Reptile Man visits Hiawatha elementary

Scott Petersen, aka the Reptile Man, brought many friends including “Lucy” the alligator with him last week to meet Hiawatha Elementary School students.

By Judy Spalding

Contributing writer

Last Tuesday, Hiawatha Elementary students were introduced to the Reptile Man and his friends. A few minutes of screams, wide eyes and bodies scooting across the floor and they calmed down.

And that was just the children.

Scott Petersen runs the Washington Serpentarium in Monroe.

“Can you tell me the five kinds of animals that have backbones (vertebrates) like people?” Petersen asked the students. “They are fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.”

At the beginning of the demonstration, Peterson brought out a turtle and asked the kids why they thought turtles have such long necks. They saw why when the turtle craned his neck to grab a roll of paper towels held by a boy.

The next friend to be introduced was a Gila monster.

“They are bright pink and poisonous,” Peterson said. “They like to eat bird eggs and they store food in their tail.”

Holding the microphone to a crate containing a diamond back rattler, Petersen cleared up some myths about snakes.

For those who fear snakes, Petersen asked the students how they could be afraid of something that is afraid of them.

“When you see a snake you should stay 10 feet away from him,” he said. “Snakes in America don’t chase you.”

In Petersen’s opinion, snakes have saved us from starvation by killing rats and mice.

“In the ecosystem, plants and animals connect,” said Petersen.

Introduced as the second deadliest snake in the world, the Gabon viper has the capability to eat porcupines.

“They have to swallow the head first,” Petersen said. “Now, that’s commitment.”

The Gabon viper doesn’t let go of its prey after it has struck but hangs on to it and waits for it to die. It is capable of swallowing large food items, like rabbits, guinea pigs or pigeons, and one report showed a Gabon viper attacked and ate an antelope.

A cobra, which is a native to Africa and Asia, was also part of the demonstration.

“Cobras hide. If the cobra feels trapped, it will stand up in the air,” Petersen said. “Smart animals don’t want to fight. If the cobra has to, it doesn’t let go and chews. The cobra can squirt poison 12 feet. The king cobra is 12 feet long. A mongoose can kill a cobra.”

Marlena Askren, a fourth grader in Mr. Chow’s class, had an up close and personal experience with a boa constrictor. She carried it around her neck.

A 10-foot long yellow Berman python weighed 60 pounds and was held by six of the audience.

“Oscar has over 300 back bones and 300 ribs,” Petersen said.

An anaconda is the biggest reptile.

The last guest to be introduced was Lucy the alligator.

“They are the smartest reptiles,” Petersen said.

Lucy was petted by the students at the end of the program as they passed by heading back to their classrooms.

Petersen brought back his friends for a performance that night. There, he introduced the deadliest snake, a black mamba. The mamba is the fastest snake in the world and Petersen’s is 10 feet long.

The children had an opportunity to have their picture taken with Lucy at the evening performance.

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