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Best Reptile Exhibits in the World !
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by Cro on September 14, 2006
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Decided to start a new thread and see where it would go. Dave asked just which Zoos have the best Reptile Exhibits in this country. I posted a list of places I have visited that have, or did have in the past, Excellent Reptile Exhibits. Here is my list again:
Abilene ZOOlogical Gardens, TX
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, AZ
Cape Fear Serpentarium, NC
Clyde Peeling`s Reptiland, PA
Dallas Zoo, TX
Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Fort Worth Zoo, TX
Gladys Porter Zoo, TX
Houston Zoo, TX
Knoxville Zoo, TN
Reptile Gardens, SD
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, SC
Roark's Reptile Safari, SC
San Antonio Zoo, TX
Staten Island Zoo, NY
Woodland Park Zoo, WA
Zoo Atlanta, GA
Isn`t anyone else going to add to my list of Zoos with excellent reptile exhibits? Or correct my list and tell me that some of the Zoos listed no longer have good exhibits? After all, its been over 20 years since I visited some of these Zoos!
Surely, there are some more in other parts of the country that I have not visited, but should be on the list? What about Rob Carmichael`s Wildlife Discovery Center? Hey, it is not on my list because I have never been there. But it should be added to this thread by folks who have. Lets see just what we can come up with in the way of a comprehensive list of the Worlds Best Reptile Parks?
Does Denny Seabolt still have the ``Snakatorium`` in Pannama City, Florida, LOL ? !
And hey, what about the members here who live in Australia, Wales, Germany, England, South and Central America, Canada, Greenland, and Mexico, etc ? How about telling us the ``Must See`` Zoos with reptile exhibits in your areas, just in case we are ever fortunate enough to travel to some of those countrys?
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Best Reptile Exhibits in the World !
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by timberrattlesnake89 on September 14, 2006
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I would also mention San Diego Zoo. From what I have heard they have a whole two story builiding for non-venmous and one for venomous.
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RE: Best Reptile Exhibits in the World !
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by MattHarris on September 14, 2006
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I was at San Diego back in 1998 and it was really impressive then, but it was all outside, you basically walked through outdoor exhibits, but they had an Australian taipan, Collet's snake which weren't that common back then.
MH
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RE: Best Reptile Exhibits in the World !
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by Cro on September 14, 2006
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Everyone has heard of the Miami Serpentarium, and I visited there many times in the past, but I believe it is now closed.
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Best Reptile Exhibits in the World !
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by Buzztail1 on September 14, 2006
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San Diego Zoo is quite impressive although I haven't found any two story exhibit yet.
Central Florida Zoo has some very nice animals and exhibits. They used to have a huge Bothrops asper on display that was a most impressive animal.
The Jacksonville Florida Zoo has some nice exhibits too. I like their Green Mamba set-up and their indoor-outdoor Eastern Diamondback exhibit. We got to see the EDBs hooked up one year in the very early spring.
The Zoo in Perth, Australia was great. I got to watch Pilbarra Monitors hatching and their "Common" Boa Constrictor was the biggest I have ever seen.
The London Zoo was also impressive but that was almost 20 years ago and the details that I can actually recall are sketchy at best.
The Singapore Zoo is wonderful but the Bird Park has more reptiles. They had some gorgeous spitting cobras on display.
I didn't see the National Zoo in Washington DC on your list. They have an almost completely black Timber Rattlesnake with just sliver sized caramel crescent patterns down each side that is my favorite of all time rattlesnake to see.
I have been to a lot of zoos all over the world but these are the ones that have stuck out in my mind. For the others I would have to consult my notes.
Of the other ones previously listed, I have been to:
George Van Horne's Reptile World Serpentarium, FL
Abilene ZOOlogical Gardens, TX
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, SC
San Antonio Zoo, TX
Woodland Park Zoo, WA
Miami Serpentarium, FL (circa 1982)
and agree that they are all well worth visiting.
Bill Haast did close the Miami Serpentarium in the early 80's. I believe that his current facility is also called the Miami Serpentarium but it is definitely not open to the public.
To save anyone the trip, the Miami Zoo does not display reptiles - at least they didn't when we made the trip down there.
Karl
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RE: Best Reptile Exhibits in the World !
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by rickyduckworth on September 14, 2006
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the whole miami zoo was a complete letdown from a herp standpoint......nashville's zoo has some nice herps
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RE: Best Reptile Exhibits in the World !
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by Rob_Carmichael on September 14, 2006
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Okay, I'm partial and extremely biased but the Wildlife Discovery Center SHOULD be on your list. I've been to all of the mentioned destinations and they are all excellent and ones that I aspire my facility to be. I couldn't remember if Kentucky Reptile Zoo or Oklahoma City Zoo were listed but if they aren't, they should be as well. There are many others not listed but my brain just went dead.
Why should the WDC be listed? Here's why:
1) We are located in a nationally historic farm that was built in 1917 (and was awarded the prestigious "Save Our America's Treasures" award by the President's Office) and it sits on 600+ acres of the finest black soil, tall grass savanna in the U.S. and is home to a nice variety of herps (as noted by the Nature Conservancy). Our reptile conservation education programs have received international attention and a shooting on Animal Planet (I know, big whoopie deal but we enjoyed our short time on set).
2) The WDC features over 100 species of herps ranging from Illinois/Midwest native herps to many exotics. We also have raptors but herps is where we are at.
4) Our Grass Is Rattling Exhibit has over 65 species of venomous herps including over 30 species/subspecies or rattlesnakes on exhibit making it one of the largest in the U.S. and also features: the infamous "Thai" the King Cobra, a huge gaboon viper that was found in a dumpster in Chicago!, rhino viper, jameson's mamba, western green mamba, saw scales, Cerastes, Banded egyptians, various arboreal vipers incl. Nitsche's Viper, and more and we even have a screech owl in this exhibit that will talk to you...beat that!:-)
Seriously, though, there are so many incredible facilities in the U.S. and I truly enjoy visiting as many as I can because I take back so many great ideas on how we can improve our exhibits and conservation education programs and messages. Although we operate on a very limited staff and budget, we make it work through hard work, dedication, always seeking knowledge and sharing our successes (and challenges), and, perhaps most importantly, passion. I'm not one to toot my horn but I am pretty dang proud of how far we have come in 15 years and still have many big dreams and ideas ahead. It's great to see herps still being the NUMBER ONE attraction in zoos in the U.S.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL
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