Chicago City Wire

Opening on June 20, 2025, the new exhibition titled "Reptiles Alive!" invites families to explore the world of reptiles through an engaging showcase. This event features live reptiles from Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, an AZA-accredited zoo in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Among the highlights are a giant 14-foot reticulated python and a Cuban rock iguana. Alongside these animals, mechanical interactives and models provide insights into how reptiles move, find food, and evade predators.

Associate Curator of Herpetology and content developer for "Reptiles Alive!", Sara Ruane, emphasizes that understanding these creatures can reduce fear: “When you learn more about an animal, it becomes a lot less scary,” she explains. “You don’t necessarily have to love them to appreciate that they’re extremely cool.”

The exhibition also includes Field Museum specimens and life-like models representing dozens of species. These displays aim to educate visitors about the long history of reptiles and their adaptations over more than 300 million years. One notable specimen is the spider-tailed horned viper from Iran, which uses a unique spider-shaped lure on its tail to confuse prey.

Exhibition developer Ben Miller states, “We’re giving people the natural history of the world that reptiles are a part of. This is a good opportunity to learn from living animals, but you’re also learning about their evolution and how reptiles have diversified.”

Conservation efforts are another key focus of "Reptiles Alive!" The exhibition addresses human impact on reptile habitats such as golf course developments affecting American alligators' homes. Visitors can watch a video projection following Ruane as she searches for snakes and turtles around Chicago's forest preserves, collecting DNA for conservation management programs.

Note that "Reptiles Alive!" requires separate tickets beyond Basic Admission.

This exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Field Museum and Peeling Productions at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland.