Moscow Zoo

THE TERRARIUM OF THE MOSCOW ZOO IS 125 YEARS OLD
S.V. Kudryavtsev

The first reptiles have been represented in the collection of the Moscow Zoo since the day it was founded. These were two species, the Grass Snake and the Indian Python, a total of seven specimens that were kept in terrariums in different buildings, mostly in the Bird House and in the Aquarium. Later on, when various exhibitions were organised at the Moscow Zoo, the number of reptiles there sometimes reached 50 specimens of ten species.

In late July 1878 the Second Acclimatisation Exhibition was organised at the Moscow Zoo. By the time of the inauguration of the exhibition a rather good department of aquariums and terrariums had been created at the Laboratory of the Zoological Garden, which had just been organised. The department was created by the Assistant Head of the Laboratory of the Zoological Garden N.V. Nasonov. The department remained at the Zoological Gardens after the exhibition was closed.

the building of the aquarium and terrarium at the Moscow Zoo in 1878

Since that time a number of terrariums with reptiles and amphibians have always been represented at the Moscow Zoo, but they often moved from one building to another. Thus 1878 can be justifiably considered the year of the foundation of the herpetological collection of the Moscow Zoo, and its 125th anniversary should be celebrated in 2003.

However, a separate building for the department of herpetology was only built at the Moscow Zoo in 1926. At that time, "the Animal Island" was built in the new territory of the Zoo, and the "Terrarium" was housed in its second and third floor..

the Animal Island and the Terrarium in it

After the building was opened in 1927, the Zoo's collection of reptiles increased to 70 species and was maintained at that level for many years. Only during the Second World War the herpetological collection was almost totally disbanded, and anti-aircraft guns were placed on top of the building of the Terrarium. Only a few species of reptiles were kept during these years in the building of the Aquarium – these were alligators, some racers and sheltopusiks.

Many outstanding biologists worked at the Terrarium of the Moscow Zoo in various years. The following may be noted among those:

Aleksey M. Sergeev, specialist on reptile evolution, who later became an honorary member of the Moscow University. His name is written in gold letters on the roll of honour of the Moscow Lomonosov University.

Roman Khesin-Lurie, a world renown geneticist, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, who carried out his first research in lizards at the Terrarium of the Moscow Zoo. From 1934 through 1939 he was a member of the Young Biologists' Club of the Moscow Zoo, until he was enrolled in the biology department of the Moscow University.

Ilya S. Darevsky, who worked at the Terrarium of the Moscow Zoo in 1946 and 1947. A PhD in biology since 1962, he is Head of the Laboratory of Ornithology and Herpetology of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, professor of the University of California and of the Institute of Zoology of Armenia.

Valentina F. Orlova worked at the Terrarium of the Moscow Zoo in 1956 and 1957. Since 1962 she has been Head of the Department of Herpetology of the Zoological Museum of the Moscow University. She holds an advanced degree in biology and is one of the leading herpetologists of Russia.

In 1940 Victor V. Chernomordikov, who graduated that year from the biological department of the Moscow University, came to work at the Terrarium of the Moscow Zoo as a researcher. He worked as the Curator of Herpetology of the Moscow Zoo till 27.07.1951. Victor Chernomordikov did not only contribute greatly to the creation of the herpetological collections of the Moscow and Leningrad Zoos, but he also became one of the founders of applied zoo herpetology and terrarium science in our country.

From 1946 through 1980 the position of the Curator of Herpetology was held by Zoya N. Kovaleva, and from 1980 through 1985, by Vladimir E. Frolov, who later became Assistant Director of the Moscow Zoo.

Vladimir E. Frolov – with Siamese Crocodiles – the first offspring in zoos of the former USSR

In 1981 the Herpetology Department was joined by Sergei V. Kudryavtsev, who replaced Vladimir Frolov as Curator of Herpetology in 1985.

In the 1990's the collection of Reptiles of the Moscow Zoo was transferred into an old reconstructed two-story building. Unfortunately, the small exhibit hall of the present Terrarium allows to demonstrate no more than 10% of the collection. The remaining space is only used for keeping and breeding rare and problem species of reptiles.

It was in the 1980's that the most active period in the development of the department of Herpetology of the Moscow Zoo began. The collection of reptiles and amphibians was constantly increasing, and by the end of the 1990's it comprised 846 specimens of 226 species.

During these years the staff of the department published over 170 scientific and educational articles and five books on terrarium science and applied zoo herpetology. The work of the staff of the department of herpetology of the Moscow Zoo on breeding rare species of venomous snakes of the former USSR (the Central Asian Cobra and almost all the rare vipers of the Caucasus) became the basis of all the consequent work by colleagues from other zoos in this area. During these years the staff of the Department of Herpetology of the Moscow Zoo also organised and carried out multiple expeditions in the Republics of Central Asia, the Transcaucasus, the Far East and other regions of the former USSR. Later on the staff of the department took part in multiple expeditions abroad, including areas that are difficult to access – in the Ryukyu Archipelago (Japan), in East, West and South Africa, in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, in Java, Sumatra, New Guinea and other Indonesian islands, in the southern and eastern states of the USA and in many other areas of the world. During these years multiple stable business contacts have been established with foreign zoos , zoological institutions and other organisations in more than 30 countries. Among those are such world re-known institutions as Instituto Butantan (Brazil), the Japan Snake Institute, the Razi Institute (Iran), the Memorial Museum of Queen Saovabho (Thailand), the National Museum of Kenya and Goeteborg University (Sweden).

In the recent years the department has been concentrating on studying reproductive biology and developing methods of long-term captive husbandry of rare and problem species, primarily venomous snakes of the world fauna. Over a hundred species of reptiles and amphibians have been bred by now.

The photographs shown below illustrate only a small part of the successful work on developing the methods of husbandry of rare species at the Department of Herpetology of the Moscow Zoo in the recent years.

1. Hatching of Red-footed Tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria). Besides the Red-footed, the Zoo successfully bred such rare species as the African Pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) and the Parrot-beaked Tortoise (Hompus areolatus).

Hatching of Red-footed Tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria)

2. Female Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) with newly hatched offspring.

3. Hatching of a Yemen Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus). Besides the (Yemen?), the Zoo successfully bred four more species of chameleons, among those the rare Usambara Three-horned Chameleon (Chamaeleo deremensis).

Hatching of a Yemen Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)

4. Hatching of a Bengal Monitor (Varanus bengaliensis). At present the Zoo collection has some unique species of monitors, including three species that have just been described – the (Blue-tailed?) Monitor (Varanus yuwonoi), the (Moluccan?) Monitor (Varanus melinus) and (McRay's?) Monitor (Varanus macraei).

5. A Red-eyed Skink (Tribolonotus gracilis) – an endemic species from New Guinea that was bred at the Moscow zoo for the first time in 1998.

6. Hatching of a Timor Python (Python timorensis) – this species has bred annually only at the Moscow zoo since 1999. The Moscow Zoo has bred a total of over 12 species and subspecies of Boas and Pythons.

7. Hatching of Mandarin Rat Snakes (Elaphe mandarina) – among the zoos of the former USSR, this species was bred for the first time at the Moscow Zoo in 1993. The Moscow Zoo was also the first to breed such rare species of Rat Snakes as Persian Rat Snake (Elaphe persica) and Moellendorf's Rat Snake (Elaphe moellendorfii).

8. A newborn King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) – among European Zoos this species was bred for the first time at the Moscow Zoo in 2002. The Moscow Zoo has bred a total of over 12 species and subspecies of cobras.

9. A Coral Snake (Aspidelaps lubricus) in the process of laying eggs – a rare South African species that has been bred successfully for the first time at the Moscow Zoo in 1998.

10. A Ikaheka Snake (Micropechis ikaheka) – a unique New Guinea species, the first clutch in captivity in the world, 2002.

11. A Red-headed Krait (Bungarus flaniceps) – the Moscow Zoo is the only zoo in the world where this rare snake has been living for already over three years.

12. An Usambara Mountain Bush Viper (Atheris ceratophorus) – a unique species endemic to Tanzania, which was bred in captivity for the first time in the world at the Moscow Zoo in 1999.

13. A unique blue form of the rare (Philippine Pit Viper?) (Trimeresurus flavomaculatus), born at the Moscow Zoo in 2001.

14. Hatching of a Hime-habu (Ovophis okinavensis) – among the zoos of America and Europe, this species is only bred at the Moscow Zoo.

15. A female Habu (Protobothrops flavoviridis) on a clutch – among the zoos of America and Europe, this species is only bred at the Moscow Zoo.


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