Meet Serengeti Steve, locally known as "The Reptile Man" ... Steve's fascination with reptiles began when he was a young boy in St. Louis where, at the age of ten, he found a snake in his backyard. He used a stick to lift the snake into a bucket and quickly ran to the encyclopedia to look up what exactly he caught. What he had in this bucket was an Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racer, a non-venomous snake. With some written proof of it's non-venomous nature and a long "discussion" with mom and dad, he was allowed to keep it ... provided that HE took proper care of it. He did, and his interest eventually grew to include reptiles and arachnids, both of which he studies thoroughly to this day. His passion grew through the years and was eventually put into practice when he became a police officer. He began teaching the D.A.R.E program to local kids and was able to incorporate different reptiles into the program as extra fun. It is this experience with children, in addition to his outgoing personality, which has allowed him to make The Reptile Experience both an exciting and educational program. After nearly ten years of police work he decided to pursue his unique interest in a more direct and fulfilling way. Since then he has raised and maintained over 50 species of exotic snakes, lizards, monitors, tarantulas and scorpions. All of this has since brought about what is now The Reptile Experience. Since beginning The Reptile Experience, Steve and his critters have not only educated and entertained for parties and scouting groups, but they have been featured on FOX2 News, "Show Me St. Louis" on Channel 5, and have been listed entertainment on the Ameristar Casino.