Chomper, an abandoned alligator dumped and then rescued from the Kiski River this summer, has a pleasant disposition.

But his handler, Nathan Lysaght, isn’t picking him up. At least not yet.

At 4 feet long, Chomper has grown enough muscle mass to make it difficult and potentially dangerous to get your hands on him. But after some training, Lysaght can safely handle the young alligator without treats.

It’s just another day for Nate’s Reptile Rescue, which saves and provides shelter for other people’s discarded scaly pets. It’s one of the few reptile rescues in the region that is licensed by the state.

Lysaght, a college student, has been rescuing reptiles since he was 13 years old. Last week, his nonprofit took in nine alligators from Kiski Township.

Police and animal rescue volunteers captured a nearly 4-foot-long alligator on someone’s porch and then found eight more in an outdoor pen across the street. Those reptiles now reside in a heated pond with additional heat lamps at Nate’s rescue facility at the South Park Fairgrounds.

A 2019 graduate of South Park High School, Lysaght is a senior at La Roche University majoring in biology.

Known for this youth and passion, his expertise with lizards, spiders, turtles, snakes and alligators is priceless, said Cathy Cunningham, a volunteer humane police officer covering Washington County for the animal rescue group C.R.I.C.A.A.T.

“He knows exactly what habitats are needed, the humidity required, the correct substrate and proper temperatures. His knowledge of proper nutrition is mind-boggling,” she said.

Lysaght has gone on rescue calls day or night with Cunningham and other humane police officers.

“Without Nate, I would be lost,” she said.

Demand for rescue

Most of Nate’s 100 reptile residents were surrendered by pet owners.

When alligators, snakes and turtles outgrow their cute stage and demand larger environs, many pet owners aren’t prepared and aren’t inclined to build a walk-in enclosure or a larger water feature.

Alligators are particularly problematic because they are difficult and potentially dangerous to handle once they reach 5 feet, Lysaght said. That’s when he sends them to a reptile sanctuary in the southern United States.

Besides the new nine alligators from Kiski Township and Chomper, Lysaght is taking care of a 3-foot gator named Scrimp Jr. that was found in a trailer after a drug raid.

Then there’s Teeny, who is 14 inches long. Someone bought Teeny as a hatchling at a pet store and when they took it home, their family nixed the new pet.

His other large species are sulcata tortoises that roam in walk-in pens. They grow 10 pounds annually and can reach 100 pounds or more.

His most numerous residents are red-eared sliders, semi-aquatic turtles that grow from the size of a quarter to almost a foot long.

“Only one to two people qualify to adopt them a year,” he said of the invasive exotic that requires a special habitat.

Lysaght sees more than unwanted animals at his rescue. The best and worst of human nature is evident.

“Some hobbyists take only what they can take care of, which is the way it’s supposed to be,” he said. “Some breeders are credible but others see animals as products and don’t educate the buyers.”

Through his website and social media, Lysaght finds new owners for the animals. Currently available for adoptions are two Russian tortoises, three green iguanas, four leopard geckos, one crested gecko, eight bearded dragons, one corn snake and five ball pythons.

Grandma’s critters

Nate’s staunchest supporter is his grandmother.

Toni Lysaght, 68, of Brentwood, has loved animals all of her life. When she saw her grandson’s passion for reptiles and helping them, she was all in.

“This was Nate’s dream,” she said. “It’s sad that people buy these reptiles and don’t know that it entails a lot of money and time.”

Before moving into the Allegheny County-owned fairgrounds in South Park, Lysaght took some of his rescued reptiles to his grandmother’s basement.

She would provide that grandmotherly touch by helping him pick the mites off the snakes. Some friends wouldn’t visit her home out of fear, but she changed some minds by introducing them to the finer points of snakes and other reptiles.

The snakes feel smooth and soft. They don’t have the stereotypical slimy texture.

“People are more educated today,” she noted. “With reptiles, the more you handle them, the more tame they are.”

She still helps her grandson feed and clean the tanks and enclosures and grow the nonprofit.

“It’s a fun adventure,” she said.

Plus it’s relaxing at the rescue, where the gurgling of the water filters for the turtles sound like a babbling brook.

Anything to help out,” she said. “Nate is so busy with jobs and school. He wants to be an educator. He wants to show people what it’s like to take care of an animal.”

Reptile love

The reptile rescue began with a boy’s love for his pet, except it wasn’t a dog.

Allergic to animal fur, Lysaght gravitated to reptiles and got his first ball python when he was 4 years old.

He got the idea to start a rescue at age 10 when some of his friends and family couldn’t take care of their snakes and other animals as they grow larger.

“There were rescues for dogs and cats and I thought there should be a rescue for reptiles,” he said.

Lysaght set up his nonprofit in 2014. It is funded by payment for educational programs in the community and outside donations as well as adoption and surrender fees.

He takes his snakes and a small menagerie of reptiles for educational visits to adult day care homes and schools, and leads training sessions with vet techs and animal control professionals.

In the last nine years, Nate’s Reptile rescue has taken in 1,372 animals. Lysaght also works with local humane officers on animal hoarding and neglect cases.

“Nate’s knowledge is above and beyond,” said Cassie Wilson, a humane officer for Westmoreland County with All But Furgotten.

177 lizards

In late 2022, Lysaght helped Wilson with a rescue of 177 lizards removed from a Murrysville home.

“He knew exactly what every reptile was and what they ate,” she said.

Lysaght took some of the lizards to his South Park facility.

“His setup is amazing,” Wilson said. “He already had the tanks and heat lamps. We sent boxes of vegetables and bugs.”

The care for reptiles is straightforward, Lysaght said.

”For me, reptiles are such primitive, simple animals,” 

And they are cute, he insisted.

“Larger snakes and lizards and alligators are intelligent and they get to know you,” he said.

“They all have personalities like a dog or a cat. You understand that animal and bond with them. You could call it affection.”

To learn more about Nate’s Reptile Rescue, visit www.natesreptiles.org. Donations are welcome, especially fresh vegetables.

Mary Ann Thomas: mthomas@post-gazette.com

First Published: October 12, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: October 12, 2023, 4:45 p.m.