CJ - Bearded Dragon CJ is a Bearded Dragon, a member of the Amagid family and so is related to the Water Dragon and the Uromastyx. Bearded Dragons live in Australia where they are equally at home in woodlands, grasslands or desert. Males can grow to 60cms, but females like CJ are much shorter. They take their name from their impressive mating and territorial display, which involves darkening and inflating their throats. Their spikes are for display only and are really quite harmless. As an omnivore CJ enjoys a varied diet, which includes healthy vegetables. Her favourite treat is locusts, which she chases around her enclosure! CJ is very sociable and when not sunbathing or playing with her food, loves to meet people. She came to us about two years ago from a private owner, who could not meet her needs. Thankfully, the Bearded Dragon is not endangered, but your support helps us to provide for CJ and other rescue animals. Blaze - Corn Snake Corn Snakes, or Red Rat snakes as they are also known, come from North America from Jersey, through to Florida. Their natural habitat is pine and oak woodlands but they can be found along abandoned buildings and railroads. Corn Snakes can grow to a length of 1.8 meters and vary greatly in colour, from a very drab brown to a striking orange. In the wild Corn Snakes feed on rodents, bats, birds and lizards. They use constriction to kill their prey, which means they squeeze, they do not have venom. They use their tongues to taste the world around them searching for water, food and a mate. Blaze flicks his forked tongue in and out of his mouth picking up scents which are passed to the Jacobson’s Organs in the roof of his mouth. Blaze came to us as an unwanted pet on 18th July 2000. He is about 8 years old and measures 1.1 metres long, and still growing! We feed Blaze once a week and he has mice for dinner. Unfortunately, Corn Snakes are very fashionable pets. They are often bought by people with no information on how to care for them. They can live for 10-15 years, so when the novelty wears off the snakes are left homeless. Thanks to support like yours we can continue to give refuge to homeless animals, such as Blaze and continue our conservation efforts. Becks - African Spurred Tortoise Becks is an African Spurred Tortoise. These huge reptiles live in the savannah and scrubland of Africa. They can grow to 83cm in length and weigh up to 105 kg. Becks enjoys sunning himself under his lamp, but in the hottest parts of Africa like Senegal, they stay out of the sun, emerging at night to find food. Becks is a vegan and loves to eat Kale, Spinach, Apples, Grass and Dandelions. Like all African Spurred tortoises, Becks is strong willed with a great personality. He is about 6 years old came to us in April 2001 from a private owner who was unable to care for him any longer. The African Spurred Tortoise is in danger of extinction in the wild. They are under threat from the illegal pet trade and loss of natural habitat. Your support enables us to provide a refuge for animals like Becks at the Tropical Forest. Leo - Leopard Gecko Leopard Geckos like Leo come from Afghanistan, Western India and Pakistan. They live mainly in arid grasslands and desserts. They are nocturnal animals (they come out at night), sleeping during the day beneath rocks and in burrows. Unlike other Geckos, the Leopard Geckos have moveable eyelids. they also have tiny claws, rather than rounded toe pads because they live on the ground and don't climb. Leo has quite a fat tail. This is because he stores his food in his tail and it is absorbed when he is hungry. Unlike, other lizards Leopard Geckos are reluctant to drop their tails as a defence mechanism as they will loose their food cupboard too! Leo came to us as a rescued pet on 26th November 1997. He is 9 years old and 16cms long, which is fully-grown. Leo's diet consists of insects, mainly Wax worms, crickets and beetles. Fortunately Leopard Geckos are not endangered but like many species the illegal pet trade threatens their future as does the loss of their natural habitat. Elvis - Spectacled Caiman Elvis is an eight year old Spectacled or Common Caiman. Their natural habitat ranges from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, where they can be found in a variety of environments such as, swamps, rivers and lakes. Elvis like all crocodiles is a descendant of the dinosaurs, who roamed the earth some 245 million years ago. The modern day caiman grows to about 2.5 metres in length. Fossil records suggest that their ancestors once grew to 11 metres! Elvis enjoys basking on his rock to warm up and swimming in his pool. He eats just once a week, dining on rats, chicken and trout. He came to us three years ago from a private collector, who could not take care of him. Like many crocodiles the Caiman is an endangered species and your support is vital for their survival. << back to main animals page Site by Pathway Designs