Biomes are the natural environments that Planet Zoo 2 uses to set up each animal's home. The game splits them into land biomes, such as Grassland, Tropical, and Tundra, and water biomes, such as Reef and Mangrove. Each biome has its own ground, plants, and climate, so matching the right biome to an animal is the first step to keeping it healthy.
Biome Type
Land
Grassland
Open savannah plains suit elephants, lions, giraffes and zebras.
- Biome Type
- Land
- Species Count
- 46
- Enclosure Types
- Aviary; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- Day 28 to 30°C; night 16 to 19°C; water 18 to 22°C; humidity 5 to 20%.
- Compatible Species
- Aardvark; African Leopard; African Penguin; African Savannah Elephant; African Wild Dog; Asian Elephant; Bactrian Camel; Black Rhinoceros; Black Wildebeest; Blue Wildebeest; Boa Constrictor; Cape Buffalo; Cloudless Sulphur; Common Bluetongue; Common Hippopotamus; Common Ostrich; Common Warthog; Eastern Brown Snake; European Peacock; Gemsbok; Giant Tiger Land Snail; Golden Eagle; Goliath Beetle; Grey Wolf; Lion; Long-Eared Owl; Masai Giraffe; Meerkat; Menelaus Blue Morpho; Monarch; Nile Monitor; Nyala; Old World Swallowtail; Plains Zebra; Przewalski's Horse; Reticulated Giraffe; Sable Antelope; Secretarybird; Spotted Hyena; Springbok; Thomson's Gazelle; Toco Toucan; Western Diamondback Rattlesnake; White-Backed Vulture; Wild Boar; Yellow Anaconda
Tropical
Warm, dense rainforests suit Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers and toucans.
- Biome Type
- Land
- Species Count
- 40
- Enclosure Types
- Aviary; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- Day 28 to 29°C; night 22 to 23°C; water 29 to 30°C; humidity 78 to 81%.
- Compatible Species
- African Leopard; Amazonian Giant Centipede; Asian Elephant; Asian Small-Clawed Otter; Binturong; Boa Constrictor; Common Bluetongue; Galápagos Giant Tortoise; Gharial; Giant Forest Scorpion; Giant Malaysian Leaf Insect; Giant Tiger Land Snail; Golden Lion Tamarin; Golden Poison Frog; Goliath Beetle; Goodfellow's Tree-Kangaroo; Great Hornbill; Grey Wolf; Javan Green Magpie; Komodo Dragon; Lehmann's Poison Frog; Long-Tailed Parakeet; Malayan Tapir; Menelaus Blue Morpho; Mexican Redknee; Monarch; North Sulawesi Babirusa; Red-Eyed Tree Frog; Ring-Tailed Lemur; Saltwater Crocodile; Siamang; Sri Lankan Rose; Sumatran Orangutan; Sumatran Tiger; Sun Bear; Sunda Pangolin; Toco Toucan; Western Chimpanzee; Western Lowland Gorilla; Wild Boar
Temperate
Mild woodlands and meadows suit Eurasian brown bears, European bison and red deer.
- Biome Type
- Land
- Species Count
- 26
- Enclosure Types
- Aviary; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- Day 5 to 22°C; night 3 to 15°C; water 4 to 18°C; humidity 73 to 87%.
- Compatible Species
- Bactrian Camel; Cloudless Sulphur; Common Bluetongue; Eastern Brown Snake; Eurasian Beaver; Eurasian Bittern; Eurasian Brown Bear; Eurasian Lynx; European Bison; European Peacock; Fire Salamander; Giant Panda; Golden Eagle; Greater Flamingo; Grey Wolf; Grizzly Bear; Long-Eared Owl; Mexican Redknee; Monarch; Mountain Hare; Old World Swallowtail; Red Deer; Red Panda; Western Diamondback Rattlesnake; White-Tailed Sea-Eagle; Wild Boar
Wetlands
Marshes and slow-moving waters suit hippos, shoebills and gharials.
- Biome Type
- Land
- Species Count
- 26
- Enclosure Types
- Aquarium; Aviary; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- -
- Compatible Species
- African Savannah Elephant; American Bullfrog; Asian Elephant; Asian Small-Clawed Otter; Cape Buffalo; Common Hippopotamus; Danube Crested Newt; Diamondback Terrapin; Eurasian Bittern; Fire Salamander; Gharial; Greater Flamingo; Grizzly Bear; Komodo Dragon; Long-Eared Owl; Malayan Tapir; Nile Monitor; Shoebill; Sumatran Tiger; Sun Bear; Toco Toucan; West Indian Manatee; Western Lowland Gorilla; White-Tailed Sea-Eagle; Wild Boar; Yellow Anaconda
Desert
Hot, dry deserts suit Bactrian camels, meerkats and desert horned vipers.
- Biome Type
- Land
- Species Count
- 17
- Enclosure Types
- Aviary; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- Day 25 to 41°C; night 21 to 28°C; water 24 to 28°C; humidity 18 to 28%.
- Compatible Species
- African Savannah Elephant; Bactrian Camel; Black Rhinoceros; Desert Horned Viper; Eastern Brown Snake; Gemsbok; Gila Monster; Golden Eagle; Grey Wolf; Meerkat; Mexican Redknee; Przewalski's Horse; Sacred Scarab Beetle; Spotted Hyena; Springbok; Western Diamondback Rattlesnake; White-Backed Vulture
Taiga
Cold conifer forests suit Eurasian lynx, grey wolves and snow leopards.
- Biome Type
- Land
- Species Count
- 14
- Enclosure Types
- Aviary; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- Day -3 to 20°C; night -4 to 16°C; water 1 to 18°C; humidity 84 to 86%.
- Compatible Species
- Cloudless Sulphur; Eurasian Beaver; Eurasian Brown Bear; Eurasian Lynx; European Bison; Golden Eagle; Grey Wolf; Grizzly Bear; Long-Eared Owl; Mountain Hare; Old World Swallowtail; Red Panda; Snow Leopard; White-Tailed Sea-Eagle
Tundra
Cold, open tundra supports brown bears, mountain hares and snow leopards.
- Biome Type
- Land
- Species Count
- 9
- Enclosure Types
- Aviary; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- Day -9 to 6°C; night -15 to 2°C; water 3 to 8°C; humidity 82 to 88%.
- Compatible Species
- Eurasian Brown Bear; Eurasian Lynx; Golden Eagle; Grey Wolf; Grizzly Bear; Mountain Hare; Old World Swallowtail; Snow Leopard; White-Tailed Sea-Eagle
Biome Type
Water
Reef
Coral reefs teem with reef sharks, hawksbill turtles and colorful reef fish.
- Biome Type
- Water
- Species Count
- 24
- Enclosure Types
- Aquarium; Exhibit
- Climate
- -
- Compatible Species
- Blackspotted Puffer; Blacktip Reef Shark; Blue and Gold Fusilier; Bluespine Unicornfish; Clown Anemonefish; Clown Triggerfish; Giant Grouper; Golden Trevally; Great Hammerhead; Hawksbill Turtle; Humphead Wrasse; Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips; Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark; Indo-Pacific Sergeant; Javanese Cownose Ray; Longfin Batfish; Ocellated Eagle Ray; Palette Surgeonfish; Red Lionfish; Sailfin Snapper; Sand Tiger Shark; Schooling Bannerfish; Threespot Damselfish; Yellow Tang
Lakes and Rivers
Freshwater lakes and rivers suit beavers, otters, brown trout and axolotls.
- Biome Type
- Water
- Species Count
- 17
- Enclosure Types
- Aquarium; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- -
- Compatible Species
- African Tigerfish; American Bullfrog; Asian Small-Clawed Otter; Axolotl; Blunthead Cichlid; Boeseman's Rainbowfish; Brown Trout; Clown Loach; Common Hippopotamus; Common Rudd; Danube Crested Newt; Eurasian Beaver; Gharial; Giant Gourami; Giant Slippery Frog; Koi; West Indian Manatee
Estuarine
Brackish waters where rivers meet the sea suit saltwater crocodiles, manatees and eagle rays.
- Biome Type
- Water
- Species Count
- 15
- Enclosure Types
- Aquarium; Aviary; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- -
- Compatible Species
- Asian Small-Clawed Otter; Blacktip Reef Shark; Diamondback Terrapin; Giant Grouper; Golden Trevally; Greater Flamingo; Hawksbill Turtle; Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips; Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark; Javanese Cownose Ray; Moon Jelly; Ocellated Eagle Ray; Red Lionfish; Saltwater Crocodile; West Indian Manatee
Open Sea
Deep, open waters suit hammerhead sharks, ocean sunfish and bluefin tuna.
- Biome Type
- Water
- Species Count
- 14
- Enclosure Types
- Aquarium; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- -
- Compatible Species
- African Penguin; Dolphinfish; Great Hammerhead; Hawksbill Turtle; Humphead Wrasse; Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark; Indo-Pacific Sergeant; Javanese Cownose Ray; Moon Jelly; Ocean Sunfish; Ocellated Eagle Ray; Pacific Bluefin Tuna; Pacific Sardine; West Indian Manatee
Mangrove
Tidal forests with tangled roots and sheltered channels suit crocodiles, otters and terrapins.
- Biome Type
- Water
- Species Count
- 10
- Enclosure Types
- Aquarium; Exhibit; Habitat
- Climate
- -
- Compatible Species
- Asian Small-Clawed Otter; Blacktip Reef Shark; Diamondback Terrapin; Giant Grouper; Hawksbill Turtle; Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark; Komodo Dragon; Saltwater Crocodile; Threespot Damselfish; West Indian Manatee
How Biomes Decide Where an Animal Can Live in Planet Zoo 2
Each animal lists the biomes it can live in, and its habitat has to suit one of them. The game checks the habitat itself, too. Biome-specific terrain and foliage are part of that check, so the ground and plants you build are how a habitat shows which biome it belongs to.
Animals are used to particular ground, plants, and temperatures, and they settle best when the habitat gives them those. Every species has preferred plants listed in its Zoopedia entry, and having enough of them is what makes the habitat read as the right biome. Temperature is checked along with terrain and plants.
What Happens When an Animal Is in the Wrong Biome
Welfare is the first thing to take a hit. An animal in a biome it doesn't accept loses welfare steadily, so a tropical animal kept in a temperate habitat slowly declines. If the mismatch isn't fixed, it can start a chain of welfare losses that ends in a red welfare icon. Low welfare can also push an animal to try to escape.
When an animal's welfare drops, start with its welfare panel. Find the need that isn't being met, then look at the habitat for the cause. It's better to fix that than to copy a habitat design from another species, since each species has its own needs.
Which Animals Can Share a Habitat
A shared biome is a starting point, not proof that two animals can live together. The habitat also has to meet the needs of every animal in it, and those animals have to be compatible with each other. Mixing animals that aren't compatible can start fights.
Water Biomes, Aquariums and Aviaries
The water biomes are Reef, Lakes and Rivers, Estuarine, Open Sea, and Mangrove. Fully aquatic animals live in aquariums, and the water type has to match each animal. Lakes and Rivers animals need freshwater, most sea and reef animals need saltwater, and a few species need brackish water, which sits between fresh and salt, so check each animal's salinity before you fill the tank.
Flying birds follow the same biome rules, and they need covered, netted habitats so they can use their wings. Aviaries are built from barriers, support poles, and mesh covers.
Biomes and Wildlife Reserves
Each wildlife reserve is tied to a biome, and that biome decides which animals can be released there. A Grassland reserve won't accept the same species as a Taiga one, so check the biome before you plan a release.
FAQ
Can an animal live in more than one biome?
Yes, and many do. The Greater Flamingo, for example, is listed for Estuarine, Temperate, and Wetlands, which gives you more than one way to house it.
How do I set an aquarium to saltwater or freshwater?
Salinity is set on the filtration network, not on the tank. Select the Water Filter, open Edit Filtration Network, and choose Freshwater, Brackish or Saltwater. Each network runs one water type, so tanks with different salinities need separate filters, and a saltwater animal such as the Blacktip Reef Shark loses welfare right away in the wrong water.
What does an animal need before it can be released into a wildlife reserve?
The reserve has to be ready first. The right habitat type must be established there, and there has to be enough food for the animal. The reserve also needs to be able to support the animal's survival, which comes before anything else.
Where do I check which animals can share a habitat?
The Zoopedia has a Zoo Habitat tab with Thriving and Neutral relationships for each species. Thriving pairs point to a stronger fit and can give a bonus, while Neutral pairs tolerate each other without one. A species' relationships appear once you have researched it.