Not evaluated

The llama (or Lama glama) is a species of camelid native to the mountains and steppes of Western South America. Naturally found in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, llamas have since been introduced all over the world as livestock because of the high-quality wool they produce. They are domesticated animals and have lived alongside humans as livestock and pack animals for 4000 years. They have a long neck, long legs and a stocky body covered in thick, shaggy wool, and they can be white, tan, piebald, black or grey in colour.

The giant forest scorpion (or Heterometrus swammerdami titanicus) is a large species of arachnid that lives in the tropical rainforests of India and Sri Lanka. It’s a stout, black coloured animal with thick chitinous body plates and very large pincers. It may also have a blue or green sheen to its cuticle. The giant forest scorpion’s pincers are strong and capable of catching and crushing prey, whereas its venom is relatively weak; most likely because it relies more on the strength of its pincers than the potency of its sting.

The yellow anaconda (or Eunectes notaeus) is a large, yellow-scaled species of constrictor snake with brown-black saddles across its back. It can primarily be found in the tributaries, swamps and marshes of the Paraguay river basin, but can also be located in Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil. As generalist predators, the yellow anaconda will feed on most small to medium sized animals that they are able to catch. The species is known for reaching large sizes – adults can reach an average length of 3.3 to 4.4m, as well as an average weight of 25 to 35kg.

The titan beetle (or Titanus giganteus) is an extremely large species that lives in the tropical rainforests of South America. It has a large reddish-brown and black abdomen, black coloration on its legs, antennae and thorax, and pale wings with brown vein structures. The beetle’s robust mandibles are strong enough to snap through twigs and, while both sexes have wings, only the males are capable of flight. Like many species, it is threatened by the ongoing destruction of the rainforest habitat that it calls home.

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 Goliath birdeater (or Theraphosa blondi) is an extremely large species of tarantula native to the tropical rainforests, swamps and marshes of Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil and Venezuela. It is tan brown in colour, covered in red-brown hair, has a large abdomen with a large, round thorax, thick segmented legs, and elongated pedipalps (mouth parts). The female is larger than the male, and both sexes have pronounced appendages on the end of their abdomen known as ‘spinnerets’ that aid in web deposition.

The Goliath beetle (or Goliathus goliatus) is a large species of insect that lives in the savannah and rainforests of Central Africa. The males and females are different in appearance and size; the males being larger – between 60 and 100mm – with a dark brown abdomen, a brown thorax with white stripes, black legs, as well as a white head with a Y-shaped horn. The females have shorter, thinner stripes on the thorax, are smaller in size – between 50 and 80mm – and do not have a horn.

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.