Plastic Problem

What is the most dangerous snake in the world? Could it be the plastic snake? Google “plastic debris in oceans” and over three million sites pop up discussing a problem that has no solution. “Plastic debris is ubiquitous,” according to Inspiration Green, “because so much of our plastic ends up at sea and finds itself …

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Wrong Impression

“A professional snake handler was bitten by one of his own rattlesnakes while performing a stunt Tuesday night at a downtown Fort Worth hotel,” reported the Dallas-Fort Worth NBC station on February 28, 2012. According to the news report, Jackie Bibby (who is known as the “Texas Snake Man” and who stars on Animal Planet’s …

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The Value of Volunteers

A visitor approached me as I was setting up my skulls for display and interpretation at a visitor center one morning. “Can I ask you a question?” she asked breathlessly. “It’s about a bird we saw.  Can you help?” I turned and faced the woman. “Sure. What’s the question?” She opened her mouth to continue, …

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Snake Tales

“A 15 foot Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake – the largest ever caught on record,” declares the latest e-mail we received forwarded from a friend. In fact, even though the dead rattlesnake pictured appeared taller than the man extending it, further inspection revealed that it was merely an optical illusion created by clever photography. Repeated E-mails This …

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