Hernando Reptile and Exotics Rescue, Inc.

🚨 Missing Red-Footed Tortoises 🚨

From owner:
We just returned home from being out of town and discovered that our two red-footed tortoises are missing. Painters were working at our house while we were away, and it appears a gate may have been left open.

📍 Last seen: South end of Gaston Street near Regency Oaks

🐢 Missing tortoises:

• Female red-footed tortoise weighing approximately 16.5-17 lbs

• Smaller red-footed tortoise weighing approximately 2.5-3 lbs

Red-footed tortoises are generally friendly and may be hiding under bushes, in flower beds, near sheds, under decks, or in other shaded areas. They can travel farther than people expect, especially if they’ve been missing for several days.

Please respond to this post and we will reach out to the owner.

🦉🦅 Help Us Help Owls Nest Wildlife! 🦅🦉

Today, we transported an injured Swallow-tailed Kite that was found in Webster, Florida, to Owls Nest Wildlife for care. These incredible people work tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, and release Florida’s native wildlife, often taking in animals that have nowhere else to go.

Wildlife rehabilitation is expensive, and they are always in need of supplies to care for the countless animals that come through their doors. Right now, some of their most-needed items are:

✅ Puppy Pads
✅ Bleach
✅ Chewy Gift Cards
✅ RodentPro Gift Cards

If you’d like to help, we are accepting donations specifically earmarked for Owls Nest Wildlife. Every donation received for them will be forwarded directly to support their efforts and the animals in their care.

Whether it’s a package of puppy pads, a bottle of bleach, a gift card, or a monetary donation designated for Owls Nest Wildlife, every little bit helps save lives.

Thank you for supporting the people who dedicate their lives to helping Florida’s wildlife get a second chance. ❤️🦉🦅

Please comment or message us if you’d like to donate.

We're calling on our Hernando Reptile and Exotic fam to help us provide an enclosure for one of our ambassadors - a donation of a 36x18x18 front-opening enclosure would make a world of difference to our foster home.

Some of our leopard gecko residents here at Hernando Reptile and Exotics. The girls had a photoshoot in the sunset and enjoyed the gentle summer breeze!

Letting your gecko out for fresh sun can be great enrichment but must follow very careful guidelines. Only bring geckos out when temperatures are 75-85°F and during their natural waking hours. Leopard geckos are crepuscular coming out between dawn and dusk,so today’s sunset being around 85° with nice breeze was perfect for our girls! They also must be kept in a very well ventilated carrier and be supervised for the entire time- which is a maximum of 5-10 minutes. We give our girls some fake plants and rocks for exploring opportunities. For extra caution we also recommend staying in a fenced in area! Not all our geckos here enjoy the sun but for our long term residents that do,we love providing that little extra enrichment every once in a while!

Say hello to Toby, he is the leopard gecko embodiment of sunshine lighting up a room! ✨ He loves lounging about with a smile on his face and will run right up to the front of his enclosure to check out what’s going on (as long as he isn’t napping of course!). Toby is currently around 8 years old and looking for a home to spend the rest of his years! Please pm us if you’re interested or looking for more information. ☺️

Toby does have bent arms associated with MBD but his calcium levels have returned to normal with UVB and supplements so it does not impact him in any way!

🦎 From the Bottom of Our Hearts, Thank You 🐢💚

Today we’re coming to you with a simple but honest request.

Running a rescue is one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done, but it’s also one of the most expensive.

Every day, animals in our care rely on us for fresh food 🥬, clean bedding 🌿, proper heating and lighting ☀️, enclosure supplies 🏠, and veterinary care 🩺. Whether it’s a tortoise 🐢, snake 🐍, lizard 🦎, or another exotic animal, their needs don’t stop—and neither do the costs associated with providing the care they deserve.

Hernando Reptile & Exotics Rescue is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit. There are no paid employees here—just a small group of passionate people doing everything we can to give unwanted, neglected, abandoned, and surrendered animals a second chance at a better life. ❤️

The reality is that rescue isn’t just about finding homes. It’s about providing medical care, nutritious diets, safe habitats, and sometimes months of rehabilitation before an animal is ready for adoption. Those expenses add up quickly, and lately they’ve been adding up faster than donations have been coming in.

If you’ve ever liked one of our posts, shared one of our animals, adopted from us, donated supplies, or simply followed our journey, we are incredibly grateful. 💚

If you’re in a position to help financially, no donation is too small. Whether it’s enough to buy a bag of bedding, a week’s worth of greens, or help offset a veterinary bill, every dollar goes directly toward the animals in our care. 🐢🐍🦎

💚 Ways to Donate:

💸 Zelle: [email protected]
💸 Cash App: $hernandoexotics
💸 Venmo:

If donating isn’t possible right now, sharing this post helps tremendously and costs nothing. 📲❤️

Thank you for believing in our mission. Thank you for supporting the animals. And thank you for helping us continue to provide care, compassion, and second chances to the creatures who need it most. 🐢🐍🦎

With gratitude,

Lauren, Kiomy, and the volunteers of Hernando Reptile & Exotics Rescue 💚🦎🐢🐍

🦎💚🐢🐍

🐍 Monty is Looking for His Forever Home! 🐍

Meet Monty, a handsome adult Ball Python who is searching for a loving forever family! We believe Monty is approximately 3 years old, although we cannot verify his exact age.

Monty is everything people love about Ball Pythons—calm, easygoing, and incredibly easy to handle. He has a fantastic feeding response, eats consistently, and has been a joy to care for. In the time we’ve had him, he has never struck defensively and has proven himself to be a gentle, curious snake with a wonderful temperament.

Monty is currently accustomed to living in a rack system, but he would do wonderfully in a well-designed enclosure. A 40-gallon breeder enclosure or larger with plenty of hides, clutter, and ground cover would allow him to feel secure while displaying more natural behaviors.

Monty is healthy, thriving, and ready to find a family that will love and appreciate him for years to come. Whether you’re an experienced keeper or someone looking to welcome your first Ball Python, Monty is the kind of snake that quickly wins people over.

As with all of our animals, an adoption fee applies. Adoption fees directly support the ongoing care of the reptiles and exotic animals at Hernando Reptile & Exotics Rescue, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, helping us continue our mission of rescue, rehabilitation, and responsible rehoming.

If you think Monty might be the perfect addition to your family, we’d love to hear from you! Please send us a message and tell us a little about the home you can provide.

Let’s find this sweet boy the forever home he deserves. ❤️🐍

🐢 AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION – TORTELLINI 🐢

Meet Tortellini, a handsome adult Hermanns tortoise looking for a loving forever home! While we are unsure of his exact age, we do know that he is healthy, active, and thriving.

Tortellini is a fantastic eater who never misses a meal, and he has a wonderfully personable personality that makes him a joy to care for. He enjoys exploring his surroundings, greeting his caregivers, and showing off the curious nature that Hermann’s tortoises are known for.

As with all of our animals, we are committed to finding the best possible home where Tortellini will be loved and properly cared for for the rest of his life. Hermann’s tortoises can live for many decades, so prospective adopters should be prepared for a long-term commitment.

An adoption fee applies, which helps support the ongoing care of the rescued reptiles and exotic animals at Hernando Reptile & Exotics Rescue.

If you think Tortellini might be the perfect addition to your family, please send us a message to learn more about our adoption process.

❤️ Every adoption helps us continue our mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming reptiles in need.

🐢💕

Here are some adoptables. Monty is a normal ball python. Popsicle is (we believe) a Mojave ball python. Tortellini is a male Hermanns tortoise. Wasabi is a female Russian tortoise. Please pm for details.

☀️ Meet Sunny a beautiful (likely Murphy’s Patternless or Blizzard) 6y/o female leopard gecko.
🌞Sunny enjoys spending her days lounging about her enclosure and most of her nights out exploring and climbing around, or catching the crickets if it’s feeding night. She is a great hunter (although slightly clumsy!)
⛅️ If you are interested in providing a sun-shining home for Sunny or just want to learn some more about her, then please send us a pm!