Fun Facts About Reptiles

People have different opinions about reptiles, some love them, some are scared of them, and some are just indifferent. The Cambria County Conservation District works to have people learn about different reptiles and make people less afraid of them. These programs include meeting live animals and learning some cool facts about the different animals that live at the district.

The education program at the Johnstown Library did just that. Students got to meet some of the many animals cared for by the conservation district and learn some fun facts about them. They met some turtles, snakes, and the Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

Children loved petting the turtles. They learned some cool facts about them. Box turtles have hinges on their shells that close up when the turtle hides. This turns their shell into a box, and makes them pretty indestructible to predators. Red eared sliders are an invasive species and not good for Pennsylvania. They are a larger turtle species and are aggressive compared to the much smaller, native species, the painted turtle. Both the red eared slider and the painted turtle are aquatic turtles, spending most of their loves in water. They also have similar diets, making the two species major competitors.

Snakes also had the children’s’ attention. They learned about the Hognose snake, which plays dead when frightened and can mimic a rattlesnake. The California King snake is related to the black snake. It will eat other snakes, mainly venomous ones and has the ability to neutralize the venom from the other snakes it eats. The last snake they learned about was a ball python. This snake is all muscle. It will tighten itself in a ball with its head in the center to protect itself from danger.

The last animal the children learned about was the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. These gained some differencing reactions from children and adults alike. Many people were able to get over their fear of the bug and say hi. The bugs hiss when they are frightened. They’re completely harmless and the hissing sound you hear when they’re upset is their only defense mechanism. They use it to scare off predators.

Overall, the program was a success and everyone who attended walked away with some fun info.