BLOOMINGTON — With the help of a couple of local businesses, Miller Park Zoo is constructing two new exhibits that are expected to open in February.

J.J. Swartz Co., a remodeling and restoration company based in Bloomington, is donating the work and money for a new exhibit for a breeding pair of green aracari, and the Bloomington-Normal Area Home Builders Association is donating the work and money for a new exhibit that will house seven different reptiles, including a breeding pair of venomous beaded lizards.
“This is a great opportunity for the community and the zoo to partner and show our guests more animals and teach people about natural resources and wildlife,” said Miller Park Zoo Superintendent Jay Tetzloff.
The breeding pair of green aracari arrived at Miller Park Zoo a couple of years ago. Since arriving at the zoo, the South American birds that have 10-inch long beaks have not reproduced.
Tetzloff hopes the new green aracari exhibit area that is over twice the size of their current exhibit area will encourage the birds to lay and hatch eggs.
Although the green aracari are not endangered species, they are in a North American captive-breeding program.
The beaded lizards that come from Mexican and Guatemala are a rare species. They are one of only two venomous lizard species in the world and the only venomous species housed at Miller Park Zoo.
“People ask us quite a bit if we have any venomous snakes and we say no, but we’re working on a venomous lizard exhibit, and then people usually get pretty excited about that,” said Tetzloff. “We wanted to show people another version per se of a reptile that is venomous.”
The beaded lizard is the largest lizard species housed at the Miller Park Zoo. Since arriving at the zoo about 18 months ago, the beaded lizards have been on display for only about 30 days.
In addition to the beaded lizards, smaller reptile species, including a golden mantilla frog, western hognose snake, thai bamboo snake, dart frogs, black-spined toads and alligator newts, will be housed in the new exhibit area.
“Those are animals that don’t need a lot of space,” said Tetzloff. “The exhibits we currently have are almost too big for them and our guests can’t really get a good view of them, so we thought we would set up an area where we can show people what these guys look like better and still haven plenty of room for the animal.”
The new exhibits will further Miller Park Zoo’s mission to aid species survival plans coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The primary goal of the species survival plans is to breed rare species in captivity. Those plans also monitor reproduction of less-rare species in zoos, so they do not take up space in facilities that could be used for species truly in jeopardy of extinction.
The two businesses are renovating existing space in the ZooLab building for the new exhibits.
“It’s renovating new space,” said Tetzloff. “This is in a corner of the ZooLab.”
Construction of the new exhibits is expected to be complete this week.
Miller Park Zoo employees will do “some theming and some graphics” to the exhibits before they move the animals into them.
Tetzloff expects the exhibits to open in 2-3 weeks.