Rebuilding Reptile Room and Hold

Project: Installation of FRP in Reptile Room and Hold
Projected Cost: $3,500
Status: complete!

Throughout the year, the Center’s reptile room houses recovering turtles and snakes. Reptiles, usually residing in the underbrush and close to the earth, require high humidity to stay properly hydrated and to promote recovery from wounds or surgeries. Unfortunately, this environment also increases the probability of mold growth and makes cleaning and disinfecting walls difficult.

In the Center’s Hold room, adjacent to the hospital, recovering birds with a variety of wounds are housed in crates and are under close surveillance by the veterinary staff. The walls in Hold are constantly beaten up with crates and sprayed with animal wastes.

The drywall in the Reptile Room and Hold does not provide a clean, healthy surface for recovering patients and their human caregivers.  As part of The Great Rebuild, the Center is replacing the drywall with fiberglass-reinforced paneling (FRP), which would provide wall surfaces that would be easier to clean and disinfect. 

Hold, Before: 

Hold, After: much more resilient and easy-to-disinfect! 

Reptile Room, Before: 

Installation of FRP in the Reptile Room is scheduled for later this summer – at a time when the number of reptiles housed at the Center is relatively low. 

A generous donor has given $4,000 toward this project.  Thank you!