>>>
>>> NATIONAL SNAKE DAY IS THIS WEEK SO WE BROUGHT IN SOME OF
OUR SLITHERING FRIENDS TO LEARN
ABOUT THEM.
ABOUT THEM. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR
COMING IN AND HANDLING THE
SNAKES THAT I'M GOING TO BE
HANDLING TOO.
HANDLING TOO. I'M VERY EXCITED.
WHO DID YOU BRING IN TODAY?
>> FOUR FRIENDS THAT WE BROUGHT
AND OUR FIRST FRIEND ACTUALLY
IS OUR GOLASE SNAKE.
THESE GUYS ARE NATIVE IN
COLORADO BUT ARE HARD TO SEE
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOCTURNAL.
>> YOU CAN SEE WHY THEY ARE
CALLED THE GLOSSY SNAKE.
THEY'RE SHINY.
THEY'RE SHINY. >> THEY ARE AND THEY TEND TO
EAT REPTILES AND AN FIB YANS
BUT ALSO SMALL MICE.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. WHO ELSE?
WHO ELSE?
WHO ELSE? >> THIS IS PEACHES.
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> I LOVE IT.
>> SHE'S A BULL SNAKE ALSO A
NATIVE IN COLORADO SO YOU COULD
SEE BOTH OF THESE SPECIES.
>> I HAVE A BULL SNAKE IN MY
YARD.
YARD.
YARD. THEY'RE GREAT.
THEY'RE GREAT. >> THEY ARE VERY HELPFUL IN THE
ENVIRONMENT.
ENVIRONMENT. SOME PEOPLE CALL THEM GOPHER
SNAKES BECAUSE THEY WILL EAT
GOPHERS AND OTHER SMALL
ANIMALS.
ANIMALS.
ANIMALS. >> ARE THEY DANGEROUS TO
HUMANS?
HUMANS?
HUMANS? >> NO THEY'RE SHY AND IMITATE A
RATTLESNAKE.
RATTLESNAKE. YOU CAN SEE THE COLOR WITH
MISSING PIGMENTATION.
MISSING PIGMENTATION. THEY TEND TO BE DARKER THAN
THIS ONE.
THIS ONE.
THIS ONE. >> HOW CAN YOU TELL THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND A
RATTLESNAKE?
RATTLESNAKE? >> THEY WILL MAKE A SHAKING
SOUND JUST LIKE A RATTLESNAKE
BUT USUALLY IT'S THE
COLORATION.
COLORATION. THESE GUYS ARE ALSO BIGGER WHEN
THEY ARE ADULTS.
IT'S THE LONGEST SNAKE WE HAVE
IN COLORADO.
IN COLORADO. >> IS THAT FULL GROWN?
>> SHE'S FULL SIZE, YUP.
>> THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW SHE'S A
SHE IS SHE LAID EGGS.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. IT'S REALLY HARD TO TELL.
SOMETIMES VETS CAN TELL.
THIS ONE WE DON'T KNOW EITHER.
SO YEAH THERE'S A COUPLE
DIFFERENT WAYS WE COULD TELL
MALE TO FEMALE.
THE FEMALES TEND TO BE LARGER.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> YES SO THERE WE GO BUT SOME
OF OURS WE DON'T KNOW AND THEN
WE HAVE EGGS AND WE'RE LIKE
OKAY WELL WE THOUGHT YOU WERE A
MALE.
MALE.
MALE. SO
MALE. SO THIS ONE ACTUALLY IF YOU
WANT TO HOLD HIM YOU'RE WELCOME
TO.
TO.
TO. THIS
TO. THIS IS OUR RETICK LATED
PYTHON.
PYTHON.
PYTHON. HE WOULD GET MUCH BETTER.
THE BERMIZE ARE THE LONGEST
SPECIES OF SNAKES IN THE WORLD.
THESE GUYS LIVE IN ASIA.
>> I'M CHANNELING MY INNER
BRITTANY SPEARS RIGHT NOW.
SUCH A SOFT SNAKE.
>> VERY SOFT SMALL SCALES.
>> THIS IS NOT EVEN FULL GROWN.
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> THAT'S CRAZY.
>> THEY CAN GET MUCH LARGER
THAN THIS.
THAN THIS. >> I'M HANDLING THEM CORRECTLY?
>> SNAKES DON'T HAVE EARS SO IT
DOESN'T MATTER.
DOESN'T MATTER. THEY TASTE WITH THEIR TONGUE.
THEY DON'T HAVE EYE LIDS.
THEY HAVE A PROTECTIVE SCALE
OVER THEIR EYES SO THEY DON'T
BLINK AND THEY'RE SENSITIVE TO
VIBRATION.
VIBRATION. >> LOOK AT THAT SHOT.
DO THEY GET ALONG?
IS THERE A REASON WE PULL THEM
OUT SEPARATELY.
OUT SEPARATELY. >> THEY DON'T GET ALONG
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. OUR BULL SNAKES HAVE A FAIRLY
LARGE ENCLOSURE HANGING OUT
TOGETHER IN THEIR OWN SEPARATE
AREA BUT FOR THE MOST PART
THESE GUYS DON'T HANG OUT IN
GROUPS.
GROUPS.
GROUPS. >> YOU LICKED MY ARM.
THAT'S SPECIAL.
THAT'S SPECIAL. SAVING THE LARGEST MAMA FOR
LAST.
LAST.
LAST. >>
LAST. >> SHE'S QUITE LARGE.
>> I DON'T WANT TO GET MY RING
CAUGHT ON HIM.
>> OUR NEXT FRIEND.
>> WHAT'S YOUR FRIEND'S NAME.
>> WE CALL HER BIG MAMA.
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> FITTING.
>> FITTING. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. AND SHE ACTUALLY IS ONE OF MY
FAVORITE SPECIES.
FAVORITE SPECIES. SHE'S A BOA CON STRICTER.
THESE GUYS ARE FROM THE ISLAND
OF MADAGASCAR.
OF MADAGASCAR. >> ONLY ON THAT ISLAND RIGHT?
>> YUP AND THEY'RE SOMETIMES
CONFUSED WITH THE MADAGASCAR
GROUND BOA BUT THEY ARE
DIFFERENT WITH COLORATION AND
PATTERN.
PATTERN.
PATTERN. SO SHE'S LARGE.
IF YOU WANT TO HOLD HER YOU
CAN.
CAN.
CAN. SHE'S 25-POUNDS.
SHE'S 25-POUNDS. >> SHE'S 25-POUNDS?
>> YUP.
>> YUP.
>> YUP. SHE'S A FRIENDLY SNAKE.
THESE GUYS ARE BEAUTIFUL BUT
UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF THEM ARE
HUNTED DUE TO.
>> SHE'S GETTING WARM.
>> DUE TO THE COLORATION ON HER
SKIN I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN
SEE THE SHINE AND PATTERN ON
HER SKIN.
HER SKIN.
HER SKIN. >> SHE'S BEAUTIFUL.
>> PEOPLE WERE KILLING THEM FOR
BELTS AND BOOTS AND THINGS LIKE
THAT AS WELL AS EATING LIVE
STOCK.
STOCK.
STOCK. >>
STOCK. >> WHERE ARE YOU GOING BIG
MAMA?
MAMA?
MAMA? [LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> HOW BIG WILL SHE GET?
>> SHE'S FULL SIZED.
>> AND WE KNOW SHE'S A GIRL
BECAUSE SHE LAID EGGS.
>> TELL US ABOUT NATURE'S
EDUCATORS.
EDUCATORS. >> WE'RE A NON PROFIT
ORGANIZATION BASED IN THE AREA
AND WE TRAVEL TO SCHOOLS AND
LIBRARIES, NATURE CENTERS,
EVENTS, EVERYTHING TO BE ABLE
TO TEACH ABOUT OUR FRIENDS LIKE
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. >>
THIS. >> WHERE IS BIG MAMA GOING?
>> IN YOUR HAIR.
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> OH MAN.
>> SHE LIKES TO SIT WITH YOUR
HAIR.
HAIR.
HAIR. [LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> SHE IS QUITE EXPERIENCING
THINGS RIGHT NOW.
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW
ABOUT SNAKES BECAUSE I FEEL
LIKE THEY REALLY GET A BAD WRAP
AND THEY SHOULDN'T.
>> THESE GUYS ARE SO IMPORTANT
IN OUR ECO SYSTEM AND TO SEE
THEM WE DON'T WANT TO GET
AFRAID OF THEM OR ANYTHING.
CLEARLY SHE'S--NONE OF THESE
GUYS ARE SECRETLY PLOTTING TO
SNEAK OUT AND GET US.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SNAKES IN OUR
ECO SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY ARE
KEEPING OUR FOOD CHAIN WORKING
AND OUR ECO SYSTEM IN BALANCE.
WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT
SPECIES OF SNAKES IN COLORADO.
WE'LL SEE BULL SNAKES, GLOSSY
SNAKES, GARDNER SNAKES AND
RATTLE SNAKES.
RATTLE SNAKES. ALTHOUGH SOME OF US ARE AFRAID
THAT'S TOTALLY FINE BUT THERE'S
NO SNAKE THAT'S SECRETLY
PLOTTING TO GET YOU.
>> GOT TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
I SO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS FOR
COMING IN BRINGING THESE
AMAZING SNAKES.
AMAZING SNAKES. BIG MAMA IS MY FAVORITE.
NO OFFENSE TO THE OTHER ONES
BUT YOU SAID THEY DON'T HAVE
EARS SO THEY CAN'T HEAR ME
ANYWAY.
ANYWAY.
ANYWAY. WE'LL PUT ALL