Wild Side Animal Adventures

Ecdysis or sloughing is otherwise known as shedding and is a natural process in reptiles.
As they grow they break off the smaller tight skin and reveal bright new strong skin.
For most reptiles this occurs throughout their life while for other it becomes less frequent and less holistic when they are mature.
The smooth k**b tail is constantly shedding.
Fun fact - they eat their own skin to reclaim calcium.

Rain can be a natural enrichment tool for all animals.
Today is also feeding day and it is important to use fresh food and always have a variety to ensure a happy healthy animal

When the weather is hot we allow our animals to leave their enclosures and do whatever they want.
Our resident bearded dragon made his way to the rock climb- don’t worry our keepers kept a very close eye on him.
Bearded Dragons naturally display climbing behaviours in the wild. Climbing allows them to find the hottest basking spot and acts a safety mechanism keeping them safe from predators through camouflage.

We are always looking for ways to stimulate our animals.
Our keepers regularly clean and redesign animal habitats that provide them the opportunity to utilise natural behaviours such as foraging, and exploring, as this helps support wellbeing.
Our Smooth K**b Tail Gecko Smiggle was first on our design teams roster, and we think they have done an amazing job.
Remember whilst K**b Tail Geckos are nocturnal, they will sometimes be seen in the day.

Keep an eye out for our next animal update.

Environmental enrichment is such as important aspect in ensuing the health and wellbeing of all animals.
At Wild Side we thrive to ensure animals are stimulated in a safe manner.
Our keepers are always looking for ways to improve animal wellbeing, so today keepers took resident Bearded Dragon Fred to a near by beach.

This allows for animals like Fred to reinforce their natural behaviours- these include scanning the environment for danger, and processing new sights, smells and sounds.

At Wild Side we believe in education to support the protection of our native wildlife.
One of the keepers here at Wild Side took our resident bearded dragon to the local beach and explained the importance of preserving our natural habitats to the public.

At Wild Side Animal Adventures we want for our animals to behave as they would in the wild. Here you can see our resident bearded dragon Fred is soaking in the sun.
This is a natural behaviour that cold blooded or ectothermic animals will do to warm up their bodies. This allows them to digest their food and provides them with lots of energy.

We may be bias but we think Fred is the most handsome bearded dragon in the zoo

The nocturnal animals are about.
Photo courtesy of Keeper Dan

It’s a very special treat when Smiggle the Gecko comes out in the day- it’s especially exciting for all the children who come to visit him and see an animal they would not normally see in the wild

We only feed the freshest, healthiest insects to our animals here, to ensure they live a long life.
We are grateful to our suppliers who are just as passionate we we are.

At Wild Side we ensure that only the highest quality care is given to our animals, this not only is a food enrichment resource but a way to monitor our animals and ensure they are reaching their appropriate weights.

Our keepers also went above and beyond with this set up as well- two Jurassic themed exhibits