10 facts about the Nosy Be Panther Chameleon

Considering our theme we couldn’t name our Chameleon anything other than Pascal. I’m sure you know the drill by now, here are the 10 facts about the lizard (whom is most likely relaxing in his new luxury apartment).

1. Like most of the Chameleon species found on the planet the Panther Chameleon is located in the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar in the tropical forest biome. It can also be found in Réunion and Mauritius but it was introduced here by us people.

2. Male panther chameleons are much bigger than females growing up to around 45cm in length, females are about half the size of the males.

3. Female Panther Chameleons have a dull brown colouration with hints of pink, peach, or bright orange patterning throughout their body. Males on the other hand have much brighter colours and patterns these vary depending on their geographical location known as “locales”. Panther chameleons from the areas of Nosy Be, Ankify, and Ambanja are normally a vibrant blue, while those from Antsiranana and Sambava are red, green or orange. The areas of Maroantsetra and Tamatave produce primarily red Chameleons, however this only applies to the males, female stay the same colour whatever location they are in.

4. One of the main characteristics of not only the Panther chameleons but all Chameleons are zygodactylous, meaning on each foot their five toes are fused into a group of two and a group of three, this gives the foot that recognisable oven mitt appearance. Chameleons use their specially adapted feet to form a tight grip on narrow branches helped by a sharp claw on each toe.

5. The Chameleons tail is prehensile, meaning they can use it to hang on to branches and assist in climbing the same way primates do.

6. Another of the Chameleons well known characteristic is their eyes which can move independently from each other giving them a full 360 degree arc of vision around their body. The upper and lower eyelids are joined together with only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through. They can rotate and focus separately enabling them to view two different directions at the same time. This comes in handy when looking out for predators or hunting insects, when prey is located, both eyes will focus in the same direction giving them excellent vision and depth perception. Enabling them to see small insects from a distance of around 5 -10m.

7. The Panther Chameleon uses its very long tongue, which in some cases can be longer than their own body length to catch fast moving prey. The tongue can fire out at around 26 body lengths per second and hit the insects in about 0.0030 sec. Thick mucus at the tip of the tongue forms a suction cup allowing the prey item to be drawn back into the mouth and crushed in its strong jaws. This process happens so quickly it can be missed by a humans naked eye even when they are paying attention and expecting it.

8. One of the many myths surrounding Chameleons is their ability to change colour depending on the ground they are standing on or next to. This is not true they in fact change colour depending on temperature, exposure to light and the mood they are in. For example Chameleons may go dark when cold to attract the heat so they can warm up more efficiently or display a variety of coloration and patterns to communicate messages to others. Bright colours may be used by a male to attract attention of a passing female, whereas dark colours could be used to show signs of stress or a warning to others.

9. Male Panther Chameleons are extremely territorial and live a solitary life, it is not uncommon for males to get aggressive with one another if their communication by colours does not work. Females are a little bit more tolerant towards one another but still prefer living on their own. The only time they would come together would be during the breeding season.

10. Panther Chameleons are not a long lived species of lizard, females live around 4-5 years because even when not bred they will produce infertile clutches of eggs, which take a lot of energy reducing their life span. Males live a bit longer reaching on average between 5-7 years.

Remember to read more about our family run company Snakes Alive, based in Essex, UK serving the East, South East and London areas by visiting the website http://www.snakesalive.co.uk

If you own a Chameleon and would like more care advice please visit:
http://www.snakesalive.co.uk/About%20Us/Animal%20Profiles/Lizards/nosy_be_panther_chameleon%20_Care_Sheet.html

Home Schooling

Snakes alive bring the education to you! Flexible times and session lengths to suit your needs. Suitable for all ages we can adapt our talks to many different topics such as: mini beasts, adaption, rainforest, predator/prey and many more.

As home schooling becomes more popular we have started offering all our school programs to home schoolers and we will come to your home to provide the classes. Contact us for more info.

 

#homeschool #lizard #snake #minibeasts #schooltalks #childrensreptileparties #reptiledisplays #reptileexperience

Going Green!!

Getting Greener

So we have been trying to find ways to make snakes alive as green and environmentally friendly as possible.

We have cut down on our plastic waste and reuse most our old food boxes. what we don’t use gets recycled. Most our Viv’s are made by us from reclaimed wood or refurbished secondhand Viv’s. Our cockroaches eat all our food waste which we then feed to the lizards.

We joined shell+ reward as they offset the fuel we use by investing that money in planting more trees. (We hope they keep their word and this is not false marketing)

Recently we had 20 Solar Panels installed which means on a nice sunny day we burn less electric saving us money and helping the environment. Our energy supplier also uses 100% green energy.

We also have trees, shrubs and a large lawn in our garden which obsurb carbon dioxide and attracts lots of wildlife. We water the garden using rain water collected in tanks around the garden.

Together if we all do our bit we can make the world a better place.

#goinggreen #snakesaliveuk #environmentallyfriendly #helpingenvironment #savingtheplanet #solarenergy #solarpanels

Wedding Entertainment

Something else we offer here at snakes alive is entertainment for weddings, including themed stag and Hen parties.

We can entertain the children during your big day allowing the adults to have a catch up. We can also do walk abouts with a large snake providing meet and greet opportunities.

#snakesaliveuk #snakehire #weddingentertainment #wedding #entertainer #weddingentertainer #stagparties #henparty #henparties #stagparty #childrensentertainer #bigday #weddingplanning #weddingideas

6 great reasons why schools should choose snakes alive – the interactive reptile experience!

1. The zoo that comes to you, first hand encounters without the stress or hassle of organising expensive field trips.

2. Close and personal encounters without the glass separating you from these vibrant exotic animals. Interactive learning where you don’t just watch a snake move, you feel a snake move, great for kinesthetic learning.

3. The opportunity to speak face to face with experienced animal handlers. When visiting a zoo little time is often spent with the keepers, with snakes alive we are present for the whole day to answer questions.

4. Tailor made and customised experiences that best suit your learners in an environment that best suits you.

5. An opportunity for students to learn about responsible pet ownership, the impact of the pet trade and the importance of wildlife conservation.

6. Suitable for all age groups, book us for the day and we can cater from the early years foundation stage through to year 6, or year 7 through to sixth forms.

10 facts about the Desert King Snake

Meet our Princess Jasmine, a Desert King Snake, and learn some interesting things about her species by reading the facts. Jasmine beautifully accompanies Flynn for photo shoots (sshh don’t tell Aladdin).

1. The Desert King snake also known as the Sonoran kingsnake is a nocturnal subspecies of the common King snake.

2. This subspecies of King snake is very docile but if threaten they can flip onto their back, lie perfectly still and pretend to be dead.

3. They have a small head roughly the same size as their neck, black eyes, and a long smooth slender body. They have a black or dark brown body and head with a few white or light yellow markings which form lines across their back.

4. The Desert King snake has been recorded to reach a maximum length of 180cm although it is quite rare for a king snake to reach this size and most will usually grow between 90 –120cm long. Desert King snakes live for around 10-20 years on average.

5. The Desert King Snake is native to Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico

6. The Desert King snake is not only found in the dry arid desert areas but is more commonly found near water and in damp conditions, like the brush lands.

7. The Desert King snakes is cannibalistic which means it will eat other snake alongside more common food such as rodents and birds. They kill their prey in the wild by constriction.

8. The Desert King snake has a resistance to pit viper venom, meaning the desert King snake is able to consume young diamondback rattlesnakes that are found within its range.

9. Adult western diamondbacks will edge hastily backward, shielding their heads with defensive loops when they pick up the scent or get close to a King snake.

10. The kingsnake is the “king of snakes” because it will eat other snakes.

Read more about Jasmine by visiting our main website www.snakesalive.co.uk

Most of our animals come to us as rehomes because their owners can no longer keep them. Keeping any animal is a big responsibility and commitment. Please consider the care required carefully before purchasing.

If you are interested in reptiles but do not want the responsibility of keeping a pet consider having a reptile party where you can give the animals back at the end. Snakes Alive operate in the East and South East of the UK and the London area. Please visit our website or contact us for party or hiring enquiries.

10 facts about the Land Hermit Crab

Sebastian and Scuttle are snakes alive’s pair of Land Hermit Crabs. Read some information about them below:

1. Land Hermit crabs are soft crabs that are only protected by the shells they temporarily live in.

2. Hermit crabs prefer to be with friends in large groups, sometimes reaching thousands. This is why you should not keep a solitary Land Hermit crab in captivity.

3. Land Hermit crabs like to burrow in a variety of substrate.

4. Land Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the family Paguroidea. Most of the 1100 species have an asymmetrical abdomen which is concealed in an old gastropod shell which is carried around by the hermit crab.

5. The Land Hermit Crab protects its vulnerable abdomen by going inside a empty seashell, hollow pieces of wood or stone. As long as its whole body can retract inside the shell or object it is happy. This habit of living inside a second hand shell gives rise to the name “hermit crab”.

6. Land hermit crabs are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter.

7. There are more than 600 species of hermit crabs in the world.

8. Land Hermit crabs can get jealous of another crabs shell and may try to tempt the current owner out so it can move itself in.

9. Land Hermit crabs can live for up to 15 years, but in captivity with the correct conditions can live for up to 40 years.

10. Land Hermit crabs breathe with gills. If the air is too dry and not around the 70-80% humidity hermit crabs will suffocate and die.

Find out what other animals we can bring to your reptile themed party or event by visiting our website (www.snakesalive.co.uk) or clicking the link below:

http://www.snakesalive.co.uk/About%20Us/Meet_the_Animals.html

10 facts about the Mali Uromastyx

Introducing Todd, a Mali Uromastyx. Read about this species of lizard below:

1. The Mali Uromastyx is a genus of agamid lizard whose members are better-known as Spiny-tailed lizards, Uromastyxes, Mastigures, or Dabb lizards.

2. The Mali Uromastyx is mainly considered a herbivore but they sometimes eat insects to vary their diet.

3. They normally live in hilly, rocky areas with good shelter and accessible vegetation. Most days are spent in the hot sun, unless they are too hot or danger is near whereby they retreat to underground chambers.

4. The Mali Uromastyx’s colours change according to the temperature; when cool they appear dull and dark which allows their skin to absorb more sunlight becoming lighter as the get warmer – which can also enhance yellow markings on their backs.

5. An adult Mali Uromastyx reaches a size of around 35cm in length with a broad body.

6. If threatened the Mali Uromastyx use their spiked tail which is muscular and heavy as a weapon that can be swung at an attacker with great velocity.

7. The Mali Uromastyx will also use its tail to wedge itself into a burrow keeping it safe while it sleeps.

8. The Mali Uromastyx is found in North Africa, however, other species of Uromastyx have been found in the Middle East, ranging as far east as Iran. The species found further east are now placed in their own genus of Sarra.

9. A female Mali Uromastyx can lay anywhere from 5 to 20 eggs, depending on her age and the situation at the time.

10. They can live around 35 years, which is considered one of the longest life spans for lizards.

Read more about snakes alive’s collection of animals by visiting our website http://www.snakesalive.co.uk

Todd is sure to be joining us for events and reptile parties in 2014, or more information about our services click here

10 facts about Flat Rock Scorpions

Squashy is one of the newer scorpions to enter our family of animals. Learn a bit about them here:

1. The Flat Rock Scopion or Hadogenes troglodytes is a species of scorpion from southern Africa and has the longest recorded body length of any scorpion, reaching up to 20 cm in length.
2. Male Flat Rock Scorpions have a much longer tail than the females.
3. The Flat Rock Scorpion can be found in small crevices and under rocks they are also good climbers.
4. Flat Rock Scorpions can live between 6 to 8 years.
5. The Flat Rock Scorpion is quite calm and will give a slight pinch when disturbed rather than sting.
6. The Flat Rock Scorpion is nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and come out at night to eat.
7. Flat Rock scorpions like to burrow down under the ground to a depth of around 10cm
8. If stung by the Flat Rock Scorpion its venom is harmless, even for small children, and is not allergenic.
9. Six months after mating in the spring, the female Flat Rock scorpion will give birth to 30-60 live young, which she will care for on her back for a week or more before leaving.
10. The Flat Rocks distinguishing feature is that their head and body and extremely flat, so much so that at first people think it is a squashed scorpion.

Squashy will be attending parties and events and is available to hire for media or corporate usage.

Read more about snakes alive’s services by clicking the following link:
http://www.snakesalive.co.uk/Services/snakes_alive_services.html

10 facts about the Mexican Black King Snake

Meet our new Mexican Black King Snake called Flynn (keeping up our Disney themed names). A beautiful black snake that is already popular with children and has been used on photo shoots along with Jasmine. Read 10 interesting things about this snake:

1. The Mexican Black King snake is a subspecies of the Common King Snake.
2. It has a small oval shaped head which is roughly the same size as the neck and slender body so it loses that typical snake head shape.
3. This snake will typically grow to 90-120cm long, but given the correct care some have been known to reach lengths of around 150cm and live for around 10-20 years.
4. The Mexican Black King Snake can mainly be found living in the rocky, semi desert and grassy areas of Mexico, the Sonora desert, North-West Sinaloa and small areas of Arizona.
5. They are carnivores that kill their prey in the wild by constricting, they are not venomous.
6. The title ‘King’ often refers to animals that will eat their own species, so the Mexican Black King Snake is cannibalistic and they have been known to eat other snakes.
7. The Mexican Black King snake is very territorial and do not like living in groups.
8. The king snake is a diurnal snake hunting and eating during the day unless it is too hot in which case they may hunt at night when it is cooler.
9. Adult female Mexican kings will lay 1-2 clutches each year with 5-18 eggs per clutch.  The eggs are incubated at 82-84 degrees and will hatch in 42-56 days.
10. They have black eyes, a long slender body with smooth scales that are normally black or very dark brown and reflect a blueish shimmer.

To adopt Flynn or one of our other animals – Click here

Meet Flynn at one of our parties or events – Click here

For more information about how to hire Flynn for a photo shoot, modelling, film visit http://www.snakesalive.co.uk