Czech zoos showcase rare mantises and newborn snakes

The Chomutov Zoopark opened the Czech Republic’s first exhibition of mantises, displaying more than 50 species and about 70 specimens, including the rare "religious" mantis that has recently expanded its range within the country. Director Vít Lukáš highlighted the exhibit’s aim to raise public awareness of invertebrate diversity and conservation projects.

At Prague’s zoological garden, curators presented newborn snakes rescued from smugglers: the Australian kite snake, Madagascar’s brown tree snake and the Tatar sand boa of the Middle East and Central Asia. Curator Petr Velenský noted the successful breeding of these confiscated animals, now on display in the zoo’s reptile houses.