Meet the Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus), an insect that sways in the wind. Discover stick insect facts for kids such as diet, adaptations, & lifespan with ZooLab. Indian stick insect Carausius morosus Classification: Insect They're good at camouflage! They have evolved to look like sticks, even swaying in the wind to look like twigs. They feel the vibes. They have poor eyesight and don't have ears. They sense by feeling vibrations around them. Drop it like it's hot. They have the ability to drop a limb if attacked. These limbs can be when they moult. Lifespan: 6 months - 1 year Threats: Birds, small reptiles and rodents due to it’s small size Distribution: Native to New Zealand but accidentally introduced around the world Habitat: Forest floor Appearance: About 80-100 mm in length, ranging from a light green to a darkish brown in colour Diet & Feeding: Leaf litter Social Behaviour: As the insects are surrounded by food and have no need to find a mate, they have little natural inclination to move far Males and females: They breed parthenogenetically - meaning that the young hatch from eggs produced without fertilization by a male Number of young: They lay several hundred eggs If a young stick insect loses a leg it is sometimes able to grow a new one in a process called regeneration

We have a national network of Zoolab Rangers, each with their own ‘animal team’ who work closely with schools and Multi Academy Trusts to achieve learning outcomes, engage people in an informative way and to entertain through our unique animal handling workshops.  Welcome to Nature Town! Our residents are a diverse bunch but they're all friends. BOOK NOW We're WILD about Academy Trusts! Hi, we’re ZooLab, the UK’s #1 for ethical hands-on animal encounters. We have a national network of Zoolab Rangers, each with their own ‘animal team’ who work closely with schools and Multi Academy Trusts to achieve learning outcomes. We engage people in an informative way and entertain through our unique animal handling workshops. BOOK NOW "We had a fantastic day yesterday with Eilidh. She was energetic and full of knowledge about each animal. She took time to answer questions and made the workshop as interactive as possible" CARDINAL NEWMAN HIGH SCHOOL PRIMARY WORKSHOPS SECONDARY WORKSHOPS We’re already a Trusted Supplier We are the preferred ethical animal encounters company among UK schools. Our BESA membership and our amazing staff make us the #1 choice for teachers looking to provide a topic hook or experience. Educational Outcomes Our workshops are designed around key curriculum topics and we ensure they meet cross-curriculum learning outcomes. Consistency & Continuity Working with ZooLab ensures that each school in your Trust receives an exceptional educational experience. No two pupil groups are the same so we adapt our work to meet the needs of each classroom. ZooLab gives back ZooLab's ambitions go beyond the UK. We want to support well organised conservation efforts wherever we can, like the project by Nkombi Volunteer Programme which highlights the issue of poaching in South Africa. Meet the animals Get in the know before getting up-close and hands-on Meet the Rangers We've got the best bunch! Which Ranger will visit you? Meet the gang! Our ZooLab characters are excited to meet you! Check out our workshops Our educational workshops hit curriculum outcomes Looking for something different? Check out our workshops Book now!

Every week, join hosts Anna and Eilidh on YouTube with our animal friends. Spin for an activity! Will we create a craft, play a counting game, sing and dance, or settle down for a story? ZooLab'sLittle Explorers will love the variety, and you'll love watching them learn through play through fun, educational content you can trust. Hello Little Explorers! Visit our YouTube channel to see this week's video. Watch now! The UK's #1 Ethical Animal Adventure Channel for EYFS Kids Fun, safe and educational videos that spark curiosity and a love for animals. Designed for Early Years children, our YouTube channel brings the natural world to life through stories, songs, games and real animal encounters. Join hosts Anna and Eilidh on YouTube with our animal friends. Your Little Explorers will love the variety, and you'll love watching them learn through play with fun, educational content you can trust. Visit ZooLab's Little Explorer's YouTube Learning Through Adventure Every video is designed to entertain while helping children learn about animals, habitats and the world around them. Animal Facts Simple facts introduced in a fun and memorable way. Songs & Rhymes Catchy songs that make learning stick. Stories & Adventures Engaging stories with our Ranger friends. Games & Activities Interactive games that build skills and confidence. Popular Episodes Visit our catch-up playlist Why Parents, Teachers & Nurseries Love Little Explorers Encourages curiosity and wonder Supports early language and communication skills Promotes empathy and respect for animals Links to various EYFS curriculum goals Fun, calming and age appropriate content From the UK's #1 for Ethical Animal Encounters At ZooLab, animal welfare comes first. Our videos are filmed with the highest standards of care, ensuring every animal is respected, safe and never put under stress. Fully licensed and ensured Experts in ethical animal handling Animal welfare always comes first Trusted by schools and nurseries UK-wide Nearly 30 years of experience FIND OUT MORE Created by Early Years and EYFS Experts ZooLab Rangers and animal teams have been visiting early education settings throughout the UK since 1997. Our early years programme covers different learning styles from curriculum-based topic workshops to storybooks and mindfulness, each tailored to suit group needs, classroom topics and learning goals. You can meet our animals in real life - just send us an email! CHECK OUT OUR EYFS WORKSHOPS GET IN TOUCH Start Your Child's Adventure Today! Join thousands of families, teachers and little explorers learning about animals together. VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL BOOK A ZOOLAB SESSION

Looking for animal experiences in Reading? Meet ZooLab Ranger Charlie - passionate about animal welfare and bringing exotic animals to schools and events near you. Charlie Anderson ZooLab Ranger License Number: - Charlie joined ZooLab in 2026. She works in Reading and the surrounding areas. Charlie's background is in the Equine industry. She has a triple distinction star in level three Equine studies and was head girl at a livery yard. Before ZooLab, she ran a small scale hamster rescue where she rescued, rehabilitated and re-homed all species of hamsters. "I have a love for educating people on animal welfare and the amazing things animals are capable of! ZooLab allows me to meet many new people from different walks of life to share my love for these creatures." Oh, hay! Charlie has two horses and loves training - she does R+ liberty and clicker training. For a Laugh She is no stranger to an audience. In her spare time, she partakes in improv comedy. Advocating Charlie lives with Fibromyalgia and uses her platform to inspire others living with chronic conditions! “My favourite ZooLab animal is the giant African land snail. I have 6 and can tell them all apart. Each takes turns to come on visits with me but Amanda comes out most frequently.” BOOK NOW

Meet the Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea), an arachnid that stalks its prey. Discover tarantula facts for kids such as diet, adaptations, & habitats with ZooLab. Chilean rose tarantula Grammostola rosea Classification: Arachnid Women first! A female will eat the male after mating as she needs the energy to produce her eggs. Spider silk is amazing! It's lighter than cotton, a thousand times thinner than human hair, yet 5 times stronger than steel. No tarantula can kill you. More people are killed by refrigerators every year than by tarantulas. Lifespan: Females live around 20 years. Males live around 2 - 4 years Size: Maximum of around 6 inches in length Threats: Birds, reptiles, mammals Distribution: Native to Chile Habitat: Desert and scrub habitats Appearance: The overall colour is brown to black with rose-hued hair on the hard-shell upper body. A tarantula's fangs fold under the body, meaning that it must strike downward to impale its prey Diet & Feeding: Nocturnal predator of small arthropods. Prey is injected with venom and enzymes that begin breaking it down into ingestible fluids Social Behaviour: They live solitary lives in small underground burrows Males and females: The female is often bigger than the male and also tends to be more aggressive Lifespan: 15-20 years Number of young: The female produces large egg sacs, usually containing in excess of 500 eggs. The female will carry the egg sack under her body protecting it until the eggs have hatched Unlike other most other spiders, tarantulas do not catch prey in webs. They stalk and attack their prey similar to a jaguar

Looking for animal handling experience in Oxfordshire? Meet ZooLab Ranger Lottie and discover hands-on animal workshops for schools, care homes and events throughout Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. Lottie Culley ZooLab Ranger Licence Number: 20814 Lottie joined ZooLab in 2021. She works in Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas. Lottie has a BSc and MSc in Animal Behaviour and Conservation and previously worked in zoos. She also has experience working as a SEN teaching assistant in a primary school. "I love teaching people about these lovely animals, how to care for them properly, why they're important and how to protect our world." World Clean-Up Day Lottie always gets involved and has collected many bags of rubbish for World Clean Up Day. Take care Lottie is passionate about animals and volunteers for Advancing Husbandry groups on Facebook. Eco Warrior! Lottie is passionate about recycling and loves to share her knowledge during her ZooLab sessions. My favourite ZooLab animal is Bullseye the Giant African Land Snail! He's so slimy and cute and always a hit with the kids! BOOK NOW

There's no such thing as a silly question! Click our FAQs to find out the answers to some of the most common ones. Frequently Asked Questions General A ZooLab Visit Safety and Welfare 01 Who are ZooLab? ZooLab are the UK's # 1 animal handling experience. We amaze, educate and inspire through our engaging hands-on animal encounters. We have a national network of ZooLab Educational Presenters, each with their own 'animal team' who work closely with early years, schools, businesses and in the care sector to achieve learning outcomes, engage people in an informative way and to entertain through our unique animal handling workshops. 02 Which areas of the UK do you cover? ZooLab have Educational Presenters across the UK. 03 Other You don't have to wait for an advert to appear. If you think you have something unique to add to our team, let us know! Send your CV to nicolastephenson@zoolabuk.com along with a covering letter stating why you think you would be perfect for our company. 04 What age groups do you visit? Here at ZooLab we believe in lifelong learning! From the very young to the very old, there is a ZooLab workshop that will help you achieve the outcome you desire. Just have a chat with any member of our team and they will guide you to the most suitable workshop/session. 05 How do I book? There are loads of ways to book ZooLab! Just call us on 0845 330 6322, email info@zoolabuk.com, fill in our contact form on our website or even use our live chat facility! Regardless of how you do book with ZooLab, you’ll speak to an expert who will guide you seamlessly through the process to ensure you have the very best animal handling experience. 06 How much notice do I need to give you to book a visit? Our sessions book up quicklly! That's why you should always give us as much notice as possible to when booking your visit. Don't worry if you need us at short notice, though - we'll always try and accomodate where possible. 07 How many participants can attend? Each ZooLab workshop lasts between 45-60 minutes and can hold up to 35 participants. In an education setting we can carry out up to a maximum of 6 workshops in a school day. For Special Educational Needs/Additional Support Need settings we suggest that the maximum number of participants per workshop is 15. This allows participants more time with the presenter and animals. We will always consult with the teacher onsite to ensure the very best experience possible for all involved. If agreed in advance, we can organise ‘open sessions’ which allow more individuals to attend a workshop - but this does mean that each individual will have less time with the ZooLab Educational Presenter and animals. 08 Do you do parties? Yes! We love attending parties of all sorts! Be it birthday parties, Christenings, nursery leavers parties or even weddings - ZooLab LOVE a party! Just get in touch with any member of our team and we’ll make sure your party is WILD! However, please remember that those who have been imbibing alcohol are prohibited from handling our animal team.

Download the latest issue of our Nature Town Magazine! Hot off the press! Meet our new characters, download activity packs and get a massive discount off your next ZooLab visit! Download now

Meet the giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas), an invertebrate that loves recycling. Discover giant millipede facts for kids such as diet, distribution, & threats with ZooLab. Giant African millipede Archispirostreptus gigas Classification: Diplopoda They're the world's biggest! Giant African millipedes can grow up to 30cm long and have up to 400 legs. Super-pooper! When a millipede feels threatened, it curls up in a ball and pretends to be a pile of poop to deter predators. They love recycling. They eat rotting leaves and wood off the forest floor and keep the forest clean. Lifespan: 5 - 7 years Threats: Birds, small mammals, and various reptiles Distribution: East Africa Habitat: Forest floor Appearance: Usually dark brown and black in colour and range from 4 to 12 inches in length Diet & Feeding: Decaying organic matter such as trees and plants. Social Behaviour: They live in burrows that they dig themselves. Once a millipede hatches there is no parental involvement Males and females: Male millipedes have gonopods Number of young: They lay between 100 - 1000 eggs Although the name millipede means “thousand-feet,” the giant African millipede only has about 300 to 400 legs

Discover how ZooLab gives back. ZooLab's ambitions go beyond the UK. We want to support well organised conservation and charity efforts wherever we can. From cleaning up our local habitats in World Cleanup Day, to helping raise funds for South American rainforests with Operation Ocelot, we're always keen to give back! We're committed to change. Find out how we're tackling climate change at ZooLab. Find out more Supporting Communities. Inspiring Futures. We believe in using the power of animal encounters and education to make a positive difference in the communities we work in and the world around us. Learn About Our Impact Our Purpose At ZooLab, giving back is at the heart of what we do. Through education, conservation support and community initiatives, we aim to create a lasting positive impact for people, animals and the planet. We're proud to support causes that align with our values and help build a kinder, more sustainable future. How We Give Back Conservation Support We support wildlife conservation projects that protect animals and their habitats Community Outreach We partner with local communities, schools and charities to make education accessible Educational Access We provide workshops and resources to inspire learning and a love for nature Fundraising & Donations We actively fundraise and donate to support important initiatives and vital research Stories of Change Real stories from communities and projects we support. Rhino conservation in South Africa To date, ZooLab has raised over £5,000 for Mankwe Wildlife Reserve, helping upgrade their equipment and keep the rhinos safe! Here come the off-setters! Last year ZooLab offset 67.96 tonnes of CO2e in our efforts to become a more environmentally conscious business. ZooLab cleans up! ZooLab staff have cleared over 150 bags of rubbish from our local communities across the UK for World Cleanup Day. Homeless and displaced animals ZooLab raised £500 in support during this time. This money is used to provide food, shelter and medical assistance. Saving the rainforest for the ocelot ZooLab raised over £500 towards the preservation and expansion of Brazil's Atlantic Forest , which is home to the ocelot. Citizens unite for science! Citizen Science encourages the public to participate voluntarily in gathering environmental data to be analysed by scientists. ZooLab’s Biome Builders competition encouraged UK primary school pupils to create their own 'biome in a box' using recycled and natural materials to represent their chosen environment. Our aim in launching the Biome Builders competition was to promote a better knowledge of global habitats and highlight the reasons they are coming under threat. With over a hundred entries from across the UK, our judging panel had their work cut out choosing the four winners who received free ZooLab visits and shared over £2000 to invest in sustainability projects in their local areas. ZooLab’s Biome Builders Made Possible Together We couldn't do what we do without the incredible support of our Rangers, partners, customers and wider community. Together, we're creating a real change. Multiple Projects supported Donated to conservation Fundraising of people reached Thousands Impact across the UK Nationwide Our Partners and Supporters We're proud to work alongside some amazing organisations who share our passions for animals, education and conservation. Get Involved There are lots of ways to make a difference. Whether you're a school, organisation or individual, you can help support our mission. Get In Touch Learn More About ZooLab Interactive animal experiences for schools, care homes, events and wellbeing programmes, delivered by expert ZooLab Rangers. ABOUT US BOOK NOW

I’m Riley! The brown rat can be found in the UK and are common around cities. I love learning new things. Rats have been used to detect landmines and diagnose tuberculosis. I’m not a fussy eater! Brown rats will eat anything, from human food waste to small mammals. I love my Family. Brown rats live in colonies and are one of the few rodents that maintains a social structure complete with leaders, assistant leaders, outcasts and rebels. I’m fun and love to play! Rats love to play and make sounds similar to laughter when they are happy. And, like humans, rats can be ticklish.

Discover what humans can learn from animals in ZooLab's KS2 Biomimetics workshop. Pupils explore behaviours from the animal world- hands-on with real animals. Curriculum-linked. Biomimetics KS 2, 3, Second, Third Stage. Ages 10 - 14 DURATION: 55 mins OVERVIEW: We look at a section of complex behaviours from the animal world including Batesianmimicry, parthenogenesis and camouflage! What can humans learn from these marvels? Find out how nature-inspired solutions are influencing scientific, medical and engineering discovery. Learning Outcomes All children will be able to give an example of biomimetics. Most children will be able to explain how biomimetics has benefitted us. Some children will be able to suggest how biomimetics could help us develop further. BOOK NOW You'll get to meet some of these animals: To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. All workshops include: Free pre-lesson resources and teaching packs! "Biomimetics is a difficult subject for some childern to grasp. Using her animals, the ZooLab Ranger managed to convey this concept in a way that was easy for the children to understand." Smithson Secondary School What is adaptation? An adaptation is defined as an adjustment to an organism to make them better suited to an environment. Animals and plants have developed special characteristics to survive in their particular habitat. Adaptations include biological changes to body functions or structure, behavioural and physiological to change to meet the environment. There are two different types of species - generalist and specialist: generalists are able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and the specialists can only thrive in a small variety. Adaptations became widely discussed after Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace developed the theory of natural selection - i.e survival of the fittest, where the best adapted life forms survive and pass the most desirable characteristics to offspring. Curriculum Outcomes England & Wales Curriculum Outcomes Scotland Meet the gang! Our ZooLab characters are excited to meet you! Meet the animals Get in the know before getting up-close and hands-on Check out our workshops Our educational workshops hit curriculum outcomes Meet the Rangers We've got the best bunch! Which Ranger will visit you?