Mark Perpetua
A life long love for nature and reptiles has lead to Reptile Encounters
Why Mark Perpetua's Reptile Encounters
Mark has been with reptiles since he was 10 years old and got his first iguana. As his collection grew he began doing presentations in 1991. Mark graduated SUNY New Paltz with a B.A. in Biology/Education in 1991. Mark also worked for an accredited zoo in the mid 1990s gaining valuable hands on experience. He started his teaching career at Saugerties High School in 1995 while continuing his reptile presentations. Mark received his M.A. with an emphasis on zoology in 2001. As a NY State certified science teacher Mark has been teaching Biology and Animal Science now for 28 years. His experience with reptiles and as an educator make him uniquely qualified as a presenter.
Reptile Encounters
Along his journey Mark always had his private collection. Over the years it has included many species of venomous snakes, large constrictors like reticulated and Burmese pythons and of course American alligators. Today Reptile Encounters has over 35 reptiles to offer a large diversity for shows and displays. While there are no longer venomous snakes in the collection due to changing NYS requirements, Mark made sure to meet the requirements to continue working with his favorite, the American alligator. Reptile Encounters has been seen by thousands of people throughout New York over the last 35 years. Now everyone can also see more reptiles on YouTube with Mark's joint effort on "Talkin' Reptiles" which can can be found on Hudson Valley Reptile's channel.
