At Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm we regularly change the exhibits to make things different for  returning visitors. There are a variety of species that we keep off show so that we can vary and rotate our displays.

Latest Arrival in Minibeast Metropolis!

Grammostola rosea

Chilean Rose Tarantulas are found in desert or scrubland regions of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. They are docile in nature and commonly kept as pets around the world.

There venom is mild, which they use to immobilise and liquify the insides of their prey! Once the venom has worked the tarantula will drink the insides of the prey through its fangs.

Bites on humans are rare and comparable in pain to a bee sting.

Conservation Status - NE Not Evaluated

Phyllium giganteum

These spectacular leaf like insect originate from the rainforests of Malaysia and can grow to over 10cms in length.

They are so good at looking like leaves that they often nibble each other by mistake!

All of our leaf insects are females. The males of this species are so rare that the females have developed the ability to reproduce without them.

Conservation Status - NE Not Evaluated

Please find below some of the other creatures currently on display in Minibeast Metropolis!

Dendrobates tinctorius matecho

These little frogs originate from French Guiana and get their name from the misconception that natives used to use the brightly coloured frogs to dye fabric.

They are a bold, vibrant frog, yellow on the back and blue on the legs and can grow up to two inches long, making it one of the largest species of poison frogs. True to their name, poison frogs are among the most toxic animals on Earth!

Conservation Status - LC Least Concern.

Ambystoma mexicanum

Axolotls are found only in two small lakes near Mexico City.

Axolotls are a type of salamander that does not fully develop into an adult form and retains juvenille features such as external gills and a large flat tail.

Whislt they are critically endangered in the wild they are common palce in animal collections due to them being easy to breed in captivity.

They are ambush predators that lie in wait for small invertabrates to swim past and then strike with great speed. Axolotls are typically brown, but a variety of colours and patterns do occur in the wild.

Conservation status - CR Critically Endangered

Gonyosoma boulengeri

Rhino Rat Snakes are native to Northern Vietnam and Sothern China.

They are non-venomous and feed on lizards, small mammals and fish.

Scientists are not sure why they have a protrusion on their snout. It maybe help them camouflage like a leaf or could help their entry into the water as they catch fish.

They are arboreal snakes meaning they are often found high up in the trees. They are excellent climbers and use their long muscular body to move from branch to branch.

Conservation Status - LC Least Concern

During 2021 our breeding pairs of Rhinoceros Rat Snakes managed to successfully produce brand new offspring!

The Rhino Rat Snakes on display in the first section of Minibeast Metropolis hatched in August 2021 after incubating for two months.

For the first two years they remain a silvery grey colour before turning a beautiful bright green.

Their parents are on display in the second section of Minibeast Metropolis.

Archispirostreptus gigas

Milipedes belong to the Arthropod family and are native to Central Africa.

Arthropods are characterised by their segmented bodies and many pairs of legs.

They have two pairs of legs per segment whereas centipedes only have one pair per segement.

Thier eyesight is very poor and they rely on their sense of touch and smell to navigate the forest floor and find food in the form of decaying wood leaves and plant matter.

Amimals with this diet are called detritivores.

Conservation Status - NE Not Evaluated