Fall/Winter 2009

With a 7-foot resident alligator named Fluffy and approximately 1,500 venomous snakes, you could call the Kentucky Reptile Zoo in Slade, Kentucky, paradise for those fascinated by the scaly set.

Everybody knows that kids (and some parents) love snakes, but even those who don’t can get an education here.

Jim Harrison, who has been the director of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo since it opened in 1990, gives regular demonstrations of venom extraction or “milking” that are a must-see.

There are also daily reptile programs covering snakes, crocs and gators, along with opportunities to have your photo taken holding a young alligator — with its mouth banded for safety, of course.

Make sure to check out the zoo’s largest — er, longest — resident, an 18-foot reticulated python. Kids who love turtles will have a blast at the Turtle Tracks Area, home to an outgoing desert tortoise named Diggity who’s completely comfortable in the company of humans. He’s about the size of a helmet and was found wandering the streets of Columbus, Ohio.

While the Kentucky Reptile Zoo is a fascinating destination with one of the world’s largest venomous snake collections, the facility’s main purpose is the production of venom for medical research and antiserum development.

Harrison has survived bites from a pit viper, a desert horn viper and a king cobra, yet he focuses on the life-giving qualities of snake venom. One day Malayan pit viper venom may be used to help stroke victims, while black mamba venom is currently being used in Alzheimer’s research.

- State - Kentucky

- Type - Family Vacations

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