Children participating in the city's Summer Youth Program stopped by Pioneer Reptiles in Batavia today, where owner Crystal Poyfair showed the youngsters a variety of lizards, turtles and snakes and other creepy-crawly things. With certain animals, the children were able to feed, hold or touch them. They also got to meet some of the future food of the reptiles, such as giant cockroaches.
Pioneer Reptiles is herpetological breeding facility that breeds and works with pet reptiles and investment-quality reptiles and some critically endangered species.
Poyfair has been working with reptiles for 20 years. She recently moved her business to Batavia from Virginia so her family could be closer to her husband's family.
She said she's deeply involved in the reptile industry and served as executive producer on the documentary Herpers 3. She's been working with Bob Irwin (father of late, great Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin) and Colin Riddell to help end the slaughter of endangered sea turtles and dugong species in Australia.
Tours of the reptile facility are available by appointment, Poyfair said. She really wants to help educate children on the importance of reptiles in nature.
"One of the biggest messages I'm trying to get across is the fact that you really need conservation," Poyfair said. "Don't listen to the old myths. Not all snakes are dangerous. They're not all bad. They serve a purpose in nature, but they're disappearing at an alarming rate."
