Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

So many people seem to think that snakes and other reptiles are scary and gross, but not Senior Keeper Todd Schmidt! He’s always loved these scaly creatures, and with good reason. When Mr. Schmidt took us on a tour of the Reptile House, I started thinking about going into the reptile-keeping business myself!

Because of the venomous nature of his scaly charges, Mr. Schmidt told us that the reptile department is one of the safest at the zoo! Keepers use tongs, bags, hooks, face masks, tubes, and boxes to protect themselves from unhappy reptiles. (In case you’re worried, all of these safeguards are designed with the animal’s best interests in mind.) And once you’ve seen a snake tooth (pictured), you’ll know why, venom aside, all of these precautions are necessary. The Gaboon viper’s fangs can get up to two-and-a-half inches long! Imagine getting bitten by that!

Danger aside, the science involved is fascinating! For starters, there are four main types of reptiles: crocodiles, turtles and tortoises, snakes and lizards, and a very special reptile called a tuatara. Tuataras are a kind of living fossil with a bizarre patchwork of features, like bones similar to those of birds, and the scales of a crocodile. But what is most interesting to me is that the gender of certain reptiles is determined by the temperature that their eggs incubate!

With all of this in mind, reptiles can be rather intelligent. Mr. Schmidt explained to us how the keeper staff has trained the Mambas to tell the difference between the male sign and the female sign. Why? Because the two snakes in the same enclosure have learned which symbol is theirs. When they see the symbol on a training wand, they follow it into the smaller box. There the animal is rewarded for doing the right thing, your standard animal training technique. Now if that’s not enough to make you want to help reptiles in need, I don’t know what is!

The best way to help these animals is to learn about their role in the ecosystem, their habitat, and our world. Knowing about this can make people proud about their native species and prevent poaching. If you travel in countries where reptiles are on the menu, or their parts are in souvenir shops, do not support the vendors. Ecotourism is also a sure bet at helping these animals because it gives people a reason to protect animals. And remember, you can be fashionable without harming your reptilian friends.

Madolyn, Real World Team

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