OUR ANIMALS – St Andrews Aquarium

ANIMAL EXPERIENCES PENGUIN FEEDING DAILY AT 2PM REPTILE HANDLING DAILY 11:20AM & 2:20PM MEERKAT TALKS & FEEDING DAILY 12:20PM & 3:20PM AT ST ANDREWS AQUARIUM

PENGUINS

The Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti), named after the cold water current it swims in, is a South American (warm climate) species that normally breeds in Peru and Chile.

Humboldts are medium-sized penguins and, unlike their royal cousins the Kings and the Emperors who can grow to almost 1 metre tall, will be fully grown at between 56–70 cm in height and a weight of around 4 or 5 kg.

Their black heads are distinguished by a white border that runs from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, and is separated from their white belly by a band of black feathers – this gives rise to the common name for their genus: Banded Penguins.

Our ppppeckish penguins would love you to feed them, including our baby penguin Nathaniel (pictured on the right).

Check out our animal experiences here.

MARMOSETS

Our newest members of the family. Two super-cute common marmosets arrived in December having been rescued from a private collection.

Our new marmoset enclosure has been created to educate about the effects of deforestation on our planet including the knock-on effect on our oceans.

OCTOPUS

We love our Octopus and so do our visitors. You may need to have a good look in the tank to find him as he likes to hide in small spaces.

Octopus are known for being exceptionally intelligent, which can make them difficult to transport…they can squeeze out of even the smallest of spaces.

You will find our Octopus in the newly refurbished Cold Water Wonders along with many other amazing species.

LEAF CUTTER ANTS

One of our favourite displays. The leaf cutter ants are a fascinating species and with hundreds of thousands of them (we haven’t actually counted them!) on display, you are sure to be entertained.

Ants will have different roles to play within their colony and you will notice distinct differences between some of our ants. This display is located in our Amazing Amazon room where you can watch them travel along tree branches from their nest to their feeding station (and back) whilst carrying big sections of leaves with them.

FROGS

We have many different types of frogs at St. Andrews Aquarium including Dart Frogs and White’s Tree Frogs.

These are fascinating species that differ largely from one type to another. Some of our frogs are happy to hop around in the open whilst others may be harder to find as they bury into the soil or hide behind leaves.

WEST AFRICAN DWARF CROCODILES

We have two West African Dwarf Crocodiles which have recently moved into a new display. You will be able to see them lounging under the heat of the lights, and if you are lucky will see them take a dip in their pool.

These crocs are the smallest species of crocodile, though they can still reach up to 5ft long!

FISH

Where do we start?! It’s not surprising to learn that at St Andrews Aquarium we have literally hundreds of fish!

From the exotic to the unusual, you will experience the full spectrum of aquatic inhabitants when you visit the Aquarium. There’s too many to go into online, however our favourites are:

Piranhas who group together to attack larger animals.

The Lionfish whose spines contain poisonous venom.

GREAT BRITISH SHARKS AND RAYS

The new tank, produced in partnership with the Shark Trust, features a display with lots of factual information about the Sharks and Rays and information about the future conservation challenges facing these native species as well as a chance to see the impressive Sharks and Rays up close in their new home.

The range of species joining the aquarium include Bull Huss and Smooth-hound Sharks, Thornback, Blonde and Spotted Rays. There are also Cuckoo Wrasse which are brightly coloured fish found in the Mediterranean Sea.

REPTILES

We have a fabulous selection of reptiles on display including Iguanas, Chinese Water Dragons and a selection of snakes. Remember to come along in time for our daily reptile handling sessions and get up close to some of these amazing creatures.

MEERKATS

Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are one of the most charismatic of the small mammals.

They are around 24 cm long with a 20 cm tail and weigh only a few hundred grams. Active by day, meerkats take shelter in their warm burrows at night.

They are highly sociable animals, and like to take turns to act as “look-out” from a high branch or rock, warning the rest of the group of any approaching danger. Their main enemies are birds of prey. While on guard they often stand up on their hind legs.

Fancy feeding our Meerkats? Check out our animal experiences here

SEALS

The Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) or Common Seal is one of 33 species of seals worldwide, and one of two species of seals that live in Britain.

Our seals are always firm favourite with our visitors and our daily seal feeding and talks are a must. You will learn all about how our keepers look after these amazing animals and also a bit about each of our seals and their unique personalities.

Feed our family of seals…find out more here.

ARACHNIDS

Love them or loathe them, when spiders are BIG they are just that little bit more interesting – and we’ve some of the world’s biggest spiders for you to admire.

Come and take a peek …if you’re brave enough!

Then check out our Whip Scorpions!!

But be careful how you go – these guys bite!