Also in Animals
& Plants:
Mammals
Birds
Insects and Spiders
Fish and Amphibians
Plants
Reptiles
Reptiles have the reputation of being one of the most feared families
in the animal kingdom but that fear is often based on nothing more than
horror stories! All are 'Cold-blooded', this means that they rely
on their surroundings for warmth and many spend much of their time basking
in the sun as they try to heat up enough to function.
TORTOISES
Tortoises are a great family favourite but they are becoming increasingly
rare as both habitat destruction and exploitation by people selling them
as pets or using their shells to make gifts takes its toll!
Because they
can live to great ages (over 100 years in some species) the illegal trade
in tortoises as pets 30 years ago is having an impact now as the populations
of breeding adults in the wild has fallen dramatically.
LIZARDS
Ranging
in size from tiny Wall Lizards (these can be found in the wild here on
the Isle of Wight) to huge Komodo Dragons that can kill prey the size
of cows! Depending on the species, Lizards (including crocodiles) and
Geckos can be carnivorous, insectivorous, omnivorous or vegetarian; there
are some that eat only seaweed!
One of the most commonly known is the
Green Iguana that can grow to over 2 meters in length! These are often
kept as pets but they are very fussy eaters that must have a specially
balanced diet with low protein and high calcium levels. They also require
ultra-violet light if kept indoors and are can become aggressive when
breeding age is reached.
SNAKES
This is an extremely misunderstood family and as well as having the usual
pressures on wild populations (habitat destruction and predation) there
is the added persecution from humans who want to kill them just because
they are frightened of them!
This fear is not based on bad experience
but rather on the reactions of our friends and family to them, if for
example your parents 'hate' snakes the chances are that you will too,
you just won't know why! Snakes don't deserve this bad reputation, they
aren't wet, slimy and cold, most of them are non-venomous and they won't
bite without good reason! (you've got more chance of being bitten by a
pet Hamster!).
TURTLES AND TERRAPINS
These
are basically aquatic Tortoises. The body structure is the same with a
hard shell for protection but their diet is far more varied than the Tortoises.
Terrapins are typical opportunists eating a wide range of food including
fruit, vegetation, fish and meat. All of these hard-shelled reptiles are
egg layers, normally laying them in warm sand and leaving them to incubate
and hatch on their own.
CHAMELEONS
Famous for changing their colour to match their environment, they actually
don't! They do change colour depending on mood, temperature and humidity.
All are insect feeders that catch their prey by stealth. They have the
ability to move their eyes independently and can have one looking forward
and one backwards at the same time!
CROCODILES AND CAIMAN
These
large aquatic reptiles are fearsome predators. They hide under the surface
of slow moving water, with only their eyes and nostrils showing, waiting
for unsuspecting prey to come close enough for them to attack. Habitat
destruction and illegal hunting are still taking their toll on wild populations.
Our West African Dwarf Crocodiles are babies born in the UK as part of
a global breeding and conservation program.
Amazon World Zoo Park Watery Lane, Nr Arreton, Isle of Wight PO36 0LX
Tel: 01983 867122 Fax: 01983 868560 Email: info@amazonworld.co.uk