A herpetarium is a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

logical exhibition space for

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

s and

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

s, most commonly a dedicated area of a larger zoo. A herpetarium which specializes in

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

s is an ophidiarium or serpentarium, which are more common as stand-alone entities also known as

snake farm A snake farm is a facility that houses and breeds a wide variety of snakes, often for the purpose of research and the collection of venom for the creation of antivenom. Many snake farms are primarily tourist attractions. Notable snake farms exist ...

s. Many snake farms milk snakes for

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

for medical and scientific research.

Notable herpetariums

Alice Springs Reptile Centre The Alice Springs Reptile Centre is a privately operated reptile centre and environmental education facility in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. It contains the largest collection of reptiles in the Northern Territory. Anima ...

in Alice Springs, Australia * Armadale Reptile Centre in Perth, Australia *

Australian Reptile Park The Australian Reptile Park is located at Somersby on the Central Coast, New South Wales in Australia. It is about north of Sydney, and is just off the M1 Pacific Motorway. The Park has one of the largest reptile collections in Australia, w ...

in Central Coast, Australia * Chennai Snake Park Trust in Chennai, India * Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton, UK * Clyde Peeling's Reptiland in Allenwood, Pennsylvania *

Kentucky Reptile Zoo Kentucky Reptile Zoo is a non-profit facility in Slade, Kentucky, that specializes in venomous reptiles and the acquisition of venom through a process called venom extraction. The venom is collected for use in medical research programs as well as ...

in Slade, Kentucky * The LAIR at the Los Angeles Zoo in Los Angeles, California * Serpent Safari in Gurnee, Illinois * Saint Louis Zoo Herpetarium in St. Louis, Missouri * Staten Island Zoo Serpentarium in New York City, New York * World of Reptiles at the Bronx Zoo in New York City, New York

References

* Murphy, James B., ''Herpetological History of the Zoo and Aquarium World'', Krieger Publishing Company,

Malabar, Florida Malabar is a town in Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County, Florida. The population was 2,757 at the 2010 United States Census. It is part of the Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay–Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne–Titusville, Florida, Titusvi ...

, 2007. Reptiles and humans Zoos Herpetology Buildings and structures used to confine animals {{snake-stub

Notable herpetariums

See also

References