AN ALVA man known for breeding rare reptiles from his home looks set to become the first ever alligator keeper in the Wee County.

Garry Murphy has been a reptile owner for the past 25 years and set up a purpose-built enclosure in his back garden 18 months ago.

He currently keeps a collection of snakes, some as long as 20 feet, along with a handful of lizards, such as an Argentinian black and white tegus, the largest of its species.

And as if his hands were not full already, the fearless father-of-three will go one step further by attempting to breeding baby ’gators and crocodiles.

He successfully applied for a dangerous wild animal licence – the very first issued by Clackmannanshire Council – and hopes to be rearing the little snappers at his home in the near future.

But as they are slow to mature, there won’t be any full-sized crocs or alligators running around the place, at least for now.

Garry, 41, told the Advertiser: “I first applied for my dangerous wild animal licence over a year ago but it was only recently that the application was accepted.

“I think it’s the first time one has been issued in Clacks but I’ve got a right to keep these animals so long as I can prove I can look after them properly.

“The vet from the council had to come round and inspect the place and he applauded me for my set-up, the safety measures and my knowledge of reptiles.”

He added: “I’ll be getting them in as young as I can and they’ll probably be females.

“’Gators are very slow-growing and they won’t breed for a while but I’m building the pond for them already.”

Garry’s fascination with reptiles started at a relatively young age and has since blossomed into a passion.

He put together his own purpose-built enclosure, which he calls The Snake House, and is more than happy to have visitors come along and interact with them.

Currently, he has reticulated pythons, Burmese pythons, royal pythons and he incubates all the eggs himself.

He is also hoping to fund a reptile education centre in the near future.
Being a keeper of snakes does present its share of risk but for Garry there is nothing more crucial than safety.

“No animal is 100 per cent tame,” he said.

“I’ve had a few bites but nothing really serious. I haven’t been hospitalised or anything.

“It’s usually the hatchlings that do it; they can nip your finger and maybe draw a bit of blood.

“I’m still a bit wary when the kids are around but it’s just a precaution.

“Everything is safe and secure here.

“When handling anything over 10 feet you need to have a second person there and I have my friend Kevin Penman do this with me.

“Anything that size has the potential to give you a life-threatening bite and so you always need someone else there in case they latch on.”

Anyone looking to arrange a visit or handling session can email Garry on gmc75@outlook.com or visit the Snake House Facebook page.

Snake hatchlings are also available for sale but to experienced handlers only.