Meet Our Animals

Nigerian Dwarf Goat

Djali {pronounced Jolly), Puddin, and Pumpkin, our dwarf goats are always ready to jump and make you giggle. Come meet them in our Petting Zoo, brush their coats, feed them a crunchy treat and give  them each a scratch between the horns!
 

Our goats are not currently available for off-site events.

Short-Tailed Opossum

Poki is an adorable little marsupial from South America. Although he is a close relative of our native Virginia Opossum, he is much smaller. Marsupials are a fascinating group of mammals, and we cannot wait to introduce you to him!

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Jungle Carpet Python

Chester is a brilliantly colored snake from Australia. These constrictors are excellent climbers and very curious. Measuring at 6.5 feet, Chester loves to climb on people, and will sometimes climb onto your head! In the wild, carpet pythons eat rodents, birds, and even large bats!

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Rock Igauna

Ajax is a massive lizard from the Cayman Islands! These powerful iguanas can grow to almost 5 feet long, and are the largest land animals in their ecosystem. They are peaceful herbivores, and are critically endangered due to habitat loss and introduced predators. 

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$$ Due to his large size, Ajax requires special transportation when traveling off-site, and booking him for an off-site event is an extra $10 charge. 

Gargoyle Gecko

Originally from New Caledonia, these elegant geckos love to climb and rest in flowers and leaves much like you see in their native islands between Fiji and Australia. Morticia is able to change color to adapt to her surroundings, as well as communicate her mood to other geckoes!

California Kingsnake

Kingsnakes like Dot are skilled hunters, roaming the deserts of California and Arizona for lizards, birds, rodents, and other snakes. Despite not being venomous himself, Dot is able to hunt and consume rattlesnakes.  Kingsnakes have a natural resistance to rattlesnake venom!

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Red Foot Tortoise

Our hungry herd of red foot tortoises are always happy to greet visitors with their friendly faces and their huge appetites! Experience the world's slowest stampede as they come to eat from your hand in our Large Tortoise Feeding Yard. Our largest Red Foot is Mars.  She's 15 years old and loves to be hand-fed lettuce! 

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Bearded Dragon

Bearded dragons are tough inhabitants of the Australian Outback, where they live on bugs and plants, and protect themselves with their spiny skin. Valentina can't wait to teach you the ways of bearded dragons!

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Reticulated Python

At over 10 feet, Apollo the reticulated python is a gentle giant. His size, color, and engaging personality will wow any animal lover, and make converts out of the most nervous admirers.​

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$$ Due to Apollo's large size, he requires special transport and booking him for a show carries an additional $15 charge

African Pygmy Hedgehog

Hazel the Hedgehog is a sweet and friendly insect eater from the African plains. Altough she seems tough and prickly at first, those quills are a neccesary defense against all kinds of predators.

We can't wait to teach you all about her and how her quills keep her safe in the wild!

Miniature Horse

Elsa is a magical miniature horse who is sure to make any child giggle with excitement when they brush her mane and feel her soft muzzle brush their hands looking for carrots. 

Although she is a miniature horse, her personality is anything but small! This 8 year old mare is a gentle and beautiful addition to our zoo family!

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Elsa is currently not available for programs away from the zoo.

Sun Conure

Sun Conures are lively and expressive and Olive is no exception!  You'll hear her greeting visitors even before they reach the door. 
 

Olive is not currently available for programs.

White's Treefrog

Sammy Croaker is our resident treefrog, and he loves hanging out on leaves and branches.  These frogs are from Australia, and have ferocious appetites for insects!

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Frogs are known as "environmental indicators" due to their sensitivity to pollution. Healthy frogs are a sign of healthy waterways!

Fancy Rats

Fawn, Silvermist, and Tinkerbell are definitely not your average rats! These friendly rodents are curious and playful. Learn all about how rats are adaptable, intelligent, and important members of our ecosystem!

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Blue Tongued Skink

Have you ever met a lizard with a blue tongue? Luna would love to show you her tongue! Native to Australia, these lizards use their flashy blue tongues to get away from predators like dingoes, eagles, and monitor lizards!

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Tiger Salamander

Alexander the Tiger Salamander is a truly awesome amphibian! Although he normally lives underground, he never minds coming out to meet new people!

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Tiger salamanders start their lives in the water, breathing with gills. They lose their gills and paddle-shaped tails as they mature, and spend their adult lives living in burrows underground. 

Kune Kune Pigs

Pua, Penny, and our piglet, Oliver, are very special pigs! They are Kune Kune pigs, a Polynesian breed from New Zealand. They are extremely friendly, smart, and love to get treats from visitors. Come say hi to them at the Petting Zoo!

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Did you know? In Disney's Moana, Pua the pig was based on real-life Kune Kune! The name Pua means "flower". 

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We no longer take our pigs to offsite events due to their weight and size. Pua, Oliver, and Penny would LOVE for you to come to the zoo to give them scratches and treats!

Western Hognose Snake

Santiago may not be very big, or very fast, or very strong, but he is definitely one of our cutest snakes! His upturned nose is great for digging up frogs and toads, and for making anyone into a snake lover. 

Did we mention that he is also a massive drama queen? Hognose snakes play dead to avoid being eaten, thrashing around and flipping upside down to feign death. 

Veiled Chameleon

Our two veiled chameleon Rapunzel is not the most outgoing personality, but she is definatley worth watching as she moves round her enclosure! 

Chameleons are masters of camoflauge, but they actually use their colors to communicate with each other. Certain shades and patterns tell males to leave females alone, or signal their health and willingness to fight over territory. 

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Because chameleons stress easily, Rapunzel cannot be removed from her enclosure for programs.

Asian Water Monitor

Toothless is our resident dragon in training! His species is the second largest lizard in the world, after their close relative the Komodo Dragon!

He is extremely intelligent, and is a skilled hunter, chasing down shrimp, fish, and eggs!

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$$Due to his large size, Toothless requires special transportation when travelling off-site, and booking him for an off site event is an extra $10 charge. 

Sulcata (African Spurred) Tortoise

Sulcata tortoises are some of the world's largest tortoises and can live to be 100 years old or older!

Our younger herd of sulcatas love to eat from visitor's hands, and make a fantastic welcoming commitee on tours! 

Master Oogway is our largest tortoise, and he took an interesting journey to reach The Learning Zoo.  We believe he's about 30 years old, and he weighed 100 pounds at his last check-up! 
 

Japanese Quail

If you look closely on the ground in our Green Iguana enclosure, you will see these small birds running around! Although quail do not fly well, they are excellent at hiding on the forest floor, and eat seeds and insects. 

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Our quail are not available for programs at this time.

Prairie Dog

Billy, Tex, Thelma and Lousie are the residents of our Prairie Dog Town! Prairie dogs have a variety of complex vocalizations, and Billy in particular is always very talkitive and excited to meet new people!

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Did you know? Prairie dogs are rodents, and members of the squirrel family, but they live in elaborate underground burrows with hundreds of other prairie dogs!

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Our prairie dogs do not like to travel, and not not available for programs away from the zoo. 

Ball Python

Olaf is a pure white ball python, and one of the most beautiful snakes at the zoo! 

In the wild, these short, stocky snakes are brown and black to hide from predators, but humans have bred hundreds of color and pattern mutations, producing a stunning variety of snakes. 

Although Olaf is a meat-eater, he is very shy. Ball pythons get their name from their habit of curling into a tight ball when attacked and hiding their head.

Emperor Scorpion

Hail Ceasar! Ceasar the emperor scorpion is native to the grasslands and forests of central Africa, and his species is the largest variety of scorpion in the world! 

Despite their fearsome reputation, they are not dangerous to humans. Emperor scorpion venom is only strong enough to kill the cockroaches, crickets, and other insects they eat. 

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Learn more about arachnids and their role in the ecosystem when you meet Ceasar face to face!