Snakes, Turtles and Lizards, Oh Yeah!!!
Posted at 3:30 pm March 10, 2009 by Clara 
Senior Herpetology Keeper, Todd Schmidt, holds out a legless lizard to explain the many differences between a legless lizard and a snake. They look very similar, to the un-snake-trained eye. However, legless lizards have eyelids and ears, neither of which a snake has, and they also have two lungs compared to a snake’s single, and very long, lung.
Interns Sara and Heidi get an up-close view of a recently shed snake skin. Unlike humans, a snake’s skin doesn’t grow along with them and, as a result, they must shed their smaller skin. This actually sounds like a pretty good idea, especially after you’ve gotten a good sunburn.
Interns Sara and Heidi wearing proper protective gear in front of a particularly defensive snake. They did not open the door but this was a great lesson in the different safety gear used when the keepers handle snakes.
Keeper Schmidt holding a vibrant green gecko, known for their extremely special feet, which are now known to have the ability to bind with almost any surface.
After the Reptile House, Keeper Schmidt took us to a temperature controlled breeding facility for the rare tuatara. These somewhat shy creatures are native only to the small islands of New Zealand. They thrive on these chilly islands, despite being cold-blooded themselves, yet their populations have been negatively affected by human causes such as the introduction rats and cats on the islands.
~Clara, the photo team!
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