An Afternoon at Roaring Brook Nature Center with Monty, Scarlet & Rizzo

Monty, Scarlet and the others accompanied Roaring Brook Nature Center’s Director Jay Kaplan to Hartford the other day. They participated in a presentation for the S.P.H.E.R.E program, an academic summer camp for the enrichment of Hartford young people, which takes place at the Watkinson School. While Kaplan did the talking, it was his crew that probably got the bulk of the attention. It’s hard to compete with a snake.

Kaplan takes Monty and several other snakes on the road about once or twice a month, to educate people about snakes' habits and habitats. The presentations can include snakes that are native to Canton, the state of Connecticut, or other parts of the world.

About Town sat down with Kaplan and Monty too for that matter, to find out more.

AT: How many poisonous snakes are found in Canton?

JK: None. However, there are venomous Copperhead in Simsbury and Avon. They don’t travel much, so it is not likely you’ll run into one here in Canton.

AT: Do snakes make good pets?

JK: People should call or even come into the Nature Center, to have a lengthy discussion with us prior to buying a snake as a pet, so that they know what they’re getting themselves into.

Snakes do not develop the types of bonds that mammals or birds do with their owners. And they can live into their 20s, so it’s a long-term commitment. We just had a Boa, Floyd, that passed away at age 28.

In any case, people should never bring home wild-caught snakes. They may bite, often do not eat well in captivity and may even carry parasites.  

AT: Tell me something about Monty.

JK: He’s a Ball Python, a native of sub-Saharan Africa. Monty was another unwanted pet that ended up at the Nature Center.

However while at the Nature Center, Monty has become very accustomed to being handled. He’s attended Sam Collins Day for years and has entertained thousands of students.

AT: How about Scarlet? She’s white!

JK: She’s an albino California King Snake. Albino animals don’t last very long in the wild, so you really only find them in captivity. What’s unusual about the California King is that they’re able to eat other snakes, including venomous ones.

While Scarlet was still living at her previous owner’s home, she got loose and went missing for a couple of weeks. They found her in their basement, eating a wild, Ringneck snake!

AT: And Rizzo?

JK: Rizzo, a partial albino Corn Snake, has been around for about 14 years, but he only recently returned to the Nature Center. He’s been borrowed by the Loomis Chaffee School, as well as other schools over the years. So, he goes back and forth.

AT: Any last words about snakes?

JK: They’re not slimy, although they do slither!

Here’s the Deal

Roaring Brook Nature Center, 70 Gracey Road, Canton; 860-693-0263; www.roaringbrook.org: rbnc@thechildrensmuseum.org.

Meet Monty, Scarlet and Rizzo at Snakes Alive!, a Nature Center presentation on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011 at 2 p.m.