Live Animals!
The Museum has a wide collection of living and dead specimens that help their worldwide conservation. The Vivarium and Aquarium is dedicated to the study of reptiles and amphibians.The displays show live reptiles and amphibians that are cared for in award winning naturalistic environments. In a more direct approach to conservation, the Museum is also involved in non-invasive research projects and captive breeding programmes.
The Museum only keeps animals that it can care for properly. Breeding and studying them, helps conserve them in the wild.
The animals show some of the amazing ways in which they are adapted to their environment. Look for the tiny frogs whose bright colours warn they are deadly poisonous, lizards that run on water, and huge snakes that find their next meal by tasting the air.
The rainforest display shows the dense vegetation that supports a massive range of animal and plant species. Every year we destroy thousands of acres of rainforest. In the twentieth century alone, nearly half of the world's rainforests vanished. If the destruction continues at this rate, within a few decades there will be no more rainforests.
See if you can see the Blue Poison-dart frogs. The female lays eggs on the ground, where the male fertilises them and guards them. When the tadpoles hatch, they wriggle onto the back of the parent.
The Spurrell's Leaf frog has fully webbed hands and feet which enable them to glide over long distances. Toe-pads help them to climb and stick to smooth surfaces. The specimens on display are the only ones in Europe, and are being bred in captivity in an effort to save the species.
The deserts display shows the adaptations reptiles and amphibians make to dry environments. Most amphibians living in here are yellow, yellowish-brown or reddish in colour, to match the soil where they live. Many of them burrow, and some have a horny spade on each hind limb to help them shuffle backwards into the ground. They can remain underground for long spells by retaining moisture within their bodies.
Reptiles are among the most successful animals in hot, dry, deserts. The hot conditions, helps them to regulate their body temperature with very little effort.
See if you can see the monitor lizards. They constantly flick out their long, forked, tongue 'tasting' the air, it can even detect underground prey. The monitor lizard's head and body are covered with beautifully patterned skin. The skin is highly sought after, and this trade remains a major factor in the decline of these delightful animals.
Compare the different animals in the snake exhibit. The Green Tree Python, lives in trees and lays eggs, but the Boa Constrictor lives on the ground and gives birth to live young.
International breeding programmes aim to conserve endangered species of amphibian. At Manchester Museum, a dedicated, purpose built, breeding facility incorporates the latest technology. We have been highly successful in developing the necessary husbandry skills and techniques to breed and rear many delicate amphibian species.
