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Biologist Megan Rasmussen (L) holds a Pueblan milk
snake, while Fiona Robertson holds an Eastern milk snake, Katie Brolese
holds a box turtle, and Hannah Bos holds a Honduran milk snake |
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Twenty-four girls in Grades 4-7 spent their Friday
morning off school (Professional Development Day) at the Bruce Power
Visitors' Centre, learning about "The Adaptations for Survival" - how
animals protect themselves in the wild, the importance of a turtle
shell, camouflage and mimicry, and hibernation.
Part of the Girls In Real Life Science (GIRLS) club, hosted by Ontario
Power Generation (OPG) and the Women in Nuclear (WiN) - Bruce, the
program was taught by biologist Megan Rasmussen of Orillia and her
repertoire of reptiles. She presented a real-life box turtle, outlining
its characteristics and what it does to protect itself from predators.
She also showed various species of milk snake, including the Eastern
milk snake and the Coral snake, a garter snake, snapping turtle,
Blanding turtle, painted turtle, ball python and a crested gecko.
"The baby painted turtles are amazing," she said. "They hatch from the
eggs and stay in the nest in a frozen state over the winter and then
emerge in the spring. Wood frogs do that too."
Definitely in her element, Rasmussen enjoys researching and writing
about the reptiles, but she loves showing them to students and teaching
them about the animals. The snakes come from "Sciensational Snakes" of
Orillia, while the program, "Reptiles at Risk on the Road," is sponsored
by Laurentian University in Sudbury, CARCNET (the Canadian Amphibian and
Reptile Conservation Network), the Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources, and Environment Canada.
"The focus is generally on native animals," said Rasmussen, "but most of
these students have seen a lot of that, so we brought in some more
exotic animals for them to see and handle."
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Megan Rasmussen displays an Eastern milk snake, native to
Ontario She told the girls that wild snakes bite only
if they are hungry or if they are eating. The snake has an excellent
sense of smell so it sticks out its tongue in order to figure out what's
around it. Without the use of its tongue, it's like one of the girls
walking around with her eyes closed.
"If you're scared of something in the wild, leave it alone," said
Rasmussen. "Give the animals the respect they deserve, even if they're
completely harmless."
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