About Us

There was a little boy who was always fascinated by reptiles. One day, when he was in the third grade, his class greeted a special visitor: a twelve foot boa constrictor. The man who brought the boa constrictor taught the little boy and his classmates about reptiles while the kids held the snake. It was so big it seemed to take the entire class to lift it!
Years went by, but the little boy's fascination with all animals, especially reptiles, grew. He read every book he could get his hands on and spent countless hours looking for snakes, turtles and frogs in forests, gullies and swamps. The little boy's dad brought home turtles he found crossing the road and his patient mother had to deal with aquariums, jars and cages full of all sorts of animals. She finally even overcame her fear of snakes!
Soon, the little boy was the one bringing reptiles into the classroom to teach the other kids. One day the boy, now a teenager, hatched a clutch of prairie king snakes, which promptly got loose in the house.

It's been a long time, but I still remember that day with the boa constrictor. It left an impression on me and fostered an interest in the living world around me. When I met my wife, a second grade teacher and no stranger to reptiles herself, two worlds came together: reptiles and education. We started doing presentations to the students in her class, bringing in reptiles and discussing their characteristics, unique adaptations and their interaction with the environment. We soon had a strong program based on the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) and decided to bring our program to other institutions.
Within a few years, Austin Reptile Shows took on a life of its own and I left my day job to focus on reptile education full time! I love talking about reptiles and my hope is to give children a memorable experience that will pique their curiosity the way mine was in the third grade.

Let us bring a reptile adventure to you!

-Michael Foux

Michael Foux, a former graphic designer, is lead presenter and operates Austin Reptile Shows. He maintains our collection of reptiles from around the world. Mr. Mike has studied and kept reptiles almost continuously since about 1980 when he was five years old.

Christie Foux teaches first grade at Reagan Elementary School. She was vital in creating our program format and content and performs reptile shows.