Type of place
Habitat
Area
Blue zone
Status
Open

Best place to see reptiles and amphibians 

Hop around the world and experience some of the rarest and most unique reptiles and amphibians on Earth, from the snake-eating king cobra to mountain chickens we're saving from the brink of extinction. With eight different habitats, the Secret Life of Reptiles of Amphibians is an educational tour spanning across the globe, stopping off in the dense rainforests of South America, mountain jungles in Asia and giant dormant volcanoes in the Cameroon. 

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A new hub for science and conservation 

Representing some of the world’s most astonishing diversity, residents in the new purpose-built space at the Zoo includes the world’s largest amphibian and largest aquatic frog!

Delve into the secretive habits of these remarkable animals as they blend expertly into their environments – hidden in leaves and branches or just beneath the water’s surface. See through the eyes of a scientist as you learn about the surprising ways reptiles and amphibians survive and reproduce in their unusual habitats. Look through X-Rays in the lab, record scientific observations and even learn how to swab a frog to detect diseases.

Follow in the footsteps of conservationists and venture into the field. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open as you listen for the weird and wonderful sounds frogs use to communicate, spot animals among the branches and hop into a canoe to meet a Philippine crocodile. Find out about the exciting – and crucial –conservation work happening around the world to save reptiles and amphibians on the brink of extinction.

Our salamanders, crocodile, lizards and snakes will be expecting you!

Book now while tickets last

Animals at the Secret Life

  • Chinese giant salamander being held during a health check at London Zoo
    The world's largest amphibian

    Chinese giant salamander

    Chinese giant salamanders are the world's biggest amphibian, at full size they are around the size of a fully grown man at 1.8m in length.  

  • Mangshan pit viper with forked tongue out
    Protobothrops mangshanensis

    Mangshan pit viper

    They are one rarest of all snakes and were only identified by the scientific world in 1989.

  • Female Lake Oku frog
    Xenopus longipes

    Lake Oku clawed frog

    Lake Oku frogs are only found in one tiny lake in Cameroon, and we were the first to ever successfully breed this critically endangered species.

  • Anam leaf turtle at London Zoo
    Mauremys annamensis

    Annam leaf turtle

    The anam leaf turtle is one of the most endangered reptiles on earth, there are only around 50 remaining individuals in the wild. Little is known about them, and at our at our conservation Zoo we are working to better understand the species.

  • King cobra
    Ophiophagus hannah

    King cobra

    These massive snakes grow 18 feet long and primarily eat other snakes.

  • Big-headed turtle, it has a proportionally huge head and a long tail, and is a reddish-brown in appearance.
    Platysternon megacephalum

    Big-headed turtle

    This turtle’s head is so big it can’t be withdrawn inside its shell. Instead, the top and sides of its head are covered with a large bony ‘roof’ that acts like armour. 

  • Mallorcan midiwfe toad sitting on a rock
    Alytes muletensis

    Mallorcan midwife toad

    They were first described from fossils in 1977 and presumed to be extinct. The first living toads were found in 1979. They are threatened by invasive species that were introduced by the Romans. 

  • Philippine Crocodile at London Zoo
    Crocodylus mindorensis

    Philippine crocodile

    There are one only around 120 left in the wild, but we are working to recover Philippine crocodiles at the Zoo and in the field.

  • Our animals