For someone who is afraid of snakes, Kim O’Neill fell in love several years ago with our kingsnake, Spike.

“When he puts his nose in the crook of my elbow,” she coos, “he’s so cuddly.”

A receptionist in my brother’s dental practice, Kim took to Spike right away, despite her long-time fear of slithery reptiles. Whenever she spots us toting our box of snakes into the office, Kim hollers into the back rooms, “Spike’s here!” After taking Spike into her arms, she finally greets us. We don’t mind playing second fiddle to a snake because it thrills us to witness once again how a non-snake person can become engrossed with one of the critters.    

“For some reason,” she says, “a California kingsnake doesn’t look like a snake to me. When his head is sitting on my shoulder, he’s a big baby!”

Kim is not the first person that Spike has charmed.Along with our other snakes, he has been a congenial ambassador for his species, encouraging doubters to touch his smooth, dry skin and even hold him to feel how he undulates soothingly in their hands.

“I tried to explain to somebody that Spike’s a cuddler,” says Kim.“He’s a lover, not a biter!”

At the age of 19, Spike continues to woo admirers and win folks over.He’s truly a snake charmer!

This news brings to mind an incident we experienced several years ago while delivering a presentation at a state park in northeastern Colorado. Amidst farmland and grassland, many of the attendees were farmers and their families. We presented our usual program that discusses why many people are afraid of snakes, what good are snakes, and what to do if you happen upon one of the slithery serpents. We also stress leaving these creatures alone to go about their business, as well as not harming them in any way.

After the program, as we were packing up, a big burly farmer approached our table, twiddling a toothpick that hung loosely from his lips. His faded, well-used overalls clearly marked him as the real thing, fresh from his work in the fields.

“I saw me a snake on the road one time,” he said as he slowly twirled the toothpick in his mouth.

Oh, oh, I thought.

“Yep,” he continued, his eyes locked on mine, toothpick still twirling. “I saw that snake, and I stopped my pickup.”

I don’t think I want to hear this, my mind shouted.

“And I got out of my pickup and went to the back of the truck………………..

Oh, god!

“……………and got me a shovel.”

How do I get this guy to stop? 

“Yep. I got that shovel, and I took it to the front of my pickup.”

Here it comes…………..

“And I took that shovel……………..”

I really don’t want to hear the rest of this!

“……………..and I shooed the little snake from the road so he wouldn’t get hurt!”

Say what? Did I hear him right? I stood with my mouth agape staring at this huge farmer for some time before finally extending my hand to shake his. “Good for you!” I exclaimed.

It just goes to show that there are some intelligent people in this world who are willing to extend themselves to help a misunderstood creature without harassing it or using it for grandstanding. Hats off to all the farmers and others who protect snakes and other wildlife that all have an important role in an ecosystem!

Joyce E. Tucker Teacher, 31 years, Retired

Field trips not only offer a break from everyday classroom work, but also a new perspective that may awaken a child’s interest. Perhaps, more importantly, however, field trips allow the teacher to observe their students in a different environment.

“As a teacher,” says retired middle school teacher, Jeanne McCune, “you’re able to have the kids put into action what they’ve learned in the classroom. It allows for a creative side to come through as the kids show you in a different way what they know.”

Troublemakers

When we lead field trips at national wildlife refuges, we divide the children into smaller groups to hike the trail, each group with its own guide, accompanied also by a teacher or a parent chaperone. “We’ll put all the troublemakers in one group,” a teacher announced on one such occasion. It was the group I ended up with.

Since we had taken a presentation to the classroom to prepare the students for their field trip, we had observed these “troublemakers” firsthand. I was not looking forward to a concentration of these kids on my hike!

As we progressed along the trail, however, I became aware that these students were keenly focused on their surroundings and paying attention to everything I said. One little girl, labeled the worst troublemaker by her teacher, shadowed me closely, asking myriad questions and offering a multitude of answers to my questions.

“I’m amazed!” the teacher confessed. “They’re totally different out here – out of the classroom.”

For some children, field trips justify their education, validating what they’ve learned in the classroom. Why learn all that stuff in the classroom if there’s no practical use for it? Participating in a useful application of information gleaned from books and videos brings to life the material they’ve learned.

Tight Budgets

However, as budgets become tighter and testing is viewed as the critical appraisal for a child’s development, more and more field trips are disappearing. Regarded as expendable and perhaps even a waste of time, these are some of the first activities chopped to conserve funds. But field trips offer an opportunity that enhances and balances education.

“The students discover that learning can be fun when they put it into action in a field trip,” says Jeanne.

Valuable Opportunity

Field trips can be valuable if they’re set up to be successful. Preparation and planning are key ingredients leading to a positive experience, but follow-up back in the classroom is also necessary to reinforce what has been learned.

“There’s no way in the classroom that you can have artifacts or biofacts for the subjects that you’re learning,” says retired middle school teacher Marty McCune. “You can view a video, see pictures, and read about it, but you can’t experience it firsthand. You go on the field trip because it’s a unique opportunity for the students to experience in person the real item.”

Payoff

The payoff for the students is an experience that the regular classroom cannot usually provide. The payoff for the teacher is not only that the students receive a great experience, but also that their excitement and enthusiasm carries over into the classroom.

“A field trip does not take place of classroom learning,” says Marty. “It’s an expansion of it!”

Reasons

Regardless of the reasons for wanting to end a relationship with an animal – illness, moving, less responsibility, etc. – consequences exist not only for the pet but possibly for the environment and its wildlife.

Pets such as rabbits, birds, turtles, and snakes, may end up being released into the wild with the idea that they are being returned to their natural habitat. But not only are these captive animals (and usually captive-bred animals) not prepared to compete in the wild, they may also introduce diseases or parasites that are not compatible with their wild counterparts, as well as contracting diseases or parasites that are not compatible with themselves.

Examples

One example is the desert tortoise. According to Arizona Game and Fish Department, “It is not only illegal to release a captive desert tortoise into the wild, doing so is detrimental to wild tortoises because it can spread disease and disrupt uniquely adapted genetics in wild populations.”

As for snakes, who hasn’t heard of the expanding problem of Burmese pythons invading the Florida Everglades? These exotics thrive in this climate and consume vast quantities of native wildlife not accustomed to such a predator. And even if a released snake is thought to be native to the release area, it can likely end up as dinner for another predator since it has probably lost a lot of that wild edge through breeding. Animals that have become accustomed to humans caring for them will have a definite disadvantage over those that have fended for themselves from birth.

Problems

“Releasing long-term captives outside their normal range, even if it’s similar habitat,” according to wildlife rehabilitator Melissa Kaplan on her website, http://www.anapsid.org/release.html, “may also prove fatal as many of them fail to learn to feed, hide, and generally survive.”

Occasionally people release dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and other domestic pets thinking, perhaps, that they are doing the right thing by giving them their freedom. However, the wild is a treacherous life even for those critters accustomed to the dangers. A domestic pet in particular is not capable of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as their wild cousins are, and their odds of survival are minimal.

Zoos

Zoos rarely accept exotic pets because most are common and may already be on display. Even if the animal is needed, zoos must be selective in what they accept, interviewing the owner regarding health of the animal, history of ownership, etc. The risk of introducing disease and/or parasites requires extreme vigilance.

Investigate

Responsible pet owners would be wise to investigate costs and obligations necessary to raise a pet, whether exotic or domestic, before entering into such a commitment. However, if the need to dispose of a pet arises, the local humane society can often help. For unwanted reptiles, the best option would be to contact a local herpetological society that can assess the health of the animal, treat it, and adopt it to those with experience and expertise required to care for them properly.

Pet ownership is a responsibility as much as raising a child.  Critters deserve our attention to their needs before, as well as after, being acquired as pets.

“Yeah. We ran over a snake the other day,” several people have told us, “and it just slithered off the road. It wasn’t hurt.”

Slithered Off the Road

But what happened to the snake after it disappeared from view? Snakes and other reptiles often don’t display symptoms of injury or disease until it’s too late to heal them. The snake that slithered from the road after being run over likely succumbed to spinal injuries later that evening. Even if there is no bone damage, separation of the spinal column is common, especially when run over by a high pressure bike tire or a vehicle. Spinal column separation could contribute to diminished mobility, making the snake more vulnerable to predation as well as hindering its ability to acquire food.

Numerous Vertebrae

Some people think a snake is all tail, but an inspection of their skeleton reveals as many as 400 vertebrae with accompanying ribs. Other than the skull, these are, for the most part, the only bones that make up a serpent’s body.

Rattlesnake dead on road

“Snakes are easily bruised and die when injured,” reports Australia’s Snake Handler website. “However, because their body is elongated, it can painfully take longer (up to several hours) before death occurs.”

While some people intentionally run over snakes lying on the road, others may not even realize they have, especially if it’s dark. A few may even stop to check out an injured snake in an effort to save it. When we have encountered an injured snake, we remove it from the road using a snake hook or tongs, place it under a bush to prevent further damage, and hope that it recovers or at least serves as dinner for a fellow critter.

For a multitude of reasons, as the weather warms in much of the country, it’s always a good idea to watch where we ride, walk and live. It’ll make for a happier life for both us and our scaly neighbors.

Sidewinder absorbing heat from road