Finally! I was able to arrange a trip to The Reptile Discovery Center in DeLand, Florida. I've been talking about it for YEARS! I wish I would have done this sooner.
For anyone visiting Orlando or traveling past the Daytona Beach area, it might be just off your path.
My family visited with our cub scout group but it's open to the public. Venom extractions are done twice a day Thursday- Sunday. Please make sure you call for any changes.
We started our tour with a short hike around the Discovery Trail. Turtles, alligators, snakes, iguanas, it's filled with animals that permanately live at the center. Mara, our tour guide did an awesome job answering all of our questions and was incredibly knowledgable on all of the animals.
She then led us into the Discovery Center where we got to see some of the worlds most venomous snakes! Up close and personal. Mambas, cobras, rattlers, corals and cottonmouths, all of the snakes we fear the most!
Next, we entered the the lab and took a seat infront of a huge glass window. And that's when the venom extractions began! Mr. Carl came out and introduced himself, explained what he'd be doing then ventured back into the room behind the glass. He was so patient with the kids afterwards.
Look at the pictures! They don't do it justice! This is a MUST SEE when traveling through Florida. At least once, maybe twice or even every time you pass by! It's that cool.
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| Parker holding an albino python. |
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| Feeding a coral snake after the venom was extracted. |
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| Milking a cottonmouth. |
Thank you to all of the staff at The Reptile Discovery Center! THIS was a great visit and I'm proud to have you on my blog!
~ Until we visit again!
