7 Things to Know Before Your Reptile Encounter

Reptile encounters may sound scary if you have a fear of snakes, lizards, tortoises, iguanas, or other cold-blooded animals. But it could be an educational experience as well because you get to learn about these animals’ habitat, or how they eat, or how they’re being taken care of, etc. It’s an opportunity for you to learn that these animals aren’t always as dangerous as they seem, especially when handled properly.

 

If you have an upcoming reptile encounter event, then it would be great to know some facts about these animals and also get tips on how to handle them properly. You should also be aware of the rules to follow during your actual reptile encounter.

Here are a few things to know:

You can handle the non-poisonous snakes. With 3,400 species of snakes, you can see more than 20 of them during an encounter. Known as the most dangerous or venomous ones are the tiger snakes, mambas, kraits, taipans, vipers, and cobras. Set your fear aside because they’re safely caged in glass enclosures. If you want to get up close with snakes, you can still do so because there are a few non-poisonous snakes that you can handle, with guidance from an in-house herpetologist or a snake expert. You can hold and take pictures with pythons, corn snakes, milk snakes, etc. Let the staff drape them over your shoulder and ask them how to hold them correctly to get that perfect picture. This is an experience you don’t want to miss.

Most of these reptiles are misunderstood. When people hear about snakes or crocodiles, they immediately associate it with fear. But these reptiles are amazing and unique in their own ways, and one way to discover their real beauty is through encounters and exhibits featuring these animals. During an encounter, you’ll learn how they grow, how they move, why their appearance strikes fear, what their ecological needs are, how they prey, etc. You’ll hear facts and myths about them. Being knowledgeable about such things will help you understand why these reptiles are misunderstood and will probably make you feel more compassionate about them when you see one.

These reptiles want to be respected. Just like people, animals want to be respected too. If you visit a museum or any place where you get an opportunity to encounter reptiles, remember to show respect to each one of them. Make it a pleasant experience for you and them as well. When doing so, you’ll be able to handle them without feeling scared and without giving stress to them. There are difficult species to handle while there are easier ones, those that are less aggressive. But you can always try handling any species you want, as long as you’re guided by an experienced herpetoculturist.

You need to be confident when handling the reptiles. Not just because you’re allowed to hold the snake or the iguana doesn’t mean you just go ahead and do it without being prepared. One key to holding them successfully is you need to be confident about it. Herpetoculturists are trained to hold such animals and when they do, they have all the confidence in them, which is why these animals feel relaxed when they’re being held. If you want your hand holding experience to be smooth and worrisome, you need to calm down and be confident that you can handle these animals the right way; know the safest handling techniques such as what body part to hold, how to support it, how to make it comfortable for the animal. Additional note – young ones are the most defensive ones.

Remember to wash your hands before and after handling reptiles. Some of these animals, especially lizards and snakes, have astounding sensory organs. When you hold them while your fingers or hands have sweet scent or other smell, then you’re introducing your body part as a prey. So remember to wash your hands before handling them. You also need to wash your hands after handling them to avoid the risk of bacteria. Also, wash your hands in between handling various species for the same reason and to prevent these species from getting germs and bacteria as well.

There are age restrictions for every encounter. Not all places have the same age restrictions. Prior to you visit, check the park rules to avoid problems or cancellations on your booking. Some assign eight as their minimum age, others allow five-year-old kids, while others create specific encounters that are safe for the younger ones. Smaller children are required to be accompanied by adults while 12-year-old kids and older ones can go on their own.

There is a proper dress code. Again, not all places have the same dress code requirement. But be sure you’re aware of the common ones before your encounter. Some rules you should be aware of – tie your long hair, don’t wear any jewelry, used closed-toed shoes, wear long pants, don’t wear strong cologne or perfume, and don’t use selfie sticks.