Meet the Reptiles: Reeves Reptile Rescue educates about their cold-blooded friends

Dru Reeves reaches into an enclosure to stroke the skin of a Leachianus gecko at Reeves Reptile Rescue. He and his wife Tara Reeves currently house 19 reptiles.

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Dru Reeves says it all started when his daughter Makenzie wanted a chameleon for her 14th birthday. He says like most kids, she lost interest in the pet after the first month, but Dru and his wife Tara did not; they were completely fascinated by the creature.

This led Dru to start a Facebook Group in 2012 called Chameleon Central, which now has more than 36,000 members; he says it is the largest chameleon-specific group on the social media site.

Eventually, the couple started Reeves Reptile Rescue as they began taking in reptiles that were not properly cared for and needed new homes. At one point, Dru says they had chameleon cages lined up along three walls in their basement, with upwards of 20 chameleons and 50 total reptiles in their care.

Then, in July 2022, a fire destroyed Dru and Tara’s house. Dru says they lost everything, including two French bulldogs. He says they are grateful they did not lose any reptiles, as most of them were outside when the fire occurred, and firemen were able to rescue the ones left inside. It took 15 months for the couple to rebuild their home, which they moved back into in October 2023.

Since the fire, they have stopped taking reptiles in and have focused instead on educating others about reptiles and how to properly care for them.

They still have 19 reptiles in the specially-organized reptile room in their basement — mostly tortoises, turtles, a few snakes and one gecko. As Dru talks, it’s clear his passion for the cold-blooded animals has not waned.

“They’re unique. It’s something different. Everybody has dogs and cats, but not everyone has a 50-pound tortoise,” Dru says.

Here, Dru introduces us to some of he and Tara’s reptiles and explains what makes them unique.

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

African spurred tortoise (Sulcata tortoise)

Two large tortoises — Duckie, 15 years old, and Cera, 10 years old — creep around their enclosure in the Reeves’ basement. They are African spurred (Sulcata) tortoises, a species popular in the pet trade but originally hailing from the Sahara Desert. According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance website, they are the largest mainland tortoise in the world and can weigh well over 100 pounds when fully grown.

Dru says the tortoises aren’t fully grown until they reach 30 years old, and they typically live for 80 to 100 years, so “they’re literally something you pass along” to your children or grandchildren.

As Dru talks about the tortoises, Duckie climbs on top of Cera to get closer to the heat lamp, her shell bumping against the bottom of the light with Cera trapped under her massive body. Dru says Duckie is doing this because she wants to be closer to the heat; he adds she is “kind of a jerk sometimes.” For example, Dru says if he doesn’t feed Duckie quickly enough, she will walk up to him, pull her head into her shell and slam her carapace, the top dorsal part of her shell, into his leg.

“They have unique personalities, but they’re also very, very stubborn,” Dru says.

Both tortoises are rescues from St. Louis. Dru says Duckie busted out of her enclosure multiple times in her last home, and one time, she was found on a highway. He says it is not unusual for the tortoises to escape from their enclosures, especially during mating season in the fall.

Dru keeps all of his tortoises inside until the end of May, when it is warm enough to move their enclosures outside. Sometimes in the summer, he lets them roam his yard while he lays on a hammock and watches them eat grass like “big lawnmowers.”

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Red-footed tortoises

In a pen next to the Sulcata tortoises, there are five red-footed tortoises — a medium-sized species hailing from northern South America. Two of the tortoises, Rico and Stella, pick small bites of lettuce from a bowl, while three of the tortoises hide in a cove with the UV-B light, soaking in energy.

Dru says reptiles are “solar-powered.” The cold-blooded creatures require heat from an outside source, because they cannot generate their own heat; depending on the type of reptile, this heat could come from the sun or an artificial UV-B light and/or heat lamp. Without this heat, Dru says the reptile will die.

“When you’re cold, you’re very uncomfortable. These guys, all they do is slow down. Their metabolism slows down to the point where it shuts them down. So, it will kill them,” Dru says. “But they don’t experience heat and cold like we do.”

Dru says the red-footed tortoises are “really characters.” Rico comes up to people when he’s outside and sticks his head out to allow someone to scratch him on his neck. Dru says the tortoises love the color red, and this may be the reason they’ve already eaten all of the strawberries he placed in their bowl on this particular day.

If someone is wearing red toenail polish, Dru says the tortoise will come after that person’s toes. According to The New York Times article “Some Turtles See Red Better Than You Do,” certain birds and turtles have a “red gene” that allows them to notice differences in shades of red that humans cannot detect.

“They make everybody smile. Everybody loves tortoises,” Dru says. “If you don’t like tortoises, there’s something wrong with you.”

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Leachianus gecko

Against the wall, Dru points to a terrarium with a gecko clinging to the back section of glass. The Leachianus gecko is the largest species of gecko in the world, originally from New Caledonia, an island east of Australia.

The reptile, named Mardi since the couple purchased him in New Orleans, has milky white eyes and no eyelids. Dru says Mardi is nocturnal, so he does more at night, but spends most of the day sleeping and resting. Dru says this type of gecko lives for 25 to 30 years. They can climb glass and have a “nasty bite.”

“I’ve been bitten by them a couple of times. … They’re just being themselves — you can’t get mad at the animal. They’re just doing their thing,” Dru says.

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Ball python snake

Dru pulls out Sally, a ball python snake, from one of the glass enclosures on his shelf of snakes. Below Sally’s enclosure is Lucifer — another ball python with striking blue eyes. Both snakes have the same pattern but different coloring. In the pet trade, Dru says people breed ball pythons for different patterns and colors.

“These guys are generally really easy to deal with. They’re not super aggressive. … She’s kinda cold, so she’s not going to get super aggressive now,” Dru says, holding Sally in his hands.

The ball python species originates from West and Central Africa, and Dru says the snakes are quite easy to take care of: He only has to feed them a live rat approximately once every two weeks. He says he has no problem throwing a live rat in there — the snakes take care of it very quickly.

In the wild, Dru says a lot of people get concerned about venomous snakes, or snakes in general, but he says it’s important to remember they all serve a purpose.

“Snakes want to be left alone like any other animal, and if you leave them alone, they’re going to do their thing and leave you alone. All animals serve a purpose. They’re all part of the ecosystem,” Dru says.

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Red-eared slider

In a tank against the wall of Dru and Tara’s reptile room, a group of red-eared sliders swim amongst each other. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation website, the red-eared slider is a medium-sized aquatic turtle that can be found state-wide, excluding a few counties in northern Missouri.

Dru says the turtles spend a majority of their time in the water, but they do leave the water periodically, especially during mating season when they lay their eggs. All of Dru’s red-eared sliders are rescued, and he wishes people would stop taking them out of the wild to sell in the pet trade.

Dru says all tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises, because tortoises spend most of their time on land, and some turtles are aquatic or semi-aquatic. He says it’s kind of like how “all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.”

Of all his reptiles, Dru says the tortoises are probably his favorite; he calls them “neat” animals.

“They move slow and deliberate, and they eat greens, which is probably why they live forever,” Dru says. “They have a better diet than we do.”

Five Things to Know Before Adopting a Reptile

1. It’s a commitment.

Especially if you choose to adopt a tortoise or turtle, co-owner of Reeves Reptile Rescue Dru Reeves says they can live up to 100 years, depending on the species. Even if a reptile does not have an extended lifespan, they still require time to be cared for properly. Dru says chameleons can be especially labor-intensive to care for, but snakes, such as ball pythons, are generally low-maintenance.

2. Their diets can be complicated.

For tortoises, straight alfalfa has too much protein for them to digest, and no more than 10% of their diet should be made up of fruit, Dru says. He feeds his snakes live rats every two weeks and feeds his gecko fruit paste.

3. Their care can be costly.

From purchasing food to UVB lights, enclosures and electric bills, the costs can add up. Dru thinks people often underestimate the cost of caring for a reptile properly.

4. Don’t expect them to act like dogs or cats.

“They’re not going to interact with you like a dog or cat would, and they have extended life cycles,” Dru says. This doesn’t mean they don’t get feisty or stubborn. Dru says his reptiles, especially the tortoises, have big personalities.

5. When in doubt, do your research.

Dru says many reptiles become rescues simply because their prior owners didn’t do their research beforehand or understand the commitment. He recommends getting connected with other reptile owners on Facebook groups to learn how to properly care for the pets.