CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
The Ectotherm Complex, a facility for cold-blooded animals such as lizards, snakes, salamanders and more, opened Monday at the Honolulu Zoo in Waikiki. There are now 11 outdoor exhibits and eight buildings in the complex.
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The city has opened the replacement to the former Reptile House at Honolulu Zoo.
A blessing was held Monday at the facility, known as the Ectotherm Complex, which houses turtles, snakes, lizards, snails, frogs, salamanders and butterflies, many of which are listed as endangered.
The new facility will showcase some of the endangered species Honolulu Zoo has successfully bred in captivity, such as the Batagur turtle, Galapagos tortoise and Komodo dragon.
The former Reptile House closed three years ago and was originally dedicated in 1964. Time, weather and termites had taken a toll on the old facility.
Contractor Ralph S. Inouye Co. Ltd. built the Ectotherm Complex at a cost of $2.6 million after an additional $400,000 on design and planning.
The complex offers exhibits showcasing invasive species collected or confiscated by the state Department of Agriculture and houses an invertebrate breeding lab. In partnership with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the zoo plans to propagate native species of Hawaiian snails and Kamehameha butterflies to be released in the wild.