Zoos with a decent reptile and/or invert room/section?

[joeyboy]

Ok so basically I am taking a gap year after college next year mainly working but also i was looking into getting some work experience in a zoo, especially one with a decent invert and reptile room/area.

Can anyone tell me which zoos they have visited, in the UK, which have a decent one?

[Athravan]

The thing is a lot of reptile shops and private collectors in the UK have far bigger reptile collections than most zoos. Reptiles don't really bring in the punters or the money, so a lot of zoos are pretty disappointing on the reptile front.

Of all the ones I've been to I would rate Chester the highest for reptiles.

You want to work with something that you're not going to see or have the opportunity to work with again. Chester has the Komodo Dragons, the Tuatara, and my all time favourite, the relatively new additions, the Caiman Lizards - 3 species that I think you're likely to find in private collections in the UK, so definitely worth working with. I also couldn't fault Chesters enclosures or the health/condition of the majority of reptiles there. There are some zoos (that I won't mention) that I would be ashamed to keep my reptiles in those conditions so definitely visit the zoos before you commit to anything.

[andy2086]

I've been to Chester & London and I'd rate Chester the best for reptiles. Haven't been for a while so not sure what they have now but their whole tropical house is fantastic!

[Steve 88]

Blackpool zoo wasnt bad for reps, certainly worth a look, they had a fair few inverts too.

[Zak]

Originally Posted by joeyboy

Ok so basically I am taking a gap year after college next year mainly working but also i was looking into getting some work experience in a zoo, especially one with a decent invert and reptile room/area.

Can anyone tell me which zoos they have visited, in the UK, which have a decent one?

Zoo work experience is hotly contested i managed to get a month last summer and was only one out of 60 applicants, thanks partially to my uncle knowing the curator. Id get applying ASAP, i know West Midland Safari park's waiting list is over a year and half long. Apply by all means, the experience is fabulous but as Athravan said alot of private collections and rep shops having better collections than zoo's.

[joeyboy]

but surely a private collector would have no need to give anyone "work experience" as they just keep them. It would be like me spending a few weeks chilling out with a random forum member and their reps, lmao, as cool as that would be it's not exactly the same.

Also I would work in a rep shop but I think the closest is 1 stop pets n exotics which is a few miles away, working at a supermarket for now lol.

[shep1979]

Originally Posted by Steve 88

Blackpool zoo wasnt bad for reps, certainly worth a look, they had a fair few inverts too.

blackpool zoo is the worst zoo i think for reps ,mixed species ,old enclosers and just not worth the trip in my opinion ,i have been a few time as i live in blackpool and its not changed in 8 years

[Zak]

Originally Posted by joeyboy

Also I would work in a rep shop but I think the closest is 1 stop pets n exotics which is a few miles away, working at a supermarket for now lol.

Wheres the nearest zoo though?

Any experience is experience.

[kato]

We went to Paignton Zoo on New Years Day and it has a Three Reptile Sections. The first is a Reptile Nursery which has various interesting species, it is not that good to look at, but if you worked here you would probably be very happy. The second section is the Reptile House, this is brilliant; there is also a desert zone attached to this section which has some reptiles in to. But the best is the new Crocodile/big reptile house - this is fantastic and has some very very big snakes in a HUGE Snake enclosure.

We have been to Blackpool Zoo, Longleat and Bristol Zoo, but Paignton Zoo is by far the best for Reptiles.

[joeyboy]

OMG yeah forgot all about Paignton I went there in the summer, yeah those snakes were HUGE.