Description:

Costa Rica's Largest & Most Diverse Reptile Exhibition

How to find us:

We are located 7 km from Dominical up the paved highway to San Isidro del General, just before the village of Platanillo. Our facility is only 50 meters off the paved road and is 2-wheel drive accessible. There is parking available for large groups. Dominical and San Isidro taxi drivers know our location and the bus stops at our entrance!

Central America's first Komodo dragon "Langka", which is an Indonesian word meaning "rare". Langka was born September 20th, 2004 at a reptile breeding park in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain as part of an international breeding program. She is a descendant of Sobat and Friendty, the first Komodo dragons brought to the United States, a state gift from Indonesia to the Ronald Reagan administration in 1988. Her mother was one of the first babies born at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. in 1995. Her father is from Gembira Loka Zoo in Yogakarta, Indonesia and is now 12 years old.

Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are endemic to five islands in southeast Indonesia, including the island of Flores.

Komodo dragons are very smart, and learn quick. With frequent interaction captive dragons can become very tame. Unlike their wild cousins, captive Komodo dragons do not develop the deadly toxic bacteria in their saliva which they are so famous for. Langka is learning her name and quickly becoming socialized to her keepers and the public. Though she is now only a little over a meter long, she will grow to be one of the largest terrestrial lizards to walk the earth.

Komodo Dreagon "Langka"

Visit the South Pacific Zone's only reptile and amphibian park. Observe these magnificent animals in lush, natural settings. Learn to identify venomous and non-venomous snakes, marvel at poison dart frogs, delight in rainforest lizards and tortoises and be impressed by prehistoric looking crocodilians all in secure enclosures.

Parque Reptilandia is comprised of 55 terrarium style enclosures and ponds on a little over an acre of land. A wide, flat path through the Park makes it wheelchair accessible and a comfortable walk for young and old alike. The central viewing area is undercover and features glass-fronted terrariums arranged with rock, perches and local flora that provide a natural environment for the animals and a rich viewing experience for our guests.

The grounds are spacious and beautifully landscaped with tropical flowers, palms and fruit trees which encourage bird-life and butterflies. Each animal enclosure is extensively planted and designed to take advantage of natural sunlight and rain. We feature a variety of reptiles and amphibians from Costa Rica and other parts of the world including venomous and non-venomous snakes, frogs, lizards, crocodilians, tortoises and turtles. Bring your camera and spend as much time as you like!

Activities

•  Self-guided tour provides text in English & Spanish.
• Privately guided tours in English or Spanish upon request.
• Feed Hilda, our friendly Amazonian Yellow-foot Tortoise. Inquire at Reception.
• Nocturnal tours available by appointment only.
• For Professionals: photographers and serious hobbyists alike we offer a specialized tour which includes an experienced handler opening cages and posing the snakes. Please inquire for more details.
• Friday is Feeding Day! All of our snakes and crocodilians are fed their weekly meal on Fridays.
• Check out our Costa Rica Herp Tours page to find out more about our field excursions.

Just For Fun:

Keep an eye out for Animal Planet's new Snakemaster series airing in 2005 on the Discovery Channel, starring Austin Stevens. The Costa Rica episode, filmed by UK based Tigress Productions, features a variety of snakes courtesy of Parque Reptilandia, including “Big Bertha” our giant female Terciopelo (fer-de-lance) .Here's a photo of Austin Stevens on location in Costa Rica handling Big Bertha while the cinematographer and crew stand by. Parque Reptilandia staff also worked behind the scenes for the Costa Rica filmed sequences of the Jeff Corwin Experience. Also filmed by Tigress Productions in 2005.

We are available as field assistants and animal handlers for film work involving reptiles. Our credits include the UK based company, Tigress Productions Tigressproductions Spanish based Algogar Productions algogarand the Belgian based company, Airborne Planet airborneplanet

Belgian born Roel De Plecker is a nature photographer, reptile curator, worldwide traveler and explorer. His vast collection of images from rainforests to deserts and their fauna and flora are available as limited edition prints.