Alice Springs Reptile Centre facts for kids
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| Date opened | January 2000 |
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| Location | Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia |
| Coordinates | 23°42′S 133°52′E / 23.7°S 133.87°E |
The Alice Springs Reptile Centre is a special place in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. It's a privately run centre that teaches people about reptiles. It also helps protect these amazing animals. You can see the biggest collection of reptiles in the Northern Territory here!
What You'll See
At the centre, you can meet many different reptiles. Some cool ones include the perentie (Australia's largest lizard), frill-necked lizards, and thorny devils. There are also many kinds of pythons, both big and small.
You'll also learn about venomous snakes. These include inland taipans, brown snakes, death adders, and king brown snakes. It's a super popular spot for families and kids!
Helping Reptiles
The centre focuses on reptiles that are native to Australia. Many of these animals are rescued from local areas. Sometimes they are found on properties or in places about to have controlled fires. After being checked, most of these reptiles are safely moved to new, wild homes.
The Alice Springs Reptile Centre also helps people by removing venomous snakes from their homes. This keeps both people and snakes safe.
History of the Centre
The centre was started by Rex Neindorf, who used to work with reptiles. It first opened its doors in January 2000. Today, it has over 100 reptiles from 60 different species.
Reptiles on TV
Reptiles from the centre have been featured in many TV shows and magazines. They appeared in National Geographic Magazine and on the ABC show Wild Relations – Natural Born Cheats.
They were also seen in an American Visa TV commercial. You might have spotted them on New Zealand's The Bounty Hunters on TV2. They even appeared on Steve Irwin's Great Escapes on Discovery's Travel Channel. The centre was also featured on Animal Emergency on Channel 9 Australia.
New Exhibits
In 2002, the centre added a large exhibit for a saltwater crocodile. This is a very exciting addition!
In 2006, the centre got bigger with help from the Australian Tourism Development Program. This new part features fossils. These fossils show how reptiles have changed over 200 million years, from ancient times to today.
The centre is located next to Billy Goat Hill. This hill is on Crown land.
