The Vivarium (Live Animals)
Tours of the Vivarium
Tues & Thurs, 12-1pm
Twice a week, Zoology students from The University of Manchester will be giving free Vivarium tours to share their knowledge of our animals and highlight some of the fundamental conservation and education work that we're doing. The tours will also be given monthly in both Spanish and French.
Book on 0161 275 2648, free, 13+
The Vivarium is dedicated to the study of reptiles and amphibians. The Manchester Museum has a wide collection of living and dead specimens that help their worldwide conservation.
The displays show live reptiles and amphibians that are cared for in award winning naturalistic environments. In a more direct approach to conservation, the Department is also involved in non-invasive research projects and captive breeding programmes.
The Manchester 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.
See if you can see the 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.
Visit frog blog manchester to see what's going on in The Manchester Museum's Vivarium
