We cried when our dog died over 30 years ago. We cried when our cat died in the mid ’90s. We cried when our hamster and our turtle and our parakeet each died. And only a week after watching our bullsnake Hatch leave with our zookeeper friend Bryon Shipley, we cried when our western hognose …
For almost the past ten years we have traveled with four snakes. One of these snakes, our bullsnake Hatch, turned 10 this August. Chuck hatched her out in an incubator at the Denver Zoo after a pair of bullsnakes at Cherry Creek State Park in the Denver area produced 13 eggs. Hatch’s was the only …
“Snakes are mean!” a seven-year old boy exclaimed when we asked him if he wanted us to remove one of our snakes from its cage so he could have a closer look. “They’re really mean!” “Snakes aren’t mean,” I told the youngster. “They are neither good nor bad, but like most animals, they have a …
Over the past nine years visiting classrooms to present our reptile program, we have made mental notes of conduct we appreciate from teachers, staff, and students. Recent Visit One of our most recent visits to an elementary school took us through a decaying neighborhood blemished with walls of graffiti, windows secured with bars, and trash …
The buzzing sound made us rein in our horses. The old cowboy who was our guide jumped from his mount, grabbed a stick, and began beating the rattlesnake that was warning us of its presence. The year was 1966. I had come to this ranch north of Phoenix to spend a few days playing cowboy. …
In our last post, we mentioned one young man (Gabe Brown) with a passion for reptiles. For several years, we have been asking young people such as Gabe to provide us with an article telling how and why they have developed such an interest in these often misunderstood animals. So far, Gabe is the only …
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.” [twocol_one][/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last][/twocol_one_last] A receptionist in my brother’s dental practice, Kim took to Spike right away, despite her long-time fear of …