Even though most of our reptile work centers around snakes, other reptiles interest us as well. Recently, we were invited to join a long term population study of freshwater turtles at Wekiva Springs State Park near Orlando, Florida, to help collect turtles for a survey. Warm drizzling rain accompanied us on our drive to the …
Most people cringe when we mention snakes. And that’s all right, we feel, as long as they respect the serpent’s place in nature and leave them alone to go about their business of eating rodents and other nuisance critters. Observing Snakes But occasionally we encounter someone who, even though they may be a bit intimidated …
After years of presenting reptile programs with live snakes in schools throughout Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Iowa, and Nebraska, we have now experienced our second year of facing roadblocks from the schools. First Occurrence Our first such experience occurred last season when we spent the winter at Desert National Wildlife Refuge, 25 miles north of …
One of the greatest rewards of aging is the opportunity to witness the young generation fulfill their dreams and passions. In August of 1993, Pope John Paul II was coming to visit Denver, I was working for a dentist in the Denver area, and one of our patients was an eighth-grade Boy Scout thoroughly fascinated …
“Pigmy rattlesnakes are everywhere around here,” people keep telling us as we volunteer on Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge for the winter. But we’d yet to see one, even when we accompanied Dr. Terry Farrell, biology professor at Stetson University, and a couple of his research students searching for pigmies a few weeks ago. New …
Who will care for our natural resources in future years? Because many young people have had little experience in the great outdoors in recent times and some even fear nature, without their appreciation for wildlife and the environment, we risk losing our valuable natural resources. As we have traveled full-time in our RV over the …
When an educational program deteriorates into showmanship and stunts, it no longer serves the purpose of education. On the other hand, a well-done demonstration of a practical, though dangerous, procedure can promote understanding and appreciation of a necessary function. The Stunt A recent Discovery Channel program highlighted a suited-up stuntman attempting to force himself into …