Winking Reptile Rescue

07/08/2024

On July 8th we assisted our friends with Owen County Humane Society in the seizure of 348 animals. Of the 348 we were able to take on 2 sickly bearded dragons. With a week of syringe feeding they are now out of the danger zone and well on their way to recovery. We are hopeful they will go on to find the perfect homes and live happy healthy lives.

If you have the extra to give, Owen county humane society could use your donations to help with the veterinary care of the other animals.

OWEN COUNTY, Ind. — Nearly 350 animals were recovered from an Owen County home last month as deputies conducted an animal seizure involving several different species. According to the Owen Co…

22/06/2024

Big thank you to Castle Perilous Games & Books for having us out today! We had a blast and made lots of new friends. Thank you Humane Society of Southern Illinois for getting some photos of our table and allowing us to love on your sweet Jojo.
If you are in the market for a dog Jojo is your girl. She is the sweetest, smartest, gentle, calm cuddle bug. We loved her 💗.

02/05/2024

We have been busy the last couple of weeks! We participated in the 28th annual Earth Day celebration at Carlyle lake on the 19th, and then at the Conservation Day event for Rudolph County Soil and Water at Rudolph County Lake on the 30th. We had an absolute blast at both events. We love being able to share our ambassadors with you all , and being able to help ease fears of these misunderstood creatures through education. Thank you for inviting us out for these events! We look forward to next year!

02/04/2024

This is an update we didn't think we would be making. 3 days ago a small bump showed up on Miss Muffins head. By Sunday night it was significantly larger. Monday morning her behavior was off and she was beginning to show neurological symptoms so we called our amazing vet and scheduled an appointment to have her checked today. By the time of her appointment it was obvious she was struggling and things were getting rapidly worse. After her exam the heartbreaking decision was made to give her one final act of kindness and love. Today at 2:20 PM we helped Muffin to pass in comfort and dignity. We stayed with her while she passed, petting her head and coils while telling her how beautiful and loved she is. In rescue sometimes wins turn to losses, joy from a recovery to heartbreak when things turn for the worst again. We always do our best to help. Sometimes that help means knowing when to let them go. We loved her. We fought for her. We celebrated her. We cried for her, and we will always remember her. We're so sorry big girl. 💚

31/03/2024

Be aware of scam posts.

23/02/2024

Our beautiful girl Muffin had a check up today. Her stitches are out and she is looking great. Just 3 more antibiotic injections over the next 9 days as a precaution and she will be medically cleared! She is feeling so much better, eating like a champ and beginning to put on some much needed weight. We are so glad she is feeling better and can't wait to work with her more to build trust back. After all you can't explain to them that this traumatic thing you are putting them through is for their own good so they can feel better. Next up after that is getting her set up in a permanent enclosure instead of the medical one she's been quarantined in. Way to go Muffin!

Hey look she doesn't completely hate me in this picture! Progress!

02/02/2024

We heard from our amazing vet yesterday regarding the cultures taken from Miss Muffins lump. It came back as Morganella Morganii. It is a bacteria commonly found in the gut. The belief is, before she got to us she likely poked herself in her enclosure then the bacteria set up in the wound after being exposed to her own waste. The good news is there is an injectable antibiotic that can help combat it. We are hopeful that with the pocket of infection having been drained, that it will do the trick and get her feeling much better.

Yesterday evening we added the injection into her treatment. This is one of the sides of rescue that is difficult to do. We know that this will make her feel better in the long run, but you can't explain that to an animal. All she knew was the injection burns and, to her we are hurting her. Although the way we have to hold her head looks mean, her airway is fine and we are not squeezing her. Holding her this way is for her safety and ours. In the end it took two of us and lots of wrestling to complete her treatment safely and she unhappily went to hide in her enclosure.

If we are able to get her through this infection, it will take quite a bit of time and patience to build trust back and for her to not associate us with the pain that goes with the treatment. We are so very hopeful that we can get her feeling better and that she will eventually join our other ambassadors in helping educate the public on these amazing yet misunderstood creatures. Thank you all for checking in on and supporting Muffin and our rescue it means so much to us.

28/01/2024

This past Friday Muffin went through surgery to excise her lump. What we know at the moment is it is some kind of nasty infection. Samples were taken for cultures and testing to determine what we are dealing with and the best course of action for her. Things are still up in the air with her as far as long term prognosis goes but thanks to Pet Wellness Center, PC and Marion Veterinary Clinic we are giving her every chance we can to get her through this.

Thank you to our wonderful vets and staff for taking the photos during surgery and for everything they do. They are always willing to take a chance on all of our rescues in need and we can't begin to express how much we appreciate them.

For now Miss Muffin is recovering well at home on pain meds and we will update everyone as we know more. 💚🐍

09/01/2024

Meet Muffin. Muffin came to us just before Christmas. She is a gentle giant and we have hopes of getting her healthy enough to join our other reptile ambassadors in teaching the public. Right now though Miss Muffin has some health issues she is fighting. Not only does she weigh about half of what she should but recently she has had a rather concerning fast growing lump appear on her side closer to her head. Our Vet did a check and we were left with more questions than answers at the moment. We go back on Wednesday for X-rays and blood work to try to get a clearer picture of what we are dealing with and what would be the best way to help this sweet girl. Until then feel free to send all the prayers and good vibes you can to her. Once we know more we likely will do an art sale to help with her vet bills so keep an eye out.

31/12/2023

To whomever left the donated cage on our porch today, Thank you very much! We appreciate it!

01/11/2023

We are beyond heartbroken to announce that this afternoon we had to say goodbye to our boy Hans. The world seems a little dimmer today without him.
He captured the hearts of so many with his fighting spirit and sweet nature. He was not a typical veiled chameleon, he was friendly and loved his people. He would run to the door of his enclosure when rescue mom would open it and call him. Then he would happily climb out and ride around on her head or shoulder while she worked around the house.
Hans taught us about not giving up, about not just surviving but thriving, and about enjoying the moments you are given. For the chameleon that wasn't supposed to live through the night everyday we got with him was a miracle in itself. His 2nd year gotcha day anniversary would have been in December. While we know we were so lucky to get that long with him, selfishly it doesn't feel like it was enough.
Unfortunately Hans's heart condition likely caught up to him causing him to have a stroke. Rescue mom caught it early and was able to get him to the vet where they could help him pass peacefully and pain free.
We know all of you loved him. He had a way of getting his little grip mittens firmly in your heart. We will miss him dearly. Thank you for loving him as much as we did.

💚

20/10/2023

Thank you Coulterville Unit School Dist 1 for having us out today! The kids were all absolutely awesome and we had a blast!

29/09/2023

Wednesday and Thursday we had the honor of being invited to the Conservation Fair at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds again for the second year in a row. Between those two days we were able to provide an up close educational experience to over 600 kids and their chaperones. They learned all about reptiles in general, the hazards and damage of releasing non native species into the wild, and why seeing a native species in the wild was a sign of a healthy ecosystem. The kids asked great questions and we had an absolute blast teaching future generations about these misunderstood creatures. Thank you so much for having us out again! We look forward to next year!

If you are interested in our educational programs there is an inquiry form on our website. All programs for schools are free!

Most of the photos shown below were taken and publicly shared by the schools that participated. It isn't often we get photos of us during our programs. Thank you to those that took and shared them!

07/09/2023

Thank you so much Pack 85 Herrin! We had a blast tonight with the scouts! The card signed by everyone was so very sweet and now hangs proudly on our refrigerator. It made our night to receive it. Throttle says thank you for the generous donation. He insists that it will be used to buy him superworm treats.

04/09/2023

Thank you so much to Carbondale New School for having us out! We had a blast with the kiddos!

08/05/2023

It's been a busy couple of weeks here at the rescue with lots of educational programs and more on deck this week and next! We absolutely love being able to come out and teach the kiddos all about reptiles. Seeing their faces light up with wonder when they meet our ambassadors makes it that much better. A big Thank you to Randolph County Soil and water and Herrin Elementary School for having us out this past week! We had a blast with the kids.

13/04/2023

We would like to say a big "Thank You!" to Pinckneyville
ElementarySchool for inviting us out today to share our awesome ambassadors with the 3rd and 4th graders! We had a lot of fun, and the kiddos were absolutely amazing. We in fact had so much fun that we forgot to get some photos today of our ambassadors in action. So please enjoy these photos of Throttle being his adorable self instead. Thank you again!

16/03/2023

With our busy schedules lately we realized we haven't posted much lately. We apologize for the radio silence. We are still here, still active, and still doing educational programs. With our schedules being what they are we realized we hadn't introduced our newest resident.
Meet Duckie.
Duckie is a female juvenile veiled chameleon. She is spunky, healthy and full of curiosity. She was a bit standoffish at first but quickly warmed up to being handled. We are continuing to work with her as she does seem to have a preference for certain people and will get "opinionated" if it's not the person she wants to be holding her. She loves to spy on you from her miniature jungle and be in an area where she can be a part of what's happening around her. We absolutely love her and can't wait to see her grow and thrive.

27/02/2023

Miss Ethel enjoyed some cruising time out of her enclosure today. She loves to be with her people and once she knows you, she will respond when she is called. She is such a smart girl that we had to put a lock on her enclosure because she figured out how to slide the glass door open! As you can see her shell is much better (aside from being dirty from playing in her pond and soil) and she is ready for her forever home! We love her and her big loveable personality so much and will miss her but she deserves a family to call her own. If you or someone you know is interested in Miss Ethel please contact us in private message or through our website.

24/01/2023

This week we will be featuring some of our animal ambassadors. Starting with Hans Grabber the veiled chameleon.

Age- older gentleman (rude to ask but ok.)

Weight- 250 grams (again rude.)

Favorite food- Dubia roaches

Favorite treat- super worms

Dislikes- the cold and mouth checks (I like to try to bite mom during mouth checks. That'll teach her.)

Favorite hang out- on top of rescue mom's head while she drinks coffee and does chores around the house.

Time as an ambassador- I've been here a year and a month. That's a whole yeah and a month longer than anyone thought I would be alive. I showed them ha!

Fun fact- I can change my colors to show my mood, how I'm feeling and to help with light and heat absorption.

06/01/2023

You all are amazing! Our beautiful sweet Emelia will go to her forever home on Sunday! We are beyond thrilled for her and know that she will be in amazing hands! We are so excited for her and her new family and look forward to sharing her homecoming with you all. Congratulations little miss Emelia! 🎉

06/01/2023

Our adoptable animal of the day is Sandy.
Sandy is a leopard gecko. She is such an adorable little girl. She came to us when her previous owners living situation changed. She is missing a few toe tips from improper sheds in the past but she doesn't let it slow her down. As soon as you open her enclosure she comes running to see if you have brought her treats. Sandy takes a bit to warm up to new people and will squirm and not want to be held until she is used to you and knows she can trust you. Once she trusts you though she is your best buddy and will gladly hang out in your hand in exchange for some chin rubs. She loves to explore and watching her chase her crickets in her enclosure is absolutely hilarious and entertaining. If you or someone you know is interested in giving this little girl her forever home please private message us about adoption. For Sandy adoption includes her enclosure as well.

05/01/2023

Our adoptable pet of the day today is our little Emelia. Emelia is a juvenile lesser ball python. She is petite and curious and loves to be out hanging out with you. She has never missed a meal but is still on the small side. Before coming to us she was a teenagers pet and was well loved and cared for. She is a little beauty queen with such an easy going disposition. She would make a wonderful pet. If you or someone you know is interested in our little Emelia please private message us about adoption or any other questions you may have.

05/01/2023

Ethel's shell is looking fantastic! It will never be quite right but she is healthy and is now ready to find her forever home! She is a Central American ornate wood turtle. She is semi aquatic and will require a specialized habitat. She has a big personality and loves to be in an area where all the action is. She is so sweet and curious and adores shell scratches and attention. When we have her out and about for some exercise she shows she knows who her people are and will run to you when you talk to her. She loves to lounge in her pool when she isn't being nosey and watching the world around her. We love her so much and can't wait for her to find her forever family. She deserves it. If you or someone you know has an Interest in our sweet Ethel please private message us!

03/01/2023

Hi there! We took some time off to spend with family during the holidays but now we are back and ready for the new year! We hope everyone enjoyed their holidays! We will be doing a post a day about our adoptable reptiles starting tomorrow, until then enjoy a couple up close photos of our handsome Jupiter fresh from a shed.

09/12/2022

🚨Happy rescue day anniversary to Hans!

It's hard to believe that a year ago he came into the rescue in such bad shape we were told to prepare for him to not make it. It was a long shot to get him better but we knew that we had to try. He deserved a chance at a good life. With syringe feedings and meds too many to count he slowly started getting better. He started eating on his own, and being able to stay on his vines without wobbling and falling off. With his will to survive and lots of TLC he proved to us and the vet that our giving him a chance was the right one. He is our cantankerous old man, Rescue Mom's living hat, and morning coffee buddy. It's hard to imagine him not being here. We don't know how long we will get to have him with us, but today we celebrate 1 year with the chameleon who wasn't supposed to survive let alone thrive. Junk food superworms for dinner for our Hans Grabber! Thank you for loving him as much as we do ! 💚

08/12/2022

Hey everyone! So sorry for the radio silence. Things have been a little hectic with the holidays and then Flu A hit us pretty hard here. Everyone is feeling better and things are getting back to somewhat normal. Keep an eye out though, I have some awesome updates for you all I'll be posting tomorrow and over the next few days. Until then, here is a photo of our handsome Jupiter hanging out with Rescue Mom. 💚🐍

21/11/2022

Introducing our newest ambassador Jupiter.

Jupiter is a Miami phase corn snake that is nearly 6ft in length. He is an absolute stunner. A calm, curious, and sweet boy that is perfect for our educational programs. We absolutely adore him and can't wait for you all to meet him! Welcome to the family Jupiter!

11/11/2022

Say hello to Einstein!

Einstein is a Mediterranean house gecko that was found in a local warehouse on a pallet of books. Since he is not native and likely came in on a shipment his amazing rescuer reached out to us to help him. He is approximately 2.5 inches of utter cuteness and currently exploring his new mansion of a home. Welcome to the family little Einstein!

(For size reference that is a cut in half toilet paper tube.)

25/10/2022

Reggie got an upgrade! A bioactive 6ft long, by 3ft wide, by 3ft deep enclosure with a bubbling pool to lay in. We still aren't quite finished with it but it was enough that he could move in. He absolutely loves his new home and being able to look out the front windows to check out what's going on and say hello. Usually this species of Tegu would need a much larger enclosure but due to his small size for his species and missing half of his tail Reggie is more than comfortable in this one. After he moved in, Reggie did his own decorating and rearranging like the little wrecking ball with legs that he is and is quite pleased with himself.

We can't thank everyone enough, your support helps us to give all of our reptiles the life, care, and enrichment they deserve. Having healthy happy ambassadors then allows us to be able to do educational programs in schools and events all across southern Illinois and surrounding areas. Thank you for helping us to give kids and adults alike the opportunity to learn about, and have up close encounters with these amazing creatures.

If you would like to support what we do take a look at our pinned post about art prints. We also have an online store to purchase shirts, and for other options feel free to contact us.