The Galapagos Islands are owned by Ecuador and straddle the equator 600 miles west of the mainland of South America. Each island is an exposed volcanic mountaintop –older ones being relatively flatter due to wind and water erosion. Newer islands are mountainous, with some volcanoes still erupting periodically. When Charles Darwin spent a month here in 1835, he wrote that from the water the land looked most uninviting, but the ever-curious Darwin explored four of the islands during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. He discovered that each island was home to many unique plants and animals. Not only were most different from those found on the mainland, but many were even different from one island to the next. In some cases, they are in view of one another. This seemed strange indeed, and although Darwin did not come up with his theory of natural selection during the voyage, as is widely believed, it is obvious from his notes that he suspected the islands might provide answers as to how new species are created. How was it, he wondered, that populations of mocking birds, finches, and giant tortoises could differ so much from island to island? They were obviously related, but different enough on some islands to be considered a separate race or species. Two years after his five year voyage his ideas began to coalesce, which led to his revolutionary book, On the Origin of Species in 1859.

And now, our group of nineteen people from Pennsylvania and Delaware found itself retracing some of Darwin’s footsteps. We visited two islands each day and saw wild roaming 500-pound tortoises, land iguanas, marine iguanas, lava lizards, sea lions, tropic birds, hawks, boobies, and a myriad of other species. Snorkelers swam with white-tipped sharks, green sea turtles, and untold numbers of beautiful tropical fish.

The islands are hot and usually covered with volcanic cinders or rocks. On many islands we went ashore on, there were magnificent beaches with sands that ranged in color from black to green to white. Plant life is fragile; rules about where visitors may walk were strictly enforced, but there was never a need to leave the path to see animals. They’re everywhere, often lying or nesting immediately on the path at your feet.

Due to the heat, hikes were taken at a slow pace. Our knowledgeable guides interpreted the natural history and answered questions. After we completed our walk, we loaded back into our dingy (called a panga), which motored us back to the Monserrat for lunch/dinner.

The food aboard the Monserrat was well presented and delicious. There was fish, poultry, beef, and fresh fruit dishes that concluded with wonderful desserts. The crew catered to our every need. Evenings were spent over wine, beer, mixed drinks, word games, and good conversation. The only near disaster occurred when our group discovered we had wiped out the boat’s supply of cabernet halfway through the cruise! The solution was near at hand: a National Geographic boat anchored next to the Monseratt had an extra supply, so our group abandoned any immediate thoughts of mutiny.

We returned to the wonderful Mercure hotel in Quito where we had started our adventure ten days earlier. From there, it was back to Dulles Airport, and then home.

I have led groups of visitors to the archipelago eight times over the past 20+ years, but  I have never tired of this magical place. In fact, I am currently putting together another cruise for late February next year. Hope you join me.

-Clyde Peeling

Like a giant factory, nature works around the clock. When the animals of the day shift retire for evening, their nocturnal counterparts fill in the same niches at night. For example- think about birds and bats. Whereas you see birds during the day, bats take their place at night. In actuality there are more nocturnal animals, both in sheer numbers and in number of species, than diurnal (active during the day) animals.

Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland offers an annual event that allows visitors to see these nocturnal animals up close, viewing the habits that we typically miss. You’ll be amazed by the efficiency of most nocturnal animals. Snakes, for example are among the most efficient nocturnal predators – even though they have poor eyesight. Their excellent sense of smell aids in detecting and tracking prey. Snakes smell with their tongue and some even have heat-sensing organs on either side of the face to detect the distance and location of the prey. Flashlight Safari offers the opportunity to venture through Reptiland’s exhibit gallery with nothing but a flashlight to guide you, seeing these incredible creatures at work. You will see mambas, cobras, pythons and rattlesnakes, along with aquatic turtles, poisonous dart frogs, tree monitors and crocodilians. But that’s not all… there will also be opportunities to touch certain animals—an American alligator, for one. Also in the lineup for up-close viewing will be Madagascar hissing cockroaches, a tarantula, emperor scorpion and boa constrictor.

After all this, if you have enough adventure left in you, be sure to step outside and explore Dinosaurs Come to Life, our animatronic dinosaur exhibit featuring a dozen species of life-size extinct reptiles. Torches and spotlights will help guide you through this journey where you’ll see a baryonyx waiting in the swamp, the venom-spitting dilophosaurus, gentle brachiousaurus, a nervous euoplocephalus and of course the two story tall tyrannosaurus rex!

The adventure awaits the next two weekend at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland on Friday and Saturday, October 19th & 26th  and 20th & 27th  from 6-9pm. Live nocturnal animal shows  featuring a great horned owl, Norway rat, emperor scorpion, giant Indian fruit bat, rattlesnake and more will be presented at 6, 7 and 8pm each night. Groups of 15 or more people that call in advance will qualify for special discounted rates. So, leave the ghosts and goblins for another time, and this year go on a Flashlight Safari at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland for an unforgettable experience! Click here for more information!

Many people often ask questions such as these during their visits to Reptiland, so several years ago we began offering Behind-the-Scenes Tours. These experiences are specifically designed for the curious-natured visitor who values the one-on-one time with one of our dedicated zookeeper staff. The tours are scheduled at a time that works for both our personnel and the visitors; then it’s just you, a zookeeper, and our off-display animals for a full 30 minutes.

You may not realize it, but Reptiland cares for several hundred animals in our off-display collection. There are several reasons for this. First off, we have a backup supply of animals so that if one of the exhibited species in the exhibit gallery has any sort of health issue, we can place another animal on display for our guests to view without ever having any habitats empty. Secondly, Reptiland owns and manages a fleet of traveling exhibits that are rented out to museums, zoos, and science centers throughout North America. These exhibits include Reptiles-The Beautiful and the Deadly, two separate units of Frogs! A Chorus of Colors, and Geckos-Tails to Toepads. We also manage the husbandry of a fifth traveling exhibit, Lizards and Snakes, Alive! which is owned by the American Museum of Natural History. Each of these traveling exhibits includes nearly 20 species of animals within the exhibit. Part of owning these exhibitions includes maintaining a backup collection of each and every animal that is on display within them. You can see how all these animals add up and make for one very large animal collection!

Visitors who have scheduled a Behind-the-Scenes Tour over the past year have also been delighted by one other surprise – Komodo dragons! Until the completion of our Komodo dragon building sometime in the near future, these two reptiles are being raised in our off-display area under very special care. They are extremely curious and always very aware of any visitors who make their way into the Reptile room to take a look at them.

With these tours, not only do you receive the opportunity to see these many reptiles and amphibians up close, but you also will learn about the venomous snake handling procedures, the dietary needs of our collection, and all that goes along with a career in animal care. And of course, our zookeepers are more than happy to answer all your questions along the way.  Behind-the-Scenes tours make a great experience for the animal lover, future herpetologist, or anyone who may be curious about our state-of-the-art animal care facilities. Visit our Behind-the-Scenes Tours page under the Other Services tab for pricing and more information.

But that’s not all we’ve been up to… a few months ago, we placed our annual butterfly plant order. These carefully selected plants have been raised under the special care of the gardeners at Ashcombe Farms greenhouse near Mechanicsburg. It is essential that the plants are grown free of pesticides and harmful chemicals in order to be safe for the captivating butterflies that will soon live off of their nectar. The butterfly exhibit plants were delivered, transferred and planted into our butterfly greenhouse last week. By the middle of April, we will begin receiving our first shipments of butterfly chrysalis. We work with several butterfly farms in order to exhibit many different species, all native to the United States. The butterflies are sent to us in the chrysalis stage and take anywhere from 5 to 10 days to emerge into an adult butterfly. Once a butterfly emerges it will, on average, live for about two weeks. The butterfly exhibit is a very relaxing place to stroll through and a favorite for the past several years among our guests.

The butterfly exhibit, along with Dinosaurs Come to Life will be opening on April 28, 2012. Again this year, we will treat our Members and Exhibit Sponsors to an exclusive preview night, to be held from 4-7pm on Friday, April 27th. The exhibits open to the general public on the following day, Saturday, April 28^th.

This February, Clyde will be taking a group on an African Safari to Tanzania with an opportunity for an extended trip to Rwanda. On this excursion, you will arrive at Kilimanjaro and visit places such as Tarangire National Park which houses one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. This park may also present to you the opportunity to see lions, cheetahs, baboons, leopards, impalas, zebras, ostrich, and oryxes. Another place you’ll be visiting is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest volcanic caldera. The rim is located at an altitude of 7,500-8,000 feet and your lodge is sited right on the rim. The locations you will be visiting within the crater are inhabited by thousands of flamingoes and other wildlife, giving you perfect photographic opportunities. The Serengeti is also on the list of places you will visit, and you will stop at the Ndutu area where the wildebeest migration herd spends the first part of each year. Concluding this trip will be a visit to Shanga which is a workshop for the disabled. Here the employees recycle bottles into beaded art.

Clyde and Dianne Peeling during Clyde’s last Tanzanian trip, February 2011.

For those who choose the Rwanda Extension, you will get a tour of Kigali city with a trip to the market and an opportunity for a pottery project. You will then journey through the characteristically terraced hillsides of Rwanda to the base of the Virunga volcanoes. This extension will also supply you with the chance to visit with mountain gorillas where you will track a gorilla family and spend an hour with them. You will also have an interactive experience in the village where you will learn about Rwanda traditions, culture, song, and dance. Rwanda is infamous for its genocide and war between the Hutu and Tootsie tribes in the 1990’s, so you will visit the Imbabazi Orphanage which shelters many genocide orphans and displaced children. You will also visit the Nyamata and Mtarama Genocide Memorials, and conclude your trip with breakfast on the top floor of the hotel which offers a fabulous view of the city of Kigali.

For more information on the Tanzanian Safari and the Trip Itinerary, click here.

It may be 25 years before they are considered adults of breeding age, in contrast to some snake and lizard species that can hatch and grow to breeding age in a year’s time. Until the time these young animals are big enough to be housed with our current adult Aldabra tortoises, they will be kept separated and off display where keepers can keep a close eye on their eating habits, give them an occasional soak, and record their weights over time. Within our large collection, we are currently raising two juvenile Komodo monitors, two common boa constrictors, Aldabra tortoises, frog-eyed geckos, Malaysian leaf frogs, and numerous species of poison dart frogs.

The team from Peeling Productions installing the perimeter fence around what will become the home for our komodo dragons.

We committed to building a facility to house and breed these giant lizards in Central PA, and work on a new 3,000 square foot building has begun. Dragons are unlike other lizards—they are active and need lots of space. Our new facility will include a 1,300 sq ft indoor exhibit, a large indoor holding area with shift facility, and a lush outdoor exhibit for warm weather viewing. Because dragons like it hot—95 degrees everyday, year-round—the building will need to be very well insulated. With that in mind, we have incorporated a living roof into our design, a first at Reptiland.

If you don’t want to wait to see these Komodo’s, they are included in our Behind the Scenes Tours! For details, highlight the “Other Services” tab located on the left and click on “Behind-the-Scenes Tours”.

A common frog-eyed gecko (Teratoscincus scincus) who has “dropped” its tail.

Another interesting adaption of geckos has is known as “Shock Shedding”. Grab the wrong gecko and you’ll find yourself holding nothing but skin! Gecko skin has two layers of dermis, creating built-in “tear zones.”  The outer skin easily peels off as the gecko squirms free and the inner layer remains as a barrier against infection.

Reptiland currently exhibits four species of geckos, including the giant leaf-tailed gecko, lined leaf-tailed gecko, tokay gecko and giant day gecko. Additionally, you can create your own gecko when you visit with our “Build-A-Gecko” interactive station.