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…
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 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….
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…
Ugly and Odious
“What good are they?” a woman recently asked wildlife writer Shannon Jacobs about skunks. “Are you asking what good are they for humans or what good are they for the web of life?” Shannon retorted. Eyes rolled with that comment. Good for What? So what…
Shooting Little Critters
“Where can I take my boys to go and shoot some prairie dogs?” a woman recently asked Chuck at the visitor center where we were working. The question took Chuck by surprise. “Why would you want to do that?” he asked. The woman was obviously…
Education Skulls
“I just came across a carcass,” my friend Gaylia told me when she called from a trail she was hiking near Grand Teton National Park, “and I’m wondering what it is.” As she described the large skull with no upper front teeth, I pictured an…