Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) These cockroaches come from the rainforests of Madagascar. They live on the forest floor and in the trees. Moving: Most cockroaches have wings and can fly, but not this species. These cockroaches rely on their legs for walking, running and climbing. They have little hooks on their feet that help them to climb or even hang upside-down from branches. Reproducing: Cockroaches hatch from eggs. See if you can spot the smallest cockroach in the enclosure. Growing: As cockroaches grow they shed their skins. Sometimes you can see this. If you see a white cockroach in the enclosure this is a newly shed individual. Its exoskeleton will slowly darken. If you do see a white one make sure to try and spot its eyes as they stand out well when they shed. Adult cockroaches can reach lengths in excess of 7.5 cm (3 inches). Eating: Cockroaches don t have teeth, they have mandibles which they use to break off chunks of rotting fruit they find on the forest floor. Senses: Cockroaches are nocturnal so don t rely on their eyes. They use their antennae to smell and feel to find food. They sense danger as vibrations with sensors on their abdomen. If they do feel threatened they will make a hissing noise to distract the predator and give them a bit of extra time to escape up a tree or under fallen wood or leaves. Breathing: Cockroaches don t have lungs like us but use spiracles along the sides of their abdomen. If you look very closely you may see these opening and closing. They use their spiracles to make the hissing noise that gives them part of their name. They do this when they think that they might be in danger. Turkish Spiny Mice (Acomys cilicicus) These mice are critically endangered, found on one dry, rocky area on the coast of Turkey. Moving: They have feet with toes that help them to grip, run, climb and jump. Their tails help them to balance when they are moving.
Reproducing: These mice, as mammals, give birth to live young, normally between 1 5 young after a pregnancy of 5-6 weeks. Unlike other mice they are born with fur and their eyes open. Growing: These mice can get up to lengths of 10 cm not including their tails. Eating: They are omnivores, in the wild they mainly feed on seeds, grasses and insects. In the Zoo we feed our mice a combination of rodent pellets, rabbit mix, insectivore mix, puppy mix, locusts and fruit. Senses: Whiskers help these mice to get a picture of their environment in low light levels. Large eyes will help them to see and large ears to hear. Their large ears also help them to keep cool, acting as radiators. Breathing: These mice, like us, have lungs for breathing. If one stays still long enough, see if you can see the nose twitching or sides moving as it breathes. African Pygmy Dormice (Graphiurus murinus) Found in East Africa and Southern Africa in a variety of habitats including savannah, woodland, grassland and rocky areas. Moving: These dormice spend a lot of time off the ground in trees and vegetation. Their feet and claws help them to grip and climb. Their tails, which are as long as their bodies, will help them to balance. Reproducing: These dormice breed once or twice a year. Being mammals they give birth to up to 5 live young after a pregnancy of 3-4 weeks. The babies are born naked and blind in a nest made by their mother. They won t leave the nest until they can hear and see by which time they will have developed fur too. Growing: These dormice reach a similar size to the spiny mice at 7cm long. Eating: Pygmy Dormice feed on fruits, seeds, berries, flowers, nuts, insects and small vertebrates. They are omnivores. They can hang from branches with their back feet to feed on fruit below them and come down to the ground to feed as well. Our dormice, in the Zoo, are fed on mixed seeds, insectivore mix and a variety of fruit. Senses: They have large eyes and a good sense of hearing for finding food and detecting danger and for listening out for the calls of other dormice.
Breathing: Dormice have lungs for breathing. Look out for noses twitching and sides moving. Livingston s Fruit Bat (Pteropus livingstonii) This large bat species is found on only two of the Comores islands. They are critically endangered largely due to habitat destruction and effects of cyclones. They prefer large areas of closed canopy humid montane forests but are found in upland forest on the two islands. They do not live or spend time in caves. You should be able to tell it apart from the Rodrigues Fruit Bat, the other large bat species in Fruit Bat Forest, as it is larger and black with bright red eyes. Moving: The Livingston s Fruit Bat is one of the largest species of bats with a wingspan of about 1.4 m (4 6 ). Bats are the only mammals capable of powered, flapping, flight which means that they area often found in areas of the world that other mammals only made it to with the help of man. They have claws on their feet and on their wings which allow them to hang and crawl in trees. Reproducing: As mammals bats give birth to live young. They give birth in a feet-down position (so upside down for a bat!) after a pregnancy of 4-5 months. For the first 3 weeks or so of the pup s life it will hold on to its mum safely tucked under her wing where it is also able to feed. The Presenters in Fruit Bat Forest will know if there are any babies in the exhibit and may be able to show them to you. Growing: The Livingston s Fruit Bat is one of the largest species of bats with a wingspan of about 1.4 m (4 6 ) Eating: As their name suggests, these bats feed on fruit. They will suck all the juice out of the piece of fruit then spit the pith and seeds out so watch out below! In the Zoo our Livingston s Fruit Bats are fed a variety of fruit and vegetables including apple, pear, orange, papaya, melon, tomato, grapes, banana, cabbage, red pepper, carrot, fig, Sharron fruit, dragon fruit as well as primate pellets to make sure they get plenty of protein and they are also given willow browse and maize. Senses: Bats are not blind. Fruit bats like these do not use echolocation. They have a good sense of smell and sight to help them find food. Breathing: Bats breathe using lungs like us. Pooing: Bat poo or guano, as it is known, is often sought after as a fertilizer and this has caused problems for some species.
Rodrigues Fruit Bat (Pteropus rodricensis) The Rodrigues Fruit Bat is critically endangered being found on only one island (Rodrigues island in the Indian Ocean) in the world. You can tell it apart from the Livingston s Fruit Bat as it is a little smaller with browner fur. Like the Livingston s Fruit Bat they do not live or go into caves but spend their time in what little forest is left on Rodrigues. Moving: They use their wings to fly, their claws to hang and crawl. Reproducing: After a 4-5 month pregnancy females give birth to 1 (very rarely 2) young which will remain with their mother for a year. Growing: Their wingspan is just under 1 metre (just over 3 ). Eating: As with the Livingston s Fruit Bat the Rodrigues Fruit Bat feeds on fruit its favourite food in the wild being ripe tamarind pods. In the Zoo we feed our Rodrigues Fruit Bats various fruits and vegetables along with the primate pellet, willow and maize. Senses: Bats are not blind, Rodrigues Fruit Bats find their way about using sight and hearing but they do not echolocate. Breathing: Bats have lungs to breathe. Seba s Fruit Bat (Carollia perspicillata) This is the smallest of the bats you will see in Fruit Bat Forest. It is found in Central and South America and across to the Caribbean islands. It is one of the most common mammals in the New World tropics. They roost in hollow tree trunks and caves. Moving: Seba s Fruit Bats can fly, climb and crawl using their wings and claws. Reproducing: Being mammals, bats give birth to live young which mothers will feed with milk. Growing: By comparison to the Livingston s Fruit Bat and the Rodrigues Fruit Bat these are small bats with a wingspan of about 20 cm. Eating: As their name suggests these bats feed on fruit. Their favourite fruit in the wild comes from the black pepper family and the fig family. At sunset they go in search of food, plucking it from plants and taking it to a safe place to eat. After about 15 minutes of feeding they will take a nap while digesting their food before going in search of more fruit. This goes on all night! It is thought possible that in
one night one bat may possibly consume as many as 60000 seeds with all the fruit it eats! Senses: Bats are not blind. These bats use sight and smell to find food. They are also able to echolocate to navigate around their environment. Breathing: Bats have lungs to breathe. Mexican Blind Cave Fish (Astyanax jordani) These fish live in the freshwater caves of Mexico. Moving: Fins enable them to swim, their scales make them streamlined to move more easily through the water. Reproducing: They lay eggs which they don t look after. Growing: These are only small fish reaching a length of about 7.5 cm (3 inches) Eating: In the wild they are carnivorous - eating crustaceans, insects and worms. In collections they are omnivorous, we feed our Mexican Blind Cave Fish fish flakes and bloodworm. Senses: These fish have no eyes. Having few predators and living in caves with no light eyes were unnecessary. They find their way around a bit like echolocating bats, bouncing sound waves of objects. Breathing: Like most fish Mexican blind cave fish rely on gills for breathing.