Reptile House

Segment 1: Welcome
Welcome to the Toledo Zoo’s Reptile House! In here, you can find over 75 different species of reptiles and amphibians. Venture past the frilled dragon statue outside to see what sort of scaly creatures await you inside!

Segment 2: Crocodile Monitors
At the very front of the Reptile House is a huge glass tank reaching up to the ceiling. There are trees inside, and it even goes a little bit below the floor into a shallow pit. In this exhibit are crocodile monitors. These large lizards are mostly black with rows of yellow spots along their backs. They are from Papua New Guinea and mainly live in trees. Crocodile monitors are the third-largest lizards in the world and reach a maximum length of about 9 feet, with two-thirds of that length being their tail. That means that they have a three-foot-long body and a tail as long as a grown human! They can weigh up to 40 pounds. They are extremely fast hunters and will eat birds, eggs, bats, rodents, fish, many small mammals and reptiles. Their teeth are specially made to help them hunt fast-moving prey and are longer and sharper than most monitor species. You may find the monitors in this exhibit climbing in the trees or crawling on the ground.

Segment 3: Green Anaconda
On the right side of the crocodile monitor exhibit, there is a big glass window that sticks out from the wall. It is full of water and aquarium plants. There are some trees and plants with big leaves at the back of the exhibit. In the pool of water is often where you will find our green anaconda. Green anacondas are the heaviest snake species in the world. Large females can reach a maximum of almost 30 feet long, which is the length of a school bus! They weigh up to 550 pounds, which is the same weight as a small cow or an adult male lion. Females are usually much larger than males. They live in tropical rainforests in South America. They are usually green with dark splotches on their backs. Their eyes are toward the tops of their heads to help them see better when they rest in the water. They are super strong predators that squeeze, or constrict, their prey. They eat mammals, fish, turtles and other animals.

There are many more exhibits past this one to the right, including the spitting cobra and basilisk exhibits.

Segment 4: Reticulated Python
Across from the green anaconda exhibit, you will find another large exhibit that also has a big pool. This exhibit houses our reticulated pythons. They are the second-largest snakes in the world. The average reticulated python can get longer than the average green anaconda, but they are much lighter. They can grow to be up to 28 feet long. They weigh about 300 pounds, the size of an adult gorilla or a baby elephant. Reticulated pythons can be found in South and Southeast Asia. They are known for their pattern that looks like a net going down their backs. Their main colors are black, brown, tan and yellow. Reticulated pythons are good at climbing trees and swimming. They are very fast hunters and squeeze their prey. They eat birds, large mammals and lizards.

Segment 5: Perentie
To the left of the reticulated python exhibit is another big glass window that reaches out from the wall. The exhibit looks like a desert and has sand and orange rocks. There are perenties climbing and crawling around in this exhibit. Perenties are the fourth-largest lizards in the world, reaching a maximum length of 8 feet and weighing up to 35 pounds. They are lean lizards with a bold pattern all over their bodies. They live in the desert regions of Australia. Perenties can run over 25 miles per hour, which is the same speed that people drive in your neighborhood! They are very good hunters, and they like to eat other lizards, venomous snakes, mammals and even small kangaroos. Perenties are fast diggers, but they are also great climbers and swimmers. They can stand up using their back legs and tails for balance. They can also run on just their back legs when they need to go very fast.

To the left of the perentie exhibit, there are a bunch of other reptile enclosures, including the uromastyx and rattlesnakes.

To the right of the perentie exhibit, you will find a short hallway with chameleon exhibits on either side. At the end of this hallway is where you will find the American alligator habitat.

Segment 6: American Alligators
At the back of the Reptile House is a large viewing window with a very bright exhibit behind it. It features a giant pool with a sandy beach and a big wall at the back covered in plants. This pool and beach are home to our American alligators. They live in swamps, rivers, ponds and wetlands in the southeastern United States. These large reptiles have a maximum size of 15 feet long and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, which is the same weight as a car! Wild alligators mainly eat fish, turtles, mammals that go near the water and water birds. They eat their food whole, but they will sometimes tear large chunks off of big prey items by grabbing hold and spinning. Alligators are great moms by reptile standards. They take care of and defend their babies for three whole years, until they are big enough to be safe on their own.

To the left of the American alligators, you will find the tuatara exhibit.

Segment 7: Tuatara
The tuatara exhibit features underground burrows with viewing windows and is full of lush ferns. The whole exhibit has a warm light that the tuataras use to bask and warm up. Tuataras live only in New Zealand. They are green, brown and gray, and they look a bit like lizards with a ridge of spines on their backs. Even though they look like lizards, they are actually very different animals and belong to a completely separate group of reptiles! For example, lizards have ear holes and tuataras don’t, but tuataras can still hear! Tuataras also have unique teeth. Most reptiles lose their teeth and replace them, just like we do. Tuataras don’t do that, though! They have a double row of teeth on their upper jaw that are part of their jaw bones. When tuataras get older, their teeth wear down because they aren’t being replaced, and they have to find softer food to eat. Tuataras are like living fossils; millions of years ago, many similar reptiles lived right alongside the dinosaurs. Tuataras share a unique feature with some lizards: a light-sensitive third eye on top of their heads that helps them regulate their daily cycles.

To the right of the tuataras, past the alligator exhibit, the floor slopes downward into a ramp that leads to the saltwater crocodile exhibit. The wall on the right has a textured scale pattern that you can feel, while the left wall features underwater viewing windows for the crocodile exhibit.

Segment 8: Saltwater Crocodile
In front of you is a large, bright exhibit with a sandy beach, a pool and big skylights. This is home to our saltwater crocodile, Baru. Saltwater crocodiles are the largest living reptiles in the world. Adult males commonly reach 15 to 20 feet in length and can weigh over 2,000 pounds. They are greenish-tan and gray, with very long, wide snouts. Saltwater crocodiles live in Southeast Asia and Australia, and they can handle living in both saltwater and freshwater habitats. They have special salt glands under their tongues that allow them to remove excess salt from their bodies. They also have a special flap of skin at the back of their mouth that closes to keep water out of their throat when they leave their mouth open underwater. Saltwater crocodiles hunt by hiding and keeping very still, then attacking their prey super fast when it comes close. They can hold their breath normally for up to two hours, but if they slow down their heart rate, they can stay underwater for up to eight hours! Saltwater crocodiles have a bite twice as strong as a hippo’s. They hunt large lizards, kangaroos, wild pigs, deer, livestock, turtles and even sharks.

Segment 9: Goodbye
Thank you for visiting the Reptile House! If you are interested in seeing more amazing reptiles, please check out the Ziems Conservatory and the ProMedica Museum of Natural History. Please enjoy the rest of your adventure at the Toledo Zoo!