World's first offspring of rare amphibian species
Chemnitz Zoo: Special guided tours for Mother's Day on 11 May, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Chemnitz Zoo has announced the first offspring of Anatolian crested newts. This is probably the world's first offspring in a zoological facility.
The Anatolian crested newt(Tritutus anatolicus) is a rarity that is only very rarely exhibited in zoological institutions. This species of crested amphibian, which is exclusively native to the Asian part of Turkey, is not only exhibited throughout Europe, but very probably only in Chemnitz worldwide.
A special feature of this species is that it was only described as a separate species in 2016. Before that, it was categorised as the Persian crested newt(Triturus karelinii) or the Balkan crested newt(Triturus ivanbureschi). And as the description dates back only a few years, hardly any data is available. This means that no information can be provided on the endangered status of the species. However, it is known that the Anatolian crested newt copes poorly with changes in water quality. In this respect, environmental pollution and the associated loss of habitat are severely affecting the species.
The vivarium at Chemnitz Zoo is home to almost 80 different amphibian species, including many rarities - species that are rarely exhibited in zoological institutions or are only rarely found in the wild. As amphibians are considered to be the most endangered class of vertebrates worldwide, Chemnitz Zoo makes an important contribution to the conservation of these species with its regular breeding programmes.
Animal Mother's Day at the zoo - special guided tour on 11 May, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
On Sunday, 11 May at 11 am and 2 pm, Chemnitz Zoo is offering special tours for all mothers and grandmothers (and of course for the whole family), focusing on animal mothers and children. Do raven mums really exist? And can we learn anything from some animal species? These and other exciting questions are answered here.
You can already observe young animals and their mothers (and fathers) in some animal species, e.g. the kangaroos, the emus or the Erzgebirge goats on the farm.
The tours start in the entrance area of the zoo and last approximately one hour. They are thematically aimed at adults, but children are welcome.
The cost of a guided tour is 10 euros per person (including admission).
Registration by Friday, 9 May by e-mail to tierpark(at)stadt-chemnitz.de is required, as the number of participants is limited.
Opening hours in April and May:
| Zoo: | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., last admission 6 p.m. |
| Game enclosure: | 9am to 6pm, last admission 5pm |