Ziems Conservatory

Welcome to the Ziems Conservatory! This is one of the Toledo Zoo’s most beautiful and historic landmarks. Built in 1904, the conservatory is named after T.J. Ziems, the zoo's first official keeper. It was designed as a botanical exhibit, filled with tropical plants, ferns, orchids, and palms. It was rededicated on July 27, 2000, following renovations funded by Mr. and Mrs. Tom S. Ziems in recognition of five generations of their family. Its tall, curved roof with the white-painted framing and intricate metal framework is made almost entirely of glass, allowing natural sunlight to pour in and create the perfect environment for desert plants and reptiles. It also serves as the winter home for the Galápagos tortoises, providing them with a suitable habitat during colder months.

As you enter the building, you will see it is divided into two areas. On one side, behind the glass, you’ll find the Australian desert, complete with native plants and reptiles from that arid region. On the open side, you're walking through a representation of the American Southwest. Guests need to be sure to watch their step—our lizards sometimes like to sun themselves right on the pathway!

As you stroll through this warm, dry landscape, take a moment to notice how the plants and animals have adapted to survive in such extreme environments. Lizards in particular thrive here, using everything from camouflage and tail-dropping to evade predators and find food. Let’s dive into what makes these scaly survivors so remarkable.

While lizards and snakes are close cousins, there are some big differences you can spot. Most lizards have visible ear openings and eyelids—things snakes don’t have. And while most lizards have legs, not all do! Legless lizards, also called glass lizards, can be mistaken for snakes but still show those classic lizard traits. 

Lizards are survival experts. Some can drop their tails to escape danger—a trick called caudal autonomy. Others rely on camouflage to blend into their environment, spines to ward off predators, or even venom and vocalizations to defend themselves. With over 7,000 lizard species worldwide and even four native to Ohio, their diversity is something to celebrate. 

In the Australian section behind the glass, you’ll meet some impressive reptiles. The bearded dragon is known for its gentle demeanor and "beard" that puffs up when it feels threatened. This lizard has a wide, triangular head with a “beard” of spiky scales under the chin

The frilled dragon sports a dramatic neck frill it flares when startled—like a prehistoric umbrella! They are usually gray or brown, blending in well into tree trunks.

You'll also find Cunningham skinks and blue tongue skinks. The Cunningham skink has a stout body with overlapping scales and a short, spiky tail.

Of course as their name suggests, the blue tongue skinks have a bright blue tongue – which they use to tell predators to “back off”! Other features you can look for to find our two species of blue tongue skinks? The Central Blue-Tongued skink has a broad body, short legs, and bands of tan, brown, and black. The Blotched Blue-Tongued Skink has a chunky body with large, dark blotches across the back. It is usually darker than the Central species, often with warm orange or reddish tones.

One of the other species in this exhibit is the agile Kimberly rock monitor navigating rocky surfaces with ease. This animal is a slender, sleek lizard with a long neck and tail.

As you now head to walk through the American Southwest section, there will be species like the chuckwalla, spiny lizard, and two kinds of whiptails.

The largest lizard is the Chuckwalla – a large, stocky lizard with loose skin folds around the neck and sides.

The Spiny lizard is an animal with rough, spiny scales and a stout body. The zebra-tailed lizard, has a thin body and very long tail with bold black-and-white cross bands.

The smaller whiptails are quick moving and often hiding! Both kinds have a slim body and long tails but there are some features to tell them apart from each other. The Tiger Whiptail is brown or black with light yellow or cream striping with a more mottled or spotted coloration. The Desert Grassland Whiptail is dark brown or black with white or yellowish stripes running the length of the body instead of spotting coloring and a bluish tail. These lizards may be small, but their role in the ecosystem is important, from controlling insect populations to serving as prey for birds and mammals.

The last species in this area is the desert iguana! This species loves the heat and is very heat-tolerant so it is often found in the warmest areas of the exhibit or under the heat lamps. It has a pale body with a pattern of brown spots or bands, especially on the tail.

Thank you for visiting the Conservatory! If you want to learn more about reptiles, head over to the ProMedica Museum of Natural History to visit powerful predators like the Komodo dragon and the Gila monster. And if you're strolling near the gardens on a warm day, be sure to visit our native turtle exhibit or find the Galápagos tortoises soaking up the sun. There’s always something new to discover in the world of reptiles!