Reptilia Reptile Zoo, Vaughan

Reptilia Reptile Zoo, Vaughan

Attractions

Reptilia is a 15,000 square foot haven for reptiles and reptile-lovers. A veritable menagerie of snakes, turtles, tortoises, frogs, and lizards of every shape and size, Reptilia combines education and entertainment to produce a memorable interactive experience for visitors of all ages.

The displays are designed to simulate the animals' natural environments, and keepers are always on hand to answer questions.

Reptilia is an extremely popular field trip destination for school, scout and guide groups. The educational programs are designed to complement topics covered in the classroom. At Reptilia, though, students will have the opportunity to touch many of the reptiles, and to observe feedings.

The live feedings are one of Reptilia's most exciting events. Several animals are fed each day. Most of the reptiles are fed thawed frozen rodents instead of live prey. This practice, in addition to making the demonstration more family-friendly, also serves to eliminate any risk of injury to the reptile.

The most entertaining feeding event at Reptilia is certainly the feeding of Induna the Nile Crocodile. He and his companion, who both hail from South Africa, are fed about once every two weeks. Induna is Canada's largest crocodile, measuring 4 metres in length and weighing in at approximately 1000 pounds. No visit to Reptilia is complete without taking a look at this massive predator.

Admission to Reptilia is $8 for children over four and $12 for adults.

On weekends, holidays, and during the summer, Reptilia also holds interactive demonstrations every hour in its intimate theatre. For those who are willing to stay out a little later, Reptilia's flashlight tours are a real treat. This gives visitors to the opportunity to observe the animals as they behave at night. Since many reptiles are nocturnal, this means that visitors can see some of the animals being much more active than they are during the day. The flashlight tours also include a private show featuring Reptilia's most interesting nocturnal creatures, followed by pizza.

Reptilia is located at 2501 Rutherford Road in Vaughan. For more information, call 1-888-REPTILIA or visit www.reptilia.org. The Spitting Cobra, Gila Monster, Sailfin Lizard, and many more magnificent creatures await.

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