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The California Kingsnake is native to North America and is a particularly important species. They will feed on other snakes, including venomous snakes like the rattlesnake. They aren't immune to the venom but are naturally resistant to it.
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Papa is our Prehensile-tailed Skink and is another one of the zoo's oldest residents. He is now 33 years old! He lives off-exhibit at the moment while we renovate the building he is housed in. This species of skink is found in the Solomon Islands and is commonly referred to as the Monkey-tailed Skink. They get this name from their long tail, which they use to help them grip onto branches while they are climbing in the trees.
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The zoo houses 3 different species of dart frogs, ranging from one that is the size of your pinky fingernail, to the largest which is about 2.5 inches long. In the wild some species are considered the most poisonous animals alive, but in captivity that is not the case. At the zoo they feed primarily on fruit flies, whereas in the wild, they feed on ants, mites and termites, which is where the toxicity comes from.
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John Wayne is the zoo's Western Hognose snake. This species is found throughout North America. One of their primary defense mechanisms is to play dead. They will roll over and secrete a stinky substance to make predators think they are dead so they hopefully won't get eaten!