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The Zoospecies · habitats · children's zoo · care
The Zoo · Indoors · warm and humid · 14 species

Reptile house

Alligators and crocodiles, tortoises, the Komodo dragon, snakes, iguanas, poison frogs, axolotls and two invaders.

Cane toadGolden poison frogCuban treefrogAxolotlAmerican alligatorAmerican crocodileGreen anacondaGila monsterGreen iguanaBurmese pythonKomodo dragonEastern diamondback rattlesnakeAldabra giant tortoiseGopher tortoise

Cane toad

Rhinella marina
LCLeast concern

Invasive in Florida and Australia; its toxin can kill pets.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Least concern; invasive outside its native range.
Size
About 10-15 cm · Up to about 1.5 kg
What to watch forLook at the big poison glands behind the eyes.

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Golden poison frog

Phyllobates terribilis
ENEndangered

One of the most poisonous animals; its poison comes from its wild diet, so zoo-raised frogs are harmless.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Endangered.
Size
About 5 cm · About 30 g
What to watch forBright color is a warning signal.

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Cuban treefrog

Osteopilus septentrionalis
LCLeast concern

Native Cuba; invasive in Florida

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
invasive in Florida
Size
·

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Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum
CRCritically endangered

Stays in its larval form all its life and can regrow limbs. Wild ones live only in canals near Mexico City.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Critically endangered in the wild.
Size
About 15-30 cm · About 60-230 g
What to watch forLook at the feathery gills.

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American alligator

Alligator mississippiensis
LCLeast concern

Florida's state reptile. Removed from the US endangered list in 1987 after recovery.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Least concern; a recovery success.
Size
About 3-4.5 m (males) · About 200-450 kg (males)
What to watch forCompare the broad U-shaped snout with the crocodile's.

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American crocodile

Crocodylus acutus
VUVulnerable Threatened (US ESA)

South Florida is the only place in the US where both crocodiles and alligators live.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Vulnerable globally; reclassified from endangered to threatened in the US in 2007.
Size
About 3-4 m · About 400 kg
What to watch forLook for the narrow V-shaped snout and teeth showing when the mouth is closed.

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Green anaconda

Eunectes murinus
LCLeast concern

The heaviest snake.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Least concern.
Size
Up to about 5-6 m · Up to about 100 kg or more
What to watch forNote the eyes and nostrils on top of the head for lurking in water.

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Gila monster

Heloderma suspectum
NTNear threatened

One of the few venomous lizards. A protein from its saliva led to the diabetes drug exenatide.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Near threatened.
Size
About 50 cm long · About 1.4-2.3 kg
What to watch forLook at the beaded skin.

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Green iguana

Iguana iguana
LCLeast concern

Escaped pets formed invasive populations in South Florida.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Least concern.
Size
About 1.2-2 m including tail · About 4-8 kg
What to watch forLook for the third eye (parietal eye) on top of the head.

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Burmese python

Python bivittatus
VUVulnerable

Vulnerable in its native Asia, yet an invasive pest in the Everglades, where it has eaten many native mammals.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Vulnerable in its native range; Florida runs removal programs.
Size
Up to about 5-6 m · Up to about 90 kg
What to watch forAsk: how can one species be both endangered and a pest.

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Komodo dragon

Varanus komodoensis
ENEndangered

The largest living lizard; found on a few Indonesian islands.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Endangered, from its 2021 listing, as rising seas threaten its islands.
Size
Up to about 3 m long · About 70 kg
What to watch forWatch the forked tongue taste the air.

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Eastern diamondback rattlesnake

Crotalus adamanteus
LCLeast concern

The largest rattlesnake, native to Florida.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Least concern; declining in parts of its range.
Size
About 1-1.8 m · About 2-5 kg
What to watch forLook at the diamond pattern and the rattle segments.

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Aldabra giant tortoise

Aldabrachelys gigantea
VUVulnerable

From the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles; one of the largest tortoises alive.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Vulnerable.
Size
Shell about 1.2 m · About 150-250 kg
What to watch forWatch it stretch its neck for a scratch.

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Gopher tortoise

Gopherus polyphemus
VUVulnerable AZA SAFE: North American Turtle (check species coverage)

A Florida keystone species: its burrows shelter more than 350 other species.

Keeper's note
Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
Conservation
Vulnerable; protected in Florida.
Size
Shell about 23-38 cm · About 4-6 kg
What to watch forLook at the shovel-like front legs for digging.

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Watch and look

Live cams

Live cameras at zoos, sanctuaries and wild places. Tap to watch here, or open the provider page; all zoo cams.

Live Baby Turtle Cam at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain · local time at the camera
Best viewing: Live now; most cams run around the clock. Animals are most active in early morning and late afternoon local time.
Sanibel Gopher Tortoise Live Stream - Dolly's Burrow Cam
SCCFSanibelCaptiva · local time at the camera
Best viewing: Live now; most cams run around the clock. Animals are most active in early morning and late afternoon local time.

Short films

Swipe, then tap to play. Captions are switched on where the maker provides them. Each film plays from its maker's channel.

Komodo dragon experience at London ZooZSL - Zoological Society of London ↗
House of the Komodo dragon 🐉San Diego Zoo ↗
Khaleesi the Komodo dragon swoops into London ZooZSL - Zoological Society of London ↗
Komodo Dragon Experience at London ZooZSL - Zoological Society of London ↗
New Komodo dragon to debut at Saint Louis ZooSaint Louis Zoo ↗
Komodo dragon receives veterinary acupuncture therapy at the Palm Beach Zoo & C…Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society ↗
Sponge Bath for Raja the Komodo DragonPerth Zoo ↗
The #KomodoDragon names are......Toronto Zoo ↗
Tulsa Zoo - Moloch the Komodo DragonTulsa Zoo ↗

Picture gallery

Tap a picture to enlarge it. Every picture is public domain or openly licensed, credited below, and kept on our own server.

Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jakub Hałun · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Jakub Hałun · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Roger Culos · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Another one of my pictures: This photograph was taken by Medium69 (William Crochot) and released un… · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
NorbertNagel · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
NorbertNagel · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Didier Descouens · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ianaré Sévi · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
For classes

Lessons: The Reptile House: Meet the giantsPreviewThe Reptile House: Is "cold-blooded" true?PreviewThe Reptile House: Take its temperaturePreviewThe Reptile House: Watch one tortoisePreview

Drawer: Zoo: Reptile house

Quiz: Reptile house quiz · 5 questions

Next door: Natural history: the reptile room · Natural history: the amphibian room

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