# Wildlife Discovery Center - Lake Forest, IL



## Guggie (Mar 4, 2012)

Hey all. My wife and I just went to the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, IL, and I thought I'd share the pics. Enjoy!


----------



## wellington (Mar 4, 2012)

Nice pics Looks like a pretty nice place.


----------



## Turtulas-Len (Mar 4, 2012)

Great pics, They have a very nice rattlesnake collection,my favorites are the Gaboon Viper, and the Eastern Diamondback Rattler. Thanks for sharing. Len


----------



## GeoTerraTestudo (Mar 4, 2012)

Holy cow, great stuff! That's great you got to see a Fly River turtle with your own eyes.


----------



## Jacqui (Mar 4, 2012)

Ryan, are you the one who got the letter from the Vet who mentioned this place? You really took some awesome pictures. Looks like a really great place to visit. Thanks for taking us there!


----------



## Guggie (Mar 4, 2012)

Jacqui said:


> Ryan, are you the one who got the letter from the Vet who mentioned this place? You really took some awesome pictures. Looks like a really great place to visit. Thanks for taking us there!



I am that guy. I figured that I would check it out, found out it was open on Sundays, my wife and I went. It's darned-near brand new, multiple buildings, surrounded by multi-million dollar mansions, with free entry (donations welcome). It was very impressive, and Rob, the curator, took us around. We got to pet the snakes and the rhinoceros Iguanas, and even one of the crocs! I didn't get to touch anything poisonous, though.  



GeoTerraTestudo said:


> Holy cow, great stuff! That's great you got to see a Fly River turtle with your own eyes.



I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know I was seeing anything overly interesting. Are they rare?


----------



## Jacqui (Mar 4, 2012)

Guggie said:


> Jacqui said:
> 
> 
> > Ryan, are you the one who got the letter from the Vet who mentioned this place? You really took some awesome pictures. Looks like a really great place to visit. Thanks for taking us there!
> ...



Free even? Wow! Kinda surprise that folks owning those kinds of housing didn't object to having a place like this next to them.


----------



## GeoTerraTestudo (Mar 4, 2012)

Guggie said:


> GeoTerraTestudo said:
> 
> 
> > Holy cow, great stuff! That's great you got to see a Fly River turtle with your own eyes.
> ...



They are threatened in their native Australia and New Guinea, yes. But they are very unique. They are the only freshwater turtles in the world that swim like sea turtles: by flapping their forelimbs like wings, and using their hind limbs to steer, as opposed to propulsion with all for limbs. You are very fortunate to one for yourself!


----------



## Guggie (Mar 4, 2012)

It's a really beautiful place. Enhances the neighborhood more than detracts. 



GeoTerraTestudo said:


> They are threatened in their native Australia and New Guinea, yes. But they are very unique. They are the only freshwater turtles in the world that swim like sea turtles: by flapping their forelimbs like wings, and using their hind limbs to steer, as opposed to propulsion with all for limbs. You are very fortunate to one for yourself!



Very neat! I'll pay more attention next time we go!


----------



## ALDABRAMAN (Mar 4, 2012)

Great pictures, thank you posting them all.


----------



## Jacob (Mar 4, 2012)

Nice, thanks for sharing.


----------



## Yvonne G (Mar 4, 2012)

I wonder if the gecko in the second picture was hand or machine- made. Its beautiful! And I particularly liked the snapper and the chameleon. The tortoise looked a little sad to me. Was he a gopher?


----------



## l0velesly (Mar 5, 2012)

Interesting! Thanks for sharing the pics.. you got some nice shots!


----------



## Guggie (Mar 5, 2012)

emysemys said:


> I wonder if the gecko in the second picture was hand or machine- made. Its beautiful! And I particularly liked the snapper and the chameleon. The tortoise looked a little sad to me. Was he a gopher?



The chameleon was one of 2. The other had a blood clot and his back end and tail was dead. Very sad, they didn't know if it would make it. The tortoise was a gopher, and you're right - he wasn't very active. 
The snapper was an interesting story. He was a rescue from a metal tub just bigger than he was. He was covered in 1/2 in of rust when they got him, but is looking great now!


----------

