Planet Zoo: Console Edition

The Gila monster (or Heloderma suspectum) is a large species of venomous lizard native to the arid regions of the Southern United States and Northern Mexico. It has orange and black scales arranged in a banded and reticulated pattern, measures 51 to 60cm long, and weighs between 350 and 700g. The Gila monster has a very keen sense of smell that it uses for hunting, and can often be seen scenting the air by flicking its tongue in and out of its mouth.

The giant tiger land snail (or Achatina achatina) is a large species of gastropod that lives in the woodland areas of West Africa; specifically Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria, among others. They have a grey body and a conical shell that’s yellow, orange or tan with black stripes – the distinctive pattern being the inspiration for their name. The species is hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female reproductive parts, so there are no distinct ‘males’ and ‘females’.

A large species of arachnid native to the deserts of the Southern USA and Mexico, the giant desert hairy scorpion (or Hadrurus arizonensis) is a predator specialising in ambush. Typically yellow, tan or pale green and with darker areas of colour on its back, the scorpion spends its time buried beneath the sand or under rocks, attacking insects and small vertebrates with its stinger. This immobilses its prey before the scorpion can then grab it with its jaws.

The giant burrowing cockroach (or Macropanesthia rhinoceros) is a large insect native to the scrublands and dry forests of Northern Australia. They measure approximately 8cm long, weigh 30g, and are dark reddish-brown in colour. They are so named for their habit of digging burrows in the sandy earth, often delving up to 1m into the ground. They are a popular pet because of the ease of care and their positive response to being handled.

The Eastern brown snake (or Pseudonaja textilis) is a venomous species of reptile that lives in Australia and New Guinea. It prefers to live in dry areas so can be found in the grassland, scrubland and sparse forests. The snakes are pale to dark brown in colour, often with a paler underside, and they may have slightly darker brown mottling on their scales as camouflage.

The common death adder (or Acanthophis antarcticus) is a venomous snake that lives in the grasslands, forests and bushlands of Eastern and Southern Australia. It has a flat, triangular head, a squat body and a rapidly tapering tail, as well as a banded patternation of light brown, dark brown and grey in order for it to be well disguised in leaf litter and other debris. On average, the common death adder is between 70 and 100cm long.

The Brazilian wandering spider (or Phoneutria nigriventer) is a species of arachnid native to South America – predominantly in the rainforests, although it does often live in urban areas alongside humans. The spiders are large, venomous and pale brown in colour, with a hairy body and black striations on their legs. Males are slightly smaller than females with a much smaller abdomen, and also have swollen bulbs on the end of their palps, which are the segmented appendages near the mouth and are often used to distinguish the sexes.

The Brazilian salmon pink tarantula (or Lasiodora parahybana) is a large species of spider exclusively endemic to the Atlantic Forest area of East Brazil. They are black in colour, with pink or red hairs on their legs and abdomen. When looked at as a whole, the males are slightly larger than females with a leg span that can reach 28cm, but females are heavier with a larger abdomen. Males also often have brighter coloration than females.

The boa constrictor is a large species of snake native to Central and South America. They are a ubiquitous species split into 9 subspecies, all of which are capable of living in most environments but mostly found in rainforests, coastal areas and semi-deserts. Although there are many different colours and patterns among these snakes, the typical appearance is pale brown, dark brown and black scales in a rhomboid pattern down the length of the body. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism; the males and females look different.

The Amazonian giant centipede (or Scolopendra gigantea) is a large, fearsome and predatory arthropod that is native to the forests of South America and the Caribbean. It is capable of catching, envenoming and killing many animals, and has learned specific techniques for catching particular prey. The centipede can reach 30cm in length and can occur in a variety of colours – typically red, yellow, brown or black – with yellow legs and dark stripes between body segments.