I am no fan of snakes. When I was a kid, a snake slid over my foot in my girlfriend Donna's backyard. I screamed for an hour. When I was a principal, I was forced to stand still while a boa constrictor was wrapped around my neck during a snake presentation for fifth graders. And be brave about it.
Chuck, my rascal cat, feels the exact opposite. He loves snakes. He finds them fascinating. When we visit the Philadelphia Zoo recently and discover the Rare Animal Conservation Center is open (finally), Chucky clamors to see the snakes.
"What for?" I want to know. They are enclosed behind glass. Some of them are poisonous. Or they can kill you by constricting the air out of your body. "Don't go in there if all you want to do is free the snakes, Chuck."
But he just wants to see them. Admire them. "And, mom, take some photos so humans can appreciate them," he meows.
Dan is the one who suggests asking our readers to make a decision. "We can showcase five snakes and let everyone decide which snake they think is the best."
"The creepiest," I say.
"The best example of snakiness," is Chucky's vision.
So in we go. The Conservation Center is necessarily dark. Exhibits flank either side. The place is crowded with moms and dads and lots of kids. Everyone has their camera. Several kids want to adopt a snake they see and take them home. Their parents laugh. No way. Chucky thinks the parents have a poor attitude.
We trudge along.
Exhibit #1 is the Northern Water Snake which lives in central North America. This snake is unique because the baby eggs stay inside the mom until they are ready to hatch. When the babies are born, they come out as little snakelets, much like human babies. No eggs here. The only difference is the snakelets are completely independent of their moms. And, they're snakes, of course.
Chucky wants to see a snakelet. Wriggling around. Unfortunately, the snake on display is full grown and stares right at him.
Exhibit #2 is the Timber rattlesnake which lives in the NE United States. These snakes are venomous and like to hibernate in deep crevices in rocks. They return year after year to the same place, which makes them an easy target for destruction! Today they are in danger of extinction, which is sad. I'm trying to have sympathy for them. I hate to see any creature get obliterated from the earth, even if it is a snake.
If there was no glass separating this snake from us, the innocents observers, Chucky would have jumped right in.
"I want to sniff him," he meows.
"Not today."
Exhibit #3 is the West African Gaboon Viper. It grows six feet long and six inches in diameter. Despite their size, the pattern on their skin and shape of their head allows them to hide on the floor of a forest and ambush small mammals and birds. Well, that sounds terrible to me. These are BIG snakes. You would not want to casually come upon one of these giants in the forest. No way.
That's my humble opinion. Not Chuck's.
I try to explain. "Chuck, you're considered a small mammal. This snake could eat you. Gulp. You're history."
Chucky shrugs. He'll take his chances.
Exhibit #4 is the Pueblan Milk Snake found in central Mexico. It is a beautiful snake--look at that pattern on its skin. And it looks nearly identical to another snake that is venomous. The Pueblan Milk snake is not poisonous. It's fake look helps protect it against predators. Pretty cool.
We stay at this exhibit a long time. Chuck is fascinated watching this snake writher around. There are signs all over asking us not to bang against the glass. Chucky, of course, ignores those signs. He bangs away.
Exhibit #5 is the Green Anaconda. This snake is one of the largest predators in South America. They eat waterfowl and reptiles and can even snatch a monkey from a branch that happens to be hanging over the water. (That part about the monkey really freaked me out.) This photo does not do this snake justice. It is enormous. But it is a bit heartwarming to see two of them cuddled together. Yeah, even in the snake world, there is love.
At the end of our snake experience, I ask Chuck one more time, "Did you really like seeing all those snakes?"
He tilted his whiskered face as if to say--Are you crazy--Of course. I liked seeing them slither and slide along the ground. I liked their faces.
Meow. Meow.
Stay tuned next week to find out which snake was Chucky's favorite. And if you have a favorite, leave a comment and let us know!!!
