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They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re altogether ooky.
Those opening lyrics from the theme song to the popular “Addams Family” 1964 television sitcom, could very well apply to what you will find inside Riverside Reptiles Education Center in Enfield.
“A lot of people are scared of reptiles and some amphibians and just don’t like them. So, I took it upon myself to teach them why they are essential to our ecosystem, we are better with them, and how to coexist with this family of animals,” said Brian Kleinman.
Kleinman is the owner of Riverside Reptiles Education Center, a zoo dedicated to reptiles and amphibians. RREC offers visitors an opportunity to get up close and personal with a diverse collection of 100 species of indigenous and exotic amphibians and reptiles, as well as invertebrates and freshwater fish from around the world. They are housed in naturalistic enclosures that allow for normal behavior.
The name Riverside Reptiles Education Center can be misleading, but adding more to the title would render it too long, Kleinman noted.
“We don’t just have reptiles and amphibians, which often get lumped together. We also have a bug cave, invertebrates like tarantulas and scorpions and centipedes and millipedes, insects and other invertebrates from around the world. There is also a small section of freshwater fish like an electric eel and electric catfish, as well as an alligator gar which is among the largest freshwater fishes in North America. And we also have the largest collection in the area of venomous snakes such as rattlers, cobras, Western green mamba, Eastern copperhead, boas, vipers and all the good stuff that kids like but often get a bad rap,” Kleinman said.
For those unsure of exactly what a reptile is, National Geographic defines them as “air breathing vertebrates covered in special skin made up of scales, bony plates or a combination of both.” They include crocodiles, snakes, lizards, turtles, and tortoises. Amphibians are defined as “small vertebrates that need water, or a moist environment, to survive.” The species in this group include frogs, toads, salamanders and newts. Invertebrates have no backbones and include spiders, worms, snails, lobsters, crabs and insects such as ants, beetles, flies, butterflies and more.
Like many youngsters, Kleinman was fascinated by animals.
“I grew up in Barkhamsted [Connecticut], which was a very rural area. We had a large forest behind the house and as a child of the ‘80s, I would leave the house in the morning and come back at night. I would hang out in the woods with friends where we would build forts, explore and catch animals. As my mom remembers and tells me, I would form nature clubs and hold educational programs for my good friends and neighbors out of our garage with all of the animals I had found like toads, frogs and garter snakes, then let them go afterwards,” Kleinman said.
A lifelong Connecticut resident now residing in East Granby with his wife and three boys, Kleinman took his fascination with animals to college, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Franklin Pierce University. He has decades of experience in the field studying invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and birds across the United States. After working with all kinds of animals at The Children’s Museum in West Hartford, Kleinman decided to take the next step.
“I wanted to start my own business. We had a two-bedroom apartment and I used one of those bedrooms to house a small collection of reptiles which grew in time. That was back in 2003 and I did about 30 to 40 outreach programs that first year which eventually grew to about 300 a year. We moved into a house and I expanded my collection and program options, but the house was becoming a zoo. My ultimate goal has always been to have my own facility, and I wanted my wife and kids to have the basement back to use. So, in 2019, I leased this spot in Enfield and started to build Riverside Reptiles Education Center. COVID delayed us a bit, but we managed to open our doors in October 2020,” Kleinman said.
Kids like big animals and ones that move around plenty, Kleinman noted.
“They love our large 8-foot alligator that I named Brenda after my mother. Kids also like our king cobra, who is very active, as well as our rhinoceros iguana and Asian water monitor lizard who belly flops a lot in the water,” he shared.
“The adults who come here are often amazed by the diversity of species on display, many of which they have never seen or heard of. And it’s a rare opportunity to see up close some of the most venomous snakes in the world,” he added.
For an even closer look at all the animals, RREC hosts free reptile encounters on weekends, including “Tortoise Feeding” at 10:30 a.m., “Meet a Snake” at 11:30 a.m., “Alligator Meet & Greet” at 1 p.m. and “Meet a Lizard” at 2 p.m.
There are also what are called “Reptile Experiences,” which offer a more personal and intense encounter with the center’s reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Feed the Tortoises & Private Tour, priced at $100, includes visiting the African Spurred and Aldabra Tortoises and feeding them a snack right from your hand. Reticulated Python Encounter, also priced at $100, involves getting social and touching one of their 16-foot-long pythons named Kaa, Tarzan or Julie. Zookeeper Adventure, priced at $225, offers an opportunity to join staff for three hours in the morning to learn and see what they do among the animals. All prices include admission. And for a very special Private Animal Encounter, which costs $80, but does not include admission, up to five people will get to meet three animals of their choice in a private setting. The animals include Panda the Tegu, Lotus the Burmese Python, Spike the American Alligator, or one of their many other educational animals.
If those hard-shelled, peek-a-boo turtles are your thing, the outdoor Turtle Terrace is a 4,000-square-foot habitat designed for a variety of turtle species from Connecticut and around the world. There is the Tortoise Pasture planted with native grasses and more that is home to their Aldabra and African Spurred Tortoises. The 5,000-gallon Turtle Pond is home to a variety of aquatic turtles such as red-eared and yellow-bellied turtles. There is also a Florida softshell turtle often seen strolling the bottom of the pond for food, or a shy wood turtle poking its head out of the water. The center’s 20-pound snapping turtle, who is very territorial, has his own 1,200-gallon pond. Others on display include Eastern box turtles, which are a protected species in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Furthering RREC’s emphasis on education, area schools from grammar to high school can sign up students for a field trip to the popular animal center. Call 860-207-9335, ext. 13, for more information or to schedule a field trip.
And RREC will even bring the animals to you as part of a variety of Roving Reptiles Outreach Programs – Reptiles & Amphibian, Snakes, Living Dragons, Jeepers Creepers, or a custom program that caters to your needs. They are perfect for libraries, schools, scout troop meetings, recreation and day care programs, and any other organizations that would like a fun and unique educational program geared from the smallest of kids to the oldest of adults. The cost for a visit is $350 plus mileage.
For more information, call 860-207-9335, ext. 13, or email education@riversideretitleseducationcenter.com
Animal loving kids can have a unique birthday experience at Riverside Reptile Education Center that provides a private party room, personal reptile encounter, $5 gift store card for the birthday child, stickers, self-guided tour of the center and more. The cost is $325. To learn more or to book a party, email education@riversidereptileseducationcenter.com.
RREC also offers many special events throughout the year. To keep up-to-date on upcoming activities, you can subscribe to their newsletter on the Special Events page of their website.
Of special note: the animals on display are not captured from the wild by Kleinman and his education staff. Most come from other facilities such as zoos and education centers. Some are rescues, which are people’s pets that they no longer want, or that have been kept illegally and confiscated by the state. Others have been purchased from private breeders.
“We get calls every day from people who want to give us their animals, and as a result, we have formed a nonprofit organization called Conservation and Education Reptile Rescue,” Kleinman said.
Located at the center, CERR, a 501c3 nonprofit, fulfills an increasing need for a place of shelter, appropriate food and care, and veterinarian services for confiscated and surrendered reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and large non-native aquarium fish. To learn more about CERR, visit cereptilerescue.com.
While there is a gift shop filled with stuffies, books, fossils, rocks and minerals, and various educational items, one thing they do not have is a snack bar for kids who might get hungry while visiting the attraction.
If you plan on returning several times during the year, Riverside Reptiles Education Center offers several different membership options — from a Gila Monster single membership to a King Cobra couples membership to an Aldabra Tortoise senior couple membership to a Crocodile Family membership. Among the benefits, depending on the option chosen, are unlimited admission, 10% off gift store merchandise, 10% off in-house birthday parties, discounts on special events, and one free guest pass.
Riverside Reptiles Education Center is located at 132 South Rd. in Enfield. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Admission is $16 for ages 3-11, $18 for ages 12 and up, $16 for seniors 65 and up, as well as veterans and teachers with their CEA membership card or current school ID. Ages 2 and under are free. Group rates are available.
For more information, visit riversidereptileseducationcenter.com or call 860-207-9335.