Photos: Chris Emeott
The perfect mix of knowledge and humor, Emily Roberts makes learning about exotic animals fun.
Emily Roberts isn’t typically seen wearing fancy jewelry around her neck. Instead, the owner of Snake Discovery can be found at her zoo with a variety of snake species draped around her shoulders or online during one of her fun, informational YouTube videos.
Located in Maplewood, Snake Discovery is home to 75 exhibits, featuring more than 150 reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. The organization also has several rescue animals available for adoption and a retail storefront.
It all started with a girl who loves animals. Roberts, who grew up in Woodbury, is the perfect mix of knowledge and humor, making learning about exotic animals more intriguing and less intimidating.
This lizard, a blue-tongued skink, is named Oprah Skinkfrey.
“I’m allergic to dogs and cats, so because I couldn’t have any of the furry pets, I got a feathered one instead,” she says.
Roberts was in 5th grade when she got her first bird, a yellow parakeet named Sonny. While Sonny had a bit of an attitude, Roberts still became a self-proclaimed “bird nerd.” Then, to help pay for college at the University of Minnesota, Roberts worked at the Woodbury PetSmart. She became the go-to employee for customers who had bird-related questions—including her future husband, Ed, but he’ll come into the picture later.
“I started teaching myself about the care of all exotic pets, so I could provide proper information for customers,” Roberts says. “That’s what introduced me to reptiles.”
Tegus, like this one named Haui, is a type of lizard native to Central and South America.
After college, Roberts got a seasonal job with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as a naturalist, where she created different programs, teaching people about geology, birds, trees and “just about anything,” she says.
Eventually, Roberts blended her love of animals and teaching into a traveling reptile show called Snake Discovery.
Emily Roberts, owner of Snake Discovery, holding a ball python aptly named Banana Bread.
Laughing at her own use of words, Roberts says the show wasn’t like a magic show, but rather a hands-on educational presentation. Roberts quickly found success with customers wanting her to bring the experience to libraries and nature centers. “I was doing about 300 reptile programs a year,” Roberts says. “It got me thinking I could teach more people about reptiles in video format.”
Roberts launched her YouTube channel in 2017 and has been making videos ever since. At the time of writing, the channel now has 3.17 million subscribers.
In 2019, the income from the channel allowed Roberts to open Snake Discovery in Maplewood, that is now home to Snake Discovery, a 10,000-square-foot zoo and retail space that employs 20 people.
A hognose snake named Violet.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Roberts says. Her husband, Ed, quit his full-time job in 2020 to work at Snake Discovery. “We can drive to and from work together every day. Ed is the information technology guy at Snake Discovery but also a jack of all trades and can fix anything. I’m in front of the camera, and he’s behind it. We make a great team.”
Roberts says one of the most rewarding parts of owning Snake Discovery is watching the transition of fear to fascination by kids during an educational program.
“When you first take out that snake, they scoot way back, but by the end of the 45-minute program, they can’t get close enough to these really cool creatures,” Roberts says. “Excitement is contagious when it comes to snakes. The more you teach someone, the less scary the animal is … And that’s why I love what I do. These are incredible creatures, and I love getting to work with them.”
Owning a Reptile
Everything you need to consider before bringing your new pet home.
If you’re thinking of owning a reptile as a pet, Emily Roberts says she highly recommends researching the species before bringing it home.
“Each reptile’s care requirements are different, as you are essentially trying to replicate their natural habitat and diet in captivity,” she says. “Some reptiles are more desert-dwelling, whereas others are more tropical.”
To set up their habitat correctly, Roberts says expect to pay $300–$900, depending on the species. A proper aquatic turtle habitat will likely be even more expensive due to their space and water requirements, which is why Roberts and other Snake Discovery staff don’t recommend turtles be kept as pets.
Additionally, some reptiles are nocturnal, and others are diurnal. “This may not seem like a big deal, but it affects the activity levels of the animal throughout the day,” Roberts says.
For example, both leopard geckos and bearded dragons make excellent starter lizards, however, leopard geckos are nocturnal and therefore aren’t often visible during the day. Bearded dragons are diurnal, so they can be viewed and handled throughout the day when they’re naturally awake and active.
Potential reptile owners should also consider whether they’re able to provide the correct diet for the reptile. Roberts says some reptiles, like crested geckos, eat a simple powdered diet mixed with water. Others, like bearded dragons, need a variety of live insects and mixed green salads for a healthy diet.
“Surprisingly, snakes, in my opinion, are the easiest reptiles to care for because most only need feeding once a week,” she says. “However, their meal consists of an appropriately sized rodent. Don’t worry; you get used to a snake’s diet faster than you think. Before you know it, you’ll be casually storing frozen rodents in the freezer next to the leftover lasagna.”
Check it Once, then Check it Twice
Thinking of getting your first reptile? Emily Roberts says a ball python or corn snake are great starter snakes. Here’s a checklist of everything you’ll need before bringing your snake home:
Emily Roberts with Banana Bread, a ball python—a great type of snake for a first-time snake owner.
- A habitat large enough for the snake to fully outstretch
- Proper substrate: Semi-tropical substrate like cypress mulch for ball pythons and aspen fibers for corn snakes
- At least two caves for hiding
- A water dish big enough for soaking
- Various branches, plants and other enrichment for climbing
- A basking bulb to provide a heated area of 90 degrees on the warm side
- A thermometer to monitor temperatures inside the enclosure
- Feeding tongs and frozen rodents
Snake Discovery Fun Facts
- Many of the reptiles at Snake Discovery are rescues.
- There are two free-roaming tortoises in the zoo.
- Garter snakes often have babies in the zoo.
- Snake eggs are kept in an incubator for guests to see them hatch.
- Snake Discovery’s alligator, Rex, loves playing with her toys.
- There are two rattlesnakes in the zoo.
- Frog Island consists of frogs from around the world, including bird poop frogs that really do look like bird poop.
- Snake Discovery’s reticulated pythons eat an 8–10-pound rabbit once every eight weeks.
- The largest snake at the zoo is an 18-foot, 130-pound python named Baby Spice.
- The smallest snake at the zoo is a 6-inch DeKay’s brown snake native to Minnesota.
Emily Roberts holding Sheeka, a Burmese python—one of the largest species of snakes.
Snake Discovery at Night
During October, Snake Discovery offers extra night hikes where the zoo reopens at 9 p.m. During the pre-registered event, participants enter the pitch-black zoo equipped only with a red flashlight and a UV flashlight. Different animals come out at night, and some species glow under UV lights to create an entirely different experience.
Keep an eye on snakediscovery.com for dates and registration information.
Snake Discovery
831 Century Ave. N., Maplewood; 612.642.2960
Facebook: Snake Discovery: Reptile Store & Zoo
Instagram: @snake.discovery
X: @SnakeDiscovery
YouTube: Snake Discovery
