MINI BEAST expert Kieran Berry gave Year 4 pupils at Kirkby Stephen Primary School hands-on experience of how to care for a wide range of animals, including jungle nymphs, giant train millipede and a bearded dragon lizard called Dude.

As well as learning how to handle the creatures safely, the children discovered more about the habitat and habits of the mini beasts before passing on the information to the rest of the school in a special Mini Beast Assembly.

Dude the bearded dragon lizard proved popular with the class as it is the friendliest of the lizards.

Kieran said: "The giant train millipede is called Milli and measures 20cm and will grow to approximately 30cm, Millipedes are the dustbin men of the forest floor, turning dead wood and leaves back into compost."

The children also had the opportunity to observe a deadly scorpion whicho was kept in a special coffin-shaped glass box.