Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone who remembers, I had asked for suggestions for a classroom snake presentation a while back and I finally got the chance to do it today.

In short, it was saddening, but wonderful. It was sad because every class of students who I asked how many of them had been in a car with someone who swerved to hit a snake or had been by someone who chopped a snake in half with a shovel, over half of the class raised their hand.

It was wonderful because I really think that the majority got the point that there is virtually nothing to fear with a little bit of knowledge on their side. When each class started I asked how many would be willing to touch a snake and there would only be a couple of hands. After discussing and showing examples for an hour, 95% of each group was willing to "pet" a python.

Here's to hope...
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Black Rat 0.1 (Patty)
Black Racer 1.0 (Alfred)
Ball Pythons 1.1 (Morty & Mary)
Amazon Tree Boas 1.1 (Orville & Aeme)
Corn Snakes 3.2 (?, Bob, Sandy, Candy, and Tye)
Leopard Geckos 1.2 (Leo, Spaz, and Spot)
LOTSO BABIES!
Central Painted Turtle 1.0 (Swim)
Red-Eared Slider 0.0.1 (Harold)
Mississippi Map Turtles 0.0.6
(Modelo, Tecate, Corona, Sol, XX, Bohemia)
Western Painted Turtle 0.0.1 (Picaso)
Columbian Red-Tailed Boa 1.0 (James Jr.)

www.geocities.com/wink0083

I know what you mean. My buddy and I did a presentation for a group of Cub Scouts a few weeks back. When asked "What should you do if you encounter a snake in the wild?" the responses were "Kill it!" "Chop it's head off!" and my all time favorite: "Smoosh it!!".

Careful observation from a distance and alerting an adult of the snake's presence were our replies to them. Little did we know that when it came time to walk around the auditorium to let everyone pet the snakes, the parents (mostly the men!) were scared stiff of Gopher Snakes, Kings, an Ball Pythons! These are obviously the morons who are teaching their kids to destroy misunderstood wildlife.

In the end, the kids loved the snakes and some even offered to buy my Ball Python. No deal.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
4.3.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Everglades Rat Snakes
1.0.0 Baird's Rat Snake
0.1.0 Trans-Pecos Rat Snake
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Het Amel San Diego Gopher Snake
1.1.0 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
2.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
0.1.0 Thayeri Kingsnake
0.0.1 Florida Kingsnake
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
0.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
1.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
1.1.0 Chuckwalla
0.1.0 Banded Gecko

FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

>>Anyone who remembers, I had asked for suggestions for a classroom snake presentation a while back and I finally got the chance to do it today.
>>
>>In short, it was saddening, but wonderful. It was sad because every class of students who I asked how many of them had been in a car with someone who swerved to hit a snake or had been by someone who chopped a snake in half with a shovel, over half of the class raised their hand.
>>
>>It was wonderful because I really think that the majority got the point that there is virtually nothing to fear with a little bit of knowledge on their side. When each class started I asked how many would be willing to touch a snake and there would only be a couple of hands. After discussing and showing examples for an hour, 95% of each group was willing to "pet" a python.
>>
>>Here's to hope...
>>-----
>>Black Rat 0.1 (Patty)
>>Black Racer 1.0 (Alfred)
>>Ball Pythons 1.1 (Morty & Mary)
>>Amazon Tree Boas 1.1 (Orville & Aeme)
>>Corn Snakes 3.2 (?, Bob, Sandy, Candy, and Tye)
>>Leopard Geckos 1.2 (Leo, Spaz, and Spot)
>> LOTSO BABIES!
>>Central Painted Turtle 1.0 (Swim)
>>Red-Eared Slider 0.0.1 (Harold)
>>Mississippi Map Turtles 0.0.6
>>(Modelo, Tecate, Corona, Sol, XX, Bohemia)
>>Western Painted Turtle 0.0.1 (Picaso)
>>Columbian Red-Tailed Boa 1.0 (James Jr.)
>>
>>
>>
>>www.geocities.com/wink0083

Im glad there are people like you in your profession.My son's teachers wont even let me bring them on for show and tell.

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If lead paint is so deadly why do they make it so delicious?

It is a bit depressing and I see that attitude very frequently in teachers. And it's bad enough that it is such a pervasive way of thinking in a field that has such a strong effect on the attitudes of children, but it isn't even uncommon in science teachers. I had 3 SCIENCE teachers in my building upset by the fact that I had brought snakes in...but hey, why be open minded and live in reality when a fantasy land filled with fear is so much easier since it requires no effort...

But like I've seen posted before, we can all make a differnce, just one person at a time. Maybe his teacher next year will be a little bit more open.
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Black Rat 0.1 (Patty)
Black Racer 1.0 (Alfred)
Ball Pythons 1.1 (Morty & Mary)
Amazon Tree Boas 1.1 (Orville & Aeme)
Corn Snakes 3.2 (?, Bob, Sandy, Candy, and Tye)
Leopard Geckos 1.2 (Leo, Spaz, and Spot)
LOTSO BABIES!
Central Painted Turtle 1.0 (Swim)
Red-Eared Slider 0.0.1 (Harold)
Mississippi Map Turtles 0.0.6
(Modelo, Tecate, Corona, Sol, XX, Bohemia)
Western Painted Turtle 0.0.1 (Picaso)
Columbian Red-Tailed Boa 1.0 (James Jr.)

www.geocities.com/wink0083