Animal education through hands-on interactions is a top priority for us here at Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo. Because of this, we take immense pride in our various interactive animal encounter offerings! Since we know first hand that there are just as many types of animal lovers as there are animal species, we offer 10 unique encounter experiences. Whether you can’t wait to feel the gentle strength of a giant Burmese python around your arm or would rather pet the giant ears of our adorable fennec foxes, we have the perfect encounter for you! Throughout this blog, we will be sharing some of our favorite facts about our animal ambassador species as well as what to expect during your very own encounter with them!
Reserve your tickets now to make memories with our amazing animals and staff!
Feed Cute Fennec Foxes and Laid-Back Capybaras at the Snake Farm!
The first encounter animals we want to talk about in this blog are our cuddly fennec foxes, Joe and Janet! Native to the Sahara Desert, the fennec fox is the smallest fox species in the world— only growing up to 12 inches and weighing around 3 pounds. Since these cuties are small in stature, their giant ears truly stand out! In addition to somehow making them even more adorable, their ears protect them from the heat of their natural environment. These little guys love to socialize with guests and other animals, and are even known to purr like a cat when they’re happy. If you absolutely adore small, cute animals, we know you’ll have the time of your life when you meet our cute fennec foxes up close and personal!
The next fuzzy animal we’ll be discussing in this blog is a bit of an internet sensation! Of course, we are referring to our adorably chill capybaras! Affectionately referred to as “capys,” the capybara is native to Central and South America. One of our favorite capy facts is that they are highly intelligent. In fact, capybaras are incredible at problem solving, using tools like sticks to dig through mud, and can even learn to understand and respond to human language— much like domesticated animals! Check out this blog if you want to learn all about our cute capybara trio before your capybara feeding encounter!
Meet Our Spunky Lemurs In Person
Next up on our wonderful animal ambassador lineup are none other than our lemurs! Here at the Snake Farm, we offer interactive encounters with our common brown lemurs and red ruffed lemurs! Since it can be difficult to choose just one type of lemur encounter, here are a few facts that differentiate them from other lemur species. For starters, did you know that common brown lemurs play a crucial role in maintaining the flora and fauna of Madagascar? Since the common brown lemur’s diet primarily consists of fruit, they naturally disperse digested seeds across the island. Who knew lemurs could be such great gardeners!
Now onto the red ruffed lemur! Did you know that red ruffed lemurs are the largest lemur species we house at the Zoo? If you’re hoping to hang out with a larger lemur, you’ll love red ruffed lemurs like Chili! Another fun fact about red ruffed lemurs is that they can communicate with black and white ruffed lemurs, their co-subspecies! These two lemur species often communicate via warning signals, which help them avoid threats. Look into the gorgeous golden eyes of Tilly the common brown lemur or watch in awe as Chili crawls around in your lap during your very own lemur animal encounter!
Hang Out With Slithery Corn Snakes & Albino Burmese Pythons
If cute fennec foxes aren’t really your thing, we also have plenty of encounters that feature incredible reptiles like the Burmese python! Here at Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo, we offer animal encounter experiences with our four Burmese pythons: Meg, our natural colored Burmese python, and Simon, Leo, and Hercules— our albino Burmese pythons. Since albino Burmese pythons are quite rare in the wild, we pounce at the opportunity to share unbelievable facts about them! For instance, did you know that albino Burmese pythons are not truly albino? While albinism is defined by a complete lack of pigmentation, these snakes still possess yellow and red pigments, and only lack their black pigment. Another incredible Burmese python fact is that they are among the top 5 largest snakes in the world! While the average Burmese python is about 12 feet long, they have been known to grow up to 20 feet long.
Alternatively, if adorable fennec foxes are too fluffy for you and the thought of meeting a large Burmese python is a little off-putting, an encounter with Ruby our corn snake may be perfect for you! Sometimes called red rat snakes, corn snakes are native to the eastern United States and are quite common in southeastern states like Florida. These vibrant snakes exhibit considerable variations in color, but are usually deep shades of orange or yellowish-brown with large, red blotches outlined in black down their backs. One of our favorite corn snake facts is that they can be quite helpful to humans! While these snakes are nonvenomous, they are incredible hunters who naturally reduce local rodent populations. This can be really helpful for farmers and homeowners with mice problems!
Check out our amazing encounter offerings the next time you’re looking for fun-filled animal encounters near me!
Chill With Our Pancake Tortoise Ambassadors & Stunning Crocodilians!
Now that we’ve discussed our adorable fennec foxes and rare albino Burmese pythons, we get to introduce you to our crocodilian animal ambassadors. First up are our lovable baby dwarf crocodiles, Snip and Snap! Since baby dwarf crocs are rarely born in human care, we cherish the opportunity to celebrate these little guys on a regular basis during our private dwarf croc encounter. Also known as the African dwarf crocodile, these small crocodilians are native to sub-Saharan Africa and reside in common crocodile habitats such as mangrove swamps and rainforests. Another incredible fact about them is that they are the smallest crocodile species in the entire world! Whereas larger crocodile species like the Nile crocodile are over 10 feet long on average, the dwarf crocodile only grows roughly 4 feet in length.
The other incredible crocodilian we feature in a private animal encounter is Ally the American alligator! One of our favorite facts to share about these gorgeous gators is that they are one of the most well-known success stories of U.S. wildlife conservation. While this species was once considered endangered and on the brink of extinction, laws were passed to better regulate the hunting of this animal. Because of these laws, American alligators are no longer endangered, and are now considered a species of least concern! Another fascinating fact about these gators is that they grow new teeth on a constant basis. As an alligator’s teeth are worn down or shed , they are replaced by these new teeth. In fact, alligators can go through as many as 3,000 teeth in a single lifetime!
The final animal ambassadors we need to introduce you to are Flap Jack and Waffles, our cute pancake tortoise duo! For guests who may be intimidated by large reptiles like our Burmese pythons, with the average Burmese python size being around 12 feet long, we highly recommend booking a private encounter with our petite pancake tortoises. This tortoise was named after their notably flat shells, which are flat as pancakes! Native to regions of eastern Africa, the pancake tortoise stands out as one of the fastest tortoises in the world. Besides their signature flat shells, these tortoises are also able to move quickly due to how uniquely flexible and lightweight their shells are. Come meet our sweet, tiny pancake tortoises during your very own pancake tortoise encounter!
Meet 10 Outstanding Animal Ambassadors at One of the Best Zoos in Texas!
Whether your goal for the summer is to befriend Tilly our lovable common brown lemur or to work up the courage to attend our giant snake encounter with the whole family, Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo is sure to have the perfect encounter experience for you! Since we are lucky enough to be considered one of the best zoos in Texas by locals and tourists alike, we pounce at the opportunity to share our love of animals with compassionate, like-minded guests like yourself. And while we shared plenty of fun facts about our animal ambassadors in this blog, rest assured that there are plenty more where that came from! Expect to learn even more about our wonderful animals as you pose for pictures with them and get to know them in a whole new way!
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Do you have any amazing encounter photos that you have captured here during a visit? Please tag us! We love seeing our guest’s best Snake Farm memories!