Archive for Reptiles
Visiting the Galapagos Islands
Our plane touched down an hour late on Baltra – one of 14 major islands that make up the Galapagos archipelago. The Baltra landing strip was built by the United States during World War II, and now serves as the primary means for visitors to arrive on and depart from the islands. We paid our …
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
A Behind-the-Scenes tour at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the zoo like never before. Have you ever wondered how our zookeepers safely care for and clean up after venomous snakes, or the training methods that they must go through in order to become confident enough to do so? …
Aldabra Tortoise Babies
Being a zoo keeper can be very exciting, especially when we get the chance to acquire and work with baby animals. We care for these young, vulnerable critters and take part in their growth and development into mature healthy adults. Some animals take longer than others to get to the adult stage such as the …
Komodo Dragons at Reptiland.
Komodo dragons are found on only a handful of Indonesian islands and are rarely exported to other countries. North American zoos cooperatively manage a captive population of dragons as an SSP (Species Survival Plan), but in recent years the US population suffered the loss of many adult females and the breeding program stalled. In 2010, …
Geckos: Disposable Parts
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be unable to outrun an enemy but too small to fight? The answer for most geckos is to give up their tail. Built-in weak spots in the bones of the tail make it easy to break. Most require a tug, but some geckos can pop off …
