Best 100 Animals We Have Seen In Zoos (40-31)

This has been one awesome countdown so far, remembering so many amazing animals seen in our Zoo Adventures. Let's recap so far.
100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61
60-51
50-41

Top 40 time...

Now, let's start the top 40....

40. Bottlenose Dolphin

These dolphins were photographed at Sea World Orlando which is one of the best places to view dolphins, but not the best. The best place to see dolphins is during the dolphin show at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. That show is much better than Sea World's as it doesn't focus mainly on people in strange costumes. The Baltimore show focuses on the animals. Unfortunately, when Jenna and I went to the National Aquarium a few years ago, there was no dolphin show that day. The lack of dolphin show was disappointing, but they usually have one and when they do, it is awesome. This photo from Sea World will have to do.

39. Giant Panda

These pandas were photographed at the Atlanta Zoo, which with apologizes to the National Zoo, is the best place to view Giant Pandas. You can get up super close to view the Pandas at the Atlanta Zoo, like we did to see this mother and baby panda. There are few creatures cooler than these guys and they are quite special to look at.

38. Moon Jellyfish

These moon jellyfish are awesome and the coolest of all jellyfish. They can be seen several different places. My favorite place to see Moon Jellyfish is pictured here at the Florida Aquarium. These things are so amazing. They pick up any light that is around them and appear to be that color. If a blue light come on, they look blue, if a green light does, they look green, etc. Watching them swim around and change colors is truly a sight to behold.

37. Pygmy Hippo

This photo of the pygmy hippo was taken by my sister at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. It is by far the best place to view these animals. In fact, it is the only place I can think of to view these guys anymore. I believe that the National Zoo used to have pygmy hippos, but I don't think they have them anymore. If you get a chance to head down to Tampa and see the #1 zoo for kids, check out their pygmy hippo exhibit.

36. Seahorse

The best place to view seahorses is photographed above at the Florida Aquarium. This aquarium has an entire seahorse section with only seahorses. I believe this section is awesome, because I love to look at seahorses. When we get a home aquarium, that is the one fish I definitely want. They are such amazing creatures and I love how they are so loyal to one another. When God created seahorses, he hit the jackpot. These guys are terrific.

35. Koala

There is a fantastic koala exhibit at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. However, this guy is not from here. I had to take another off wikipedia because I couldn't find a good picture. I was slacking on the pictures of koalas here. However, I should not have been because they are cool and are my mom's favorite animal. They are awesome creatures and had to be included on the countdown, but we didn't have pictures!

34. Puffin

These puffins were photographed at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The picture is not of the best quality, but that's because the glass made it difficult to get a good picture. However, these birds are one of the best to look at. They also happen to be my sister's favorite animal of all. You can see why after seeing how cute these things are.

33. Gorilla

This Gorilla was photographed at Busch Gardens which was one of the best 4 places we have been to see gorillas. The other great places to view gorillas are Disney's Animal Kingdom (right outside of the safari exit), The Atlanta Zoo, and The National Zoo. These are very intelligent and amazing creatures. They are so interesting to watch for a few minutes. If you picked an animal to watch all day, these would be one of the most interesting. If you have never seen a gorilla, I recommend checking them out.

32. Warthog

This warthog was found at the Atlanta Zoo. Some people think warthogs are ugly, but I like to call those people haters. These are one of the coolest looking animals in the entire animal kingdom. You usually have a really hard time locating them, even in a great exhibit or on a safari. However, at the Atlanta Zoo you can see these guys very easily. This is certainly the best look we have ever gotten at warthogs. The zoo cleverly built several exhibits and we really recommend going to it.

31. Emperor Penguin

I hate using animal pictures that are not ours, but I have to admit that I got this picture from Wikipedia. Although, we have seen emperor penguins, we have not gotten any good pictures of them that can be shared on this blog. They were off exhibit last time we went to Sea World because they were setting up for their new penguin exhibit. That is one of the best places to view these penguins though.

-Noland

Best 100 Animals We Have Seen in Zoos (50-41)

So far you have seen some awesome animals that we have gotten to see and zoos and we haven't even cracked the Top 50. Until now that is...Before we discuss our next ten animals though, let's recap.

100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61
60-51

And now the Top 50....

50. Meerkat

This is from the best Meerkat exhibit around at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. These guys look awesome and have gained some popularity with Timon being a Meerkat and with the Meerkat Manor TV show. However, no matter what anybody ever says, Prairie Dogs are cooler. Since I like the American similar animal better, these are down a little lower, but they are still fun to look at.

49. Mandrill

Mandrills are really amazing creatures and can be found at many zoos. This particular mandrill was photographed at the Jacksonville Zoo. These animals also became more popular after The Lion King movie. Rafiki made these guys one of the most popular monkeys in the world. They are more colorful than most monkeys and one of my favorite animals period. Enjoy seeing these animals in the future.

48. Two-Toed Sloth

This two-toed sloth was photographed at the Reston Zoo and it was by far the best look we have gotten at one. The keeper opened the door so that we could get a better picture. It was really cool to see this guy up close. I recommend checking out this small little zoo to see him.

47. Giant Anteater

The Giant Anteater is certainly an amazing animal to behold. The best place to witness this amazing creature is in the South America section of the Jacksonville Zoo. However, there are other locations that you can see the Giant Anteater. Whatever location you pick, be sure to check these guys out.

46. Hyena

This hyena can be seen at Busch Gardens Tampa. It is one of the only places that you can see hyenas. The National Zoo used to have hyenas, but not anymore. In fact, I have not seen a hyena at any place other than the NAtional Zoo and here. I recommend checking it out next time you are in Tampa.

45. Okapi

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is home to this Okapi. They can be seen at several other locations too, but this one is from Tampa. Another great place to see them is on safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom. You will notice the zebra like pattern on the Okapi's legs, but they are actually related to giraffes and not zebras.

44. Moray Eel

This Moray Eel was photographed at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. These guys can be seen at any place with fish though pretty much. We have seen several of these eels. However, no matter how many times we see these guys, they are awesome every single time. Go to a local aquarium if you have not seen these eels before.

43. Gila Monster

This Gila Monster was photographed at the National Zoo. They have one of the many great gila monster exhibits around. This is one of the coolest lizards we have seen and we love the orange and black as Orioles fans. These creatures are simply amazing.

42. Owl

I am not going to distinguish between types of owls, but this is the coolest one I have ever seen. The red eye effect that the camera gave off made this owl from the National Zoo look possessed.  This thing looks awesome as many owls do. Go check out some owls next time you go to a zoo or aquarium if they have them.

41. Lionfish

This lionfish was photographed by us at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. It is one of the best places to see lionfish. Another place to see them is The Seas @ Epcot. These fish can be seen at many different aquariums though, so do not worry if you cannot make it out East. Make sure you find these guys though.

-Noland

Best 100 Animals We Have Seen In Zoos (60-51)

Before we continue with our countdown, let's recap what has happened so far...
100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61

Now on with the Top 60.

60. Zebra

This zebra is one of the many awesome zebras we have seen. I don't know where we saw them best. There was already an awesome picture of a zebra with the wildebeest earlier on this countdown. These guys can be seen at almost every zoo we have went to. This includes the small Virginia zoos. They are the most exotic animal found at the Leesburg Animal Farm and can be found like this one at the Reston Zoo.

59. Kori Bustard

The Atlanta Zoo is home to this awesome flightless bird. Just looking at this Kori Bustard you might not know it is flightless, but it is one of the largest flightless birds in the world. I know I have seen it somewhere besides Atlanta, but I do not remember where. However, I have never seen it better than I have in Atlanta which is true for several of the animals on this countdown. It is one of the reasons that the Atlanta Zoo was #1 on our countdown. This is one of the zoos that you need to go to once in your life. Check out our full review here.

58. Sloth Bear

Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa is where this sloth bear was found. They also have a great exhibit at the National Zoo in Washington DC. This animal, which is the animal Baloo in the Jungle Book is based from, is one of the coolest looking in all of the animal kingdom. It is my 2nd favorite looking bear that I have seen in a zoo. These guys are amazing and I hope you get to see one if you have not already.

57. Anclote Cattle

Who would have thought this awesome anclote cattle could be found at the Reston Zoo? I would have never guessed it. I also would have never guessed that the small Virginia Zoo would be the best place to see this fantastic animal. While these guys are on the safari at Disney, the Reston Zoo actually lets you touch these guys and their horns. Don't worry, their horns are hollow, but you are allowed to touch them! The review for the Reston Zoo is coming soon and I recommend going for the cattle alone.

56. African Lion

The National Zoo has always had a fantastic African Lion exhibit and they still do today. This is the best picture I have of a lion and it is from that zoo. Other great places to view the kings of the jungle are Disney's Animal Kingdom, Wild Adventures Theme Park, and Busch Gardens. If you can not get to any of those places though, don't worry, many zoos have this magnificent creature around.

55. Nile Crocodile

Disney's Animal Kingdom is easily the best place to see the Nile Crocodile. On the Kilimanjaro Safari you drive on a bridge that goes right over these Nile Crocodile. These particular crocodiles also happen to be the coolest looking, in my opinion, of any crocodile. They are just one of the many reasons to get on out to Animal Kingdom and check out a safari.

54. Red River Hog

Lowry Park Zoo is where you can find these red river hogs. The slightly uglier (depending on who you ask) red version of the warthog is pretty rare and I don't remember seeing it anywhere else. They hide a lot though and you can't always see them. Also people like to smoke near this exhibit a lot so we skip it from time to time. This is by far the best we ever saw this creature.

53. Tiger Shark

The big draw of the Florida Aquarium in Tampa are these Tiger Sharks. Don't be upset if you can not make it out to Tampa though. These sharks are the most common aquarium shark. They can be seen at pretty much any aquarium. Tiger Sharks are one of the meanest looking sharks and they thrive in aquariums which is why they are so common there.

52. Piranha

The National Aquarium in Baltimore is the best place to see piranhas like this one, unless you are actually in South America. This guy is freaky looking like all of the others and I am glad it is behind glass. They are small, but they look really vicious. I recommend checking it out and checking out the aquarium in general. If you want more on this aquarium, our review can be found here.

51. Giant Tortoise

Busch Gardens is one of the many homes for these giant tortoises in captivity. This animal is one of my wife's favorites. Jenna just loves to look at these tortoises. Every time we see one her face lights up. They are quite the extraordinary creatures I will say. This is just one of the many reasons to check out Busch Gardens. I highly recommend it and checking out our review of the place.

The Top 50 starts tomorrow.....

-Noland

Best 100 Animals We Have Seen In Zoos (70-61)

Before we continue on with this countdown, let's recap.
100-91
90-81
80-71

And he we go, on with the Top 70.

70. Wildebeest

Wildebeest are really cool animals and there are several places to get really close to them. Eventhough, they killed Mufasa, you are able to see them in most animal safaris. They can be seen at Wild Adventures in Valdosta, GA, at Disney's Animal Kingdom and at Busch Gardens Tampa like these guys sitting behind the Zebras.

69. Capybara

Jacksonville Zoo has a great deal of South American animals. They have the best selection of animals from South America that I have seen. One of those South American animals that they have is the Capybara. These Capybaras are pretty rare in zoos and I have only seen them in one other place besides Jacksonville. However, they were on display at the Montgomery Zoo that our friend Kinsi did a guest post on.

68. Pigs

You may think this is incredibly high for ordinary pigs, but look at how adorable these pics are from the Reston Zoo. After finding our old pics from this zoo, this will be the next zoo we review. These pigs are a really neat sight to behold.

67. Addax

Disney's Animal Kingdom is by far the best place to see Addax like these. This photo was taken of a group of Addax taking shelter in the rain. It is about a weak old. While the photo is not of the highest quality due to the rain, it still shows how majestic these animals are. I highly recommend heading to the Animal Kingdom to see these animals at the end of Kilimanjaro Safaris.

66. Walrus

SeaWorld Orlando is a great place to see lots of marine life. The review for SeaWorld is coming up soon (I know it has been promised for a while, but it is coming). In that review, you will see that the coolest thing about Sea World is the Sea Lion show. This sea lion show features an awesome Walrus like the one pictured from the same show at Sea World. 

65. Anaconda

Jacksonville Zoo also had this crazy Anaconda in their South American exhibit. It is one of the reasons that we ranked the Jacksonville Zoo as a Top 5 zoo in the United States. I recommend you check out our review of the Jacksonville Zoo here. If you are in the area, check it out.

64. River Otter

This photo is from the Atlanta Zoo which we ranked as the best zoo in the country. This is the best picture I could track down of otters unfortunately though, go figure! However, I do have a video of my son following the otter at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. That Tampa exhibit is the best Otter exhibit I have seen.

63. Albino Squirrel

These pure white squirrels are not your typical squirrel. I never thought I would be impressed with a squirrel until I saw these guys at the Tallahassee Museum. They cannot exist in the wild because they are an easy target for predators, but at the Tallahassee Museum in the protected environment, they flourish. I recommend checking that museum out if you have the chance and are in the area.

62. Reindeer

I do not remember this picture or when/where it was taken. I think it was from a Christmas lights display in Dover, FL because it was a picture from this blog and we went there. These animals can routinely be seen around Christmas time and are very neat to look at.

61. Chimpanzee

Busch Gardens has this particular Chimpanzee which is the best picture I could find of one. Unfortunately, there is a glare off of the screen, but you can still see how neat Chimpanzees are. This was one of the better Chimp exhibits we have seen. However, they are at several of the zoos we have been to. They are not that rare, but rather impressive still.

We are getting close to the Top 50. Hope you have enjoyed the countdown so far and recognize that it is getting better.

-Noland

Best 100 Animals We Have Seen In Zoos (80-71)

Today, the countdown continues, but before it does, lets recap our previous countdowns.
100-91
90-81

80. Tarantula

This tarantula was found at the National Zoo. I do not remember the type of tarantula it is, but it is the coolest spider I have ever seen. Most tarantulas can be owned as pets, so they can't be too high on the list, but this thing looks too cool to not include.

79. Saltwater Crocodile

This saltwater crocodile at Gatorland Zoo in Orlando, FL stared right at us as we were at the exhibit. It is quite the impressive creature and the largest crocodile in the world. I know you can see them at Gatorland Zoo, but do not recall any other zoos that have them. I am sure there are a few other locations to see them though. These are huge!!!

78. Spoonbill

The spoonbill is a native Florida species and they are seen all over. Eventhough they are so common around where we live, I am still fascinated by them and their spoon bill. This one is from the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, but can see these guys almost anywhere. They have a great spoonbill exhibit here and at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. However, one of the best spoonbill exhibits is at Disney's Animal Kingdom right when you enter the park.

77. Cassowary

This cassowary looks kind of like a dinosaur and is one of the coolest birds you will find. It is also flightless just like the ostrich. Whether it is flightless or not, it is awesome to look at. Cassowaries can be found at a few zoos in the United States, including the National Zoo like this guy.

76. Canebrake Rattlesnake

If I had seen this rattlesnake in the wild, I would be terrified. Luckily for me it was behind glass when I saw it. Because it was behind glass, it was awesome. Look at the colors on this guy. This is one of the coolest snakes that I have ever seen. This snake can be seen at the Jacksonville Zoo. 

75. Bongo

This particular Bongo was found at the Jacksonville Zoo. They have one of the best bongo exhibits around. However, these animals are not that rare in the zoos I have been to. They look awesome and are extremely rare in the wild, but they can be found at many of the zoos we have attended. Another great place to see Bongos are on the safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

74. Lappet Faced Vulture

Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is home to these particular lappet faced vultures. They can also be found at many of the zoos we have written reviews for. One great place to see them is at Disney's Animal Kingdom. They are one of my favorite birds in any zoo we have visited.

73. Colobus Monkeys

These Colobus Monkeys from the Jacksonville Zoo were quite tired, but these guys are usually so active you can barely get a picture. Another animal that is quite impressive to see.

72. Artic Fox

These artic foxes are incredibly rare. In fact, this fox from the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is the only one I have seen. They are very interesting animals.

71. Giant Iguana

This iguana from the National Zoo is one of the coolest iguanas we have ever seen. Heck, this thing is one of the best lizards I have ever seen. Look at how impressive this guy is.

-Noland