For years, Slither & Scales Rescue has rescued and rehomed reptiles across Idaho. Officially established as a nonprofit in August 2025, the Idaho Falls-based organization accepts reptiles of all species and typically cares for between 40 and 100 animals each month. Founder and CEO Melody Millward shared her experience running the rescue, the challenges of caring for surrendered reptiles and the importance of educating owners before and after adopting a reptile.

What inspired you to start Slither & Scales Rescue?

"Just seeing the amount of reptiles that were being abandoned, bounced from house to house to house, never receiving the proper care. And we just wanted to educate people on how to care for those reptiles so they can possibly keep them, as well as teach people about the reptiles before they get them to make sure that they can handle them and offer the appropriate care," said Millward.

Before officially establishing the nonprofit, Millward said people regularly contacted her about rehoming large reptiles, particularly boas, monitors and reticulated pythons. She said there were few local resources willing to take those species, prompting her to create a rescue that could fill that need.

What does a typical day at the rescue look like?

"I get up in the morning and do spot checks on everybody's tanks, clean out any feces, give everybody fresh water, feed any animals that need daily feeding, like the bearded dragons, leopard geckos and iguanas, all that good stuff. Usually it takes me about two and a half hours to get through all of that. Then I go through and do complete substrate changes throughout the week, feed any snakes that are due that day, and then do another round of spot checks before bedtime. It's probably five to seven hours, broken up into segments, that I put into the animals every day," Millward said.

Millward said handling the reptiles takes the most time because each animal is checked for injuries, mites and overall health while also being worked with to improve its temperament. She said paperwork usually takes only 20 to 30 minutes each day, with most of her time dedicated to animal care.

What are some of the most common reasons reptiles end up needing to be rescued?

"The most common reason we hear, especially in the spring and summer, is, 'My child is going on a mission. My child is leaving for college. My child is no longer interested or has other activities.' As parents, they don't want to care for the reptile either. The second most common reason is people moving and finding out their new landlord doesn't allow reptiles," Millward said.

Financial hardship has also become a more common reason for surrenders in recent months. She said bearded dragons and leopard geckos are among the species most frequently surrendered because their daily feeding and lighting requirements can become difficult to afford. Larger monitor lizards are also increasingly surrendered because of the high monthly cost of feeding them. 

Is there one rescue that has stayed with you more than the others?

"They all have their story, but yes. We got David, who was a ball python from Arizona. His previous owner had spent probably $3,000 at the vet trying to figure out why he was sick. We got him here, spent a lot of money at the vet, and finally found out he had a fungus that isn't common or known to be in snakes. No matter how hard his previous owner tried, no matter how hard we tried, he ended up passing away. He was a good reminder to me that it's not always a lack of care or the owner's fault," said Millward.

What is the biggest misconception people have about reptiles?

"The biggest misconception we see is that they have a short lifespan like other children's pets. People are like, 'Oh, you know, I get my kid a hamster. It lives two years. Yay, on with life.' They don't realize when they go get a leopard gecko, or a beardie or a corn snake that you're looking anywhere from 10 to 25 years for those species. That's one of the biggest misconceptions we see is people just jump on the bandwagon of, 'Oh, my kid's 12. He can have a pet while he's a teenager,' not realizing that that pet has another 20 years of possible lifespan," Millward said.

Millward also said leopard geckos are among the most misunderstood reptiles because of the misinformation about their care. She said many owners underestimate their lighting, heating and nutritional needs, often treating them like low-maintenance pets instead of reptiles with specific care requirements.

Do you think social media has helped or hurt misconceptions about reptiles?

"Obviously, it's a two-edged sword," Millward said. "The good reptile keepers are making amazing strides in educating people. A lot of the people I follow are making really good progress. But, with the double-edged sword, along with the great social media representatives, we also have the poor ones that are uneducated. And I don't think uneducated in a mean way. They're just uneducated about reptiles and don't realize that everything that person says is wrong. So, I'm going to say it probably overall does more help than harm. But again, it's just kind of that double-edged sword that you take the good with the bad."

Despite the misinformation she sees online, Millward hopes more people come to view reptiles as rewarding pets. She said reptiles can make great companions for owners who understand their needs and are willing to learn how to care for them properly. 

Out of all the reptiles you've worked with, which one has surprised you the most? 

"Of all the species I've worked with, I'm probably the most surprised, personality-wise, by reticulated pythons. There's this subculture thought out there that they're just kind of giant puppy dogs, and they can be. But I've been extremely surprised at the massive amount of intelligence I see from them. Our girl, Nyx, figured out an exact way to push on the glass so she could unlock the door on her tank. We had to revamp and change it, and I see her almost every day trying the old way. When it doesn't work, she turns around and tries something new. Just the amount of intelligence I see come out of them—the problem-solving—I didn't expect to see that from them,” Millward said.

Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the rescue?

"Just to keep doing what we're doing. One of my big hopes is to be able to offer bigger and better education programs to teach people, inform people and help people. We just recently partnered with PetSmart, which I'm hoping will help us link more animals with more adopters that are appropriate for them. Basically, just to keep along the path that we're on and help the animals as much as we can," Millward said.

Millward said that Slither and Scales Rescue also hopes to open a dedicated adoption and education facility within the next 12 to 18 months. The organization currently operates out of her home, but a separate location would provide a safer place for animal drop-offs, host educational events and give potential adopters a central location to meet adoptable reptiles.

More information about Slither & Scales Rescue, including adoption information, is available on the organization's Facebook page.