Can you spot our tiny new arrivals!?

We are excited to share that we have recently welcomed three new species to our Kingdom of the Wild exhibit! This area of the zoo is known for being home to some of our larger species such as rhinos and giraffe, but these new arrivals are on the smaller side…

One of the new species is a yellow-headed day gecko! These tiny reptiles live in forests of Madagascar and like to eat insects, fruit, and nectar. They have distinguishable features; a yellow head, as their name suggests, as well as a flattened body, long snout, and a turquoise back and tail!

Our Yellow-headed day geckos share their home with another new species, the Blue-legged mantella! These frogs are also from Madagascar, living in seasonal streams and wet canyons. They enjoy a diet of invertebrates such as ants, termites, and flies. If you spot one of our frogs you will notice they have a greenish-yellow back, with dark blue hind legs and black sides.

Sadly, both these species are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red list. It is the first time we have held these species at Colchester Zoo and are pleased to be able to educate our visitors about these amazing species and the importance of conservation of these species.

The new arrivals do not stop there, another new species to join the Kingdom of the Wild exhibit are the Fire skink within a separate enclosure to the gecko and mantilla.

Fire skinks are red and orange in colour, hence their name, and can be found in the tropical forests of West Africa! They eat invertebrates, lizards and even small rodents. They share their home with an existing species here at Colchester Zoo, our false tomato frogs, another species which is red in colour and enjoys a rainforest habitat.

These new arrivals can be tricky to spot amongst the leaves but why not stop by and see if you can catch a glimpse on your next visit!

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