Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A few quick questions...

1) What is the largest Bushmaster any of you have ever seen? (I saw one report saying the record was 14ft. but that has to be garbage.)

2) Does anyone have some good pics of a large Bushmaster with some type of "scale" in them such as a water bottle, dead body etc.

3) Besides Black Hills who I suspect have a Bushmaster or two but I haven't checked....are there any good places to see one in the midwest region of the US? Especially around Kansas City or Chicago?

Thankyou for any help you have provided.

too bad you cant go to the Cape Fear Serpentarium. Dean Ripa is the man to speak with regarding these big snakes. I would go to his site and check it out. While there, you can read "Degenerated Science". An eye opening account of the present threats we all face in this field.

Thanks, I have already visited the Ripa site and will eventually visit their facility but I'm due for a trip to black hills too. So many places I want to go, so little time.

I know he has a book on CD-rom...but I was looking for a print version...maybe I missed that, I will have to look again.

I will go back and read the report you mentioned, thanks for the tip.

Rob Carmichael at The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm,
Lake Forest, IL has one.
-----
Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education

Thanks for the plug Tim. We just acquired a young lady to pair up with our big boy. If the original poster wants more info about our location/time of operation/etc (we are 35 miles north of Chicago) just drop me a line.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL
847.615.4388
www.cityoflakeforest.com (go to Parks/Rec and then to the WDC)

>>Rob Carmichael at The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm,
>>Lake Forest, IL has one.
>>-----
>>Tim Cole
>>www.Designeratrox.com/
>>www.AustinReptileService.net
>>www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
>>Conservation through Education
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

GREAT! A visit there was already on my list for my next trip to Chicago...so I am definitely going to get there at my earliest possible opportunity.

My in-laws live in Roselle and I used to live in Downers Grove up until about 5 years ago.

As if I needed any more reason...I've never seen a Bushmaster at a zoo etc. so it's next on my list after getting to see a Taipan at the Omaha Zoo.

The Denver Zoo also has an impressive Bushmaster on exhibit.

As for Taipans we have plenty of those.
Regards,

-----
It's what you learn AFTER you know it all that counts!

Terry Phillip
Curator of Reptiles
Black Hills Reptile Gardens
Rapid City, SD.

www.reptilegardens.com

Terry..someone you know in Md has been looking for some. PS...I have the old Viewmaster reels of your facility...they're neat!!
-----
1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

Thanks again everyone for all the great information.

I look forward to eventually visiting all of the mentioned facilities...just hard to do with work & family...

P.S. There used to be a nice reptile display in Branson Missouri but it was new maybe about 4-5 years ago and I don't know if it is still open or not. Basically, it was sort of a "roadside zoo" setup (not meaning to be insulting, it was nice) and it had quite a nice selection of snakes.

Anyone out there confirm if it's still open?

I think your thinking of Ozark, Mo.
Ozark is about 10 miles north of Branson.
It's Dennis Harters' place, named now, Finley Valley Serpentarium.
It was and still is, a very nice place with an outstanding collection.

Randal Berry

You may also be thinking of Predator World zoo.
http://www.predatorworld.org/
It is in Branson. Lots of nice snakes, but no Bushmasters. If you make it this far south there is Reptile World Zoo In Joplin Mo.
http://www.reptileworldzoo.com/
Not a huge collection, but a great facility with nice large custom Cages and very very clean. No Bushmasters here eather.
There is also Snake World in Berryville Arkansas just outside Eureka Springs. Small place. No website. Nothing Rare, but Dale can talk snakes for hours making it worth the stop.
And Like Randal said "Dennis Harters' place, named now, Finley Valley Serpentarium.
It was and still is, a very nice place with an outstanding collection." Dennis has helped me tremendously the last few years in building my collection of animals, cages, and knowledge. I don't think he has a Bushmaster, but don't quote me on that. His Collection is, to my knowledge, the biggest and best in this part of the contry, open to the public. He Is hidden off any main roads, so if ever in the Ozarks, look him up. Billy
-----

Again, much much thanks...some of these places don't have websites and I'd searched the web before for the predator world place and had given up. (Prob. back before they had a website)

Anyway, it looks like I will be in Chicago here soon...so Lake Forest here I come. After that, a January road trip to visit BOTH Finley Valley and Predator World is in order...might as well do both.

I don't keep snakes but I've been a lurker on this forum for 8years or so and read quite a bit.

There are some snakes I've never seen in person....after the Bushmaster...I frankly don't know which one will go to the top next...of course once I get to Black Hills...there will no longer be a list. lol.

I've known Dennis & Mary Ann Harter for 30 years. They have a collection that outshines most. A collection well taken care of and worthy of a visit.
-----
Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education

Yeah, I also think he's thinking of "Predator World." I went there around two years ago, and found to place in mostly deplorable conditions. Snakes were either so skinny and dehydrated they were on the brink of death, or they were so fat they could barely move. Cages were filthy, cramped, etc. There was even a holding tank outside the front doors containing a huge snapping turtle that any 8 year old could easily reach into, considering no one was around to keep an eye on it. Then the wolf or wolfdog they brought out on the choke chain for the kids to pet, that just took the cake for me. I reported the place to either fish and game in MO or the HS, and whoever it was I spoke to told me I was not the first person to contact them about them. I don't know if they were ever cited for anything or not, but I hope they were.
-----
Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com

My my...what an impressive website they have... That's easily the biggest amount of b.s. (not to mention misinformation) I've read in a while. Those spacious living quarters for their big carnivores, when I was there, consisted of a maybe 15x25' room containing an adult lion and an adult tiger, and what appeared to be a modified garage containing a few black bears and a few cougars which were obviously *not* getting long with each other very well. The place is a joke.
-----
Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com

When I went there it seemed fine...but it had just opened up and there were no bears, big cats etc. just reptiles some scorps and plants. (Although I do remember pointing out to them that the lock on their Rhino viper cage was left open.)

Someone else in this post seemed to think it was ok and I'd want to hear more before writing a place off....trying to be fair.

I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of any other people that have been there recently.

In fairness, I too would like to hear from someone who has been there recently. I'm doubtful they've improved much, but I would certainly like to be proven wrong! (for a change! lol) Even if they're improved the conditions of their reptiles, if their mammals are still in the condition they were before, they should be shut down. And vice versa. I am looking forward to hearing from anyone who's visited recently.
-----
Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com

Well said, it's possible that they had some staffing issues etc. that caused some of the issues....hard to say. I will look especially close at their large mammal setups.

I will definitely go to visit Finley Valley and if I haven't heard more bad accounts about Predator World I will stop in.

If I do stop there, I will report back on what I see within the limits of my experience but with a fresh look at Finley Valley in my mind for comparison.

Jaykis,
I would love to see those reals! I think that would be great. I sent a Taipan to Don at Catoctin zoo a year or so ago, if thats who you are referring too...?
T-

I think I need to add a few more pics, I think it's time to add a few more interesting critters...what do you all think

-----
It's what you learn AFTER you know it all that counts!

Terry Phillip
Curator of Reptiles
Black Hills Reptile Gardens
Rapid City, SD.

www.reptilegardens.com

Yes, that's who I was refering to. I think he and Rick came out for a visit last year or so, correct? I thought he took the reels with him, but maybe not. I've only known Don since he came to the zoo, but I've known Rick for over 25 years.
-----
1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

There are Bushmasters at the St. Louis Zoo. That's right in between KC and Chicago.