SSssensational serpents, monsters and vampires… OH MY!

The HerpAquarium at the Louisville Zoo is jam-packed with creepy-crawlies. Immerse yourself in the world of cold-blooded critters while getting up-close with Alligators, Gila Monsters, enormous boa constrictors, frogs, geckos, and more!

Go on an expedition down the Amazon River and come face-to-face with a shoal of Black Piranhas. Venture down a Mexican mine shaft and “hang-out” with the vampire bats. Bathe in the sun like King Louie, the Louisville Zoo’s very own white-scaled American Alligator. Experience the nocturnal desert without the need for night vision and meet some of our night-time critters that are most active when the human world is at rest. When you’re done, head on over to the Zoo’s Ropes Adventure Courses and see the Zoo from a whole new perspective from a perch high above the ground.

Separated only by glass, you’ll come nose to nose with reptiles and amphibians from all around the world. The exhibit was designed to group species by climate, focusing on habitats rather than countries of origin. It is split up into three main biomes: aquatic, forests, and arid lands. The result is a more energy-efficient exhibit and a concept many Zoos use today.

Featured Animals

Attractions Near the HerpAquarium:                          

• Ropes Adventure Courses 
• Black Swan Pond
• Face painting
• Lakeside Smokehouse  

Conservation Corner

Rainforest

As part of our mission to “better the bond between people and our planet,” the Louisville Zoo supports many conservation efforts locally and globally. Each time you visit your Zoo, you aid in this mission. Less than half of the world’s rainforests are left. In fact, 50 – 100 acres of tropical forest are destroyed every minute, and 78 million acres are lost every year. That’s more than three times the size of Kentucky! Along with this loss, we are losing approximately 135 plant, animal and insect species every day — or about 50,000 species a year — as the rainforests fall. Find out what you can do to save the rainforests at www.rainforestfoundation.org.

CrocFest 2016

The Louisville Zoo was a sponsor of the Summer CrocFest 2016. This event raised funds for the Chinese alligator, one of the world’s most critically endangered crocodilians with fewer than 150 animals left in the remnant wild. Proceeds from CrocFest were directed to Dr. Steven Platt, WCS Herpetologist for Southeast Asia and China, who is reviving and coordinating the Chinese Alligator reintroduction project in the Anhui Province in China. Re-introductions will begin in spring 2017.