What is Cool Critters Outreach?

Cool Critters Outreach, llc began in early 2006 as a way to educate

 the public about reptiles and invertebrates.  What started out as a

 hobby quickly grew into much more.  I have been collecting

 reptiles and invertebrates for more than a decade and have been doing

 education for most of those years.  

What CCO wants to do is dispel some of the myths and rumors that

 people have regarding these wonderful animals.  Knowing where

 they live and how they act is key to their survival in the wild.

 Understanding that snakes and lizards would rather leave you

 alone than come in contact with you can benefit everyone around.

 In addition, knowing their role in the wild and the benefits these

 animals provide is a lesson everyone should hear about.

Another reason CCO exists is to help people understand what it is

 to keep a reptile or invertebrate as a pet.  Irresponsible ownership

 is a problem that cannot be ignored.  With an estimated 11 million

 pet reptiles in the United States, keeping reptiles is a growing

 trend.  Unfortunately, too often we see that individuals may jump

 into owning one of these animals without doing their research or

 they may be misled by some pet stores about the proper care of

 these animals.  True, an alligator looks cool when it’s small, but

 what will you do with it when it grows to more than 13 feet and

 weighs in at over 600 pounds? 

Or how about that gorgeous snake that’s only12 inches long?  What

 will you do when that snake gets to be 8 to 10 feet in just about a

 year?  It won’t fit into that 20 gallon aquarium, nor will it eat the

 single mouse you were feeding it when you first got it, so what do

 you do? 

You hear about the thousands of dogs and cats that are placed in

 shelters every year, but rarely do you hear about the thousands of

 snakes, iguanas, and other reptiles that meet this same fate.  There

 are hundreds of reptile rescue groups throughout

 the lower 48 states.  They are there because of irresponsible

 ownership.  Many animals that come into these rescues are

 underfed, sick, or simply just too large or aggressive for someone

 to take care of.  If these animals don’t go into a shelter the other

 option is for the owner to stop feeding it, leading to its death, or

 releasing it into the wild.  This, too, could result in the animals

 death or possible destruction of local habitat.  CCO hopes to make

 an impact on this by passing along valuable information about

 these animals.  What to feed them, how to house them, the costs

 involved, etc. 

Occasionally CCO has the ability to take in unwanted reptiles, amphibians &

 invertebrates as well.  If CCO does take in an animal, we will

 either use it for educational purposes or possibly recycle that animal

 out to a loving, nurturing home.  If you or someone you know has

 an unwanted reptile or invertebrate, please contact CCO.  If we can

 help, we will.  If we cannot, we will do our best to assist you in

 placing that animal either in a rescue or finding a suitable

home for it.

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