Reptile Gardens

I just got back from holidays...a road trip through 12 different states.
While visiting Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, we stopped at Reptile Gardens, just outside Rapid City.

I have been pretty disappointed with how pet shops keep their reptiles, but compared to this place, Petco is like a 5 star resort.

I could not believe the poor conditions at this place.

We could see mites and ticks on a lot of the snakes and all of the enclosures were full of feces and urates, snakes with bad sheds...absolutely brutal.

As snake owners, we went in thinking how great it was going to be to see all kinds of exotic snakes and left disgusted.

Anyone else familiar with this place?
http://www.reptilegardens.com/

I know that there's a member of the staff (I forget their title) that is a member here (has only posted a handful of times) - perhaps they can come here and address your concerns. That is very disappointing.

I suggest putting up a post on Fauna's BOI about it as well. Obviously any reptile owner would be advised to steer clear of a facility that's crawling with mites!

I really don't see how hard it is to keep the reptile section clean, and do proper maintenance. I really wish I could get on with W&F, because I would fine a few shops for the way they keep their animals.

i live an hour away from tha place i only go once every two or three years though cuz i dont like giving them my money.

My wife and I visited Reptile Gardens about 10 years ago, so I'm not sure if things are different there or not, but there was one thing about that place that sticks in my mind.

There is an open garden area in the main building (it's actually just a really big room that you go into where the animals roam free). Well, they had a nice looking bp in that garden area. The only problem is, they had her on a branch that was anchored to the wall about 10 feet in the air! There was no way for her to get down -- I figured they just must put her on that branch when they open every morning.

I wondered if she ever fell down. Plus, what a stressed out snake that must be -- no hide, exposed all the time, and sitting out in broad daylight. Like I said though, she was a good looking snake (didn't look skinny or dehydrated or anything), so I wonder how they ever got her to eat? Maybe they just force fed her....

I have a picture of the setup, but it was taken predigital era :) If I get access to a scanner in the next couple of days I'll post the picture.

Later,

George

You should complain...

:grouphug:

You went right by me and didn't even stop in to say Hi? :(

I go in there a couple times a year. I don't believe I have ever seen any mites or large amount of feces/urates in the enclosures. I have seen a bad shed or two though.

Rabernet, the reptile curater of RG is Terry Phillip.

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Originally Posted by chapskis1

There is an open garden area in the main building (it's actually just a really big room that you go into where the animals roam free). Well, they had a nice looking bp in that garden area. The only problem is, they had her on a branch that was anchored to the wall about 10 feet in the air! There was no way for her to get down -- I figured they just must put her on that branch when they open every morning.

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Well, I found the picture (still need to get to a scanner). I was only partially correct. There definitely is a bp on the branch, but farther down on the branch there is a red tail boa as well.

Hope to get it scanned in the next couple of days...

-- George

Wow.... Odd having worked there for 14 years heading up the place...I'm rather insulted...I have never and I mean never had such a feedback from a visitor here. I can guarantee you, and bet my left testicle that you did not see ticks anywhere here..ever. It has not happened in 14 years. Guaranteed.
In summer of 2009 I had some mites show up in our Green Tree Python and Rough Scaled Python exhibits.... Both originating from some skeezy snake people that visited and a staff member allowed them to handle those specimens.... Obviously, skeezy snake people and staff who don't follow the rules are not tolerated.

Sorry, but feces and urates mean that the animals are fed and hydrated...not seeing the connection here? Exhibits are cleaned daily, if you came on my days off then half of those exhibits go two days... so big surprise there... Feces and urates are signs of healthy animals. Was I out of town? Possibly... This doesn't bother me a bit....

Stuck skins? on what 20 foot Retics? Show me one that doesn't periodically have difficulty in shedding...

As a matter of fact, as irritated as I am in this blatant naivette...show me some pictures of your visit to back up such an erroneous post.

As for some of the others, the boas and ball pythons on the branches are put up in the morning and taken down at night....both of which used to breed on those branches during the day.... Those species were chosen simply because they do well on them and don't bite the passing guests underneath. I have since raised the branches and now use Amazon Tree Boas...but nevertheless the others did well up there for over 20 years.

Cheers,
Terry Phillip
Curator of Reptiles
Black Hills Reptile Gardens

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Originally Posted by deltaneutral

I just got back from holidays...a road trip through 12 different states.
While visiting Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, we stopped at Reptile Gardens, just outside Rapid City.

I have been pretty disappointed with how pet shops keep their reptiles, but compared to this place, Petco is like a 5 star resort.

I could not believe the poor conditions at this place.

We could see mites and ticks on a lot of the snakes and all of the enclosures were full of feces and urates, snakes with bad sheds...absolutely brutal.

As snake owners, we went in thinking how great it was going to be to see all kinds of exotic snakes and left disgusted.

Anyone else familiar with this place?
http://www.reptilegardens.com/

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We visited the same reptile Gardens back in 1999. It was a very clean, well run and lovely place when we went.

I suppose it is possible it has changed in that time, but I have to admit, I find it hard to believe it was as bad as you say. Goodness knows I've been in homes of people who own a lot of snakes and been appalled at the amount of feces in tubs, and I don't mean where the snake recently went, but has obviously gone four or five times and it's not been cleaned. Since snakes only go once a week or less, that I think is inexcusable. But to see where a snake had gone a single time and it hadn't been cleaned yet, you have to expect that, they don't have enough staff to post someone at every enclosure to clean it as soon as a snake goes.

Gale

Goodness deltaneutral, do you have any photos of what you saw? I would hope that with such strong accusations, you took photos. If it isn't as bad as you say it is, I think a huge apology is owed to Terry, and to Reptile Gardens.

Did you post this on Fauna? If so, did you notify Terry of the thread so he can defend himself there as well?

I can't believe how annoyed I am at this post... I sure wish I would have seen it when it was originally posted... Just for the readers of this thread, I went to photobucket.com and flickr.com both and search Reptile Gardens to view visitor uploaded photos... Nothing to substantiate the claims of this person...

My animals and enclosures are in better conditions than most facilities I've ever been too...private and public zoos included...

Cheers!
Terry

It's been a while since being on this site and hadn't noticed the reactions.
Sorry if I offended anyone, but I know what I saw.

I think it was the summer of 2009 if that makes a difference.

I live in San Diego and frequently visit our zoo.
I was there a couple weeks ago and in the entire reptile exhibit I didn't see any feces or urates, skins...anything.
One of the employees I talked to said they walk through every day before the zoo opens and check for that stuff and tidy up as needed.

Terry's been into reptiles for a long time. I seriously doubt his animals would be kept in "bad" conditions. *stuff* happens, maybe you just caught a bad day.

Holy old thread Batman! :O

Wow, went in to the way back machine for that one!

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Originally Posted by jinx667

Wow, went in to the way back machine for that one!

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I know. Frustrating. I was all amped up for a new herp related drama story to pan out, and was let down when I noticed the date.