NEWS JOURNAL (Wilmington, Delaware) 13 July 06 Cold-blooded creatures are very cool - Alligators not dumb, snakes not slimy (but leave them alone) (Kim Hoey)
Dover: Alexandria Packard couldn't believe she got to see a real live cobra. She made sure she was one of the first in line to pet the albino Burmese python as well.
"That snake is incredible," said the reptile-loving 11-year-old from Townsend as she watched the Reptile World presentation last Thursday as part of the 2006 Spring & Summer Performing Arts Series on Dover's Historic Green.
"It felt like rubber," added Jacob Sauers, 7, of Greensboro, Md. He made the trip to Dover just to see the reptile show.
They weren't alone. More than 200 people showed up for the popular annual reptile show. Many were awed by the size and rarity of some of the animals they saw, including a Nile crocodile, an American alligator and an alligator snapping turtle. But the show was really about education.
Most in attendance left with at least one new tidbit of knowledge, such as snakes aren't slimy, or American alligators might be the smartest reptiles on Earth, or what to do if you run into a snake in the wild (leave it alone). The audience ate their picnics, sat on their chairs and blankets and took lots of photographs of animals that most didn't want near them at the beginning of the evening.
"Teaching about these animals and presenting for audiences all over the country has always been a privilege and an honor," said Michael D. Shwedick, presenter and owner of Reptile World of Bowie, Md., one of the largest private reptile collections in the country. "The greatest gift we have is the difference we can make in the lives of others."
Shwedick, a world-renowned herpetologist, started collecting reptiles at 10, keeping crocodiles in his family's basement. He has been sharing his collection and love for his animals with children and adults through his live show since 1970.
Shwedick stressed that reptiles do not go out of their way to attack humans and usually shy away when they can. He admitted he was bitten on more than one occasion -- twice by cobras, once by a pit viper, and once by a juvenile copperhead that put him in the hospital for three days. But he blamed himself for the incidents, saying that his carelessness caused them.
"I'm still the only person ever bitten by a giant anaconda at Reagan International Airport," he said.
Reptiles are a necessary part of the world ecosystem and the food chain, he said. Plus, they aren't just cold-blooded; they are really cool.
"It's hard to believe it's only 3 [years old] and it's that big," said Hannah Firment, 5, of West Chester, Pa., looking up into the sky to make her point about a 9-foot anaconda she had just watched Shwedick handle.
"It was really cool," said Tracey Moore, 16, of Hartly. She was impressed with the calm manner with which Shwedick presented the animals, even when a rattlesnake dropped off the handling hook. He put people at ease, she said, and helped make the children feel comfortable with the animals.
In the 30th year of the performing arts series, most of the 17 acts presented on Thursdays at 7 p.m. on The Green in Dover involve music and dancing. Although those shows draw crowds each week, some in attendance for the reptile show said they would not mind seeing more animal shows in the future.
James Embody of Frederica attends the reptile show each year. This year he assisted Shwedick in bringing out the python and by squirting disinfecting gel on the hands of everyone who touched the snake. He said he would like to see more shows that teach respect for the animals of our world.
Shwedick was happy with whatever he could get across to his audience.
"They might not be cute, and they might never be cuddly. But reptiles share our land," said Shwedick. "I think our planet would be a sadder place without them."
Cold-blooded creatures are very cool