Serpent Safari was a
reptile
Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...
zoo
A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes.
The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...
located inside the
Gurnee Mills Mall
Mall commonly refers to a:
* Shopping mall
* Strip mall
* Pedestrian zone
* Esplanade
Mall or MALL may also refer to:
Places Shopping complexes
* The Mall (Bromley), London, United Kingdom
* The Mall (Patna), Bihar, India
* The Mall (Sofia) ...
in
Gurnee, Illinois
Gurnee ( ) is a Village (United States), village and suburb in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 30,706 as of the 2020 census. It borders the city of Waukegan, Illinois, Waukegan, and is a popular tourist attraction within ...
, a suburb of
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. The zoo advertised itself as "America's Finest Reptile Zoo". The zoo housed some rare specimens, including the world's heaviest snake (over 375 lbs. as of February 2010), an albino alligator, and an
alligator snapping turtle
The alligator snapping turtle (''Macrochelys temminckii'') is a large species of turtle in the Family (biology), family Chelydridae. They are the largest freshwater turtle in North America. The species is Endemism, endemic to freshwater habitat ...
estimated at a 150 years old. A gift shop offered pets, a photo area where guests could get their photos taken with a large python or boa, and a reptile zoo with guided tours.
A female
Burmese Python
The Burmese python (''Python bivittatus'') is one of the largest species of snakes. It is native to a large area of Southeast Asia and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of the Indian pyth ...
named "Baby" that lived 27 years at the Serpent Safari was confirmed by
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
as the heaviest living snake in captivity, weighing .
After death, her actual length was determined to be 5.74 m (18 ft 10 in) which is the maximum length record for this species so far.
Serpent Safari originally opened in the
Wisconsin Dells in 1987 and was co-owned by Lou Daddono and Paul Keeler.
The Wisconsin location was in Parkway Mall at 1425 Wisconsin Dells Parkway, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
Daddano made headlines in February 1998 when he was attacked by a reticulated python.
The 23 ft. wild-caught snake bit Daddano while he was cleaning the cage and constricted around his neck until he passed out.
The Gurnee location opened in 1998 and was the first reptile zoo to be located inside a mall.
The store was featured on PBS, Discovery Channel, and Oprah.
Serpent Safari closed on April 17, 2013 after 15 years in operation at the Gurnee Mills Mall.
Approximately 25 of the larger reptiles were relocated to Alligator Alley in Wisconsin Dells.
About 50 smaller animals such as turtles, lizards, and frogs, were sold to the public.
References
External links
Official website
1999 establishments in Illinois
Former zoos
{{LakeCountyIL-geo-stub