If you live in southern California, you may have heard of The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley.
This famous sanctuary was founded by Jay Brewer in 2009 and is now home to hundreds of incredible Reptile species ranging from snakes and lizards to frogs, tortoises, and more.
Over the past twenty years, the zoo has welcomed nearly two hundred thousand visitors from around the world and has offered over twenty thousand educational and interactive events to the public.
Moreover, The Reptile Zoo has been completely dominating social media. People from across the globe have loved learning about the history, care routine, and general life of the zoo’s animals on its TikTok account– which has since racked up over 11.4 million followers and gained a collective 156 million likes.
Plus, if you simply love looking at the adorable animals The Reptile Zoo has to offer, you could literally scroll through the account for days.
So, we wanted to save you some time and highlight our top three most exciting reptile picks.
No. 1: Helmeted Iguanas
First up is a pair of adorable helmeted iguanas whose heads are quite alien-like. They are native to Southern Mexico’s rainforest areas and are ambush predators.
TikTok; pictured above are the helmeted iguanas
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Ambush predators, also known as sit-and-wait predators, capture prey using stealthy luring tactics. So, these iguanas will sit and wait until their prey is within range before lunging for the kill.
“And they are kind of crazy looking,” one of The Reptile Zoo’s staff members added.
No. 2: Madagascar Radiated Tortoises
Madagascar radiated tortoises are a beautiful species that can weigh up to twenty-three pounds and live for forty to fifty years!
Unfortunately, though, they are also critically endangered because they are poached for their shells or sold into the illegal pet trade.
But, the Madagascar radiated tortoise currently being cared for by The Reptile Zoo is in great hands. He absolutely loves snacking on bananas and receiving some belly scratches.
“We are super excited to have him here because they are incredibly rare,” one staff member said.
No. 3: Mangrove Snakes
Mangrove snakes are known as one of the most beautiful snake species in the world. But, this animal can also pack a fatal punch.
They are rear-fanged venomous, can grow to be six to seven feet long, and can live to between twelve to twenty years old.
The stunning mangrove snake currently at The Reptile Zoo is a deep black color with vibrant yellow stripes across his body.
To learn more about these incredible reptiles and other species at The Reptile Zoo, you can visit its TikTok account linked here.
Or, to plan your next visit, you can visit the zoo’s website linked here.
Adult general admission tickets are only fifteen dollars, and you can even add on exciting interactive experiences such as tortoise feeding or a python encounter.
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