Snakes and Lizards and Turtles… Oh My!

THE SPONTANEOUS GASP HEARD AROUND THE ROOM WHEN REPTIZOO’S SABRINA BURAZER INTRODUCED VIOLET, A LEUCISTIC BALL PYTHON, WAS FOLLOWED BY EXPRESSIONS OF UNCERTAINTY AND DISCOMFORT BUT, ULTIMATELY, AWE AND JOY AS WELL.

Last January, our Junior School students welcomed visitors from the reptilian world in an activity that allowed them to reconsider the popular wisdom that these creatures are ones to fear. It introduced them to a variety of animals that they are not used to seeing in an urban environment or in a zoo. The visit provided the students with an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the impact of human activities on wildlife habitats. They discussed the loss of trees and wetland areas and imagined how this might compare to losing their own homes.

I loved Reptizoo and the feeling of the snake’s scales, the tortoise’s rough shell, and the gecko’s sticky feet,” says Aimée ’31.

Sensitizing the students to the place that reptiles have in the natural environment will prepare them for further exploration of their invaluable roles in our ecosystem.

More to come next year.