30 years of the Vivarium at Chemnitz Zoo
The vivarium is a special feature of Chemnitz Zoo. It is home to over 80 different species of amphibians. Most amphibians begin their lives in water and then adapt to life on land. In the vivariums, they live in an environment that closely resembles their natural habitat – in terms of the substrate layers with plants, the temperature, the humidity and the lighting.
We have a wide variety of amphibians, from A for the Anderson’s toothed newt, through the deadly poison dart frog, to Z for the Zagros newt. Some of these animals tend to keep to themselves, whilst others are very easy to spot. So it’s always worth a visit to observe them here at your leisure.
It all began in 1993 with the acquisition of the amphibian collection from the Natural History Museum at Bertholdsburg Castle in Schleusingen.
“After that, work began at the zoo to convert the former stables into a modern amphibian house, which opened in 1996. Today we have four rooms here with varying temperatures, ranging from very tropical, warm areas to rather cool, cold mountain streams,” explains Saskia Quinger. To maintain this natural
environment, the animal keepers check and maintain the enclosures daily, including monitoring the water levels. They also demonstrate their artistic skills and dexterity when designing the enclosures.
“The terrariums are, of course, decorated with real plants. Our gardeners look after the plants throughout the zoo grounds and, naturally, also help out in the vivarium. For some exotic plants, we also receive support from the Botanical Garden, which occasionally provides us with individual plants.”
With its vivarium, Chemnitz Zoo boasts one of the most extensive collections of amphibians in Germany.
Programme for the anniversary celebrations
Friday, 30 October:
4.00 pm: 90-minute guided tour with a look behind the scenes
There are far more animals living in the Vivarium than can be seen in the public exhibition area. Visitors can now explore this hidden area. The cost is 10 euros.
Please register by 29 October by emailing tierpark(at)stadt-chemnitz.de.
Saturday, 31 October:
10.00 am and 12.00 pm: Public feedings at the Vivarium
1 pm: Mayor Kunze opens the anniversary celebrations at the zoo school
1.00 pm to 4.00 pm: Open Zoo School with exciting hands-on activities and specialist talks:
“Focus on amphibians” – Kevin Rüffer, Head of Animal Care
“The Vivarium’s Last Chance” – Heiko Werning, Citizen Conservation
“Fire salamanders – a little amphibian in a yellow high-vis vest” – Heidi Enderlein, BUND