hmm..is that a splash page? if so you should definitely lose it. splash pages serve no purpose and to me they are very annoying.

i think as far as "web design" goes, less is more. there are far too many reptile sites that scream "OMG LOOK I USED 14 PHOTOSHOP FILTERS ON ONE IMAGE!!". i kind of prefer simple (even minimalist) and clean looking layouts. i'm not trying to disrespect you at all.

from some of the sites that i've seen, there are a couple that too me have a better layout than most. one of which that comes to mind is markus jayne's. there are others, but i think if the purpose of your site is to market or showcase your animals, you should let the animals' beauty "speak" for itself, with a clean and simple design and nice, crisp photos of them and a straightforward method of navigating through them.

just my ¢2.