Ask the Expert: An Interview With Reptile Zookeeper Reine

Reine is a lover of all things scaley, slithery and cold-blooded. A reptile zookeeper at the Detroit Zoo for the last two years, Reine spends their days providing the highest level of care to the reptiles who call the Holden Reptile Conservation Center home.

What do you do at the Detroit Zoo?

I’m a reptile zookeeper, so I mostly do animal care, habitat maintenance and other things like that. Snakes are my particular passion, but I also have some lizards and turtles I also love.

What is your favorite animal at the Zoo?

I have a whole list! But if I had to pick my top three, Aruba Island rattlesnakes would be at the top. They have a ton of personality — they are very spicy. They are fun to work with and are very curious. We also had a bunch of babies born when I first started, so I got to see them grow up and work with them from birth, which has been so cool. Then come indigo snakes; they are super intelligent and interactive. I also started my first training program with them. They have been learning training while I have been learning how to train — so we have been learning right alongside each other. My other favorite is the Fiji iguana, which is my other training program species.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Training is up there. My favorite part about it is that not only am I getting to work closely with these animals in a mutually beneficial way, but training is also a way to communicate with the animals in both directions. Learning how this communication benefits the animals’ lives is so rewarding. For example, I can communicate with the Fiji iguana that she gets her favorite treats when she lets me inspect her tail. She also communicates back to me; when she looks uncomfortable or moves away, that’s a sign for me to stop and give her space. Or, more often, she’ll let me know that the snacks I’m offering aren’t good enough and I need to get better snacks.

Are there any misconceptions about reptiles that you would want to correct?

Many people think snakes are aggressive toward people, but I would never use that word to describe a snake. Anytime a snake bites a person, it is either hungry or scared. Usually, snakes try to deploy other tactics before biting a person — that is kind of their last resort. Usually, snakes just want to be left alone.

How did you become a zookeeper?

I came about this line of work a little unusually. I was a herpetologist first and did many years of fieldwork with wild reptiles in Michigan. I had just worked a job for Massasauga rattlesnakes, which the Detroit Zoo supports for conservation purposes, when a zookeeping job became available. I had never considered working at a zoo before, but I was encouraged to apply. I got in and realized this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Any advice for young people hoping to enter the animal care field?

If you are interested in reptiles in any way and want to make that a career, be open to any opportunities that come along — even if it’s not something you expected.