Get Your Slither on at the Reptile Discovery Center

So we found a semi-hidden gem while we were exploring DeLand.  You're going to love it there too but there's only one hitch. You gotta love snakes! Well, at least you got to like them. 

The place is called the Reptile Discovery Center. It boasts it has the largest collection of venomous snakes in the country and for a good reason too!

This working snake farm is home to Medtoxin Venom Laboratories. It is large scale venom producer/distributor of snake venom for  antivenom research and sends venom to medical companies to research venom's effect on cancer and other ailments.

The first attraction as you walk in is the Serpentarium. It exhibits dozens of venomous and some nonvenomous snakes. Not only snakes, but many other species of reptiles. 

After we strolled through the Serpentarium, we walked into the main room which offers a Venom Extractions viewing program a couple times a day.

Before the viewing starting, the snake handler came out with a constrictor and offered the attendants a chance to touch or hold the snake.

J.J. and I held the snake and it was really neat. It was docile and liked to be handled.

After the interactive experience, we all sat down and watched as the handler had snakes bite into a container.

The visitors are protected  as they view this process from a glass window into the venom lab. An audio tour was talking about each snake that was exhibited. Today, he extracted venom from a coral snake,  copperhead, rattlesnake and monocled cobra. 

Each snake had a different temperament. One of the rattlesnake was particularly testy while the other two were apprehensive but not aggressive. The cobras were interesting to watch. One was super excited when it saw everyone and the albino cobra hung out and watched the visitors.

After the venom extraction, the handler came back out and answered any questions from the visitors.

We stepped back out and looked at all the snakes again before going to the outside exhibits. Just outside there was a pond filled with 4-5 types of turtles. You can feed them because the gift store sells the pellets.

They offer a nature trail filled with more reptile exhibits including tortoises, iguanas, monitor lizards and alligators.

We had a wonderful time exploring this facility. It's fun for the whole family and I highly recommend you checking this place out. 

Their website is located here.

Thanks for reading! Now step out the door and live for today!