Time to make a quick entry into the Blog………………..!!!! Spring and soon Summer are already upon us and not a minute to waste. Not only is the public part of the Center starting to look a bit seasonal with our greatest volume of School groups, Scout troops and even walk in customers enjoying the Center during this beautiful time of year, but as you may have guessed Reptiles LOVE the heat. Spring at a Reptile Farm literally explodes…………..!!!! We have a host of animals courting and getting ready to make more  little reptiles and amphibians in the coming months. We are already expecting Monacle Cobras, Cape Cobras, Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes, Cottonmouth water moccasins, Pygmy rattlesnakes, Southern Copperheads, Blue and Gold Poison Dart Frogs, and perhaps a host of other species. Nuisance removals and identification calls also increase dramatically this time of year. In addition unfortunately so does snakebite. The Discovery Center staff has already consulted on and been involved with four snakebites this spring, all occurring in the wild from wild snakes. Thankfully all of these bites had excellent outcomes with full recovery. That’s right Spring and Summer in Florida means Reptiles are active and on the move…………and this is  the time of year where we often encounter these creatures going about there daily routine in the warm weather BE CAREFUL OUT THERE…………….!!!

Because reptiles are ectotherms, cold blooded and rely on the temperature of the air around them for body temperature, warmer means more active, more feeding, more growth, more venom, and a time to make more of whatever kind of reptile  you might be. Consequently, our workload at the Center tends to increase dramatically this time of year. Feeding, cleaning, breeding, venom production and the general pace of all that we do at the Center gets extremely busy making caring for a very large reptile collection particularly challenging at this time of year. We are not complaining, there is almost nothing about the onset of the warm weather in Florida that both our animals and we don’t love.

Look for our new Wild Indonesia exhibit this Spring featuring the spectacular Reticulated python shown and housed in an outdoor setting. We are also adding a new monitor exhibit outside on Discovery Trail as well as a new enclosure for Rhinocerous Iguanas…………!!! The trail and many of our outdoor projects will continue to diversify as we get into the Warm season for 2010………………..We hope to see all of you at some point over the course of the Season.

           Poison Dart frog eggs                 Baby American Alligator                       Monacle Cobra Babies Hatching         

As we roll into February we have been open for just over a year and it has been fast and furious. 2009 was not only wonderfully rewarding but a chance to slowly begin to take in our new adventure of being open to the public. Part of the Centers mission is to bring people together with Reptiles in a comfortable, controlled setting which allows the general public to get up close and personal with these unique, spectacular creatures.

That part of the mission has been a resounding success, our animal encounter just before the venom program allows people of all ages to touch, hold and photograph a number of non venomous harmless reptile species. Watching peoples eyes light up, listening to the reaction of the first time snake holders, answering questions about a host of topics relating to reptiles, ……………How old is he…..?? does he bite…..?? what is her name…?? how long will she live….?? Where are they found…?? What do they eat…? Where can I get one….?? Why are they important in nature…..?? I think I love him……………..all just a sample of the average animal encounter and the extra special time our patrons spend in close proximity to these magnificent animals. In 2010 we will continue to grow………..expanding on our success and continuing to add new enclosures , animal ideas and of course expanding the list of Reptile and Venom projects.

The day to day life of the Center.

Winter of course is an interesting time at a reptile farm, even this far south in Florida we still have to contend with sometimes freezing temperatures and the challenge of keeping our outdoor animals warm. The Alligators do fine holing up in there temporary dens and of course the water into the enclosure stays at about 70 degrees even in the coldest of temps. The large tortoises and lizards all have access to heated barns this time of year and spend not only the nights in the barn but often a large part of the day. Our smaller outdoor animals ………..some of the more delicate tortoises and lizards are simply brought inside at night and temperature permitting returned to their outdoor enclosures during the day. Fortunately it is a short winter and as we move into late February we will already be setting our sights on the coming spring and warmer temps.

Late winter is also breeding time for many of our snake species. This time of year we normally still have monacle cobras together, ball pythons, eyelash vipers, and this year our male King Cobras just may have the chance to spend some time around one of our beautiful females just large enough and old enough to be of interest to our males.

I better get back to work, and we look forward to seeing all of our friends soon at the Reptile Discovery Center.