FL Press: Serpentarium caters to the cold-blooded

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Posted by Desiree on September 05, 2001 at 10:13:01:

Serpentarium caters to the cold-blooded

A St. Petersburg man devotes his home to reptiles and amphibians while they await owners who can handle their care.
By KRISTI SIEGEL

� St. Petersburg Times,
published September 5, 2001

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST. PETERSBURG -- Lenny Flank runs a foster home for what he affectionately calls "cold, scaly things": lizards, snakes, turtles and frogs.

He owns and maintains the Suncoast Serpentarium, a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates reptiles and amphibians from perilous situations. Flank finds them suitable homes with people prepared to take on the complicated care involved with owning such animals.

He spends two hours each day feeding, cleaning cages, and administering medications to those in rehabilitation. Flank, 40, has forsaken creature comforts in his home, opting to make his creatures more comfortable. His spartan surroundings reflect dedication to his reptilian crew. He sacrifices air conditioning to keep the cold-blooded reptiles at a comfortable temperature.

The front porch sports empty animal transport cages. Just inside the front door, visitors are greeted by a green iguana in a cage. But now it's lunch time, and the stomach clocks of 40 different species are ticking. A grumpy-looking Savannah monitor glares at Flank when he walks by the tank empty-handed. When Flank places a colorful bistro-sized salad of kale, squash, carrots and rabbit pellets inside the iguana cage, they down the food with gusto. Most of the serpentarium's creatures are vegetarians, save for the pythons, which thrive on a diet of frozen rabbits and chicks every three weeks.

"They think with their stomachs," Flank says of the snakes. Iguanas are by far the most popular reptiles kept as pets. About 750,000 iguanas a year are imported into the United States from Central and South America.

Iguanas apparently suffer the most mistreatment. "They suffer from improper diet or too-small cages," Flank says. "People don't grasp that they get really big."

The large lizards also require an ultraviolet light, which can cost around $40. "People don't mind the animal. They balk at the money for the equipment. They buy a $10 lizard, then cut corners, and the animal gets sick and dies."

Or, if it's lucky, it winds up with Flank. For two decades, Flank has educated himself and others about the reptile world. Growing up in Nazareth, Pa., he spent hours poring over books about the care and biology of the creatures, eventually writing six how-to manuals of his own and becoming a herpetological expert.

These days, he works second shift at a pharmaceutical plant. Daytimes are devoted to his animals: giving educational talks and shows at schools and writing more manuals.

Royalties from his published books make up most of the seed money needed to build a permanent rescue center. Flank says he is $4,000 short of his goal.

"I've been trying to get some grants from animal rescue foundations and societies," he says. "But they seem not to be too terribly interested in rescuing herps. They prefer to focus on dogs and cats. (It's) a remnant of that same old irrational fear of reptiles that too many people have."

He knows the animals' personalities, their likes and dislikes, which ones enjoy being held and which ones would rather you didn't notice them. In his care are some mean-hearted snakes, he says, including a "nasty" anaconda.

"I've been bitten by everything possible there is to be bitten by," he says. "I have some nice scars."

Nothing has crept out of its tank in the middle of the night to surprise him -- at least, not lately. He recalls the time when he was 19 and his Mexican tarantula found its way out of its box. Arriving at his parents' house after a night of carousing, Flank lay down on his bed only to hear a scream coming from the bathroom. "Mom found the tarantula," he sighs.

As he feeds two ravenous, 5-foot-long iguanas in backyard cages, a neighbor's curious basset hound watches through the fence. "The neighbors know I have stuff over here," Flank says with a grin. "But they don't know exactly what kind of stuff."

"Some people think reptiles don't have feelings," he says. "They think of them as walking plants, that they're cheap and disposable. But I tell you, there are some lizards that could give a cat a run for your money."

To learn more
Saturday is National Iguana Awareness day. Interested in adopting a reptile? Call the Suncoast Serpentarium, 3101 25th St. N, St. Petersburg, FL, 33713, at (727) 826-1656

Serpentarium caters to the cold-blooded

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: Serpentarium caters to the cold-blooded : A St. Petersburg man devotes his home to reptiles and amphibians while they await owners who can handle their care. : By KRISTI SIEGEL : � St. Petersburg Times, : published September 5, 2001 : : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ST. PETERSBURG -- Lenny Flank runs a foster home for what he affectionately calls "cold, scaly things": lizards, snakes, turtles and frogs. : He owns and maintains the Suncoast Serpentarium, a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates reptiles and amphibians from perilous situations. Flank finds them suitable homes with people prepared to take on the complicated care involved with owning such animals. : He spends two hours each day feeding, cleaning cages, and administering medications to those in rehabilitation. Flank, 40, has forsaken creature comforts in his home, opting to make his creatures more comfortable. His spartan surroundings reflect dedication to his reptilian crew. He sacrifices air conditioning to keep the cold-blooded reptiles at a comfortable temperature. : The front porch sports empty animal transport cages. Just inside the front door, visitors are greeted by a green iguana in a cage. But now it's lunch time, and the stomach clocks of 40 different species are ticking. A grumpy-looking Savannah monitor glares at Flank when he walks by the tank empty-handed. When Flank places a colorful bistro-sized salad of kale, squash, carrots and rabbit pellets inside the iguana cage, they down the food with gusto. Most of the serpentarium's creatures are vegetarians, save for the pythons, which thrive on a diet of frozen rabbits and chicks every three weeks. : "They think with their stomachs," Flank says of the snakes. Iguanas are by far the most popular reptiles kept as pets. About 750,000 iguanas a year are imported into the United States from Central and South America. : Iguanas apparently suffer the most mistreatment. "They suffer from improper diet or too-small cages," Flank says. "People don't grasp that they get really big." : The large lizards also require an ultraviolet light, which can cost around $40. "People don't mind the animal. They balk at the money for the equipment. They buy a $10 lizard, then cut corners, and the animal gets sick and dies." : Or, if it's lucky, it winds up with Flank. For two decades, Flank has educated himself and others about the reptile world. Growing up in Nazareth, Pa., he spent hours poring over books about the care and biology of the creatures, eventually writing six how-to manuals of his own and becoming a herpetological expert. : These days, he works second shift at a pharmaceutical plant. Daytimes are devoted to his animals: giving educational talks and shows at schools and writing more manuals. : Royalties from his published books make up most of the seed money needed to build a permanent rescue center. Flank says he is $4,000 short of his goal. : "I've been trying to get some grants from animal rescue foundations and societies," he says. "But they seem not to be too terribly interested in rescuing herps. They prefer to focus on dogs and cats. (It's) a remnant of that same old irrational fear of reptiles that too many people have." : He knows the animals' personalities, their likes and dislikes, which ones enjoy being held and which ones would rather you didn't notice them. In his care are some mean-hearted snakes, he says, including a "nasty" anaconda. : "I've been bitten by everything possible there is to be bitten by," he says. "I have some nice scars." : Nothing has crept out of its tank in the middle of the night to surprise him -- at least, not lately. He recalls the time when he was 19 and his Mexican tarantula found its way out of its box. Arriving at his parents' house after a night of carousing, Flank lay down on his bed only to hear a scream coming from the bathroom. "Mom found the tarantula," he sighs. : As he feeds two ravenous, 5-foot-long iguanas in backyard cages, a neighbor's curious basset hound watches through the fence. "The neighbors know I have stuff over here," Flank says with a grin. "But they don't know exactly what kind of stuff." : "Some people think reptiles don't have feelings," he says. "They think of them as walking plants, that they're cheap and disposable. But I tell you, there are some lizards that could give a cat a run for your money." : To learn more : Saturday is National Iguana Awareness day. Interested in adopting a reptile? Call the Suncoast Serpentarium, 3101 25th St. N, St. Petersburg, FL, 33713, at (727) 826-1656

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