If snakes or other reptiles give you the creeps… you need to visit Reptilandia in Johnson City, where you may just put those fears to rest.
JOHNSON CITY, Texas — It’s no secret, I have such a strong respect for snakes… it borders on hysteria!
I simply am afraid of them, yet at the same time I’m intrigued by them.
“Kind of like the logic of a horror movie. People spend more time in the reptile house in zoos than anywhere else,” says owner Quetzel Dwyer.
Dwyer, who grew up in Brooklyn, NY, has always loved reptiles. He says he never wanted to make a profession of it though.
“I was afraid I would lose the passion,” Dwyer said.
He obviously didn’t. He has traveled the world in search of every type of reptile imaginable… then settled in Costa Rica where he built and ran a similar facility for 18 years.
A few years back, Dwyer says the regulations got so strict in Costa Rica that he sold his reptile zoo there and moved to Texas. Settling in Blanco County, just north of Johnson City, he built “Reptilandia.” He now has more than 60 species of snakes, lizards and turtles.
The exhibits all are similar to the specific reptiles’ home habitat. There are plenty of trees, water features or sandy, desert-like environments to house everything. He even has a full grown 7-year-old monitor lizard.
The two-story facility houses amazing reptiles and the knowledge you learn is invaluable.
Dwyer offers tours to individuals, groups, school classes and more. It’s definitely worth the hour drive, straight up 281, north of San Antonio.
If you’re interested in learning more about “Reptilandia” or setting up a visit or tour, click on this link.