Species info: To come

Species info:
Also known as eyelash geckos, cresties are a New Caledonian species. Crested geckos were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1994 by herpetologist Robert Seipp. They are now easily available as pets in many color and pattern morphs, but their wild populations are vulnerable due to habitat loss and collection for the pet trade. Invasive ant species may also play a role in their decline. Crested geckos can live up to 30 years in captivity, but 15-20 is their average lifespan. They are one of few lizard species that cannot regenerate their tails. Crested geckos still drop their tails easily, but go on to live normal, healthy lives afterwards. They are excellent jumpers and climbers, able to scale trees and smooth surfaces like glass with ease.

What makes Haiku special:
We got Haiku when his previous owner contacted Jesse at Forgotten Friend, hoping to surrender him to the sanctuary. Jesse passed along her information to us, and Haiku was brought to us in December 2021. Haiku is an adventurous gecko; he escaped once, and was able to evade capture for several weeks, hiding out of sight during the day, and returning to his enclosure at night to eat. Knowing he would return, our Live Animal Room Coordinator stayed at the museum overnight, and was able to lock him inside his enclosure once he returned around 2am. Haiku still enjoys nightly adventures, but within the safe confines of his enclosure.

Species info:
European glass lizards, also called Sheltopusiks, may resemble snakes at first glance, but they are actually a species of legless lizard! There are many anatomical differences that distinguish European glass lizards from snakes; they have eyelids and ear holes, which snakes lack, and they have distinct lateral grooves down their sides that end at the base of their tail, where tiny nubs — remnants of the hind limbs — are visible. Legless lizards are not as flexible in their movements as snakes are, but they still get around just fine in their natural environment. Their lack of limbs makes them efficient burrowers. Glass lizards get their common name from their tendency to drop their tails, which can be over half of their full length, readily. A dropped tail often breaks into several pieces — shattering, like glass.

What makes Hector special:
Hector became part of the North Museum’s Live Animal Room in 2012. He was an adult when we acquired him, so his exact age is unknown. While 20-30 years is their average lifespan in the wild, they make hardy captives, with some living up to 50 years. Despite this, there has been little success with getting them to breed in captivity, so Hector, like most captive European glass lizards, was wild caught. He is not as relaxed about being handled as many of our animals are, preferring to burrow amongst the rocks in his enclosure, sometimes poking his head out to watch visitors.

Species info:
Blue-tongued skinks are the largest member of the skink family, Scincidae. This family of lizards is known for tubular bodies and short legs, although some skinks can be legless. Blue-tongues are native to Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. They are ovoviviparous—the mother produces 6-12 egg cases, which incubate inside her. After the eggs hatch internally, she gives birth to the live young. When threatened, they face the threat and flare out their bright blue tongues, hoping to surprise or confuse a potential predator, giving them a moment to escape. Blue-tongued skinks usually live 15-20 years in captivity.

What makes Ozzy special:
Ozzy has lived at the North Museum since at least 2011. He is one of the most relaxed animals in our collection, and does very well with being handled when he isn’t napping inside or on top of his hide box. Ozzy enjoys being taken outside on warm days to bask in the sunlight. He has a permanently grumpy expression, but we like to think of him as a kind and gentle grandpa. He is very slow moving, which makes him less frightening to people who find the quick movements of some of our other animals intimidating. Many people say that his head shape reminds them of a snake’s head.

Species info:
Ackie monitors are a slender dwarf monitor species native to northwestern Australia. They are also called ridge-tailed monitors for the raised scales along the length of their long tail. They can grow to be over 2 feet long, with their tail making up 50-60% of their length. Wild Ackie monitors are dark brown and yellow to red, with their color usually correlating with the color of the soil in their habitat and helping them stay camouflaged. Captive animals are often bred to accentuate their yellow or red coloration. While mostly terrestrial and excellent burrowers, ackie monitors are also capable climbers. They prefer arid, rocky environments.

What makes Scrappy special:
Scrappy hatched on August 4th, 2022, and was introduced to museum visitors for the first time the following Christmas Eve. Since then, she has become a highlight of our Live Animal Room for many. She is often awake and active during the day, climbing on her decor, interacting with people through the glass of her enclosure, chasing after crickets, and digging tunnels through the roots of her plants and underneath her rocks. When taken out by volunteers and staff, she climbs up arms, onto heads, and retreats into sleeves or hoods when tired.

Species info:
Savannah monitors are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa in savannah or grassland areas, but may also be found in rocky, semi-desert habitats, open forest, and woodlands. They are carnivorous, feeding primarily on invertebrates, but will also eat small rodents, eggs, and even other lizards. On average, savannah monitors live to be 8-10 years old, with some individuals exceeding 20 years. They are one of the most popular monitors to keep as pets, but are not often captive bred. Thousands of wild individuals — usually juveniles — are exported from their native range every year.

What makes Trashcan special:
Trashcan was purchased for the museum as a juvenile in 2016. He is the biggest lizard in our Live Animal Room. Large monitors can be quite a handful if not socialized, but Trashcan has always received lots of attention, with our volunteer Zack taking a special interest in him and working to make sure he is comfortable with being handled. Trashcan has grown into a patient and relaxed lizard, who likes to rest his head on his handler’s shoulder when being taken out, and doesn’t mind having his back or tail pet by curious visitors. He enjoys warm soaks, and supervised time with enrichment items like Kong toys filled with his favorite foods, old shoes, and his floppy fish cat toy.

Species info:
Commonly called “leachies,” the New Caledonian giant gecko is the largest known gecko species in the world, with some weighing over 400 grams and reaching 14+ inches in length. Their native home of New Caledonia is a group of small islands east of Australia, and leachies will show different size and coloration traits depending on which part of New Caledonia the individual comes from. Leachies from Ile Moro, where our Ruthie comes from, usually grow to around 12 inches in length, and are known for their squared off snouts with a prominent ridge from the eye to the nose. Many keepers report that their leachies can reproduce through parthenogenesis – the ability of females to produce offspring without a male – but this ability is not seen in all female leachies.

What makes Ruthie special:
Ruthie was kindly donated to the North Museum by Ralph Lefever in February 2021. Her hatch date is July 22, 2020. Ruthie is usually dark in color, and is very good at camouflaging against the cork bark in her enclosure. She usually clings upside down to the background of her enclosure during the day, and is active at night, waking up to eat and explore her enclosure. Our leachie gecko was named by Susan Seavey, “in memory of a very lovable, warm, jolly, dear person who would have been delighted seeing ‘Ruthie the Leachie’ bring joy to young visitors at the Museum.”

Species info:
Saharan uromastyx are native to the North African countries of Algeria, Mali, and Niger. They prefer rocky desert habitats. The saharan uromastyx can be yellow, like Freddie, or bright orange. Females of this species tend to be duller with less patterning, especially on the belly. While not an unusual site at reptile expos and pet stores, these lizards are classified as near-threatened on the IUCN Red List. Their numbers are decreasing due to habitat loss and collection for the pet trade, and exact wild numbers are unknown at this time.

What makes Freddie special:
Freddie is one of our more opinionated lizards. He does not like to be disturbed during nap times, and thinks the ambient temperature in the museum is much too cold. Being a desert dweller, Freddie likes it hot, and spends most of his time basking beneath his heat lamp. On hot summer days however, he doesn’t mind wearing a harness to go for occasional walks outside. When awake, visitors can enjoy watching him climb on his enclosure decor and munch on fresh greens.

Species info:
Like our crested and leachie geckos, gargoyle geckos come from New Caledonia, a group of islands east of Australia. They get the name “gargoyle gecko” from their cranial bumps, which resemble horns. Another common name for them is the “knob-headed gecko”. Gargoyle geckos are arboreal; they have prehensile tails and toe pads that help them climb trees, but they are not able to climb sheer surfaces like glass. They are a bit clumsier than other gecko species. Gargoyle geckos are commonly kept as pets, and usually live 15-20 years in captivity.

What makes Garfield special:
Garfield joined the museum as an adult in December 2016, so his exact age is unknown. He is nocturnal and mostly inactive during the day, but one of his favorite sleeping spots is on top of a piece of wood in the front of his enclosure. This means that even when he’s asleep, he is often visible, and makes a good example of camouflage as he blends in with the wood features in his home. Garfield doesn’t like to be handled much, but will make occasional exceptions during feeding times, when he will sit in his keeper’s hand and lick Pangea gecko food off their finger.

Species info:
Leopard geckos are one of the most commonly kept pet reptiles. They prefer rocky arid and semi-arid areas with sparse vegetation and clay or sandy soils, and are found mostly in Pakistan and northwest India. Leopard geckos are naturally nocturnal and crepuscular, meaning they are mostly active at night, dawn, and dusk. They retreat into burrows and rock crevices during the hot days, and can remain underground living off fat reserves stored in their tail when the temperatures get low. Unlike many geckos, leopard geckos do not have toe pads that would allow them to scale walls. They also have eyelids and can blink, which sets them apart from most other geckos; their scientific name “Eublepharis” even translates to “good eyelid”.

What makes Zeus special:
Zeus was donated to the museum in January 2020 when he was around 3 years old. His previous caretaker had posted him on Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary’s Facebook page, hoping to find a new home for him. We reached out, and she felt the museum would be a good fit. Since then, Zeus has been an excellent addition to our Live Animal Room. He is a good-natured gecko, and is one of the animals that we take out for large group interactions and off-site outreaches.

Species info:
Ratsnakes, including cornsnakes, are common throughout the Midwest and Eastern United States, also ranging into Mexico and Ontario. Like their name suggests, they prefer a diet of small rodents and other warm-blooded animals. They are relatively long compared to most North American snakes, and can reach over 6 feet in length. Ratsnakes are excellent climbers, scaling trees to reach bird nests or to bask in branches, and often living near rocky overlooks and cliffsides. They can also live in close proximity to humans, taking up residence in attics or old barns, eating mice and raiding chicken coops for eggs. They are non-venomous and excellent to have around for pest control, but many people find their size intimidating. Eastern ratsnakes range from New England to Florida, with black, yellow, and orange coloration depending on their location.

Ratsnakes are known for inspiring disagreement among taxonomists, with a recent revision suggested that would combine the black ratsnakes native to the Northeast with gray ratsnakes, splitting them from the yellow and orange Everglades varieties, and making our snakes “RJ” and “Emery” separate species.

What makes Emery special:
Emery was found in a building on the Lancaster Country Day School campus in late September, 2019. We felt it was too late in the season to relocate her, and she came to us with an infected mouth wound that required treatment, so the decision was made to welcome her into the museum family. Emery proved to be very docile for a wild snake, never striking even when she was scared or hurting from her infected mouth. She seemed genuinely curious about people, always poking her head out of her hiding spots to watch what was happening around her. When we first took her in, she would musk slightly (a common snake defensive behavior) if she was taken out of her enclosure, but over time she gained confidence and lost any remaining hints of nervousness. Her mouth healed, and she learned to eat frozen/thawed mice and quail eggs. Emery now goes on field trips with PA Fish & Boat’s Officer Schmidt, educating people throughout Lancaster County about native snakes, and teaching them to be as brave and curious as she is.

Species info:
Ratsnakes, including cornsnakes, are common throughout the Midwest and Eastern United States, also ranging into Mexico and Ontario. Like their name suggests, they prefer a diet of small rodents and other warm-blooded animals. They are relatively long compared to most North American snakes, and can reach over 6 feet in length. Ratsnakes are excellent climbers, scaling trees to reach bird nests or to bask in branches, and often living near rocky overlooks and cliffsides. They can also live in close proximity to humans, taking up residence in attics or old barns, eating mice and raiding chicken coops for eggs. They are non-venomous and excellent to have around for pest control, but many people find their size intimidating. Eastern ratsnakes range from New England to Florida, with black, yellow, and orange coloration depending on their location. Ratsnakes are known for inspiring disagreement among taxonomists, with a recent revision suggested that would combine the black ratsnakes native to the Northeast with gray ratsnakes, splitting them from the yellow and orange Everglades varieties, and making RJ and Emery separate species.

What makes Rip Jaw special:
RJ was donated to the museum during our very first Snakesgiving event in November 2017. She was bred and hatched by Bob Weidman, a former employee and longtime volunteer at the North Museum. Since coming to us as a weeks-old hatchling, RJ has grown to over 5’3” in length! She is the longest snake in our Live Animal Room. Like most ratsnakes, she has a strong appetite and is extremely food driven, but she also does great with being handled and meeting new people. In her 7 years at the museum, RJ has grown from a tiny pink and brown baby to a stunning bright orange snake, a perfect example of the “Everglades” color variation.

Species info:
Ball pythons are native to the grasslands, shrublands, and open forests of Central and West Africa, from The Gambia to Uganda. Like all pythons, they are non-venomous constrictors, with their diet consisting mostly of small mammals and birds. Also called royal pythons, they are Africa’s smallest python species, with males averaging between 2-3 feet, and females reaching around 5 feet in length. Ball pythons are generally docile snakes, making them one of the most popular reptiles to keep as pets. They have been bred to come in many different colors and pattern morphs. Ball pythons are named for their tendency to curl into a tight ball and hide their head when scared. In the wild, they are capable climbers, but are primarily ground dwellers, retreating into the burrows of other animals to rest or escape from intense heat.

What makes Monty special:
Monty has lived at the North Museum for around 30 years, making him one of our senior residents. While 30 seems to be an average lifespan for ball pythons, it’s not unheard of for them to reach their 40s, and even longer! In 2020, a ball python at the Saint Louis Zoo made the news when she laid a clutch of eggs at the estimated age of 62. She had been donated to the zoo in 1961. We hope to have Monty around for many more years. Despite ball pythons being known for hunger strikes, Monty has been a steady eater of frozen/thawed mice and chicks for the past several years. He is a calm snake who goes to schools, camps, and other off-site outreaches, acting as an ambassador for the North Museum and snakes everywhere. In his 20+ years of living at the museum, he has introduced thousands of people to snakes in a way that they never would have had the opportunity to otherwise experience. His gentle demeanor and cute expressions have convinced people that maybe not all snakes are as scary as they seem, with many visitors commenting in surprise at his softness after touching a snake for the first time.