Reptiles, Amphibians Draw a Crowd at Wildlife Commission Exhibit

RALEIGH, N.C. (March 21, 2007) – Within minutes after arriving at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Reptile and Amphibian Day exhibit on Saturday, Jeff Hall and the 4-foot, yellow-striped snake slithering up his arm had drawn quite a crowd.

“What kind of snake is that?”
“Does he bite?”
“What’s his name?”
“Can I touch him?”

The herpetologist answered these and other questions over and over again, as little hands — and a few big ones — tentatively touched the coastal rat snake. Whether out of courage or curiosity, most folks who opted to touch the snake were surprised to find that it wasn’t slimy.

“Many people have a lot of misconceptions about snakes, and we’re here today to try to dispel some of the myths and fears people have about snakes and other reptiles,” Hall said.

For instance, snakes are not slimy, and all snakes are “good” snakes, even the venomous ones.

“Snakes use one or more of a variety of methods to subdue and kill their prey, including grasping and swallowing quickly, constriction and delivering venom,” Hall said. “Just because the third method involving venom can be potentially dangerous to humans does not mean these snakes are bad.

Snakes are not out to ‘get’ people, but on the contrary are excellent hunters of mice and other rodents which can be health hazards for humans.”

For the fourth year in a row, the Wildlife Resources Commission had a large display booth at the Museum of Natural Science’s 14th Annual Reptile and Amphibian Day event. The free, educational event, which drew about 15,500 people, featured more than 50 exhibits, activities and presentations highlighting reptiles and amphibians, collectively known as “herps.”

Commission staff addressed questions from the public, stamped little hands with frog images and handed out a variety of cool products, such as herp stickers, turtle rulers and buttons, wildlife IQ booklets and copies of Wildlife in North Carolina — all designed to educate and entertain.

In addition to the coastal rat snake, the Commission had other native herps on display, including a Fowler’s toad, spotted and marbled salamanders and their egg masses, an Eastern kingsnake, a Southern leopard frog and a green anole.

The animals were brought in to help visitors identify common reptiles and amphibians in North Carolina and to promote the message that statewide conservation of wildlife habitat begins with them, right in their own backyards.

“While many people may not want some of these animals in their yards, most reptiles and amphibians are harmless and all are beneficial — feeding on potentially destructive insects or rodents,” Hall said. “Creating suitable backyard habitat is relatively easy to do.”

Hall suggests piling several rocks in a sunny spot for basking lizards. Leaving leaves under trees, shrubs and in the garden provides hiding spots for a variety of amphibians and reptiles, while building a small pond will ensure that you have plenty of frogs and toads singing within a few weeks.

For more information on creating a “herp-friendly” backyard, click on the PDF to the right. For more information on reptiles and amphibians in North Carolina, as well as Commission-related projects benefiting the bog turtle and green salamander, visit the Wildlife Species and Conservation section.