I'm doing a Reptile Presentation at an Elementary School

[EverEvolvingExotics]

The title says it all. I am going to be visiting around 4 or 5 classes and doing a 30-40 minute presentation in each class. I will be bringing an adult ball python, a yearling ball python, an adult bearded dragon, and a russian tortoise. This way the student will have a good amount of diversity to see and touch.

My plan will be to keep the talking short, only explaining where they live in the wild, what they eat, and that they are cold-blooded.

I will then let the brave ones come up and touch the ones they feel comfortable with. I will provide hand sanitizer for before and after handling.

After everyone gets to touch the reptiles I will have them sit down. The remaining time will be used for Q and A. I hope to get some funny and interesting questions from the little ones.

Is there anything else you would add or advise me of before hand?

I can't wait to do this, should be fun.

[oliverstwist]

advice: insurance and a lawyer. I'm not joking

my house mate who is a paralegal also says release forms

[tjteach14]

Good for you. I've done this many times for schools, community groups and birthday parties. The time the kids get to handle is the most important to them and once one student shows bravery they all jump in. One thing I do before bringing out the live snake is to pass around a skin shed so they get a feel before the real one comes out.
Like you I usually take three or four snakes, my argentine teguand my sulcatat tortoise. Good luck.

-Toby

[EverEvolvingExotics]

One thing I do before bringing out the live snake is to pass around a skin shed so they get a feel before the real one comes out.

Thanks, I forgot to mention that. Just before I made this post my 1500 gram het pied female had a perfect shed. I rolled it out and I'm letting it dry as we speak. I figured it would be great to show them how much detail the shed has.

[EverEvolvingExotics]

advice: insurance and a lawyer. I'm not joking

my house mate who is a paralegal also says release forms

How would I go about doing this?

[Homegrownscales]

I have done presentations in a couple classrooms and a couple birthdays for friends and family. While they are fun and educational. Protect your behind. Seriously. I was advised to expect the worst and protect against it. With live animals what the worst that can happen? Theyll bite. Yes it's not likely to happen and has it ever happened for me? No. But what I was advised was if and god forbid if it did I could be sued. I came up with a disclaimer that I had sent out with invitations/ and a letter to parents explaining who I am, what animals will be brought, and what the worst situation could be. Any that did not have it signed could not come within 3 ft of the animal. If it was signed they were allowed to pet the animal with 2 fingers down the animals back. My hands were securing the animal at all times.
I suggest you do this. Even though a bite from a small reptile such as a ball, or beardy would be superficial YOU are still the responsible party. The disclaimer also voided me from being held responsible, for injuries, medical costs, etc. Yet it also protected the children from any injuries to the animal as well. If one of them actually accidentally hurt the animal. I couldn't hold them responsible and they couldn't hold me responsible.
I highly suggest doing a disclaimer and a letter to the parents. It will be more work. But you'll protect your arse.

Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[EverEvolvingExotics]

I'll get working on that, thanks guys!

[Obscurus28]

That sounds fun, Gladd people are out there doing that. my family on my moms side hates snakes... one thing i might say is this. 30 minutes per class 5 classes. thats 2 and a half hours. this is just a suggestion, that u might only let them feel one of the 4 per class. It is completely up to you, you might have animals that dont get weird with stress. idk if i expressed myself right but if your snakes can handle it then Great! (cus if i was a kid i would love to feel all ) Goodluck!

[Slashmaster]

Release forms, yes yes yes.

This is unrelated to reptiles, but it's a story I heard on the Fennec Fox listhost. This owner had a friend who ran a petting zoo take care of his fennec foxes (he had two) while he was on vacation. The friend was instructed to keep the foxes in a cage, away from the rest of the zoo, because they bite. He even put a sign on the cage that said "Do not touch, we bite."

Well, some idiot got close to the cage and stuck her fingers in the cage and got bitten. She didn't care but her parents did. Her parents turned around and called animal control as well as sued them. If I remember correctly the sue didn't work, but animal control took the fennecs and put them down for biting a human.

Ridiculous crap I tell you, because that girl was STUPID and didn't heed the sign. But that's the government for you. This is also why I don't let anyone near my fennec. He bites ME a lot, so it's no guess he'd bite someone else.

Make sure it doesn't happen to you I'm sure if a kid got bitten, there'd be a huge storm about it.

[EverEvolvingExotics]

These are all very good suggestions. I won't be handling all of the reptiles that whole 2-3 hours. I might take one out at a time while explaining where they come from and while the students touch them. I will make sure to minimize the stress as much as possible.