Discover the amazing diversity and beauty of invertebrates. Invertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone, and they make up 95% of all animal species on Earth!
Welcome to the Kirby Tropical House, where you can explore four different zones, each with its own theme and attractions.
Zone 1
Introduction to invertebrates
Here you can learn about the main groups of invertebrates, such as arthropods, molluscs, annelids, echinoderms, and cnidarians.
See examples of each family and learn about their:
Characteristics. What are the main features of each family?
Adaptations. What makes them the perfect fit for their habitat?
Roles in nature. How do they interact with other life forms?
Night life
In this zone, you can observe the nocturnal activities of some of our invertebrates. Learn how these animals use their senses, communication, and camouflage to survive and thrive after dark.
Some invertebrates produce light by bioluminescence, which is a bug scientist’s way of saying they even glow in the dark!
Multi-legged minibeasts
Meet eight-legged arachnids such as scorpions and vinegaroons. You’ll get to see these small animals up close and learn about their anatomy and behaviour.
Scorpions
Glow under UV light and some species can survive a year without eating!
Amblypygids
Can grow to be massive creatures. Some have leg spans that stretch to 25 – 27 inches!
Vinegaroons
Have been around for over 350 million years. Before they mate, they wrestle and dance in a courtship that can last up to 13 hours!
Butterfly museum
A showcase of pinned butterflies from all corners of the globe, featuring the stunning colours, patterns, and shapes of these winged wonders of the insect world.
Learn about their:
Life cycle: From egg to caterpillar, cocoon to winged adult.
Migratory patterns: Painted Lady butterflies migrate 4000km from Europe to Africa.
Habitats: Butterflies and moths are found on every continent apart from Antarctica.
Our pinned butterflies come from tropical managed farms so that the wild populations are not depleted.
Our other tropical houses
Kirby
tropical house
Includes our ‘Introduction to Invertebrates’ and ‘Night Zone’ exhibits.
Do you have a curiosity for the small and the strange? Then you will love The Bug Parc, where you can get up close and personal with some of the most fascinating minibeasts on Earth.
What a unique and great day out. 5yo loved it all, the staff are incredibly friendly and seem to really enjoy being asked questions, you can tell they are passionate about bugs! Each enclosure has an info ca...
Very worth a visit! We will definitely be returning when the butterfly house is built in 2025, and likely again at future stages. The talks are great, theres so much for kids to do, theres lots of wheelchair...
Absolutely fabulous! Really pleasant day out with a nice cafe. The ant enclosure is especially amazing and we throughly enjoyed the handling experience. Really kind staff too. Cant wait to see it grow!
Had a day out here and wow what a little find. Quite a lot for the kids to do, So many diff little critters to see. The leaf cutter ants are an amazing sight, its like an Ant motorway up there. Food and dri...
Absolutely fantastic day out. Small site but so much to see and do! Loved all the different bugs and especially the big handling experience. The girls also really enjoyed the pedal go karts! Loads of free pa...
We visited this hidden gem on Thursday, having only recently heard of it. We were not expecting much but so surprised and amazed by how good the Bug Parc is! We took 3 children between the ages of 2 - 6 and...
This was another great day out (our second visit). The handling was a great experience. Clean and tidy site and the toilets are immaculate!!!!! Such a fair place to visit, no extra costs to ride on the p...
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