Current projects
I've always been obsessed with the weird and wonderful- it's how Ali's Menagerie came to be- and it's often led me to some pretty cool species. Take a look below at a selection of our ongoing invert projects, and come and see us at the Bournemouth Bug Show on the 2nd June 2024 to chat all things invert!
My main goal is education, however the captive breeding of exotic species is also vitally important, and forms the majority of these projects. Many invert species are wild caught in great numbers and shipped long distances, often at the detriment of their welfare. Whilst I can't single headedly solve these issues, I am dedicated to finding ways the industry can improve and take these vital steps to a more sustainable pet trade!
Vampire crabs have always intrigued me, their mysterious name and devilish appearance drawing me to them several times before. My husbandry methods and understanding of the species I keep has developed an incredible amount since I first kept these creepy crustaceans, and this led to the formation of one of my favourite projects. This is Project Vampire.
Vampire Crabs are imported in vast numbers from Asia to meet the demands of the pet trade, and whilst this is far more than I could ever fulfil from my garage, I wanted to find a way to get these crabs breeding reliably in captivity- and it worked! In late 2023 we got our first crab babies, and we have been monitoring them closely with plenty of adapted care to ensure their success. We are optimistic that our first babies will be available soon!
You can find out exactly how I look after my crabs, and managed to get them breeding, in the February 2024 issue of Exotics Keeper magazine, which is out now!
The Blue Death Feigning Beetle is another hugely popular pet species, but, once again, they are exclusively wild caught. This is down to the difficulty of getting this particular species from its larval form into an adult beetle. It has been done only a few times before, but you'll notice we like a challenge!
We obtained our wild caught breeding stock in 2023, and are incredibly excited about where this project will lead. Through plenty of research and analysis of the methods used by others, we hope to be among the lucky few to celebrate this achievement. Follow along the project with us over on our social media!
Our Savage Flower Beetle project was one of the first ventures I made into the world of invert breeding. We've had some amazing success from the project, and continue to raise larvae in our dedicated invertebrate breeding room!
A sizeable and beautiful beetle, this species is one of my favourite inverts from our collection. Our current larvae should soon pupate and turn into adults.
Project Bioactive includes some of the unsung heroes of the world! Commonly referred to as 'clean up crew' or 'custodians', Springtails and Isopods are often kept in terrariums and vivariums to help create a fully-functioning ecosystem in miniature. Many of my own tanks are bioactive, and my love of isopods began when I started adding them to these habitats.
Our invert projects now include 10 isopod species, and a rare variety of orange springtail!
Millipedes are enchanting, almost alien, creatures, and are among the most popular inverts to keep as pets. We have a collection of 5 millipede species including the common Rusty Millipede and the much larger Chocolate Millipede.
Our most prolific breeding colony is that of our Bumblebee Millipedes, and we often have several offspring available.
Interested in any of these projects? Check out our social media pages for updates, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!