(more images coming soon)
When we receive in new reptiles at Safari Joe's, we research each reptile to get as much information as is possible. Since reptiles grow at different rates, it makes it difficult to judge their ages accurately. Diet and housing play a significant part in their development. Improper nutrition and habitat may stunt a reptiles growth making it seem much younger than it actually is. These things are why we try to obtain each reptiles individual history, so we are able to meet their needs effectively. Unfortunately, some reptiles are found that have escaped their owner, or have been released illegally making prior information unattainable.
Alligators and Crocodile:
- KuuKuuVay:
KuuKuuVay is a yearling North American Alligator donated to the park.
- Nelson:
North American Alligator, born in 1997. He is approximately 4 feet long.
- Bruce:
North American Alligator born in 1997. He is also approximately 4 feet long.
- Big Al:
North American Alligator born in 1997. He is approximately 5 feet long.
- Dundee:
Dundee is a Nile crocodile that was donated at the same time as KuuKuuVay.
Snakes:
Pythons and Boas are in the same scientific family and are constrictors. The term constrictors refer to their method of subduing food by coiling around the intended prey and suffocating it. Most pythons and boas are nocturnal hunters and some species have heat sensory pits along the edges of their lips to aid in finding warm-blooded prey. They also have a sensor located in the roof of their mouth called the Jacobson's Organ. They take particles out of the air with their forked tongue, and the Jacobson's Organ interprets these particles and tells the snake a little about its environment.
Burmese Pythons:
Native throughout Southeast Asia, they can grow to be more than 20 feet long, weigh about 200 pounds with a life span up to 25 years.
- Big Mamma:
Male, 13 feet, approximately 70 pounds, age unknown. She has a severe curvature of the spine. We think it is a birth defect. She has limited movement in the tail but it has not affected her growth.
- Molly:
Albino, Female, 9 feet, approximately 50 pounds, age unknown. Molly is the sweetest snake we have. She loves to be held and have her back stroked.
- B.A.:
Male, 9 feet, approximately 65 pounds, age unknown. He is named B.A. because of his 'Bad Attitude".
Ball Pythons:
Native to Western and West-Central Africa can grow to be more than 6 feet long, weigh about pounds with a life span up to 25 years.
- Niles:
male, 3 ½ feet, approximately 5 pounds, age unknown.
- Lucky:
Female, 3 feet, approximately 5 pounds, age unknown. Police Officers found her in someone's backyard. They were going to shoot her but luckily one of our volunteers came to her rescue.
Red Tail Boas:
Native to South America, can grow to be more than 12 feet long, weigh about 50 pounds with a life span up to 30 years.
- Nakita:
Female, 6 feet, approximately 45 pounds, age unknown.
- Titon:
Male, 5 feet, approximately 40 pounds, age unknown.
Snake myths:
- Myth: Snakes have no bones.
- Fact: All snakes have bones. The larger pythons, boas and anacondas can have 300-400 pairs of ribs.
- Myth: All snakes are venomous.
- Fact: In the United State only about 20 out of 110 breeds are venomous. If your out in the wild and are not sure please respect the snake's home space, back away carefully and Do NOT throw anything at it. If you leave the snake alone, it will not feel threatened and should leave you alone.
- Myth: Only venomous snakes have teeth.
- Fact: All snakes have teeth but venomous snakes have an extra set of teeth called fangs that are used to deliver the venom.
Iguanas:
Most Green Iguanas live in the rain forests of Central and South America, some come from drier areas and along the coasts. The ones commonly found in pet and reptile stores come from Columbia, Honduras, Peru, Mexico and Surinam. Because of the destruction of the rain forests and the demands of the wildlife and pet trade, green iguanas are considered to be "threatened" and are listed on Appendix II of the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
In the wild, iguanas are expected to live for 10-15 years. If cared for properly in captivity they may live for 20 years or more, reaching a length of 5-7 feet, weighing up to 18 pounds.
- Igor: male, 4 years old, 4 ½ feet, 15 pounds
- Rex: female, 5 years 4 ½ feet, 10 pounds
- Iggy: sex unknown, age unknown, 2 feet long
Galapagos Tortoises:
The Galapagos Tortoise can only be found on the Galapagos Islands and on the Aldabra atoll in the Indian Ocean. The main threat to the survival of the Galapagos Giant Tortoise is humans and the animals they introduce into the habitat which compete for food or eat incubating eggs.
They reach sexual maturity at 20-30 years of age. They can live up to 200 years old and weigh up to 500 pounds. They are strictly herbivores, eating such plants as cactus pads, leaves, grass and fallen fruit. The Galapagos Tortoise has a very keen sense of smell and will smell it's food before eating it.
- Gabrielle:
male, approx. 10 years, 150 pounds.
- Harriet:
female, approx 10 years, 100 pounds.
- Pauline:
female, approx. 11 years, 100 pounds. Pauline came to us with a very flat shell. The previous owner who had taken excellent care of her got her from a region that did not have sufficient sunlight. So Pauline was unable to absorb enough Vitamin D to help her shell grow in a dome shape. She is, however, thanks to the previous owner and hard work on our part doing wonderfully and is growing more and more everyday.
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