A COUPLE who run a reptile rescue centre in their own home are so inundated with animals they are building a second outhouse in their garden.

Steve Mills and his partner Nikkie Almond share their home in Hamfield, Wantage, with 34 lizards, 44 snakes, 23 terrapins and four fire-bellied toads.

Some were bought from pet shops but most have been rescued from cruelty.

The couple have run Lenny’s Lounge Lizards reptile rescue centre from their home for a year.

But they now need to expand and are looking at an extension to house the snakes to keep them away from the lizards who have different living conditions. Most of the animals live in tanks called vivariums, but Sid the iguana roams free in the garden.

“Sid is extremely intelligent,” says Mr Mills, 38. “If he wants a bath he will take himself up to the bath and scratch until you fill it up.

“We believe he recognises our voices. He doesn’t come when you call, but he will look around.”

Gabriel, the 12-foot Burmese python, was confiscated at Heathrow Airport, while Peg the bearded dragon got his name because of a missing leg. He was kept in a tank with other dragons and they fought.

Running the centre costs £500 a month. In order to pay the bills, the couple take bookings for birthday parties, fetes and festivals.

Lenny’s Lounge Lizards has no official certification although the couple pay £1,800 a year for a Dangerous Wild Animal licence.

They are helped by volunteers Chloe O’Brien, Aimee Rolls, Claire Ballard, Steve Stradford, Leighann Todd, Bradley Stradford, Conner Puffet and Julian Jackson.

WHAT'S THERE

  • One crested gecko
  • Two green anoles
  • One Tokay gecko
  • Two African-eyed lizards
  • Two Madagascan day geckos
  • One Cali king snake
  • Two carpet pythons
  • Two boa constrictors
  • Four fire-bellied toads
  • One sand lizard
  • One bose monitor
  • 23 terrapins
  • 25 corn snakes
  • 12 bearded dragons
  • Eight royal pythons
  • Six leopard geckos
  • Four water dragons
  • Two tortoises
  • Two pine snakes
  • Three Burmese pythons
  • Two iguanas
  • One Brazillian rainbow boa