Venom

Come face to face with danger as you enter Venom, our exhilarating exhibit filled with the deadliest creatures known to man!

Our Venom exhibit is the perfect environment to learn more about some of the most interesting but poisonous creatures, from the incredible Tarantula Tree Tower to some of the world’s most venomous fish.

We invite you to get up close and personal with the likes of Red Lionfish, Golden Poison Frogs, Socotra Island Blue Baboon Tarantulas and False Water Cobras, all in one exhibit! You can rest assured that you’ll be safe behind our reinforced glass, so you can enjoy learning more about these species and seeing them with your very own eyes.

What is Venom?

Venom is our exhibit dedicated to housing the most venomous animals the world has to offer. It’s the perfect environment to study these species and see creatures that you wouldn’t normally come across.

Unlike some of our other exhibits, Venom covers various habitats ranging from South America, all the way to the forests of Southeast Asia. Venom really is an exhibit that will take you around the globe.

Due to the majority of these animals being cold-blooded, Venom is a warm exhibit consisting of water, forest and desert enclosures. It includes both terrestrial and aquatic enclosures, with various climates to accommodate the different creatures we have.

What will I find at Venom?

You’ll find a whole host of different creatures in our Venom exhibit, including fish, invertebrates, spiders and even snakes and scorpions. Here’s a list of what you can see when you visit, including some interesting facts to get you started…

Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans): The lionfish is a venomous fish that is native to the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This beautiful fish stands out for its brightly coloured stripes and long spines, but in those spines you’ll find venom which protects them from predators! You can see the red lionfish at our Venom exhibit.

Orange Spotted Rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus): This particular species of fish has a striking honeycomb-style pattern across its body, and is typically found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans like the lionfish. The orange spotted rabbitfish has multiple spines along its dorsal and anal fins, which are used as a self-defence mechanism.

Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis): The golden poison frog is actually an endangered species that is found in the rainforests of Colombia. It’s considered one of the most toxic animals on Earth, despite it only being 1-2 inches in size! They are brightly coloured on purpose to warn potential predators of their toxicity, in a phenomenon known as aposematic colouration.

Gooty Ornamental Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica): This fascinating tarantula is also sometimes known as the peacock tarantula and is bright blue in colour. It’s an Old World tarantula, which means they are quite aggressive and fast-moving compared to New World species. It’s the spider’s bite that delivers venom, but they’ll typically only bite if they feel threatened.

Socotra Island Blue Baboon (Monocentropus balfouri): Another Old World species, this tarantula is native to Africa and has a sandy orange body with bright blue legs. While their bite is venomous, they are usually quite docile creatures – although they will move fast and give a threat display when something or someone gets too close! This species is one of the only communal species of tarantula.

Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula (Theraphosa stirmi): You have probably heard of this tarantula before – it’s a New World species found in tropical South America. They have urticating hairs that they can flick at potential threats, and while their venom is reportedly quite mild, their fangs are quite large!

Asian Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus laoticus): This is a species found across Vietnam and Laos, and can grow up to 12cm in length. Their venom isn’t lethal, but is used instead to paralyse.

Mangrove Snake (Boiga dendrophila): This fascinating species of snake is found in southeast Asia, and grows to an average of 8-9ft long! It has a distinctive black body with bright yellow bands around its body. It’s known to be mildly venomous with rear fangs.

That’s not all you’ll see here at our Venom exhibit – you may also catch sight of:

• Giant Spiny Assassin Bug (Psyttala horrida)
• Indian Social Spider (Stegodyphus sarasinorum)
• False Water Cobra (Hydrodynastes gigas)
• Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum)
• Giant African Millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas)
• Mexican Golden Red Rump Tarantula (Brachypelma albiceps)

What’s the difference between venomous and poisonous?

Put simply, if an animal injects something using fangs, stings or spines, then it is venomous. If an animal has to be ingested to give a dose of its toxin, then it is poisonous. That means the humble Honey Bee is a venomous animal and the Pufferfish is poisonous to humans (if prepared incorrectly).

Who would like this exhibit?

This exhibit is suitable for anyone with a love for animals, particularly fish, invertebrates and reptiles. Even though the animals inside are known to leave a lasting impression, when kept behind super-durable glass and treated with respect, they are incredibly beautiful creatures to look at and admire.

Even people with a fear of snakes or spiders would find enjoyment and a sense of appreciation for these animals once they’re seen to be beautiful and calm creatures. Seeing these creatures in the flesh can help to dispel some of those exaggerated and false Hollywood stereotypes.

This exhibit is completely wheelchair and pushchair accessible, so this really is an exhibit that can be enjoyed by absolutely anyone. We also have a bench at the end, which doubles as a great photo opportunity in front of the waterfall!