Raging Reptiles Keeper-Educator Internship

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Home-Study + On-Site • 4 Weeks • ~80–100 Hours • Certification on Completion

Train with our team at the Raging Reptiles storefront in Manassas Mall and our Fredericksburg facility. This hands-on internship blends flexible home study with structured on-site labs to build real keeper skills: husbandry, biosecurity, feeding protocols, safe handling/transport, mobile-show operations, and guest education.

Who it’s for: motivated teens and adults who love animals, communicate well with families and schools, and take safety seriously. (Age and other requirements listed below.)

• Biosecurity, sanitation, and enclosure standards (heat gradients, UVB, humidity)
• Feeding protocols across herbivores / insectivores / carnivores
• Low-stress handling, two-person large-snake assists, and transport setup
• Aquatic systems basics for turtles (filtration, basking, water quality)
• Guest engagement: touch-table rules, micro-talks, and crowd flow
• Recordkeeping, welfare checks, and incident reporting

• Home Study (~4–6 hrs/week): readings, short videos, worksheets, and a small weekly assignment
• On-Site Labs (~12–20 hrs/week): husbandry rotations, feeding, handling practice, and exhibit prep
• Assessments: weekly quiz + competency sign-offs; final practical in Week 4
• Graduate with a Raging Reptiles Keeper-Educator Certificate

• Tier 1: Crested & Leopard Geckos, Corn Snake, small tortoise
• Tier 2: Bearded Dragon, Ball Python, Kingsnake, Uromastyx
• Tier 3: Aquatic turtles, larger colubrids/boas (under 8 ft) 
• Tier 4 (assisted): Monitors/Tegus (husbandry only; supervised handling assists)

Week 1 — Foundations & Tier 1
Home: biosecurity, thermal/UVB/humidity, chemical safety (worksheet + notes)
On-Site: gecko setups, CGD prep, insect gut-load/dust, corn snake handling basics
Checkpoint: Quiz #1 + practical (gecko feed/clean + safe handling posture)

Week 2 — Nutrition & Tier 2
Home: diet design (insectivore/herbivore/omnivore), Ca/D3, prey sizing & thawing
On-Site: dragon salads, uromastyx greens, ball python feeding workflow; 5-min micro-talk
Checkpoint: Quiz #2 + practical (multi-species meal prep) + 1-page care card

Week 3 — Transport, Water, Show Ops
Home: aquatic turtle care; mobile kit packing; stress/illness “pull” criteria
On-Site: aquatic maintenance; two-handler boa/colubrid session; demo mobile kit
Checkpoint: Quiz #3 + practical (load-out + pre/post-transport welfare checks)

Week 4 — Public Education & Capstone
Home: touch-table rules, ADA awareness, incident reporting; draft 15–20 min show script
On-Site: co-lead a segment; run a touch-table; supervise a Tier-1 station
Checkpoint: Quiz #4 (cumulative) + Final Practical + graduation certificate

• Herbivores: daily
• Insectivores: Monday • Wednesday • Friday
• Carnivores (rodents): Tuesday • Thursday • Sunday
  Adjust by age/body condition and log all offers/refusals and weights.

• Manassas Mall storefront (guest engagement, touch-tables, exhibit prep)
• Fredericksburg warehouse (husbandry labs, feeding, transport prep)
• Home (weekly study packs and assignments)

• Commitment to animal welfare and safety; follow all biosecurity rules and PPE guidance
• Reliable attendance for scheduled on-site hours (some weekend/evening blocks)
• Ability to stand for periods and safely handle enclosure equipment
• Professional conduct in front of guests and students
• Age/minor policy, waivers, and any background-check requirements shared during selection

• Hands-on reptile husbandry experience using a tiered species ladder
• Training in mobile-show operations and guest education
• Weekly feedback and skill sign-offs, plus a Certificate of Completion
• Potential pathway to paid roles as openings allow