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Our Animals: Service
Wee Critters Interactive Animal Education Logo
Wee Critters Interactive Animal Education Logo

Meet Our Wee Critters

Wee Critters is a small family business and our critters are a big part of our family.  They have been reared by us, rescued by us, are cared for by us and are loved by us!

 

They act as animal ambassadors for their species in our interactive animal education sessions and help us share important messages about the world around us, the animals we share it with and the wee ways that we can all make the world a better place.
 

From the curiously cute to the creepy and crawly, when you book our services a carefully selected team of our ‘wee critters’ will come straight to your venue.

Striped skunk

Scampi & Cricket

Striped skunks

This pair are so ‘stinking’ cute!

 

Our striped skunks are sisters, called Scampi and Cricket. They not only look different but they have completely different personalities.

It’s easy to spot Scampi as she has a thick white shaggy coat of fur all along her back and is a little smaller than her sister. Cricket has the classic and very distinct double white stripe markings along her back.

Scampi is the more inquisitive skunk. She loves to explore and loves attention.   However, Cricket is a more timid character. While she likes to spend time with her sister and with us, she hates car journeys and being in unfamiliar places so she doesn’t participate in visits. All of our animals get the choice to participate and if they don’t want to, they just don’t have to!

Let Scampi 'earn her stripes' and come along to your next session!

Tiggy and Winkle the African pygmy hedgehogs

Tiggy & Winkle

African pygmy
hedgehogs

These sisters look sharp!

 

Tiggy and Winkle are African pygmy hedgehogs.  They are sisters, born in early 2020. 

 

Here at Wee Critters, we are big fans of reading and lots of our animals are named after literary characters.  Our hedgehog sisters are named after the much-loved character, Mrs Tiggywinkle, from the Tales of Peter Rabbit!

They certainly 'hog' the limelight during our interactive sessions.

Arthur the three-banded armadillo

Arthur & Family

Three-banded
armadillos

They are so arma-dorable!

 

Arthur is a three-banded armadillo.  This species is found in South America and their name comes from the Spanish word 'armado' which means 'armoured'.  The plated armour isn't this species only protection against predators as three-banded armadillos are the only armadillo species that can roll up completely into a ball.

 

We named Arthur after King Arthur and the knights of the round table (as knights also wear armour).  Arthur lives at Wee Critters with Bella, Poco and his daughter, Willow.

Our armadillos may have a hard exterior but they melt all hearts with their personalities. 

 

Book today and have a ball with Arthur and our other armadillo friends!

MAMMALS
Mammals title
Mork and Milo the meerkat brothers

Mork & Milo

Meerkats

Meet the mob!

 

Our meerkat mob is made up of two brothers, Mork and Milo.

They are easy to tell apart as Milo is significantly bigger than his little brother but this doesn't bother Mork as he's actually the one in charge!

This troublesome two-some are often up to mischief but are great ambassadors for our important curriculum-based school topics.

 

Mork and Milo don't currently participate in birthday parties!

Sugar glider

Wee Dave 

& Gidget

Sugar gliders

They're  just so sugary sweet!

 

Sugar gliders are an Australian marsupial.  The name refers to this critter's love of sugary foods including sap and nectar and the fact that it can use its flaps of skin on either side of its body to glide through the air.

A few years ago we travelled to Australia to meet my wife's long lost Uncle Dave and he was a massive inspiration in the creation of the Wee Critters business so 'Wee Dave' is named after him.  Wee Dave lives with his friend, Gidget!

This little guy will leap into your hearts as well as your sessions!

Iggle the Madagascar lesser hedgehog tenrec

Iggle & Piggle

Lesser Madagascar hedgehog tenrecs

What a prickly pair!

Lesser hedgehog tenrecs live in dry forested areas of southern and southwestern Madagascar.

 

When threatened, these nocturnal mammals roll up into a ball with only their spines visible.  While this behaviour is similar to a hedgehog (and they look quite similar), scientists now think that the lesser hedgehog tenrec is actually related to elephants, aardvarks and even manatees and is not related to the hedgehog at all!

Iggle and Piggle live together at Wee Critters headquarters with their own wee family!

Move it, move it to book a session and meet these Madagascan friends!

Summer & Winter

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Winter white hamster

It's a winter-ful life with this pair!

Winter and Summer are winter white hamsters. In the wild, the winter white hamster is found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia and China.

Winter white hamsters are a brown colour with a dark stripe along the back but as winter approaches, the fur turns to a white colour to provide great camouflage in the snow of their habitat.  Jack comes along to our sessions to teach everyone about animals in different seasons and some of the amazing adaptations animals have to protect themselves!

Book a session today and chill out with these frosty friends!

Bramble the harvest mouse

Maizy & Bramble

Harvest mice

They are  simply a-maize-ing!

These miniature rodents are found across Europe and Asia.  Adults are so small they weigh as little as 7 grams!  They have a long prehensile tail that they use to help them climb through cereal crops, maize and vegetables.

Although common across much of their range, these wee critters are locally endangered in the UK and populations are decreasing.  It's so important to remember that even on our own doorstep wildlife faces an uncertain future

A visit from Bramble and Maizy will make sure it's a mice day for all.

Fancy mouse

Stuart Little

Fancy mice

He's just a little squeak-heart!

Stuart Little is named after the classic children's book character.  This little critter is surprisingly always a favourite in our sessions.

At Wee Critters we feel passionately about educating people about smaller animals that are usually more overlooked.  Stuart, although a fancy mouse, is a perfect ambassador for his endangered wild rodent cousins.

Scurry on over and book your wee critters session today!

BIRDS
Pepper the white-breasted barn owl

Pepper

White-breasted barn owl

It's owl about Pepper!

Pepper is a white-breasted barn owl. 

Sometimes when we think about animals at risk it’s easy to think about large animals from far off countries but the truth is that it’s happening on our own doorstep.

There are fewer than 30 breeding pairs of barn owl left in our wee country.

Pepper is not just a much-loved member of the Wee Critters family but is an ambassador for her species during our interactive animal education sessions.

'Owl' you need is a visit from Pepper for your group, school or party!

Dobby the white-faced owl

Dobby

White-faced owl

Dobby is a real hoot!

 

White-faced owls are a small species of owl but Dobby certainly has a big personality.  He arrived with us as a small owlet and made his presence known from day one.  

White-faced owls have a rather magical defence mechanism. When faced with a similar-sized predator they flare their wings to appear larger. When faced with something much larger, they elongate their body and narrow their eyes to thin slits.   It really is quite a transfiguration!  We think he is so ‘magical’ that he was named after Dobby the house elf from Harry Potter!  

Time will 'fly by' with .a visit from Dobby!

Kiki-Dee the Jenday conure

Kiki-Dee

Jenday conure

Kiki-Dee brightens up every day!

 

Kiki-Dee is a Jenday conure, a small and colourful member of the parrot family.  This stunning species is found in Northern Brazil.

Kiki-Dee is extremely friendly and a real character.  She loves to sit on Allan's shoulder and her favourite snack is sunflower seeds.  

Don't go breaking her heart, invite her to join you for a Wee Critters experience!

Bird title
REPTILES
Elliott the Argentine black and white tegu

Elliott

Argentine black and white tegu

This guy's appeal is black and white!

 

The Argentine black and white tegu is the largest of all tegu species and is native to the tropical rainforests and savannahs of Eastern and Central South America.

Elliott unfortunately grew too big for his previous owner and we happily welcomed him to our family! We therefore don’t know what age he is for sure but think he is maybe around 8 or 9 years of age.

 

Elliott is extremely sociable and highly intelligent. In fact when I’m busy caring for, feeding and cleaning the wee critters he is a bit of a shadow and tends to follow me around.

Elliott shares his home with Theo, Esio Trot and Tortie, our tortoises and is often found snuggling up under the heat lamp with them!

Elliott is named after the dragon from Pete's Dragon!

Severus Snake the common boa.jpg


Severus Snake

Common boas

There's nothing common about Nagini and Severus

 

Nagini and Severus snake are common boas, a species of snake found in Central and South America.

Boas catch their prey by striking and wrapping their body around it to constrict it.

Although this species of snake has good eyesight they rely a lot on scent.  They use their tongue to pick up scents around them.

Like some of our other critters, Nagini and Severus were named after characters from the Harry Potter books.

Book today for a magical experience.

Tortie the sulcata tortoise

Tortie

Sulcata tortoise

She's the tortle package!

  

Tortie is a sulcata tortoise, which is the third largest species of tortoise in the world! 

 

Sulcata tortoises are also known as African spurred tortoises due to the sharp protrusions on legs.

 

Tortie can be a little bit grumpy but soon comes round when served her favourite salad treats, especially red peppers!

 

Tortie is only seven years old but she can live for more than 70 years!

Book a Wee Critters session to meet this tort-ally amazing tortoise!

Reptiles title

Panther chameleon

Honduran milk snake

Theo the leopard tortoise

Theo

Leopard tortoise

Wait until you spot Theo!

 

The leopard tortoise gets its name from the camouflage pattern on the shell.  The markings on each tortoise’s shell are unique, just like our fingerprints.

 

Theo joined our family when his previous owner could no longer care for him.  For that reason we don't know exactly how old he is but we believe that Theo could be roughly 50 to 60 years of age.

Pascal the panther chameleon

Pascal 

A chameleon reasons we love him!

 

Male panther chameleons are more vibrantly coloured than females.  The colour of the male also varies based on the geographical location or ‘locales’ in which they are found.  Pascal is a ‘Nosy Be’ and is therefore a bright blue colour.   

 

The most distinctive thing about chameleons are their eyes.  Their eyes move independently of each other and they can rotate each eye separately to focus on two entirely different objects simultaneously.  This gives them full 360 degree vision.  

William Snakespeare the Honduran milksnake

William Snakespeare

Parting is such sweet sorrow at the end of a visit from William!

 

William Snakespeare is a Honduran milk snake.  This snake is red in colour with distinctive rings / bands that are black and orange in colour.

 

The marking and behaviours of this snake imitate the venomous coral snake.  Predators believe they are dealing with a much more dangerous animal and therefore often leave them alone. 

Black-headed python

Bazza

Black-headed python

G'day Bazza!

 

Bazza is a black-headed python.  The black-headed python is an Australian species.  This snake, as its name suggests, has a distinctive appearance with a shiny black head and yellow/beige body with brown band markings.

As a cold-blooded animal snakes rely on the heat of their surroundings to regulate temperature. The black-headed python doesn't bask in the sun to get warm as this would expose it to predators.  Instead, this python sticks its head out of its burrow and the black colour allows it to act like a solar panel and heat the snake's body.

Blue-tongued skink

Bluey

Blue-tongued skink

Crikey he's a great wee critter!

 

This little cold-blooded friend is a blue-tongued skink. The blue-tongued skunk is a lizard found in Australia and New Guinea and obviously gets is name from its amazing blue tongue!

It is thought that the tongue is blue to scare off predators if the lizard is attacked.

Take your blues away with a visit from Bluey and our Wee Critters family.

Peter's banded skink

Smaug & Sidney

Peter's banded skinks

Let this cold-blooded pair warm your heart!

Sidney and Smaug are a desert species of skink, a form of lizard which typically has short limbs.  Peter's banded skinks are from Northern Africa and are a dull yellow colour with black band markings running the length of their body.

These skinks are nocturnal.  During the day they burrow under the sand to avoid the heat of the desert and come out at night.

Ozzie the New Caledonia giant gecko

Ozzie

New Caledonian giant gecko

Geck'yo act together and invite Ozzie to visit!

This gecko is found on the remote islands of New Caledonia.  Populations of the New Caledonian giant gecko have been reduced in the wild by habitat destruction and predation by invasive species that have been introduced to the islands such as cats and rodents.

Some of the indigenous Kanak people of New Caledonia fear this gecko. This is because of an old superstition that the gecko has the ability to cling to a person's body and pull out that person's soul.

angolan python.jpeg

Angelo

Angolan python

Angelo is ssss-imply amazing!

 

Angelo is an Angolan python.  This snake is native to Southwest Africa from Angola to Namibia.  

 

The Angolan python's scales are almost bead-like and bumpy.  As these snakes get so little moisture in their native lands, the skin pattern helps them store humidity Their scales are a reddish-brown to black colour with cream-colored patterns.

AMPHIBIANS
Amphibians title
Trevor the cane toad

Trevor, Ron & Neville

Trevor is Toad-ally awesome!

 

The cane toad is the largest species of toad in the world, measuring an average of 10 to 15 centimetres in length.

 

We were approached to take care of Trevor after his previous owner did not care for him adequately.  When he arrived with us he was extremely underweight and had various health conditions.  We were very concerned for his welfare but with some intensive care over the following months, Trevor improved dramatically!  

Trevor now shares his home with two other cane toads called Neville

and Ron.

Frank the White's tree frog

Frank, Fiona & Phillip

Hop to it and see this pair!

 

White’s tree frogs are also known as “dumpy frogs” or “smiling frogs” due to their appearance.  White's tree frogs are found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.  They have a bluish green or rusty brown colour which can change shades depending on the temperature and colour of their environment.

While White's tree frogs are not endangered, Frank and his friends help me to highlight the plight of amphibians across the world.  It is estimated that a third of amphibian species are now endangered and at risk of extinction!

Book a Wee Critters session for a 'ribbit-ing' time!

Cane toads

White's tree frogs

INVERTEBRATES
Invertebrates title
Charlotte the Chile rose tarantula

Charlotte

Chile rose tarantula

Hairy Mary the Mexican red-kneed tarantula

Hairy Mary

Mexican red-kneed tarantula

Asian forest scorpion

Scorpio

Asian forest scorpion

Charlotte

Speedy the African giant land snail

Flash &
Speedy

African giant land snail

millipede 1.jpg

Stampy

Giant African millipede

Charlotte

Craig the Madagascan hissing cockroach

Craig

Madagascan hissing cockroach

Close up of female Jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) on the tree trunk, dorsal view.jpg

Nymphadora

Jungle nymph

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