Planet Zoo: Console Edition

The red-ruffed lemur (or Varecia rubra) is a critically endangered species of primate native to the Northern Masoala rainforests of Madagascar. With yellow eyes and a black pointed face surrounded by the distinctive red ruff, the lemur’s body is covered in thick red fur and it has a black tail, hands and feet. It also has a white patch on the top of its head.

The red panda (or Ailurus fulgens) is a small mammal that lives in the woodlands of the Himalayas and multiple areas of China. Despite its name, it is not closely related to the giant panda, however it does share some characteristics such as a diet mainly consisting of bamboo. With red fur, black legs, a ringed tail, and white ears and snout, the red panda averages between 50 and 64cm from head to body, with a tail 28 to 59cm long. They are excellent climbers and good swimmers that enjoy living in a varied environment.

The pygmy hippopotamus (or Hexaprotodon liberiensis) is a species of medium-sized mammal that lives in the rainforests and swamps of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. They have grey-brown skin, small ears and sturdy legs with four-toed feet, and can usually be found near rivers, where they spend most of their time wallowing and sleeping. On average they are between 75 to 100cm tall, 150 to 175cm long and weigh between 180 and 275kg.

The puff adder (or Bitis arietans) is a species of venomous snake that is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the Southern Middle East. It distinguishable by its squat body, broad head and dull scales; these are beige, brown and black, and formed in a reticulated pattern to provide it with excellent camouflage on the savannahs and grasslands where it prefers to live. It’s a slow moving snake, but can reach great speeds when disturbed.

The pronghorn antelope (or Antilocapra americana) is, in fact, not a true antelope. While the North American mammal occupies a similar environmental niche to antelopes – hence the same name being used – for this reason it is often simply referred to as the ‘pronghorn’. It has a tan coloured coat on its back and sides, a white underbelly, and white chevron-shaped markings on its neck. The species stands an average of 81 to 104cm tall at the shoulder, measuring between 1.3 and 1.5m in length.

The plains zebra (or Equus quagga) is native to Eastern and Southern Africa, preferring to live in easy reach of water sources on the savannah. The species is divided into six subspecies, separated due to different features, usually varying strip patterns, and lack of interbreeding between groups. Plains zebra have the black and white stripes famous of all zebra, but are smaller than Grevy’s zebra and larger than mountain zebra. Males and females can both be 1.10 to 1.45m in height, and between 2.17 and 2.46m in length, although males are generally 10% larger than females.

The okapi (or Okapia johnstoni) is a secretive species native to the dense forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They have a distinctive appearance with a grey-white face, dark brown coat across their torso, as well as bright white stripes across their legs and hindquarters. The sexes differ slightly as the males also have small horns, whereas females have whorls of hair in the equivalent area. Both average 1.4 to 1.6m tall and 2.4 to 2.6m long.

The nyala (or Tragelaphus angasii) is a secretive antelope that lives in the thick undergrowth of the South-Eastern African savannah. They are sexually dimorphic, with males much larger than females; the former has a dark grey shaggy coat, yellow legs and twisted, yellow tipped horns, whereas the latter are tan in colour. Both sexes also have vertical white stripes on their back. Males measure between 0.9 and 1.1m tall, 1.35 to 1.95m long, and weigh 98 to 125 kg. Females are between 0.75 and 0.9m tall, 1.35m to 1.95m long, and weigh between 50 and 68kg.

The Nile monitor (or Varanus niloticus) is a large species of reptile that lives in the non-desert area of Sub-Saharan Africa. They have also been introduced to the USA – specifically California and Florida – where they are regarded as an invasive species. Nile monitors much prefer environments close to water, tending to live near rivers. Both sexes look the same and are between 120 and 220cm long, with more than half of this length being their tail. Adults tend to be brown to green, with dark stripes on their body and yellow spots on their legs and head.

The Mexican red knee tarantula (or Brachypelma hamorii) is a species of spider that lives in the scrublands, deserts and forests of Mexico. It has a black body and legs, orange-red coloration on the joints and, like all tarantula species, a body that’s covered in sensitive hairs. They measure around 10cm long with a leg span of 15cm and are nocturnal, living in burrows during the day and spending their nights hunting for prey. They feed on insects, small amphibians and small mammals.