By SHIN YAMAMOTO/ Staff Writer
September 9, 2016 at 11:00 JST
Editor's note: This is part of a series of videos offering an up-close perspective on the animal kingdom. A special 360-degree video camera system was set up in zoos and other facilities to show how the animals view their world as they interact.
Also visit our special 360-DEGREE LIVES page (http://t.asahi.com/360lives), where you can watch all the previous videos.
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Known to the public for displaying a nightmarish myriad of cockroaches in an open space, iZoo in Kawazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, is actually a facility devoted to reptiles.
The zoological garden also shines the spotlight on large scorpions, millipedes, snakes and other creepy creatures.
The video camera buried in the ground inside their cages captured glimpses of how they spend their lives.
The emperor scorpion, the largest of its kind, is native to Africa. A close look reveals that its exoskeleton is actually bluish and shiny. About 20 centimeters in length, the scorpion has a pair of large pincers.
Native to the United States, corn snakes come in colors such as white, red, yellow and lavender and are often seen entwined together. They prey on small animals such as mice.
Kept in another cage are at least 20 large thousand-leggers called giant Tanzanian millipedes. One of the largest of its kind, growing up to 30 cm, they are found in Africa. A female reporter colleague screamed when she saw the screen while the video was being edited.
The zoological garden is home to 1,500 individuals from about 300 species including iguanas, snakes, turtles and other reptiles. Previously, about 2,000 Turkestan cockroaches were put on display in an open space. The number has been increased to about 10,000 since early August.
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