enclosure is a large forested exhibit featuring trees, branches, vines, and tons of other live plants along the forest floor. This exhibit houses common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), a marsupial from Australia that is well known as an invasive species that will eat anything from plants to animals to insects to trash. This species is known for living within trees in holes and cavities where they can protect themselves from predators, rear young, and sleep. This exhibit houses a pair of possums in a nocturnal setting with the blue light found in the other larger nocturnal exhibits.
On the other side of the possum exhibit is a very heavily planted nocturnal exhibit featuring large amounts of sticks and perching for the animals to use. This exhibit is nocturnal and features the blue lights of the other large nocturnal exhibits as this exhibit is home to a male and female pair of aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). This pair is a part of the SSP for their species as the aye-aye is endangered on the island of Madagascar where they live.
Moving forward from the aye-aye we come to another nocturnal exhibit, lit by the blue nocturnal light that covers the woodlands exhibit. This exhibit is very similar to the possum exhibit showcasing a large central tree with smaller trees connected by perches between them. In this exhibit is an elderly one-eyed barred owl, the only bird found in the Inside the Tree area. This owl, named Leah, was born in the wild but was hit by a car and deemed non-releasable. She lived behind the scenes as an ambassador at a small New England facility for a while before moving onto exhibit at Disney's Wild Kingdom in her retirement.
Located nearby the owl enclosure is another forested nocturnal enclosure that houses a common genet, an arboreal relative of the civet found in Africa, Europe, and Asia. This exhibit was very similar with the blue lighting that allows the animals to remain active without disrupting their circadian rhythm. The genet enclosure only houses a single female as the species is solitary and are not endangered so housing two individuals doesn't make sense.
Below the owl exhibit is another nocturnal exhibit representing the inside of a tree with a large hole for the animal to rest. The ground is heavily planted but rarely used as this exhibit is home to a single female Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis), a fully arboreal porcupine species. She mainly hides in the hole of the tree, but every so often she will traverse over the sticks and perches or even make her way to the ground to grab a snack she dropped.
Directly next-door to the porcupine enclosure is yet another nocturnal exhibit set inside a tree with holes for the animals to hide in. This exhibit houses three Northern Luzon giant cloud rat (Phloeomys pallidus), a nocturnal tree rodent from Asia. This trio is made up of a male and female breeding pair and their most recent offspring.
Continuing through the center of the trails we come across another very large habitat that is themed like a massive jungle. Vines and branches and logs make up much of the exhibit space, leaving very little ground space for the animal. The animal in this exhibit is a single male tayra, a rare South American relative of weasels that spends most of its time in the trees. Like most of the other center exhibits, this exhibit is nocturnal, featuring the characteristic blue light.
Over a bit father is a large wall with tunnels and viewing windows in them. These exhibits are all connected by tubes much like the ant enclosure. However, these exhibits are larger than the ants as they are home to the blind and subterranean Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis). This colony has about 30 different mole-rats living together in a large tunnel system. This is one of few non-nocturnal exhibits in the center area.
Directly next to the mole-rat enclosure is another nocturnal exhibit with lots of grass and plants with a few tree branches looming over with dirt to dig and burrow in. This exhibit is home to Madagascar jumping rat (Hypogeomys antimena), a species of rodent that is known for its ability to jump and burrow alike. This exhibit houses two individuals under the red light of this nocturnal exhibit.
Below the exhibits for the rats and mole-rats is a complex of three enclosures, the first being an underground burrow that opens up into a tall set of trees and branches for this animal to be able to dig underground or climb up into the trees as well as soak in a huge pool. This exhibit is a habitat for a single Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) who can often be found on the subterranean portion of the habitat.
Behind the snake enclosure is another larger enclosure themed to a forested exhibit. Featuring an underground burrow beneath the roots of a tree and a sand pit area to dig in, this is a home for a single male Western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis). This skunk was a part of a litter born in the wild but was orphaned after a road incident and was brought to Disney's Wild Kingdom from a rehab center when he was deemed non-releasable. He now calls Inside the Tree his home within a blue-lit nocturnal exhibit.
Next to the skunk enclosure is another nocturnal enclosure that is home to one of three primate species Inside the Tree. This species is the Senegal bushbaby (Galago senegalensis) a small nocturnal primate from Senegal in Africa. This enclosure is large with branches to climb and hang onto as well as tons of foliage. This exhibit features the red light found in some of the smaller nocturnal exhibits as it is less stressful on the bushbaby. This exhibit houses a sorority group of four female bushbabies as that is how they live naturally in the wild.
The largest exhibit in the area is a huge nocturnal tropical forest featuring branches and trees and grass and plants and lots of other naturalistic enrichment items. This exhibit features the red light as it is for a primate, specifically, a breeding pair of Three-striped night monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus). This exhibit allows for these animals to have plenty of space and height to climb, especially as they have tunnels above the guests they can walk through and hang out in, running along the roof of the tree of life. This can make the monkeys difficult to spot, but guests who look up may just realize that they're standing right below a monkey.
The final exhibit here is a medium-sized terrarium that allows for decent flight space as this exhibit is home to a pair of flying dragons (Draco volans), a species of lizard that is able to fly and glide with the flaps of skin between their arms. This exhibit is a daylight exhibit and serves as the final exhibit.
Guests are welcome to take their time exploring the trails, spending time looking at the exhibits, and enjoying the animals. The trails intersect and loop and don't offer one specific route, so it's very easy to take your time and get lost, turning the corner to see something new every turn. Guests who take their time and enjoy everything the Inside the Tree area offers will never forget some of the amazing species they'll see.
With that, I hope you enjoyed Inside the Tree. This isn't the last piece of the Tree of Life Gardens, but it was definitely one idea I had and really liked. I wanted a unique way to exhibit nocturnal species as well as more reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates in the park and life inside/around trees really provided the perfect opportunity for this. Again, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to keep this park going and to finish it up by the fall. Thanks so much!
Continuing on from the spray toad enclosure, we make our way into the interior of our exhibit, exploring the winding trails within the tree. The first exhibit we come across is a large and very heavily foliated exhibit. This exhibit houses two different species, existing as the only mixed-species exhibit in the Inside the Tree area. This exhibit features Baron's mantella (Mantella baroni) and Black-eared mantella (Mantella milotympanum), two poisonous frog species from the island of Madagascar. This exhibit is equipped with rain and mist machines that keep the habitat constantly damp and makes sure the frogs remain happy and healthy at all times.
Nearby, the next exhibit replicates the side of a tree with tons of branches and leaves that provide home to seven green anole (Anolis carolinensis), a small lizard species from the Southeastern United States. This exhibit features mostly perching as the green anole is a mainly arboreal species utilizing the trees as a place to find insects to eat.
Moving farther down the center we pass by the second largest exhibit in the complex, a large burrow cave system with roots hanging down to symbolize being deep underground. This exhibit is a nocturnal exhibit and utilizes the same blue light that the bat-eared fox enclosure uses. This enclosure houses a rotating pair of a male and female aardvark (Orycteropus afer). The two do not share the habitat at the same time and instead only one is out at a time due to territorial issues. This exhibit features sand pit features for the animals to dig into, artificial termite mounds stuffed with real termites (dampwood termites harvested behind the scenes) provide amazing enrichment as well. Just like the other nocturnal exhibits, the day lights come on when the sun sets as an opposite to avoid ruining the circadian rythm.
Just ahead of the aardvark enclosure is a large forested exhibit featuring trees, branches, vines, and tons of other live plants along the forest floor. This exhibit houses common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), a marsupial from Australia that is well known as an invasive species that will eat anything from plants to animals to insects to trash. This species is known for living within trees in holes and cavities where they can protect themselves from predators, rear young, and sleep. This exhibit houses a pair of possums in a nocturnal setting with the blue light found in the other larger nocturnal exhibits.
On the other side of the possum exhibit is a very heavily planted nocturnal exhibit featuring large amounts of sticks and perching for the animals to use. This exhibit is nocturnal and features the blue lights of the other large nocturnal exhibits as this exhibit is home to a male and female pair of aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). This pair is a part of the SSP for their species as the aye-aye is endangered on the island of Madagascar where they live.
Moving forward from the aye-aye we come to another nocturnal exhibit, lit by the blue nocturnal light that covers the woodlands exhibit. This exhibit is very similar to the possum exhibit showcasing a large central tree with smaller trees connected by perches between them. In this exhibit is an elderly one-eyed barred owl, the only bird found in the Inside the Tree area. This owl, named Leah, was born in the wild but was hit by a car and deemed non-releasable. She lived behind the scenes as an ambassador at a small New England facility for a while before moving onto exhibit at Disney's Wild Kingdom in her retirement.
Located nearby the owl enclosure is another forested nocturnal enclosure that houses a common genet, an arboreal relative of the civet found in Africa, Europe, and Asia. This exhibit was very similar with the blue lighting that allows the animals to remain active without disrupting their circadian rhythm. The genet enclosure only houses a single female as the species is solitary and are not endangered so housing two individuals doesn't make sense.
Below the owl exhibit is another nocturnal exhibit representing the inside of a tree with a large hole for the animal to rest. The ground is heavily planted but rarely used as this exhibit is home to a single female Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis), a fully arboreal porcupine species. She mainly hides in the hole of the tree, but every so often she will traverse over the sticks and perches or even make her way to the ground to grab a snack she dropped.
Directly next-door to the porcupine enclosure is yet another nocturnal exhibit set inside a tree with holes for the animals to hide in. This exhibit houses three Northern Luzon giant cloud rat (Phloeomys pallidus), a nocturnal tree rodent from Asia. This trio is made up of a male and female breeding pair and their most recent offspring.
Continuing through the center of the trails we come across another very large habitat that is themed like a massive jungle. Vines and branches and logs make up much of the exhibit space, leaving very little ground space for the animal. The animal in this exhibit is a single male tayra, a rare South American relative of weasels that spends most of its time in the trees. Like most of the other center exhibits, this exhibit is nocturnal, featuring the characteristic blue light.
Over a bit father is a large wall with tunnels and viewing windows in them. These exhibits are all connected by tubes much like the ant enclosure. However, these exhibits are larger than the ants as they are home to the blind and subterranean Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis). This colony has about 30 different mole-rats living together in a large tunnel system. This is one of few non-nocturnal exhibits in the center area.
Directly next to the mole-rat enclosure is another nocturnal exhibit with lots of grass and plants with a few tree branches looming over with dirt to dig and burrow in. This exhibit is home to Madagascar jumping rat (Hypogeomys antimena), a species of rodent that is known for its ability to jump and burrow alike. This exhibit houses two individuals under the red light of this nocturnal exhibit.
Below the exhibits for the rats and mole-rats is a complex of three enclosures, the first being an underground burrow that opens up into a tall set of trees and branches for this animal to be able to dig underground or climb up into the trees as well as soak in a huge pool. This exhibit is a habitat for a single Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) who can often be found on the subterranean portion of the habitat.
Behind the snake enclosure is another larger enclosure themed to a forested exhibit. Featuring an underground burrow beneath the roots of a tree and a sand pit area to dig in, this is a home for a single male Western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis). This skunk was a part of a litter born in the wild but was orphaned after a road incident and was brought to Disney's Wild Kingdom from a rehab center when he was deemed non-releasable. He now calls Inside the Tree his home within a blue-lit nocturnal exhibit.
Next to the skunk enclosure is another nocturnal enclosure that is home to one of three primate species Inside the Tree. This species is the Senegal bushbaby (Galago senegalensis) a small nocturnal primate from Senegal in Africa. This enclosure is large with branches to climb and hang onto as well as tons of foliage. This exhibit features the red light found in some of the smaller nocturnal exhibits as it is less stressful on the bushbaby. This exhibit houses a sorority group of four female bushbabies as that is how they live naturally in the wild.
The largest exhibit in the area is a huge nocturnal tropical forest featuring branches and trees and grass and plants and lots of other naturalistic enrichment items. This exhibit features the red light as it is for a primate, specifically, a breeding pair of Three-striped night monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus). This exhibit allows for these animals to have plenty of space and height to climb, especially as they have tunnels above the guests they can walk through and hang out in, running along the roof of the tree of life. This can make the monkeys difficult to spot, but guests who look up may just realize that they're standing right below a monkey.
The final exhibit here is a medium-sized terrarium that allows for decent flight space as this exhibit is home to a pair of flying dragons (Draco volans), a species of lizard that is able to fly and glide with the flaps of skin between their arms. This exhibit is a daylight exhibit and serves as the final exhibit.
Guests are welcome to take their time exploring the trails, spending time looking at the exhibits, and enjoying the animals. The trails intersect and loop and don't offer one specific route, so it's very easy to take your time and get lost, turning the corner to see something new every turn. Guests who take their time and enjoy everything the Inside the Tree area offers will never forget some of the amazing species they'll see.
With that, I hope you enjoyed Inside the Tree. This isn't the last piece of the Tree of Life Gardens, but it was definitely one idea I had and really liked. I wanted a unique way to exhibit nocturnal species as well as more reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates in the park and life inside/around trees really provided the perfect opportunity for this. Again, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to keep this park going and to finish it up by the fall. Thanks so much!