Reptile Discovery Center
As we pulled into the driveway of the serpentarium, I could not wait to get out of the car and get inside. The outside of the building was very modern and well manicured.
My wife Beth and I anxiously opened the door to building and stepped into a wonderful gift shop. Paintings and posters, along with shirts, jewelry, decorations and other reptile related gifts filled the room. A warm welcome greeted us with a smile and a charming lady immediately knew who we were. Several weeks back I had contacted Carl Barden and introduced myself. Carl was great to speak with on the telephone and invited us to come view the newly opened Reptile Discovery Center he and his girlfriend Denise own and operate in DeLand Florida.
Within a few seconds we were sent in to explore the serpentarium and meet Carl for the first time. Passing through double doors we entered a display room that filled the senses with tropical sounds such as exotic birds and soothing rain forest sounds. The display cages were very modern and state of the art. Recessed into the walls of the serpentarium were glass cage fronts designed to enhance the interior cages and illuminate the snakes within.Each cage had a unique display plaque that described the snake within, and gave information about range, habitat, if venomous or not and other general data.
Beth viewing some of the display snakes.
Some of the snakes on display…Crotalus helleri
Black Mamba…
Wonderful informative wall displays were all around the serpentarium.
Gaboon Viper skull in a display case.
Denise and Beth
Carl and Paul
Carl with a unique Florida Cottonmouth
Same snake on the extraction table
The now infamous albino Coral snake.
Denise presenting some snakes for the audience to enjoy.
Extracting venom from a Coral snake…
Then the snake is tube fed to keep in in excellent health.
Southern Copperhead extraction
Cottonmouth extraction
Eastern Diamondback extraction, note the copious amount in the bottom of the collection glass from one bite…
Carl preparing to extract venom from a Cobra…
Other snakes in the venom line…King Cobra
Forest Cobra
Green Mamba
Western green mamba (Dendroaspis viridis)
Carl and Denise extracting venom during a public display.
Looking in from the audience’s view.
Outdoors the property hosts a nice aquatic turtle pond…
A nature trail leads to other outdoor exhibits including Alligators, Iguanas, Tortoises and Box turtles.
I strongly recommend visiting the Reptile Discovery Center when you are vacationing here in Florida. Carl and Denise are wonderful people, and I can quickly see myself becoming good friends with the two of them. For those of you who are attending the Daytona Reptile Expo this August, it is a short ride from the Convention Center, approximately 25 minutes. One of the cleanest serpentariums I have visited, and very classy and modern. A must see, for any venomous enthusiast or reptile keeper. Thanks for checking out this page and please visit their web site at Reptile Discovery Center for more information.
Thanks,
Paul
