“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 …
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 …
“I have three small children,” a reader wrote us regarding a bullsnake on their land, “and I’m worried about telling them there is a very large snake on the property.” This reader feared her children would be frightened if they knew how large the snake was and how close to their play it explored. Learning …
I’ve always heard that the rainforest is not as dense within its boundaries as it is on the edges where vegetation receives more sunlight. We were able to witness this recently when we accompanied Dr. Terry Farrell (biology professor at Stetson University) and two graduate students, Sarah Smiley and Ethan Royal, as they thrust through …
“I’ve thought of a name for the new snake,” I told Chuck a week before we even went looking for a western hognose to replace Roggen who died a couple months ago. “How about ‘Encore’?” The look on Chuck’s face answered my question. We’d have to give it more thought. Plans for Reptile Show When …
When a friend called to tell me his granddaughter had acquired a pet garter snake and asked how she could feed it, I wondered how long this young girl would remain interested in such a pet. I also wondered how I felt about removing an animal from the wild, even though two of our snakes …
Most people flee when they spot a sign warning of rattlesnakes in the area. On the other hand, a good number of people completely disregard signs warning of bears, bison, moose, elk, or any other charismatic animal, approaching too closely to an animal and possibly blocking its escape route. Recently, an agitated cow moose was …