Having collected a good number of venomous animals over the years, some by design and some by accident, we decided to take a portion of the retail store and turn it into a venomous reptile museum. It will open in January 2012 and there will be a small admission fee. We will typically have between 20 and 30 animals (reptiles and a couple spiders) on exhibit in the museum. As interest in the museum grows, we will add more animals and eventually move the museum to a larger space. As with all of our other ventures, educating the public regarding these marvelous creatures and the benefits they provide us will be a significant part of what we will present in the museum.
To be on exhibit:
Banded rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi)
Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepsis)
Black widow spider (Latrodectus sp.)
Deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus)
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)
Eyelash viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)
Green bush viper (Atheris squamiger)
Indochinese spitting cobra (Naja siamensis)
King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)
Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum horridum)
Monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia)
Monocled cobra, albino (Naja kaouthia)
Northern pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis oreganus)
Reticulated gila monster (Heloderma suspectum suspectum)
Rhinocerous viper (Bitis nasicornis)
Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes)
Snouted cobra (Naja annulifera)
Southern copperhead (Agkistrodon c. contortrix)
Speckled rattlesnake, pink phase (Crotalus mitchelli)
Speckled rattlesnake, white phase (Crotalus mitchelli)
Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
West African gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica rhinoceros)
Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)
Western pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius streckeri)
Inset: West African gaboon viper.
Background: Reticulated gila monster.
Copyright © 2006 by Tim Criswell. All rights reserved for all photos and text.