The Reptile Zoo
| The Reptile Zoo | |
|---|---|
United States | |
| Floor space | 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2)[1] |
| No. of animals | Over 100[2] |
| No. of species | Over 100[1] |
| Owner | Jay Brewer |
| Website | www |
The Reptile Zoo is an indoor zoo focusing on reptiles in Fountain Valley, California. Fish, amphibians, and arachnids are also on display. It contains the pet store Prehistoric Pets, which sells items targeted towards reptile owners. Over 1,000,000 people have visited the zoo since its founding.
History
Prehistoric Pets originally opened in 1988 under the name Pet Country, which sold both traditional and exotic pets. As more people visited the store, the focus shifted to education about exotic reptiles. Pet Country then closed and Prehistoric Pets opened in 1992.[3]
The company then created Jurassic Parties in 1995, which allowed for more learning about reptiles via interactive events. Jay Brewer, and ex-fisherman and the founder of the store, decided to build an indoor zoo next to the shop to attract visitors. After being founded on July 10, 2009, people started visiting the shop just to see the reptiles at the zoo.
The store expanded to its current 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2) in two expansions during 2000 and 2018.
The corporation has about 50 staff members, per LinkedIn and their websites, including Brewer and his three daughters.[1]
Animals
The zoo contains the following species, which include:[1][3][4]
The zoo was home to Twinkie, the world's largest
Animals from the zoo come from many different places. Some were born at the zoo, while others are rescued from the wild or from private collections.[1]
The zoo additionally contains a 2,000 US gallons (7,600 L) indoor pond housing fish and turtles.[1]
In popular culture
Jay Brewer, the founder of the zoo, and his daughter Juliette have a prominent following on social media, with 2.1 million followers on Instagram and over 20 million followers on TikTok. On the latter, the zoo itself has 12 million followers. They have also collaborated with celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, and Diplo.[2]
In 2023, Reptile Zoo was featured on The Roku Channel's reality show Reptile Royalty, a six-episode miniseries following the zoo’s day to day activity.[7][8] The show was picked up for a second season in 2024.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Visit Us - The Reptile Zoo". Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Szabo, Matt (February 4, 2023). "The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley lands reality TV series". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Prehistoric Pets: A Reptile Zoo and Store". California Through My Lens. January 14, 2013. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "A Field Trip to The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley". SoCal Field Trips. March 23, 2015. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Largest albino snake in captivity". Guinness World Records. December 7, 2012. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Virata, John (August 14, 2014). "Twinkie The World's Largest Albino Reticulated Python Dies". Reptiles. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Roku Expands Unscripted Adventure Slate to Include Trio of New Series: "Fight to Survive," "Reptile Royalty," and "UFO Cowboys"; Akbar Gbajabiamila Set to Host "Fight to Survive"". The Roku Channel. January 25, 2023. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Regan, Ashley (July 15, 2023). "Reptile Zoo becomes Reptile Royalty in new show". KTLA. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
- ^ Szabo, Matt (July 27, 2024). "'Reptile Royalty,' which follows adventures of Fountain Valley zoo, returns for season 2". Daily Pilot.