LITTLE ELM JOURNAL (Texas) 01 October 09 Local herpetologist gives final reptile show at Little Elm Library (Penny Rathbun)

“Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?” said Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” after he lands in a snake pit.

The scene is the stuff of nightmares for many people, but not for Little Elm resident Walter W. Clark. He has spent the last two decades teaching people not to be afraid of snakes and other creatures with scales, spikes and nictitating membranes.

Herpetologist Clark has taken his collection of snakes, lizards, turtles and other critters to any group that wants to see them. He hands out snakes and lizards to children and asks them to keep them warm for him. Then he gives fascinating facts about reptiles that is much more fun and interesting than reading it in a book.

He has had to give up giving these presentations with his scaly friends because of health reasons. Last Saturday he chose to give his final show for the Little Elm Library in council chambers.

About 73 children and adults came and went to touch reptiles and listen to Clark's stories about them. He has taken his menagerie into prisons. He said it would be surprising who turned out to be terrified of snakes.

His wife Connie, son Geoffrey and Troy and Eric Steiferman helped him unbag or uncrate various creatures while he talked about them. There was one turtle that was allowed almost free reign of the council chambers.

“She won't bite,” he said, “except for toes, she likes toes, especially ones painted red,” Clark said. Suddenly a number of children were keeping their distance.

Clark's lecture was a mix of scientific facts, advice on what to pay for certain reptiles, and what he calls war stories. He said in 20 years of presentations there has never been an accident with anyone getting bitten while handling any of his animals.

It will be hard for him to get rid of many of his reptiles, but he said he is going to keep a few of them. The turtle will be one of them. He said she is the only reptile that has the run of the house.

During his last show the snakes his helpers were bringing out grew progressively bigger. Eventually a 90-pound banana python was brought out. It took 5 or 6 people to hold the snake.

“Reptiles are very delicate animals. They're just beautiful,” he said. “Without reptiles we'd be overrun with mice and rats and vermin. Without them we'd be in big trouble. Snakes are extremely helpful. They're very beneficial to everybody.”

He said over the years he has helped many people overcome their fear of reptiles. That benefit to his audience continued during his last show last Saturday. Many were very squeamish about touching things that slither, but their squeamishness had disappeared by the end of the show.

Too bad Indiana Jones never had the opportunity to see a Walter W. Clark snake presentation.
Local herpetologist gives final reptile show at Little Elm Library

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• TX Press: Local herpetologist gives show - W von Papineäu, Sun Oct 11 11:35:07 2009