The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers

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The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers

by Bryan Christy

3.77 · rating details · 127 ratings · 52 reviews

Imagine The Sopranos, with snakes! The Lizard King is a fascinating account of a father and son family business suspected of smuggling reptiles, and the federal agent who tried to take them down.

When Bryan Christy began to investigate the world of reptile smuggling, he had no idea what he would be in for. In the course of his research, he was bitten between the eyes by...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published August 1st 2008 by Twelve (first published 2008)

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Aug 12, 2008

Lynn rated it

I enjoyed this unusual true crime book very much with its colorful cast of characters. It was extremely sad to me that the people fighting the exploitation of reptiles and, in fact, all wildlife, have so little clout in the legal arena. Importers of endangered illegal species make millions and risk slaps on the wrist at most. I've always had animals around and been fascinated by them and remember reading the Raymond Ditmars books and Henry Treffleck, the famous pet store owner's stories and l...more

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Jul 26, 2008

Jennifer rated it

Shelves: adult-books

This amazing story that exposes the criminal underbelly of the illegal animal-smuggling trade and the dedicated U.S Fish and Wildlife agents who brought down "The Reptile Mafia" in Miami was so riveting that I have done nothing in the past two days but sit with my eyeballs glued to it. The author is a journalist who has written for both National Geographic and Playboy, so he gets the facts/pacing ratio just right:) The prose is crisp and clean, and man, does it ever MOVE. This is nonfi...more

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May 27, 2011

Stephan van der Linde rated it

Shelves: read-but-not-in-my-collection

This book is about the smuggle of snakes and the underworld of it.

All based on true occurrings.

I was curious about this book because I'm fairly interested in snakes. Although, I used to be when I was young. Studied them for years. So nowadays I know a lot about snakes but there is one thing conflicting with this; I'm very, very scared of them.

I hoped that a lot of snakes were mentioned, but in this book it's more of the smuggling of it. (I could know that...more

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Apr 29, 2009

Eric_W rated it

Shelves: current-affairs

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ray Van Nostrand is nuts about reptiles. Even as a child, he bought and resold thousands of turtles, snakes, newts and other creepy crawly things. Before regulation of such trade began in the late 20th century (strange to phrase it that way) it was legal to import all sorts of endangered animals. Polio could probably not have been conquered without thousands of monkeys to experiment on. Preventing such trade is the charge of the Fish and Wildife service, a woefully underfunded agency, that str...moreRay Van Nostrand is nuts about reptiles. Even as a child, he bought and resold thousands of turtles, snakes, newts and other creepy crawly things. Before regulation of such trade began in the late 20th century (strange to phrase it that way) it was legal to import all sorts of endangered animals. Polio could probably not have been conquered without thousands of monkeys to experiment on. Preventing such trade is the charge of the Fish and Wildife service, a woefully underfunded agency, that struggles to do the best job it can. The book follows the career of Chris Bepler who manages to unravel the web of illegal smuggling done by the Van Nostrand family, owners of Strictly Reptiles, an ostensibly legitimate reptile dealer, which had a virtual monopoly on the business. But this book really isn't about one individual; it's about a very profitable industry and the governments attempts to curtail a business that was devastating endangered species. The reader is also treated to numerous anecdotes, often seemingly unconnected, but interesting, nevertheless.

There is one story very similar to one in The Snake Charmer A Life and Death in Pursuit of Knowledge. Dr. Schmidt, an herpetologst in New York, walked into one of his labs to see an assistant holding up an African snake in an attempt to identify it in a book. Schmidt took the snake, grabbing it a little to far behind the head and was bitten. Turns out it was a boomslang, particularly venomous. Schmidt decided to document his experience from bite to recovery, it having been a small critter and he a reasonably healthy 67. He had some symptoms, but by the next morning appeared to be better, so much so he went to work. He died of respiratory failure later that afternoon. Joe Slowinski, in The Snake Charmer, another herpetologist on an expedition to Burma, reached into a bag that he thought contained a non-venomous mimic of the multi-banded krait, an extremely poisonous snake. He died, too, after documenting his symptoms. Most snake lovers are male and seem to be drawn to an adventurous lifestyle. I don't much care for snakes. I guess that says a lot about me.

Surprisingly enough, much of the business for reptile smugglers came from zoos. Often they would facilitate illegal activities by running front men, hiding paperwork, etc. Even though they could legally import many of the animals they sought, it was easier (with less paperwork) to do it illegally. Zoos compete to get the most people visiting their locations; they also compete professionally. To have the prestige of the "most complete collection of a genus, longevity record, first to breed." It was all one-upsmanship.

Breeding reptiles is not easy. Until the late sixties no one even knew hoe to sex the, The sex organs are concealed within a single excretory vent known as the cloaca. "It was not until 1967, for example, that Peter Brazaitis at the Bronx zoo stuck his finger into a sleeping alligator's cloaca and discovered how to sex alligators." One wonders how long the alligator remained sleeping. Probably leaped several yards in the air. Pretty funny, actually. Hank Molt, the dealer who was doing business with the zoos was finally prosecuted under a multitude of charges. The problem was some prominent zoos were involved and the word came down from on high to lay off. Still, he got one of the largest prison sentences ever (3 months in a federal prison!). But in the meantime some of the regulatory laws were gutted in the process.

Ironically, in another example of the law of unintended consequences, many of the laws (CITES, the Endangered Species Act, the Lacey Act) made trafficking in endangered animals much more profitable. Since the number of people willing to break the law was relatively small, and scarcity made for profitability, the endangered animals were the most sought after making them even more endangered. The biological and the regulatory combined to make the business extremely profitable.

Strictly Reptiles, the Van Nostrand family business was soon attracting the business of smugglers from around thew world. They could supply anything and soon became the target of a new federal task force. Van Nostrand was also selling hundreds of thousands of legal pet store animals and had a sophisticated system set up in his warehouse (an old Frito-Lay warehouse built right on the top of the line between two police jurisdictions, something that came in handy) that would disguise and hide protected species when anyone remotely suspected of being a Fed would show up. His price list was amazing: baby water moccasins for $5, a black mamba for $500, all the way up to a pair of giant Aldabra tortoises for $23,000.

Lots of interesting details about animal smuggling and its unintended consequences. It's not well put together, though. Van Nostrand was a primary source for this book so much of the action is seen through his eyes, but it also follows the career of Chip Bepler, the Fish and Game officer responsible for collecting much of the information for Van Nostrand's successful prosecution. I would have liked to give this book 4 stars, but it ends so abruptly, that I literally checked my Kindle version to make sure I wasn't missing some pages. Chip Bepler died in his late forties so his part just falls off the edge. If you think this review is disjointed, you'll have a good idea of the book. On the other hand, if you like a books filled with lots of detail about a bizarre business, the pages will fly by.

By the way, next time you fly somewhere, the guy's bag next to you may just be filled with endangered snakes or turtles.
(less)

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Jun 14, 2011

Creature rated it

Hello fellow Readers:
What can I say about this one. This book was so good I downed it in just a couple days where normally it takes a couple weeks to a month (yeah, I know, how sad) to finish a book. Though non-fiction, the author wrote the accounts with in a more stylistic way so the book reads like a novel.
This is the story of how reptiles are smuggled into the country and how the authorities broke the case. There is a lot of interesting reading here with a few sur...more

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Sep 23, 2008

Andy is currently reading it

Just starting it.

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Feb 22, 2009

Ryan rated it

Though this book's jacket notes the author was, among other indignities, "sprayed by a bird-eating tarantula" and "ejaculated on by a Bengal tiger," it doesn't hold as many up-close and bizarre wildlife encounters as it seems to promise. To be fair, the book's subhead emphasizes "reptile smugglers" (not the animals themselves), and I'd be lying if I said there weren't animals on practically every page, but I guess I was hoping for more.
A friend who knew I was ...moreThough this book's jacket notes the author was, among other indignities, "sprayed by a bird-eating tarantula" and "ejaculated on by a Bengal tiger," it doesn't hold as many up-close and bizarre wildlife encounters as it seems to promise. To be fair, the book's subhead emphasizes "reptile smugglers" (not the animals themselves), and I'd be lying if I said there weren't animals on practically every page, but I guess I was hoping for more.
A friend who knew I was reading this book asked me to tell him some of the crazier smuggling schemes. Komodo dragons, for instance. How do smugglers get them in the country? At the time, no such animals had yet crawled across the pages I was reading. When the author finally did mention an incident involving Komodo dragon smuggling, the only details about the endeavor explained the beasts were babies, they came in suitcases, and one grew up to make headlines for biting Phil Bronstein's foot. Funny, but again, I guess I was hoping for more.
On the whole, The Lizard King is an amazing piece of research. An author's note explains the vast treasure troves of private notes, transcripts, court documents, interviews, and journals scoured to create such a complete story. And the topic is fascinating.
Bryan Christy, an ex-lawyer, is a talented writer with an eye for scene-setting detail, though the occasional simile seemed a bit forced. Take, "He was six foot four and lean, with dark hair and eyes as blue as the feathers on a hyacinth macaw." It fits the exotic-animal angle of the book, but I don't immediately know what shade of blue that is. (A quick Google search reveals: cobalt.)
Also, I couldn't resist noting this line from an account of a raid involving a reptile business' employees and customers: "'No talking!' an agent yelled, and the customer clammed up; afterward, he would never be seen again." In the shop? By anyone? I'm guessing it's the former, but it sounds sinister enough to be the latter.
If these complaints sound nitpicky, it's because they are. I did enjoy this book (a requested present for my birthday) and I don't mean to be too harsh on it. I'll just say it a third time: I guess I was hoping for more. More what? Yeah, I'm not totally sure, but I think it involved snakes.(less)

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Jan 23, 2009

Laura rated it

Shelves: animals, nonfiction, zoo

Despite all my zoo and animal reading, I have generally not searched out the herptile aspects, so just about everything in this book was new to me. I had known a little about the Philadelphia Reptile Exchange as it fits into the sketchy history of zoos as a whole, but I'd never investigated the people or the system involved in any depth, which this book does very well. I really wish the author's note had been placed at the start of the book instead of at the end, as I had read the entire book ...more

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Sep 08, 2008

Hood rated it

Bound August 07, 2008 Miami Sun Post

Creepy Crawly Crime

Bryan Christy uncovers the Reptile Mafia

By John Hood

The Van Nostrands may not have been the biggest South Florida crime family, but they sure were among the creepiest. In fact, as owners and operators of Hollywood’s Strictly Reptiles, creepy was their stock-in-trade. Thing is Strictly wasn’t just some mom-and-pop pet shop dealing in over-the-counter iguanas and turtles; they were the epicent...more

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Oct 27, 2010

Ana rated it

This was a great and fast read. I learned so much about the exotic pet trade, the animals and the people that supply them to collectors. I really didn't know that it was such a huge industry! The writing was fresh, fun, and entertaining which made it irrestiable to put down. I found myself constantly wondering what would happen next. You can tell that lots of research was put into the work. It felt like I was right alongside the players on both sides.

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Jul 25, 2010

Melissa Norton rated it

The jacket copy said 'The Sopranos, with snakes", which I thought was a little glib....but it turned out to be pretty accurate. Fascinating true-crime account of reptile smuggling worldwide. Filled with colorful personalities and strange tales of hundreds of baby turtles secreted away in socks or stitched into sheets, THE LIZARD KING is not your typical crime story. The abuse and hastened extinction of these creatures is sobering, and I wish the book had included photographs of the speci...more

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Mar 16, 2011

Laurie Stoll rated it

Shelves: own

Excellent book! A diamond in the rough. I found this book at the Dollar Store so I did not have high expectations. Wow! Was I surprised! This book is non-fiction but reads like fiction. Not only was it well written but I learned a great deal from this book.

Danielle, since Monty has come into your life, I really think you would enjoy this book even more. Especially after the paper you wrote your freshman year of college.

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Sep 23, 2011

Elisa rated it

I've never been into reading about crime, but this book just caught my eye the minute I saw it.

Its so well written, engrossing and it goes into the nitty- gritty of the illegal animal trade.

Wow! I learned so much about animal smuggling, the agencies proctecting these animals and about the involved in making these things happen.

Looking forward to reading more true crime books after reading this one.

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Feb 11, 2009

Melody rated it

Gripping true-life drama about reptile smuggling. So very sad, though. And disillusioning- I really thought that animals labeled "Captive Bred" were, in fact, not wild caught. But I should have realized it wasn't so. Clear and engaging writing, and a story that deserves a much wider audience. Recommended for anyone with pets that are not from around here.

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Jan 20, 2012

Nichole rated it

It amazing what people do to living things just to make money. Who cares that we are wiping species off the Earth at an astounding rate, I can make a bunch of money selling endangered animals. I knew that there is a lot of bad things that happen with reptile smuggling but I had no idea the extent. It was a very eye opening read.

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Jul 31, 2010

Michelle rated it

Fascinating book. Learned so much about the smuggling business and the horrific manner in which some people treat animals. Just disgusting. SO much more needs to be done to stop this trafficking. It's ridiculous how little government money is put towards this as we wipe out every other species on the planet. READ THIS BOOK!!!!

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Aug 05, 2009

Patricia rated it

Fascinating. The world of wildlife smuggling and exploitation and the greed of collectors exposed.
We can only hope that the heros of the local and federal agencies that attempt to stop the smugglers and illegal sellers will be better supported after this.

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Feb 28, 2011

Suzie rated it

i thought the writing in itself was a little clumsy and made sentences a little frustrating to interpret. but i really liked the story behind this book. not only a book about the frustrating practise of live animal smuggling/trade, but the humanity behind those who perpetrate and those who prosecute. however i still didnt give a shit about those who broke the law. i just dont get profiteering from animal trade.

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Feb 25, 2011

Sara Phelps rated it

Not being a reptile fan myself, this story introduced me to the culture of those who are--and those interested in the money that can be made off of them. It is a fascinating analog to drug smuggling, and I don't think I can forget the image of how snakes are used to smuggle coke.

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Oct 22, 2008

John rated it

Recommends it for: anyone fascinated in international crime.

This is a fascinating tale about people who smuggle reptiles, especially rare reptiles, into this country to satisfy what seems a frighteningly insatiable demand. After all, few of us have the wherewithal to keep a tiger or even a hyena, but an albino python.... For a person like myself, with minimal interest in the herpetoculture, the real fascination here is yet another example of the law of unintended consequences, where laws passed to protect rare species actually makes possessing them more ...more

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Jan 23, 2012

Francha rated it

A peek into the cat and mouse (or mongoose and cobra) game of reptile smugglers and the lawmen who try to stop them. The descriptions of snakes taped to smugglers' bellies and lizards under their socks made me squirm.

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Dec 01, 2011

Conner H. (AK) rated it

Fun and fast-paced. Unfortunately, the book suffers from the same problems of the legal battles and crimes it chronicles: repetition, minutia, and expected outcomes. Still, worthwhile.

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Dec 31, 2009

Lizzie rated it

I knew I would be interested in this book but I enjoyed it well more than I thought I would. A real insight into the world of animal smuggling and the men who fight it.

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Sep 30, 2009

Sarah rated it

I agree with the review in Publisher's Weekly that the author had a great idea, but didn't present the information in a straightforward way. The story jumps around, and I kept having to flip back a few pages to see what guy the author was writing about. Some of the tales were fascinating. I couldn't believe how much the reptile smugglers make in America and it was disgusting to learn how these critters are smuggled into our country. If the tale didn't jump around so much, I would have enjoyed it...more

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Sep 13, 2008

Betsy rated it

This is a fascinating look into the international world of endangered wildlife smuggling. At times, I felt like I was reading the equivalent of the Mafia movie "Goodfellas". The smugglers in this book keep taking more and more risks and really live for the adrenaline rush. You end up wondering why some of the people in this book would be willing to reveal so much about themselves, especially Mike Van Nostrand. The ending kind of petered out slightly for me(not unlike the end of the adr...more

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Nov 09, 2009

Colleen rated it

an interesting introduction to the illegal reptile trade reminiscent of the orchid thief. Somehow manages to be sympathetic to the perpetrators

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Feb 19, 2010

Matt Holloway rated it

This is a sordid world, where people stack tortoises in suitcases, conceal endangered iguanas under vicious monitors, and stuff and sew snakes full of cocaine. Great quick read!

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Jul 09, 2009

Holly rated it

Great non-fiction book that reads like a story. It's about reptile smuggling, which I didn't even know existed until I read this book.

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Dec 07, 2008

Barbara rated it

Drags a bit in the style of writing but there is an unbelievable world of reptile smuggling uncovered in these pages.

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Feb 23, 2009

Jeremy rated it

Some pictures would have been nice. Alternatively, keep Wikipedia or Google Image Search nearby.

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