Hey there everyone! Hope that you've all had a safe week and been able to stay warm with all the winter weather we've been getting! Either that or you were able to pelt a few people with snowballs, just for fun!
This week's posting is going to highlight a few of the animals that you might see in a program if the ECO Bus come out to you. I have always been a big fan of animals and think some of my best programs are a mix of living things and good information. I can talk about snakes all day, but it's much better to see one in person and maybe even touch and hold it. It definitely makes a connection you aren't soon to forget. :)
So there are a number of animals that you may be seeing when it's time for a program. Today we're going to talk about two of them. Both of them sometimes get a bad reputation, but after years working with them I can tell you they are worth their weight in gold (or calzones...mmmmm...) when it comes to education.
The first one I want to introduce you to is Austin. Austin is a Columbian Boa Constrictor, sometimes called a Red-Tailed Boa because of the way his pattern changes on the back third of his body.
He's about 7 feet long and thicker around then my arm. I got him in the spring of 2000 when he was about 1 1/2 years old. So right about now that would make him around 15 years old. In boa terms, he's an older boy- they can live to about 20 years of age. Now his size does make him a bit daunting to some, but I can tell you from 13 1/2 years of working together that he is one of the most docile and gentle snakes I have ever come across. I have used him in education work from zoos, to schools and into camp programs. I have had him stretched across a half dozen girl scouts who all were giggling as they tried to hold him up and didn't bat an eye. (Mind you, that would be hard since snakes don't have eyelids...) ;-)
A little biology on him - he's a non venomous snake, and like all snakes is a carnivore. Which means they eat other animals. Austin, being a constrictor would normally grab and wrap around his food and squeeze until the prey is suffocated. But being a good parent like I am ;-), he doesn't get live food- his meals consist of frozen rats, chickens and guinea pigs which I keep in a big food freezer (not my regular freezer! I keep my frozen rodents and ice cream separate!) He eats once a week after I thaw out and warm his food up, and lives in a big enclosure which is kept at a nice toasty tropical temperature for my South American friend. He is one of my favorite education animals and I can pretty much tell you that if a program has the room for him, he'll be coming along with me to help convince people that reptiles, and especially snakes are not things to be feared or disliked, but appreciated and enjoyed. Many people do not like snakes, but after meeting Austin, a lot of them think again. :)
My other friend who I would like to introduce you to this week is another great education animal, though she is a good deal less cuddly than Austin. Her name is Delia and she is a Common Snapping Turtle. The same species that you will find in waterways around our area and crossing the roads occasionally. Although she is originally a Florida girl.
Her size is roughly bigger than a saucer, but not quite to dinner plate status yet. She's going to be a very big turtle - some snapping turtles can get close to 50 lbs.! She's a full carnivore and enjoys a diet of fish, chicken, shrimp and rodents. I try to keep my fingers out of her diet, mind you. She has the typical snapping turtle personality, which to say leaves a little to be desired in terms of sweetness. But it is good when I use her in an educational program so that people can get an accurate perception of how a snapping turtle would look and act. And also when we discuss behavioral adaptations...but more on that when I'm teaching! She has a nice big aquatic tank with a land area she almost never uses, a filter she likes to destroy and a cave she loves. I'll let her enjoy it for a bit longer...eventually I'll have to build her a pond outside to live in...or install one in my living room. :-) She's a very cool, and impressive animal and does enjoy displaying her grouchiness when she's out doing programs. I can pretty much guarantee she'll always be "smiling" when we're out...and just waiting for me to not be paying attention with my fingers. :-)
It'll be a surprise... 
