From the Queensland Titan stick insect to the bird eating tarantula this October Edinburgh Zoo is home to all things creepy and crawly. Edinburgh Zoo is offering visitors the chance to discover more about the fascinating world of insects and invertebrates and get up-close with some rare and remarkable insects.
Over 20 species of insect and invertebrate are on display as part of the creepy crawly fun event including striped sun beetles, purple jewel beetles, Queensland titan stick insects, Madagascan hissing cockroaches, the bird-eating tarantula, apple snails and many more. Visitors can get an even closer look with insect handling, listen to expert keeper talks, and enjoy face-painting.
Keeper Ross Poulter, who is helping to run the creepy crawly fun, said: “No other group in the animal world shows such a variety of form, colour, function and life cycle as invertebrates do. Even though many are considered pests people still love them. There are one million known species of insects alone; this represents 80% of all known animals in the world. The exact number of species is unknown but estimates range from between one and ten million. Many are still being discovered and sadly some will go extinct without even being recorded. At Edinburgh Zoo there are several rare species of insects and invertebrates which are generally kept off-show as part of our breeding programmes. Our creepy crawly event is a perfect opportunity to introduce the public to these rare and remarkable insects and invertebrates, through displays and interpretation. Best of all people will be able to get up close to some fascinating species that are not usually kept on-show.”
Admission to creepy crawly fun is free and included with normal Zoo admission. Creepy crawly fun will run every weekend for the rest of the month and during the half term week from 15 October to 23 October. It is open from 11am to 3pm at Budongo Trail, home to our chimpanzees.
