Once again we attended a reptile program that delivered excellent information, as well as attempting to instill a respect for these misunderstood creatures. Once again, however, showmanship degraded the message.
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Do Snakes Belong Everywhere?
Snakes have a purpose in the world, consuming rodents, bugs, and even other snakes that bother us, as well as serving as food for other wildlife. But should snakes exist everywhere? A nine-year-old e-mailed us wondering why snakes can’t be introduced to New Zealand.
Where the Buffalo Roam
Should bison be reintroduced to as many areas of the Great Plains as possible, perhaps replacing cattle? Denver Zoo keeper and researcher Bryon Shipley is working with other researchers and volunteers seeking answers to how bison affect biodiversity of the Southern Great Plains in Colorado.
Living on a Wildlife Refuge
“Do you live out in the wild?” The fourth grader who asked this as we finished a classroom presentation to prepare his class for their fieldtrip to Imperial National Wildlife Refuge appeared quite serious. We weren’t sure how to handle the question.
Feeding the Snakes
It happened again. This time a park ranger brought us a headless baby rabbit. “I thought your snakes would like to eat this,” she said, cuddling the lifeless remains in her hands. “The cat here loves to capture baby rabbits and decapitate them.”
Lookin’ for Lizards
Locating snakes, we find, is more difficult than spotting lizards. Over a period of a couple weeks, we’ve seen three rattlesnakes, two patchnose snakes, a coachwhip, and a gopher snake. On just one two-hour hike, however, we observed seven different species of lizards.
Snakes after Dark
One activity Chuck and I enjoy this time of year at Imperial National Wildlife Refuge is driving the road in the evening, searching for snakes that have slithered out to take advantage of pavement that holds warmth from the day’s high temperatures. Although we hadn’t seen a snake for some time, tonight we went trolling for wildlife.