The reaction of 4-methyl-3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole (medpt) with Zn(ClO 4 ) 2 Á6H 2 O and NaSCN, NaN 3 or NaNO 2 in a 2:1:1 molar ratio in MeOH/H 2 O (9:1) affords the mononuclear complexes [Zn II (medpt) 2 (NCS)]-ClO 4 , [Zn II (medpt) 2 (N 3 )]ClO 4 and [Zn II (medpt) 2 (NO 2 )]-ClO 4 , respectively. All three complexes have been structurally characterised and found to feature unusual coordination polyhedra for 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole complexes. In [Zn II (medpt) 2 (NCS)]ClO 4 and [Zn II -(medpt) 2 (N 3 )]ClO 4 , the zinc atom resides within a distorted square-pyramidal N 5 coordination sphere [s = 0.22 and 0.04, respectively] with two bidentate medpt ligands bound equatorially and the pseudohalide ion coordinating as a unidentate co-ligand in the apical position. In contrast, the NO 2 -ion in [Zn II (medpt) 2 (NO 2 )]ClO 4 acts as a bidentate ligand, which leads to a strongly distorted N 4 O 2 coordination environment about the metal centre.