It may be the mellow yellows or the lime greens of the snakes coiled around a tree limb that first attract the eye, but what people always remember about Clyde Peeling's Reptiland is Rocky and Adrian.

The huge American alligators are the stars of the show at Reptiland, a specialized zoo about 110 miles north of York that boasts more than 40 species of animals. Rocky crunches the scales at more than 600 pounds, easily the biggest resident. Most here are reptiles, but amphibious frogs and ostrich-like emus also have their place.

Peeling makes no apologies for his creatures not being the cuddly, furry animals of love-struck children. Here since 1964, Peeling boasts of cobras, vipers, rattlesnakes and lizards. And the most poisonous animal in the world - the deadly poison dart frogs.

Bill Hoffman has worked as a handler and lecturer only since October, but already calls his charges by their sometimes incongruous nicknames. Sweetheart and Pinky, for example, are two cobras. One name that fits perfectly, however, is Big Al, a 340-pound tortoise.

"Reptiles were here long before us. . . . And they deserve our respect," Hoffman said.

Rocky's big-toothed face gets a visitor's attention. And being just a glass pane away from a cobra or diamondback rattlesnake that looks nasty and mean certainly will make the afternoon an exciting one.

Five times daily, shows and lectures describe the animals and attempt to destroy some of the

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myths.

During Hoffman's shows, he hears the usual questions.

Q. Is that boa constrictor poisonous?

A. No, it kills by constriction only. And poisonous is incorrect when using it for snakes. Poison is absorbed through the skin or ingested, but snakes are venomous because they inject the poison. Simply handling poison dart frogs can cause death.

Q. Why doesn't Big Al have any water?

A. Most tortoises live in dry regions. They get the water they need from their food.

Q. Can he (a small alligator) bite your finger off?

A. During lectures, Hoffman uses a small alligator, which would probably only cause a nasty cut with a bite. Rocky, on the other hand, would crush whatever he bit. "You wouldn't want whatever he leaves behind," Hoffman says.

Another un-reptilian feature of Reptiland is the traveling frog exhibit. Tiny frogs about a half-inch long and huge, flat frogs a half-foot across huddle in their exhibits. Purple, royal blue and bright yellow poison dart frogs, looking like plastic toys bought at a five-and-dime store, hop around behind the glass.

The boas and vipers are lime green, and an albino rattlesnake is almost butter yellow. But what most people remember after they leave here is Rocky's girth and impressive set of teeth.