Reptiles

  We have a number of repitles here. Some are permanant residents. The reason some can't be released may be because they are too badly injured to fend for themselves in the wild or they may be exotic/invasive species that can't be released back into the local eco-system. Many reptiles are healed from injuries by BTN staff and released back into nature.

9/19/11
 

  Above is a Florida Snapping Turle. It had a skin infection and swelling of it's legs, which is a sign of liver infection. Right now it is living in my house and both the skin and liver infection are gone. It eats anything I put in with it and sits in my lap to watch TV.

We have had Soft Shell Turtles, Florida Snapping Turtles, Mud Turtles, Three Striped Musk Turtles and Penninsula Cooters.Sometimes these turtles are just following their internal magnetic directional instinct and get themselves into trouble and need to be re-released. Sometimes we need to remove fishing hooks from their mouths. Impacts with Cars, Dog Bites or Cat bites can break their shells.  

We recently helped a Florida Brown Water snake that had a skin infection and difficulty shedding its skin over one eye. It has now totally recovered. We also did a health check on a Black Racer snake that could not pull its tounge back into its mouth.

Permanant residents

Tortoises 
For educational purposes we have one African Spur Thigh Tortoise and one South American Red Legged Tortoise and one Russian Tortoise. I like to feed them by hand. They are friendly and come right to you for food and attention.
To be someday released we have had many Gopher Tortoises. We have adults and the cutest little babies. Some were attacked by dogs or cats, some hit by cars or constrution machines.

Box Turtles
We have several Ornate, Eastern and Florida Box Turtles.

Iguana
We have one large Green Iguana, at least five feet long. It is friendly, but does not like to be picked up. He doesn't do any of the tail thrashing or clawing we've seen other ones do.