Disclaimer: We received complimentary admission to the zoo and were treated to a beautiful presentation on the reptiles and other creatures. All opinions shared are my own.
Last week, we were invited to The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley to explore reptiles, amphibians and more!
A fun place for the whole family, The Reptile Zoo is full of exotic animals from around the world, many you can interact with.
We had the opportunity to sit and talk with Aaron in one of the private rooms as he shared fun facts on some of the species housed in The Reptile Zoo. For instance, meet Buddy, a Ball Python above. Typically from Africa, the Ball Python gets its name from the fact it loves to curl into a little ball when stressed or frightened.
Sausage: The Blue Tongued Skink Lizard. A fun fact about Sausage, if attacked by predators he can regenerate his tail, like several other species of lizards.
Leo, a Leopard Gecko; lives for about 15-20 years. Is is considered an insectivore, which means it eats bugs and insects.
Cornflake is a Corn Snake. They were originally bred to help with rodents in the field. They typically get up to 5 feet in length and are considered constrictors, meaning they strangle their prey.
Sydney, Whites Tree Frog, is from Australia and eats small bugs. He clings to all sorts of surfaces because of his suction cup like feet. Since he is an amphibian, so he likes to stay close to water, or produces a type of slime on his skin to stay moist.
Jabba is an African Bull Frog. He can eat anything he can fit into his mouth and is a carnivore, meaning meat eater. He has air pockets on the side of his face to make him look bigger if he is scared to make predators scared of him.
Toro – The Bull Snake or also known as The Gopher Snake. Comes from deserts around California. He is a carnivore, and as a pet, is usually fed rodents like mice. Generally as a pet, you would feed him as food that is as big as the largest part of their body, once a week.
Fluffy, a Chilean Rose Haired Tarantula scares most guests. However, he really is a sweet spider as he seems to enjoy taking in his surroundings. I actually volunteered to hold this big guy, whose long legs tickle you as he slowly walks up your hand. Generally a male lives 8-10 years while a female lives up to 20+years.
Rocky, an African Spur Thigh Tortoise, is quite amazing. He is 30 years old, weighs 45 lbs and is 2 feet long. They can get up to 150-200 years, 200 lbs and 3ft long. His spurs help him bury into sand or ground to keep himself warm. He is a vegetarian and likes lettuce, and carrots.
Spike, a Bearded Dragon, comes from the deserts of central Australia. His neck area blows up like a puffer fish and his spiked beard comes out to make him look more dangerous when predators are nearby.
Champ A Black and White Tegu Lizard from South America – Argentina. He is fun loving carnivore who uses his tail to help him balance or whips it to keep predators away. His split tongue helps him SMELL which direction his prey or food is coming from. With such a strong mouth, he can bite through bone. Amazingly, Tegu Lizards can be potty trained and they make great pets as they love to fall asleep in your arms. He’s really easy to feed as this one eats chicken breast and chicken eggs.
The Reptile Zoo is such a fun experience for kids of all ages. You can walk through their store, Prehistoric Pets, meander through the enclosures, admiring the creatures or even better yet, its a perfect place to host a birthday party or event!!!
The Reptile Zoo 18818 Brookhurst Street Fountain. Valley, CA 92708 714-500-0591 Admission Options Donation proceeds go to the care and upkeep of The Reptile Zoo and it’s inhabitants. Adult (Ages 12+) ……… $10 $5Discounted during expansion. Child (Ages 3-11) ……… $5 Toddler (Ages 0-3) ……. FREE Six-Month Passport…… $20 Annual Passport ………. $40 Connect with The Reptile Zoo: WEBSITE, FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.
Great write-up! My kids can’t wait to go back!
Thanks Jamie
Nice pix, Jenn. We had a great time. So informative and educational.