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Home is where the herp is. A "herp" (or herptile — the proper biological name) is a reptile or an amphibian. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Reptile House is home to more than 92 species of reptiles from all over the world. It's like a United Nations of herps.

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The Reptile House at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, shown here, is the oldest zoo building in the United States.Click to enlarge

An Asia Vine snake.Click to enlarge

A Baja Mountain King snake.Click to enlarge

The rainbow boa.Click to enlarge

THE REPTILE HOUSE

The Reptile House, which dates back to 1875, is the oldest existing zoo building in the United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Ironically, the building was originally used to house monkeys.

The Reptile House is a Turkish-style, circular building made mostly of stone with a white, domed roof. Its interior has a circular form with white walls, tiled floor, and ornate white columns.

All of the reptiles are seen through glass displays, except for the Chinese alligators and red-eared sliders. Those two species reside in a gated area in the center of the Reptile House with plenty of water and a dry platform. These reptiles are often seen relaxing in the water. Visitors can navigate the entire Reptile House and see the other reptiles.

Some of the Reptile House's residents are fascinating creatures worth visiting and learning about. Being an indoor facility, the Reptile House is a weather-proof place for visitors to enjoy these fascinating animals.

Some of the more salient herps worth visiting are:

CHINESE ALLIGATORS

Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis) can grow up to 6.5-feet long and weigh up to 85 lbs. They are about half the size of their cousins, American alligators. The Chinese alligators' natural habitat is rivers, streams, marshes and other bodies of water. They usually prey upon aquatic animals, such as fish and mussels, and some land animals.

These alligators tend to be shy and physically too small to pose much of a threat to humans. However, habitat loss to humans, collection, over-hunting and direct persecution from humans have pushed these alligators to the brink of extinction. An estimated 150 Chinese alligators remain in the wild and are endangered.

RED-EARED SLIDERS

Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are medium-sized turtles, which usually have a dark green oval shell, marked with yellow in younger turtles, green legs with thin yellow stripes, and a green head with a red stripe behind the eye. These fresh water turtles are found throughout the continental United States, usually in the Southeast and Midwest. They can grow up to 11.8 inches long. The females are usually larger than the males.

These turtles are omnivores. Red-eared sliders' diet consists largely of tiny fish, amphibian larva, water snails, and a variety of plants growing in the water and on land. Juveniles will eat more animal protein and adults consume more plant matter.

CROCODILE MONITOR

The Crocodile Monitor (Varanus salvadorii) looks like a crocodile because of its long tail. However, it is actually the longest lizard in the world and can grow up to 13.9 feet. Its tail is more than two times the length of its body. The long tail aids in balance while traveling in the forest canopy.

The crocodile monitor can also use its tail as a weapon much as a human would use a whip. Crocodile monitors prey upon small mammals, reptiles, birds, arthropods, and eggs.

There is only one species of crocodile monitor in the world — and it resides in the tree tops of rainforest in New Guinea. All monitors live solitary lives outside of breeding season. They have no natural enemies other than humans. The Cincinnati Zoo has two crocodile monitors, one male and one female.

At the present time, the zoo has never bred monitor lizards, but is hoping to breed its pair in the future. Should they fail, marital counseling might be in order.

OTHER SALIENT REPTILES IN THE REPTILE HOUSE

Guests can see many other herps in the Reptile House, such as the Aruba Island rattlesnake (Crotalus unicolor), one of the rarest rattlesnakes in the world. They are found in dry regions, rocky hillsides, and desert on the island of Aruba. These venomous snakes can grow up to three feet and usually feed on rabbits and lizards.

Alligators are not the only Chinese herps in the house. The Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus) is represented, too. They can grow up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 60 pounds, making them one of the largest salamanders in the world. Chinese giant salamanders spend their entire lives underwater. They take refuge inside rock crevices along the bank of fast-flowing streams and face outward to wait for unwary prey to wander by. These creatures like to have their food delivered to them. As an animal draws near, the salamanders open their mouths to suck in and gulp their victims. Chinese Giant Salamanders usually prey on frogs, crabs, fish, shrimp, snakes, aquatic insects, water rats and turtles.

Dumeril's Ground Boa (Acrantophis dumerili), which come from Madagascar, are an endangered snake with a representative in the Reptile House. These non-venomous snakes can grow up to 6.5 feet long. They prey upon small mammals, birds, lizards and frogs.

Perhaps the most regal resident of the Reptile House is the King Cobra (Ophiophagus Hannah). The King Cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world, earning it the "king" title. It can grow up to 18 feet long and 157 pounds. Its habitat is the dense rainforest, mangrove swamps and plantations of South Eastern Asia and the Philippines. It usually preys upon lizards and (both venomous and non-venomous) snakes.

With more than 92 species of reptiles, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Reptile House is a palace for herp lovers. Where else can one see reptiles from all over the world in the comfort of the nation's oldest existing zoological building?

"We are proud of our long herpetological history, diverse collection, and contributions to reptile and amphibian conservation. Despite the challenges of managing reptiles in a 132 year old building, our herp staff does a great job and the reptile house is consistently rated as one of the most popular spots in the Zoo by our visitors," said John Dinon, the Cincinnati Zoo's director of animal conservation programs.

How to go

WHAT: The Reptile House

WHERE: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Cincinnati

MRE INFO: (513) 281-4700, (800) 94-HIPPO; www.cincinnatizoo.org