Bristlenose catfish inhabit the fast flowing freshwater rivers of the Amazon basin in South America. They get their name from the tentacle like protrusions on their body. The bristles on the males are located on their head, while females have them on their snout. They are bottom dwellers and nocturnal, hiding out in caves and the roots of plants during the day. They are herbivores coming out at night to feed on algae.

Also commonly known as camel crickets or spider crickets, this species can be found in caves, as well as damp, cool areas underneath damp leaves, stones and rotting logs.Cave crickets are light to dark brown in colour, often spotted with lighter or darker areas. Adults can grow to between 13 to 33 mm.

There are 25 species of tenrec which are mostly found on Madagascar, but some are native to mainland Africa. The name lesser hedgehog tenrec is misleading, as tenrecs are not related to hedgehogs. However, like hedgehogs, tenrecs have spines covering much of their bodies.

The Mexican tetra is most known for its eyeless form, the blind cavefish. Although the same species, the latter has lost its eyes and skin pigments, and instead relies on changes in water pressure to find its prey.

As their name suggests these cichlids are found only in Lake Malawi. The two species of Malawi cichlids at Flamingo Land, Metriaclima xanstomachus and Labidochromis chisumulae, belong to the mbuna group. Mbuna translates to rockfish and refers to the fact that these species of fish live among the rocky shores. Males are usually larger than females and are territorial. They can have a varied diet that includes algae, plankton and invertebrates.

The pacu, also known as the tambaqui or black pacu, is an omnivorous freshwater fish native to South America. They can live for around 20 years and grow up to 1 metre in length and 20kg in weight. When pacu are young they look like red bellied piranha and often live with them for protection. As they get older they become more solitary.

Fly river turtles or pig-nosed turtles are excellent at swimming. Their limbs help to propel and steer their bodies through the water. They have soft leathery skin which is usually dark grey or brown. Males are often slightly smaller than the females and tend to have a thicker and longer tail.

Also known as Cuvier’s smooth-fronted caiman, this crocodilian is solitary and nocturnal. They have short, backward-curved teeth, which help to catch invertebrates and crustaceans. They have a dark brown back and a lighter coloured head, which helps them to camouflage into the surrounding area.

These long-legged ducks have a distinct white face and neck patch that stands out from its brown and black feathered body. They are social birds and can gather in flocks of several thousand outside of breeding season.

This lizard is grayish-brown with white spots on the head and back and a distinctive white-bordered black collar around the neck. Males have a blue-green sheen to their backs and a blue chin, throat and belly during mating season.Young animals and females lack this colouration. They are good climbers of rocks and trees, but can also often be found on the ground. They are called spiny lizards because of their large, pointed scales. The spines may deter some predators. The tail can break off as an escape mechanism.

The Gila monster is a heavy, slow-moving venomous lizard. It is the largest extant lizard native to North America north of the Mexican border. The name “Gila” refers to the Gila River Basin in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Arizona, where Gila monsters were once plentiful. The body of these lizards is covered with bumpy looking scales which are called osteoderms; they are black and orange or pink in color and are actually small bones under the scales.

They are the only deer species in which both the male and female can grow antlers. In fact, males’ antlers can grow up to a whopping 1.4 metres in length and have as many 44 points, called ‘tines‘. Reindeer spend up to 40% of their lives in snow, and have developed special adaptations to help them survive these conditions.

Addax are a small stocky antelope, both the males and females have impressive spiralled horns. Their horns have two twists and measure between 80-100cm. Their coat colouration is mainly white during the summer and turns a darker brown during the winter. Addax are ideally suited to living in the dry environment of the Sahara desert.

Cheetahs are the fastest land mammal reaching a maximum speed of 70 mph within four seconds. This speed can only be maintained for up to 450 metres. They have semi-retractable claws which act as running spikes and at full speed their stride is up to 7 metres.

The Parma wallaby is grey-brown in colour, with white fur covering the chest and throat. Both males and females have thin forelimbs. However, the males’ are slightly longer, possibly to aid them when holding the female during mating. The parma wallaby is usually nocturnal, awakening shortly after dusk to forage in groups of 2-3 individuals.

Darwins rheas are quite sociable, forming mixed groups of 5 to 30 members. During the mating season, however, the males become aggressive and territorial, especially once it is time to incubate the eggs. The females will lay the later eggs near the nest, rather than in it. Most of the eggs are moved into the nest by the male, but some remain outside, where they rot and attract flies which the male, and later the chicks, will eat.

The buff orpington breed were originally bred to be a dual purpose bird, meaning they were a productive egg layer (on average 180-280 eggs a year) and large enough for adequate meat production. Today they are a very popular breed, largely kept across the world due to their docile nature and pleasing visual appearance.

Kirk’s dik-diks are tiny antelopes that are typically yellowish-gray to reddish-brown on its back and grayish-white on their belly. Males have small ringed horns, which are often concealed by a tuft of hair on their forehead.

These snakes are called ball pythons in America because of their defensive posture, coiling into a tight ball with their heads protected in the center. The name royal python is believed to be derived from the fact that many African rulers were known to have worn live pythons as jewelry.

The Giant African Land Snail is one of the largest terrestrial gastropods. They have light to dark brown shells, often with stripes of a different shade of brown on them. They have four tentacles on the face, two long ones hold the eyes and the smaller two are used for smelling. The whole body of the snail is called a foot. They are a hermaphrodite species, because each individual is equipped with both sets of reproductive organs.