Dr Tariq Abou-Zahr BVSc CertAVP(ZooMed) DipECZM(Avian) MRCVS
Exotic Animal Veterinary Surgeon
EBVS & RCVS Recognised Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Avian Medicine & Surgery)
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Collection
Tariq has been involved in private aviculture and herpetoculture and keeping and breeding birds and reptiles as a hobby for many years and currently maintains a small private collection of select avian and reptilian species. Some of these animals are part of a conservation breeding program. There are occasionally a small number of surplus offspring produced from certain species, which are sold to or exchanged with other hobbyists and collections.
Tariq's want to become an exotic veterinary surgeon was inspired by his own animals, which he was keeping from a very young age.
Tariq's keeping focus is primarily birds of the family Ramphastidae (toucans, toucanets and aracaris) and Indo-Australian pythons - especially carpet pythons and the dwarf pythons (Antaresia). A few other species are kept too (see below). The ethos is to focus on few select species and to establish genetically diverse groups of those species, with multiple bloodlines. Well-maintained, genetically diverse captive collections can be considered an "invisible ark" reserve of species.
Please see below for currently kept species:
Toco Toucan - Ramphatos toco
The largest species of toucan, endemic to South America. Unlike other toucans, it inhabits semi-open habitats commonly, rather than forests. They are less gregarious than other toucans, frequently feeding alone. The bill is the largest relative to body size of all birds, according for 20-50% of the surface area of the body.
Tariq is one of few in the UK that has successfully bred Toco Toucans.
Cochin-Chinese Red Jungle Fowl - Gallus gallus gallus
The ancestral species of the domestic species, the domestic chicken was domesticated around 8000 years ago. This subspecies is found from south Myanmar through Indochina. Quite small compared to the majority of domestic chickens.Tariq founded his flock from a couple of different bloodlines. The cockerels especially are absolutely stunning! The hens are good mothers.
Brotogeris Parakeets
This genus of South American parakeets were once frequently seen in aviculture, but now not. Compared to many other species, they seem quite hard to breed in captivity. They are noisy and busy birds. The intelligence and personality of a bigger parrot, in quite a small body. Tariq currently keepers the following species:
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Brotogeris cyanoptera cyanoptera - The Cobalt Winged Parakeet
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Brotogeris cyanoptera gustavi - Gustav's Parakeet
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Brotogeris jugularis - Orange-chinned Parakeet
White-eyed Parakeet - Psittacara leucophthalmus leucophthalmus
This species is now very rare in aviculture, with a wide distribution in South America, it is very green and very loud. It is thought that the wild population may be decreasing. They usually weight between 100 and 200g, some individuals may be slightly larger. They have become rare in captivity as striking species and colour mutations have proven more popular, but they are still very colourful and a very sweet-natured species, if quite loud. More keepers are needed to prevent this species from disappearing in aviculture.
Carpet Python - Morelia spilota spp.
Carpet Pythons are Tariq's favourite group of snakes. Native to Australia and New Guinea, Tariq keeps the following Australian subspecies:
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Jungle Carpet Python, Morelia spilota cheynei
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Darwin Carpet Python, Morelia spilota variegata
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Inland Carpet Python, Morelia spilota metcalfei
Bredl's Python - Morelia bredli
The Bredl's python, or centralian python is Tariq's favourite species of snake. Native to a region in Australia's southern Northern Territory, these snakes are semi arboreal and often inhabit rocky outcrops in their red, Australian desert habitat. Bredl's pythons are colourful, hardy and typically have a great disposition. They are larger than many of the carpet python subspecies, often getting to 6-8 feet in length, with some specimens getting even bigger than that.
Spotted Python - Antaresia maculosa
This species is the largest of the Antaresia genus. They originate from the east coast of Australia and seldom exceed four foot in length. Tariq rehomed a male spotted python that was a stowaway from Mackay in Queensland that accidentally arrived in the UK in a suitcase.
Stimson's Python - Antaresia stimsoni spp.
Tariq has kept Stimson's pythons for many years and bred them a number of times. He keeps NT type Eastern Stimson's Pythons (Antaresia stimsoni orientalis) which were originally acquired from Australian Addiction Reptiles in the USA, as well as animals from the Frank Schofield line, from NSW. Also Wheatbelt type western Stimson's Pythons (Antaresia stimsoni stimsoni) which were acquired from UK Pythons, Pilbara western stimson's pythons and an unrelated line of western stimson's pythons from no designated locality, which came from mainland Europe.
Corn Snake - Pantherophis guttatus
Tariq keeps a group of corn snakes from the Okeetee hunt club, Jasper County, South Carolina. The hunt club is a 50,000 acre private hunting preserve in Ridgeland, South Carolina. It is famous for its vibrant corn snakes, which have a unique appearance, with vibrant red colours and thick black borders.
Grey-banded Kingsnake - Lampropeltis alterna
Native to West Texas, these snakes are very variable in their appearance and is largely encountered as two "phases" in the wild, the Blair's phase and the alterna phase. They usually grow to a maximum length of 4 feet. It is a secretive species and its natural range features a substantial portion which is relatively impassable to humans due to its mountainous terrain. They have a calm and pleasant disposition.
California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata
Tariq's favourite kingsnake species. These are distinct from other mountain kings because of their black rostrum. They are small, colourful snakes, typically growing to 2-3 feet long at most. Tariq has observed this species in the wild in California.
California Kingsnake - Lampropeltis californiae
Tariq keeps the jet black, black and white banded form that you typically find in desert habitat, rather than the brown and yellowish specimens more typically encountered in more coastal habitats. These are robust, adaptable snakes that are often cited as being a good "beginner" snake species. They typically grow to between 3 and 4 feet in length. Although the largest populations are in Southern California, this species can also be found in Arizona, Utah, Oregon, New Mexico and Mexico.