Persephone
Well-Known Member
Doesn’t seem like they have a tag yet.
Little Ray’s Nature Center is a reptile zoo in a strip mall. Knowing that going in I was expecting the absolute worst. And. It isn’t bad? Almost all of the terrariums are decently sized for their occupants, the species list is intriguing enough, and they did a good job of engaging with visitors. Within a few minutes of my arrival an employee came out and offered to take out some reptiles for a closer look / interaction. This was free. There are upcharges for sloth encounters if you’re interested in that. Signs throughout the reptile zoo and the employee I talked to emphasized that many of the facility’s specimens were unwanted pets or seized animals. I do wish they emphasized that more. The signage was okay, but if the animals are mostly rescues they could better tell the individual animal’s stories. Not like they have too much room for signage, though. The wall space at eye level is almost 100% full.
As for the ABC(-ish) Species, the barn owl and sloth were being predictably lazy. The sloth had a pretty decent exhibit space. Barn owl and crocodilians were the only ones that felt small. Half of the main crocodilian enclosures were empty and I do hope they connect the two for the alligator’s sake. There were many reticulated pythons, most of whom were active in enclosures with a good variety of flat spaces to lay out in and tree limbs to climb over or rest on.
It’s probably about as good as a reptile zoo in a strip mall can be. Which is praise, yes, but also a reminder that they’re really space limited their role as a rescue means they might not always have their choice of rarities. Probably worth a visit if you’re in Hamilton, otherwise very skippable.
Red Tailed Green Ratsnake
White’s Tree Frog
North American Barn Owl
Reticulated Python
Linne’s Two-Toed Sloth
Kimberly Rock Monitor
Chilean Rose-Hair Tarantula*
Emperor Scorpion
Giant Legless Lizard
Curly Hair Tarantula
Brazilian Black Tarantula
Greenbottle Blue Tarantula*
Zebra Tarantula
Pink-Toed Tarantula
California Kingsnake
Reeve’s Turtle
Cornsnake*
Salmon Pink Birdeater
Monkey Tailed Skink
Northern Curly Tail Lizard
Madagascan Tree Boa
Green Iguana
Asian Water Dragon
Green Tree Monitor
Green Basalisk
Northern Blue Tongued Skink
Sonoran Gopher Snake
Pancake Tortoise
Ball Python
Western Hognose Snake
Pueblan Milksnake
Crested Gecko
Jayakar Lizard
Baron’s Racer
Ackie Monitor
Red Footed Tortoise
Painted Turtle
African Fat Tailed Gecko*
American Alligator
Gray Banded Kingsnake*
Tokay Gecko
Leopard Gecko*
Bearded Dragon
Mossy New Caledonian Gecko
Amazon Tree Boa
Rio Fuerte Bearded Lizard
Macklot’s Python*
West African Dwarf Crocodile
Cuiver’s Dwarf Caiman
Little Ray’s Nature Center is a reptile zoo in a strip mall. Knowing that going in I was expecting the absolute worst. And. It isn’t bad? Almost all of the terrariums are decently sized for their occupants, the species list is intriguing enough, and they did a good job of engaging with visitors. Within a few minutes of my arrival an employee came out and offered to take out some reptiles for a closer look / interaction. This was free. There are upcharges for sloth encounters if you’re interested in that. Signs throughout the reptile zoo and the employee I talked to emphasized that many of the facility’s specimens were unwanted pets or seized animals. I do wish they emphasized that more. The signage was okay, but if the animals are mostly rescues they could better tell the individual animal’s stories. Not like they have too much room for signage, though. The wall space at eye level is almost 100% full.
As for the ABC(-ish) Species, the barn owl and sloth were being predictably lazy. The sloth had a pretty decent exhibit space. Barn owl and crocodilians were the only ones that felt small. Half of the main crocodilian enclosures were empty and I do hope they connect the two for the alligator’s sake. There were many reticulated pythons, most of whom were active in enclosures with a good variety of flat spaces to lay out in and tree limbs to climb over or rest on.
It’s probably about as good as a reptile zoo in a strip mall can be. Which is praise, yes, but also a reminder that they’re really space limited their role as a rescue means they might not always have their choice of rarities. Probably worth a visit if you’re in Hamilton, otherwise very skippable.
Red Tailed Green Ratsnake
White’s Tree Frog
North American Barn Owl
Reticulated Python
Linne’s Two-Toed Sloth
Kimberly Rock Monitor
Chilean Rose-Hair Tarantula*
Emperor Scorpion
Giant Legless Lizard
Curly Hair Tarantula
Brazilian Black Tarantula
Greenbottle Blue Tarantula*
Zebra Tarantula
Pink-Toed Tarantula
California Kingsnake
Reeve’s Turtle
Cornsnake*
Salmon Pink Birdeater
Monkey Tailed Skink
Northern Curly Tail Lizard
Madagascan Tree Boa
Green Iguana
Asian Water Dragon
Green Tree Monitor
Green Basalisk
Northern Blue Tongued Skink
Sonoran Gopher Snake
Pancake Tortoise
Ball Python
Western Hognose Snake
Pueblan Milksnake
Crested Gecko
Jayakar Lizard
Baron’s Racer
Ackie Monitor
Red Footed Tortoise
Painted Turtle
African Fat Tailed Gecko*
American Alligator
Gray Banded Kingsnake*
Tokay Gecko
Leopard Gecko*
Bearded Dragon
Mossy New Caledonian Gecko
Amazon Tree Boa
Rio Fuerte Bearded Lizard
Macklot’s Python*
West African Dwarf Crocodile
Cuiver’s Dwarf Caiman
