Idaho Reptile Zoo

About Idaho Reptile Zoo

Idaho Reptile Zoo is a reptile zoo and rescue in the Boise area of Idaho. According to its website, the zoo is a federal and state recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its stated mission is to bring education about its animals to the public through interaction. The zoo's address as listed on its website is 3725 W. Chinden Blvd., Garden City, Idaho 83714, in a new 10,000-square-foot facility. The website announces that the zoo is open to the public at this location.

The zoo describes itself as home to more than 400 animals at any given time, and says its rescue and education center provides permanent homes to rescued and rehabilitated animals. It is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The zoo is family owned and operated. Its About Us page lists Tyler Messina as owner, founder, main animal caretaker and croc keeper, and Alyssa Messina, his wife, as co-owner, office manager and croc keeper. Wanda Messina is listed as receptionist and tortoise caretaker, and Tyler and Alyssa's daughters, Eleni and Paisley, are listed as outreach specialists. The page describes caring for animals as a family passion.

History

According to the About Us page, the zoo started in Tyler Messina's garage with eight animals. A 2022 article from BoiseDev reported that the operation had run for more than ten years in the Treasure Valley under the name Reptile Adventures. The same article reported that the zoo first opened at a warehouse in Nampa and moved to a 10,000-square-foot facility on West Overland Road in Boise in February 2021.

The BoiseDev article quoted the zoo's website as saying it worked with the Department of Agriculture and Idaho Fish and Game, which allowed it to serve as a permanent home to invasive and illegal species in Idaho while educating the public about them. The article described the zoo as running on community donations and support and as continuing to add exhibits and ways for guests to interact with animals.

The zoo's website now lists its address on Chinden Boulevard in Garden City.

Exhibits and habitats

The zoo's website emphasizes interaction with animals rather than naming individual exhibits. Reptiles are the primary focus. Animals named on the zoo's About Us and Outreach Programs pages include crocodiles, alligators, snakes, lizards, tortoises, Galapagos tortoises, turtles and pythons.

The zoo's private tour description says guests feed water turtles, giant tortoises, Galapagos tortoises and alligators, and that the tour ends with a giant python interaction. The zoo's birthday party and field trip descriptions mention feeding turtles in the pond, petting and feeding giant tortoises, and interacting with snakes and lizards.

Conservation and programs

The zoo describes its work as rescue and education. It says it provides permanent homes to rescued and rehabilitated animals and offers educational programming centered on direct contact with animals.

The Outreach Programs page lists the following offerings:

• Birthday parties, which include a private 30-minute interactive reptile show with hands-on animal interactions.
• Field trips, available as a show package with a self-guided zoo tour plus a 30-minute presentation, or as a self-guided package, both with food for feeding turtles and tortoises.
• A mobile petting zoo that brings animals to school carnivals, expos and other large events.
• A traveling show, a one-hour presentation featuring snakes, lizards, a tortoise and a baby alligator at the customer's location.
• Private tours of about two hours, limited to ten guests per reservation.

Prices, group minimums and booking details for these programs are on the zoo's website. The website also has a Special Events page and a Donate page, and the zoo accepts bookings through its Booking and Contact page.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, the zoo is open Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The website says the zoo is closed Monday through Thursday for animal care and private tours. Admission categories listed on the website include adults, children 17 and under, seniors, and first responders and military. Children 3 and under are listed as free. Current ticket prices are on the zoo's website.

The phone numbers listed on the website are 208-376-3207 and 208-893-1192. The zoo's email addresses are contact@idahoreptilezoo.org and reptile_adventures@yahoo.com. The zoo also maintains Facebook and Instagram accounts linked from its website.