“Snakes will be coming out soon,” we were told by a long-time employee of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. “There’ll be lots of them!” Not many people relish the idea of snakes emerging and slithering in all directions. We may be some of the few. So when we heard that we’ll be seeing them in …
As a child, I never liked playing in the mud. However, lately I’ve been involved in an activity that makes me realize what fun I missed in my younger years. Ongoing Project One ongoing project at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is to restore the grasslands that were altered, and in some respect destroyed, by …
Recently I wrote a trail guide for Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Writing a trail guide, I have discovered, can be as much or more involved as writing an article. But the challenge is rewarding, as well as educational. Each stop for the trail must be researched and written succinctly to fit in limited space. …
Once again we viewed a website of well-intentioned reptile lovers who insist on placing large pythons around audience members’ necks. While they may deliver excellent information, as well as attempting to instill a respect for these misunderstood creatures, their message degrades into showmanship. We’ve written previous articles that promote respect for the animal, as well …
Occasionally, people refer to our snakes as our “pets.” While we value them and care for them, we never consider them as pets. Instead they are our “education animals.” When a child tells us, after our reptile program, that he (we’ve never had this thought from a girl) thinks it would be cool to have …
Is a Gila monster a monitor lizard? This question was posed to me recently when we worked at a festival with our snakes and skulls. “No, they’re not monitors,” I told the visitor who had been inspecting the Gila monster skull. “Monitor lizards are defined by their forked tongues.” Because I hadn’t really studied up …
“Will it bite?” kids often ask us regarding our snakes when we present our reptile program at schools. Both Chuck and I have been bitten by nonvenomous snakes, and it was most often our own fault, either reaching into their cage with fingers that are scented with mice or startling a sleeping snake without first …