Snakes, a snapping turtle, a bearded dragon and other uncommon critters were shown off to a crowd of Orchard Park Retirement residents on May 12, inspiring curiosity and a little bit of trepidation.
April Jackson, also known as “the Reptile Lady,” bravely handled each creature and educated the crowd on each animal’s unique characteristics, even letting audience members feel their scaly skin.
Not every reptile, though — the snapping turtle was off-limits.
“He’s super interesting to look at, but he can bite your fingers right off,” Jackson told the crowd.
It was just one of the many reptile shows that Jackson, 30, does every week. She brings her traveling menagerie of creatures around Washington, to elementary schools, retirement homes and everywhere in between.
Although she started her business only a year ago, she’s no stranger to reptiles: She grew up around them.
Jackson’s stage name is an homage to her father, Scott Peterson, who has been “the Reptile Man” for more than 30 years.
Previously a high school biology teacher, Peterson had always been passionate about animals and ultimately decided to leave his teaching gig and start his own business, which combined his love for creatures and education in reptile shows.
Peterson opened The Reptile Zoo in 1996 in Monroe, Snohomish County. His reptile shows were a way to educate the public on animals that are often misunderstood and feared.
“Reptiles, especially at that time, were more like horror creatures in scary movies,” Jackson said. “So, I think he really wanted to expose people to reptiles and how they can be really incredible and interesting.”
Peterson’s passion was passed on to his children. His son, Isaac Peterson, now runs a zoo, and Jackson followed in her father’s footsteps, taking on her own traveling reptile shows.
Jackson fondly remembers tagging along to her father’s shows. Now, her own children get to do the same for hers — a real “full-circle moment,” she said.
Jackson’s journey into the family business wasn’t straightforward, despite growing up around it. After graduating college, she quickly started her own family and became a stay-at-home mom.
In the last couple of years, though, she decided to reenter the workforce.
Jackson credits Melinda Gates’ book “The Power of Lift” for inspiring her to chase after her dreams — her ball python, Melinda, is even named after the author and philanthropist.
“It really opened my eyes to what I could be,” Jackson said. “I realized, ‘Hey, you can be an awesome mom, and you can work.’ So that was incredibly liberating for me.”
Jackson, who has a bachelor’s degree in family and children development, decided to make the leap and begin substitute teaching at local schools. There, she discovered her passion: working with kids.
Teaching “was such an incredible experience for me,” she said. “… I was like, ‘This is what I want to do. I want to show kids that they can do whatever they want.’”
