When people ask me if I have any pets, I get the pleasure of seeing a wide range of reactions when I tell them I have a snake! Cosmo is a female ball python, a very popular species in the exotic pet trade for their calm and docile nature, and I have had her for over eight years. As an educator, one of the advantages of owning a reptile is the opportunity to bring her in for live animal demonstrations and to teach students about the exotic pet trade and the importance of snakes. It’s also a great way to dispel a few myths about snakes, and every once in a while, help someone overcome a snake phobia.
Last week, I had the pleasure of bringing Cosmo to the Washington Jesuit Academy as part of our Conservation Nation Academy Wildlife Fact or Fiction lesson. Needless to say, the students were very surprised to hear that there was a snake in their classroom! After overcoming their initial feelings of shock, and for some, mild discomfort, we had an engaging discussion about how I take care of Cosmo, her life history, the importance of doing one’s research when getting an exotic pet, and why snakes can have such a negative reputation.
What’s especially fascinating to me about people’s perceptions of snakes is how culturally ingrained this is. For example, snakes in many western stories are associated with evil (Harry Potter, anyone?), but since we just celebrated the Lunar New Year of the Snake, the snake is a symbol of grace, wisdom, and charm. The ball python in particular is also called the royal python and is revered in parts of Africa. We’re all talking about the same animal, but the culture you grow up in can be quite instrumental when it comes to these perceptions.Â
The students at this school were a delight to work with! They were very curious and asked so many questions about Cosmo and snakes, and they got to pass around a piece of her shed skin and snake vertebrae. Finally, because these students were so intrigued and maintained great control of themselves during the presentation, I brought Cosmo around to let students gently touch her back. It was an incredibly fun morning, and I hope the students walked away with some great new memories! Cosmo, on the other hand, was ready to crawl back into her shelter and go back to sleep after such a big adventure. I think we can all relate. Â
Brenda Miller is Conservation Nation’s Education Program Manager.
