OUR STORY
snakes alive was set up in 1996 and was one of first companies offering interactive children's parties with a variety of reptiles. 23 years later it has grown to provide a variety of reptile services.
For 5 years (2014-2019) we have hosted the largest Reptile House in Essex at Barleylands Farm Park in Billericay however, we moved out in November to focus more on our outside events; we have big plans coming in the future.
The company is currently run by husband and wife team Daniel and Becca Hepplewhite along with Daniel's father Peter Hepplewhite who all strive to offer the best experience for all our clients.
Dan and Becca are continuing the next genration of reptile lovers with their son Lucas who was born on the 9th December 2023.
Understanding the nature and features of reptiles, insects and arachnids is imperative to our line of work and sharing this information enables others to make informed decisions about the treatment of these animals in the wild and in captivity. We currently have 116 animals in our collection ranging from small beetles through to large snakes, all of which are friendly and available for events.
We hold a 5* rated Animal Activities Licence (AAL - required by law for all industries that use animals for business purposes), Public liability insurance for £10m, and all our staff are DBS checked.
We work with or support the following organisations.
The National Center for Reptile Welfare
The Federation of British Herbetolgy
Amphbian Reptile Conservation Trust
Essex Reptile & Amphibain Club
OUR TEAM
Dan
A reptile enthusiast from the age of 13 it's no wonder he left a career in IT to start his own reptile company.
Did you know? Dan's first snake escaped causing his little sister to evacuate her gerbil! Luckily it was found a day later and no rodents were eaten in the process.
Becca
After getting her level 3 animal management qualification Becca started her Animal career with furrier and woolier creatures Becca has now taken scales into her heart too.
Did you know? Becca was working at a successful farm park when she met Dan and they are now married.
Pete
All round animal softy Pete quickly became part of the team as his son, Dan, expanded the reptile business.
Did you know? Pete grew up as part of the Young Farmers Club and walked greyhounds as a teen.
Morgan
Our Latest recruit to the team Morgan is a keen animal lover and always happy to help out where required.
Did you know? Morgan also has a talent for plumbing and helps out with her familes plumbing business.
Sue
Sue is a truly versatile member of the team using her superb organisational skills to make sure the business runs as smooth as it does.
Did you know? Sue makes awesome cakes.
Caroline
Behind the scenes Caroline writes the business documents, does book keeping, designs the web and produces the design work for the company.
Did you know? Caroline prefers cats to reptiles.
Evie
Un-offical boss Evie loves to take to the stage and share her knowledge when helping at events.
Did you know? Evie has been a model for snakes alive for over 13 years.
Olive
As youngest team member Olive has grown up alongside the animals and is not afraid to get stuck in with feeding and cleaning duties.
Did you know? Olive was born in the Chinese Year of the Snake.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Please contact us if you would like to see the following information:
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Staff DBS Certificates
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Public Liability Insurance (£10 million)
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Animal Activities Licence - authorised by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
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Safeguarding Policy
For schools and Events these documents will automatically get sent out to you upon booking.
DISCLAIMER
The welfare of all our animals is highly important to us, and their wellbeing comes before any part of the business. We will remove any animal from display at the first signs of stress and thus the animals we choose to bring may vary at short notice.
We never consider our animals as naturally tame or house trained, however, each animal has established handling as a regular occurrence to assist us in their care.
snakes alive does not take any responsibility for the content found on external websites.
Careful consideration and research should be taken when purchasing any animal as a pet. Many of our animals have been rescued or re-homed due to the owners no longer wanting them, we have taken them in and cared for them.