I issss learningssss + a question

[Jazi]

My mom is a special ed teacher at a middle school and deals with kids that have severe learning disabilities. Since we own our little zoo of critters, she asks me to take in the dogs or cats from time to time, usually for either learning or for therapy purposes. They just got to reptiles in their science class, and she swallowed her fear and pride and asked me to take Quetzal in.

I obliged :3 They asked a lot of good questions (Is he like those big yellow snakes in zoos?) and a few were incredibly interested in him (Why is he so soft!?), and some asked for advice on convincing their parents to let them have their own snake.

The little guy front and center just happened to have the desk I was using to demonstrate how their colors are part of their camouflage and how snakes have many different colorations, and sadly since school restrictions made me hold him most of the time these are the only two shots I could get. I was told later that this particular kid doesn't ever talk in class or ask questions. He turned out to be the one that asked me the most about Quetzal. Just goes to show how even the "weirdest" animals can just brighten one of these kids' days


And my question... this past shed Quetzal developed a very pale marking on his head. I don't know if his blushing is just really starting to show as his back is starting to fade now, but he's definitely got a super blushed spot on his head where he didn't have one before.





Just a thing that happens with normals as they grow, or a possible het marker? :S

[satomi325]

Congrats on showing your little guy to the classes. I'm sure they learned a lot.

As for the blushing, snakes tend to blush out more as they age. Especially normals.

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[Slim]

That's awesome! Glad you got to do some education!

[CherryPython]

That's well cool I love demonstrations ^_^ We got to do one for our college show day, when all these agriculture people come with local farm stalls, and each department do shows I was determined to get Habibi the coastal carpet out (the weather was LUSH) and when I got down to the reptile house, all kitted up with headset, they handed me...a corn snake in a pet carrier. I was like..no coastal? He was shedding, and the BP was taken

Seems like you really held their attention! And Quetzal was well behaved yes? My lot just approached the bench where the snakes were and banged on their boxes and pet carriers... whilst their parents stood back and laughed. By the time I got round to my corn snake talk I had a pair of rather agitated snakes and had to cut it short. Would love to do talks and demonstrations to respectful and interested people!!! Nice one!!

[DananaPants]

What a great opportunity not only for the kids but for you and your snake too! Very cool. Good job spreadin' the word on awesome herps

[Jazi]

Some of the questions that were asked:

Is he poisonous?
How big will he get?
Is he like the big yellow ones in the zoo? (I assumed they meant albino burms, don't recall exactly what the nearby zoos have in their reptile rooms)
What are those red spots on his face?
We're going to the creek to find animals, will we see ones like him there? If we do can we take it home and keep it?
What/how/how often does he eat?
Can you keep a bunch of different snakes in the same tank?
Has he ever tried to eat you?
Can I keep a venomous snake as a pet?


My favorite though has got to be tied between
>I want a corn snake, I can just feed it corn right? (asked by a kid, I told him snakes need to eat meat and he'll have to feed it mice)
and >Wait, don't snakes fertilize their eggs after they've been laid? (asked by my MOTHER of all people. We had a nice discussion on how snake sex works before the kids came in )


It was a really fun opportunity and I'm glad the kids had fun. They had to get permission slips signed in order to attend because the school administration was nervous about if he bit a kid, but I can understand that. I brought him in an ice cream bucket with two hot water bottles and a hide and stood in front of it until it was time, so there was no opportunity for glass-tappers I was allowed to make my own rules, so they weren't allowed to pick him up or touch his head, but could pet him and let him slither over their hands.

And yes, Quetzal was very well behaved I was afraid he might be stressed from the trip or nervous from the noise, but the kids were very quiet and respectful and he was able to calm down and poke around. Once he got back home I put him back in his tank and fed him since it's about time, ate both mice and curled up in his hide, so I don't think he was as stressed as I was certain he would be.