Frequently-asked Questions

Again, we do not have a policy against doing so, but we have not yet shipped a reptile. We prefer to find a ride for the animal with someone who can watch over it during the trip if we are adopting out of the area.

Yes, we have a placement assistance program. Just send us the information we would need to make a post about your animal and we will get your request out to our social media followers. 

We are unable to take in wild mammals or migratory birds. Visit our Wildlife Rehabilitation section to find out how to locate the appropriate resource for the animal. If you can not find someone, you may call or text our intake coordinator for assistance.

Typically, we have open houses every few months. At this present time, we do have a moratorium on these for liability reasons, due to some storm damage that affected our entrance road. When we resume open houses, we will be posting those events on our Facebook page, so be sure to follow us there!

Most of our adoptable animals are "beginner" species (e.g., bearded dragons, ball pythons). Typically, we rely on pre-screened adoptive resource homes for intermediate or advanced level animals.

If you would like to be considered for these types of animals, the best way to do so is to fill out an adoption application. 

We typically do not adopt out monitor lizards, tegus, or tortoises. We focus on providing permanent sanctuary for these species, since they are long-lived, large, and often get passed around from home to home when kept as pets.

We have a large body of pet care information in our free book, A Primer on Reptiles and Amphibians. Download the file and read the chapter entitled "Herpetoculture."

Thanks for asking! We do sometimes take in-kind donations. We can always use larger (greater than 20-gallon) tanks, cages in good condition, and other reusable items. Text our intake coordinator to coordinate the logistics.

Well, for one thing, we love critters and don't want to see them be homeless or sick. More important, though, is that there are still many people who will simply release pets into the wild when they are no longer wanted. L.E.A.R.N. is the only non-profit corporation in Louisiana that focuses on accepting many of these species, which reduces the impact to our ecosystem that introduced species can effect.

L.E.A.R.N. strives to respond to as many requests as it can for animal interactions and education. Please visit our event request page to set this up. Please note that L.E.A.R.N. does not participate in commercial activities, so we are unable to attend events which are not free or do not have an educational focus.

Yes, of course. There are several ways to go about that. The most direct method, if course, is to bring it to us. We will try to meet partway if we can. There is a severe shortage of rescues focusing on the animals we focus on, so people quite often drive from New Orleans or Dallas or Little Rock to bring us animals. However, we understand not everyone has the ability to do that.

Another option available for reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates (not mammals or birds) is overnight shipping. Visit shipyourreptiles.com or reptilesexpress.com for more information on how to order the appropriate shipping supplies and get instructions for your animal. Our facility address is at the bottom of this page.

Yet another option is finding a volunteer to transport the animal. While not an everyday occurrence, it does happen that we can sometimes find someone who is traveling from your area that wouldn't mind carrying a critter to us.

Also, we can try to find a home in your area and forego the transport. See the next question for details.