In a follow up to the previous week’s “Raptors at Rose”, I attended this week’s “Scales and Tails”. In that post I mentioned my interest in Dinosaur reconstructions – that interest persists. And a tactile contact with the animals proved enlightening and, for lack of a better word, even thrilling.

I don’t think I had ever held a snake before – within 3 minutes of coming to the event, I had a snake crawling around my neck and tickling my ear. It was unexpected to say the least. As before, I was amazed by their life itself. Their steady breathing and beating hearts all the more out place with their peculiar bauplan.

It was particularly interesting to hold the Colombian Boa, Ash. The snake (likely female) was attracted to warmth, but I must not have been sufficient in that regard. There was a sense that the snake wanted to get away from me. But, in a twist, it also seemed to have interpreted my arm as a tree branch. So, the snake was coiled around my arm, with the head extending out as far as it would go – multiple times the head would fall off the table, but the snake maintained a fascinatingly firm grip on my arm.

I am fascinated by the anatomy of reptiles and birds – and getting to handle the snakes and experience them in hand was a very rewarding experience. My huge thanks to the Cornell Herpetological Society, who answered all of my silly questions, and were excellent guides to understanding these animals.