Indie
Species: Panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
Location: Madagascar
The most colourful member of the Scaly Safari Crew, Indie is a reptile wrapped in a rainbow.
When he joined us, Indie was a tiny baby. Although he’s been with us since a young age, he spent the first year at Scaly Safari HQ…giving him time to grow, and gain confidence around humans. He’s super-friendly, and loves to sit on people’s heads.
Indie lives in Cerries’ daughter’s bedroom, and sits in a plant on her desk so he can keep his swivelly eyes on her doing her homework.
Marmalade
Species: Burmese python (Python bivittatus)
Location: South East Asia
Although she’s the biggest member of the Scaly Safari Crew, Marmalade is probably also the sweetest.
At an impressive 9ft currently, our show-stopping Lady M may get to around 16ft when she’s fully grown. We re-homed her from a family who couldn’t give her the space she needed any more, and she now spends her time either basking in the garden on warmer days…or giving her infamous ‘Marmalade Cuddles’ when she’s out meeting people with us.
Dave
Species: Tenrec (Tenrecidae)
Location: Madagascar
Although we have three tenrecs here at Scaly Safari, Dave is probably the favourite (sorry, Tilly & Flower).
Also known as ‘David’ when he’s being mischievous, we re-homed Dave from a family who could no longer care for him. As our resident ‘stealer of hearts’, Dave is only too happy to lay on his back whilst being lavished with tummy tickles.
Pumpkyn
Species: Bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
Location: Central Australia
With one of the biggest personalities of the Scaly Safari Crew, Pumpkyn is adored by everyone who meets him (and rightly so).
Pumpkyn came to us as an adult, and is a glowing example of a surrendered pet being given another chance at life. He free roams in the living room (with supervision, of course), and can often be found curled up with the dogs and cats. Although he doesn’t fly or breathe fire, his bright orange colour makes him look like he’s walked straight off the set of Game of Thrones.
Apollo
Species: Brazilian rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria)
Location: Brazil
Apollo is such a special snake. We re-homed him from a breeder whose breeding programme no longer included rainbow boas, and everyone just falls in love with him.
Obviously, he’s stunning. His incredible patterns are mesmerising - and if you’re lucky and catch him in just the right light, you’ll see the iridescence in his skin glimmering. But he’s also an absolute softie - he loves attention, and will literally ask you for chin tickles.
Xander
Species: Blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas)
Location: Indonesia
Xander was one of the first adult reptiles we re-homed, and he quickly became a firm favourite of the Scaly Safari Crew.
Looking like he belongs in Jurassic Park, Xander is like a little dinosaur. Everyone loves seeing him flash his vibrant blue tongue, and how he loves to curl up in his dad’s hood. With slow movements and tactile skin, Xander is particularly loved at care homes and SEND environments.
Thunder
Species: Blood python (Python brongersmai)
Location: South East Asia
Although he looks a bit intimidating, Thunder is the master of chin tickles. Stuck in a local pet shop, Thunder had somehow earned a reputation for being a bit…‘spicy’. Suspecting that it was all a misunderstanding, we brought him home - and quickly discovered that he’s actually a cuddle monster (without a spicy bone in his body).
Thunder is actually named after his biggest fan: a care home resident, who was the drummer for Leo Sayer with the stage name ‘Theo Thunder’). They always have a selfie together every time we visit the care home.
Luna
Species: Blue-eyed leucistic python (Python regius)
Location: West & Central Africa
If there was an award for the most gentle snake, Luna would win it hands-down.
Although she’s not the biggest, she’s definitely one of the most beautiful snakes you’ll ever meet (inside and out). With icy blue eyes and an almost ethereal aura around her, she loves nothing more than to snuggle in your arms.
Luna is especially loved by children, with her slow movements and soft, snowy scales.
Tallulah
Species: Salmon pink birdeater tarantula (Lasiodora parahybana)
Location: Brazil
Tallulah brings the wow factor to our table display.
Although she’s not one for handling, Tallulah is a stunning specimen from one of the largest species of spider in the world. With hairy legs and tiny hooks on her toes, she plays an important role in our school workshops. Although she came to us as an adult, Tallulah is still only about half-way grown - she’ll get to roughly the size of a dinner plate when she reaches her full size!
Pikachu
Species: Argentine horned frog (Ceratophrys ornata)
Location: South America
Probably the grumpiest member of the Scaly Safari Crew (Allen aside), Pikachu is particularly loved by children.
With his squidgy skin and bright yellow colour, he always draws a crowd. Pikachu came to us as an adult, and is our official Amphibian Ambassador. When he gets home after being out meeting his fans, his favourite thing to do is jump in his bath and have a good soak.
The General
Species: Giant Asian forest scorpion (Heterometrus petersii)
Location: Asia
Although he’s one of the very few animals that can’t be handled by the public, The General is a favourite nonetheless.
With a fierce-looking stinger and powerful pincers, he looks intimidating - but actually, he’s pretty docile and tolerant. He’s a real talking point at parties, and demonstrates how animals defend themselves in our Classification and Adaptations workshop for primary schools.
The General
Species: Giant Asian forest scorpion (Heterometrus petersii)
Location: Asia
Although he’s one of the very few animals that can’t be handled by the public, The General is a favourite nonetheless.
With a fierce-looking stinger and powerful pincers, he looks intimidating - but actually, he’s pretty docile and tolerant. He’s a real talking point at parties, and demonstrates how animals defend themselves in our Classification and Adaptations workshop for primary schools.
Gone, but not forgotten
Our animals are not props: they are family members. Although we do everything we can to make sure they live long, healthy lives - there inevitably comes a point where nature takes them away from us. We know they touched the lives of so many, and they will never be forgotten.
Axl
Axl was our first chameleon (and he was a tiny baby when we got him), and a much loved part of the Scaly Safari Crew. With his funny expressions and mannerisms, he was a character that brought smiles to so many faces. We were absolutely devastated when he passed away in March 2026, and we were so glad we were with him in his final moments.
Dolly
Dolly the tenrec was nothing short of a legend. She stole hearts everywhere she went, and she was a much-loved member of our family. Even though she passed away in the summer of 2025, we still have people to this day asking for her - and this is a testament to her sweet personality, and bold little soul. She is deeply missed.