DALLAS MORNING NEWS (Texas) 06 July 07 Heard slithers with snakes - Museum packs in visitors with 'Rat Snakes to Rattlers' (Allison Wisk)
Ophidiophobes take heed: This exhibit is not for you.
With bared teeth and slithery scales, an army of legless reptiles has invaded McKinney's Heard Museum for its "Rat Snakes to Rattlers" show, running through Sept. 30. The exhibition follows up the scarily real animatronics of Dinosaurs Alive! with a display that plays on the fright these low-lying creatures incite in humans.
"The response has been unbelievable," said Sy Shahid, executive director of the Heard Natural Science Museum. "We've had a lot of people coming to the exhibit. We had over 300 members that RSVP'ed for the opening party."
The exhibit was assembled by biologist and curator Roger Sanderson, who was previously responsible for the permanent venomous snakes display. With more than 50 types of snakes native to Texas represented, Mr. Sanderson anticipates the group will grow with time.
"That number will probably vary," said Mr. Sanderson. "I never know when I might find another one. There were several species that I wanted to include that I'm still looking for. It's an ongoing thing with me."
The collection's size is just as formidable as the types of snakes it contains, which include water snakes, razor snakes, coachwhips, king snakes, and 10 types of rattlesnakes.
"A lot of people are amazed that Texas has that many different kinds of rattlesnakes," said Mr. Sanderson.
The ostentatious nature of one snake has cultivated a large audience.
"The most interesting snakes are the hognose snakes because they do so many things," said Mr. Sanderson. "He'll put his threat display out where he'll flatten out his head to look like a cobra."
Local paleontologist Mike Polcyn contributed to the show, bringing with him fossils from the collection of Southern Methodist University that contained evidence that, in primitive form, legs were attached to snakes.
As for attendance, wet weather hasn't stopped the crowds.
"Headcounts have been increasing day by day in spite of the rainy weather," said Mr. Shahid.
For the Heard, at which many of the attractions are based outdoors in the museum's garden and wildlife sanctuary, the exhibit has also served as a respite from the heat for visitors to the museum.
"It's a nice indoor exhibit during the hot part of the summer when people don't want to walk the trails," said Mr. Sanderson.
For kids, the exhibit holds many points of interest. Computer games; a Create-a-Snake activity teaching snake coloration and mimicry; and the sheer excitement of being near the forbidding creatures are enough to keep the little ones busy for hours. Especially popular is the midweek feeding session for the reptilian residents.
"On Wednesdays, when I feed the snakes, we'll have a big crowd of 100 people or so," said Mr. Sanderson. "Even though it's kind of gross because they're fed live mice, it's always a big hit with the kids."
Adventurous visitors can stroll through a walkthrough reproduction of a snake's innards.
"You walk in the inside of the snake through the ribs and all the parts are labeled, and we have sounds that simulate the noises the various organs make," said Mr. Sanderson.
The biggest draw, says Mr. Sanderson, builds upon the permanent collection of snakes at the museum. Over the past months, staff at the Heard worked to make the existing installations more dynamic and well-rounded.
"We've done a lot of improvements to it in preparation for this exhibit. We have done a lot better job explaining the differences between venomous and harmless snakes."
But the fiercer of the two varieties keep the customers coming.
"Most people come for the venomous snakes. They are just fascinated by them," said Mr. Sanderson. "And the kids, well, they just get excited by all of them."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/mckinney/stories/DN-mcfocus_06cco.ART.North.Edition1.43d760e.html
