London Zoo’s X-rays of exotic animals is a see-through showcase of last decade

London Zoo has released an insightful series of X-rays of its exotic creatures to showcase its work over the past 10 years.

Those fascinated by animal anatomy can now sift through the zoo’s archive by viewing the skeletons of birds, reptiles, and even a mountain chicken frog.

The X-rays also include a critically endangered big-headed turtle, Humboldt penguin chicks, and a Western diamondback venomous rattlesnake.

They were all taken during the zoo’s work to care for more than 14,000 animals and 400 species.

The zoo’s vet team said the scans were vital in helping diagnose any problems and ensuring the animals remained “in tip-top condition”.

Sophie Sparrow, senior veterinary nurse, said: “Many of the species in our care are threatened in the wild and are part of important global breeding programmes.

“This means we have far less medical information about them in existence than we do for domestic animals.”

She said that the zoo shares this vital information from X-rays with vets and conservationists around the world, “helping to improve animal and veterinary care globally”.

She added: “A trip to the vet is a little more complicated for a lion than it is for a house cat, so we work with zookeepers to make any treatment needed as simple as possible for the animals.

“For example, keepers build training for healthcare into the animals’ daily routines.”

She explained that when simple procedures had to be administered, like a blood test, animals don’t need to have a general anaesthetic anymore.

She said: “Animals like Banu, our Asiatic lion, are happy to simply offer up their tail for a blood draw,” instead of taking the drug.

The images have been shared ahead of the conservation zoo’s Vets In Action event this February, which will see children join the vet team during the spring half-term to learn more about their work.