Home to one of the largest reptile collections in the United States, the zoo is replacing its 9,000-square-foot reptile and amphibian house with a new 30,000-square-foot herpetarium, which will be called the Museum of Living Art.
Plans for the facility include a snakeskin sky covering throughout the building’s interior, spacious, humidity-controlled exhibits and state-of-the-art conservation tools, such as quarantine rooms and hibernaculums that facilitate breeding of rare, endangered and critically endangered animals.
About 165 different species representing about 900 animals will live in the building, including the Puerto Rican crested toad (Peltophryne lemur).
The zoo also will use the herpetarium’s design to introduce a concept it calls “ecorealism.”
“‘Green’ with a twist, ecorealism embraces the idea that with wise use and sustainable practices, man can make practical, real-life choices while minimizing the effects on the environment,” the zoo said in a press release.
The Museum of Living Art is scheduled to open in 2009.