July 27, 2010
Our Name Has Two Parts, What About Those “Gardens”?
By: Joe Maierhauser
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Every year, something beautiful happens at Reptile Gardens. An army of gardeners descends upon the grounds, and transforms the winter barren flowerbeds into a fragrant sea of stunning annual flowers. Our gardeners plant over 40,000 annuals, and hundreds of perennial species as well. While many people know that Reptile Gardens is home to the world’s largest reptile collection, folks are often pleasantly surprised to learn that our grounds are a botanical-lovers paradise as well.
Guests often ask our gardeners for advice and ideas on plant species selection and general care. To transform (more…)
May 11, 2010
What Can I Do About Black Widows Around My House?
By: Joe Maierhauser
Black Widow spider
I get many calls from people wondering what can be done to minimize the presence of Black Widows? First I have to say, because spiders are small it is hard to totally eliminate them. However, there are some things you can do to cut down their numbers and protect yourself. (more…)
April 30, 2010
It is Spider Season! Black Widows and their Friends.
By: Joe Maierhauser
Black Widow showing belly marking, not always a perfect hourglass.
As warm weather approaches, we start getting calls about spiders and odd bugs people find in their garages, storage sheds, yards, and houses. The most common calls we get are in regard to spiders, especially black widows, brown recluse and a mysterious GIANT! spider that seems to strike fear in all who see one. The latter would be the common wolf spider.
Out of the tens of thousands of spiders in the world, only a few are dangerous to humans. The most common dangerously venomous spiders in the US are the Black Widow, the Brown Recluse, and the Hobo spider – and they rarely bite people. Far more people die each year of bee and wasp stings that from spider bites. And by the way, it is just a myth that the common daddy longlegs spider is extremely deadly – there is no scientific evidence to back up this fanciful tale.
One common spider in our area that you need NOT be overly concerned with is the (more…)
April 13, 2010
Reptile Gardens…or United Nations?
By: Joe Maierhauser
Many people do not know that the Black Hills was one of the top finalists in the search for a location for the United Nations.
The beginnings of what was to become the United Nations were set in motion back in 1941. By 1942 the term United Nations, coined by Franklin Roosevelt, was first used. Over the next few years the UN Charter was created and ratified and a search was begun for a place to house this new international organization.
Many locales vied for the UN complex. In the end, the final 5 contenders were: a location in Queens, New York, two locations (more…)
March 11, 2010
Mac the Scarlet Macaw
By: Joe Maierhauser
Mac the Scarlet Macaw posing for one of his many portraits
On Wednesday, 10 March, we lost one of the very few living creatures that has been at Reptile Gardens longer than even us long-timers, Mac our Scarlet Macaw.
Like most parrots in the days before wildlife laws and captive breeding, Mac was captured in the wild, in South America. He was brought to the US in the early 1950’s and arrived here at Reptile Gardens as a large adult bird in 1956. We estimate his age at the time of his death to have been over 70 years. He was a huge, brightly-colored bird loaded with personality. In fact in regards to his size, many parrot breeders and bird fanciers remarked that he was the largest scarlet macaw they had ever seen.
Mac achieved legendary status here at the Gardens once we moved (more…)
January 14, 2010
Yikes! Another Fake Giant Reptile
By: Joe Maierhauser
This photo keeps resurfacing and several of our staff members just got it emailed to them again. So, in our unending crusade to dispel as many reptile myths as we can we will have a go at this one.
Huge gator, or forced perspective?
Here is the current ridiculous story attached to this photo:
“This alligator was found between Centre and Leesburg, Alabama, near a house! Neighbors had been telling the Rogers that they had seen a mammoth alligator in the waterway that runs behind their house, but they dismissed the stories as exaggerations. Alabama Parks and Wildlife game wardens were forced to shoot the beast. Joe G., 6′5′ tall, a game warden, walks past the 28 foot, 1 inch alligator he shot and killed in their back yard.”
First of all let’s start with the “6 foot 5 inch” game warden. Really? Six foot five inches? Give me a break. (more…)
December 17, 2009
GIANT RATTLESNAKES!
By: Joe Maierhauser
The Internet Such a Resource!?
Sometimes the internet is a great source of information and sometimes…well…it is like the National Enquirer. If you are not intimately involved in a particular area of study it can be pretty hard to know the difference when reading things online or seeing them on TV. To make matters more complicated, most of us (me included) tend to be pretty trusting anyway. When it comes to reptiles and amphibians, you can count on the staff at Reptile Gardens for the true facts, no sensational tabloid-style lies or exaggerations from us.
The infamous "giant" rattlesnake
We have all seen the viral photo below, or something like it, haven’t we? Our staff gets sensational reptile photos sent to us on a regular basis, so we want to address some of the over the coming months. Today, it’s time to talk about GIANT RATTLESNAKES!
Giant Snake Caught!
Each time we see this photo, the snake gets bigger and the story more fanciful. It is 8 feet long, it is 9 feet long, it is 10 feet long, it weighs 50 pounds, it weighs 75 pounds, it weighs 100 pounds. (more…)
November 19, 2009
HOW TO CARE FOR A DEAD TREE
By: Joe Maierhauser
This week I am posting a column written 44 years ago by long-time Reptile Gardens General Manager, Jim Campbell. In 1965, Reptile Gardens ran a series of newspaper columns in celebration of the move to our new location on Highway 16. For our first 28 years we had been closer to town but were forced to move when the highway was widened and moved.
Right smack in the center of the giant dome at the new Reptile Gardens there is a huge, gnarled pine tree, some forty feet high. And lots of it is underground to keep it from falling over.
Cavorting, or resting, in the tree are lizards, monkeys, snakes, and hundreds of beautiful birds from all over the world. [Over the years we tried a lot of different animals in the Safari Room, including monkeys, muntjacs, wallabies, giant fruit bats, and, free roaming iguanas and snakes. Some worked and many did not. JM]
Several times daily someone asks casually, “Where did the tree come from, was it already here?” When we tell them “No, we had to move it in,” it is always with the feeling that if they really knew the whole story they might be less casual about it. (more…)
November 5, 2009
“Protecting Your Family, Pets and Livestock from Snakes”
By: Terry
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
This is part 3 of our answer to a recent question involving increased snake activity in the Black Hills. If you missed them, read Part 1 and Part 2 . This time we’ll give you some advice on how to protect yourself and your animals from snakes.
A Little Snake Education
Interestingly enough, South Dakota hasn’t had a death from a rattlesnake bite in over 50 years. But, no one likes to get bitten at all, so if possible, it’s always best to avoid an encounter altogether. Here are some tips: (more…)
November 3, 2009
Not the Best Way to Keep Your New Bride Around
By: Joe Maierhauser
Earl & Maude Brockelsby
During the many years we have collected snakes, we have accumulated dozens of experiences, some of which were nearly tragic, but as long as they didn’t end in tragedy, they can be looked back upon with humor.
In honor of Maude Brockelsby’s 93rd birthday this week, I would like to offer this article which was written in 1965 by Reptile Gardens founder, Earl Brockelsby. He wrote it as part of a series of articles commemorating our move that year to our current location.