Reptiles take the stage at Isabella High School
Published 9:13 am Friday, March 24, 2017
Rebecca Yarbrough Tucker holds a bull snake while presenting at Isabella High School. (Photos by JOYANNA LOVE/ ADVERTISER)
The copperhead is one of four poisonous snakes in the United States. Rebecca Yarbrough Tucker holds this snake during a presentation.
Rebecca Yarbrough Tucker shows a king snake to students at Isabella High School during the Yarbroughs Educational Reptiles show.
Lori A. Feazell holds a yellow rat snake during the Yarbroughs Educational Reptiles presentation.
Rebecca Yarbrough Tucker holds a mata mata turtle.
Rebecca Yarbrough Tucker shows a tegu lizard to students at Isabella High School.
By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer
ISABELLA — Reptiles of various shapes and sizes were stars of the show during the Yarbroughs Educational Reptiles presentation at Isabella High School.
Lori A. Feazell and Rebecca Yarbrough Tucker told students about a variety of snakes, highlighting the ones that live in this region of Alabama, including a variety or rats snakes.
“Without snakes, you would have too many rats and mice around,” Tucker said.
Tucker said most people who get bit by a snake are “trying to kill them or trying to catch it.”
“I always tell the students get an adult, get a grown up to do that job,” Tucker said.
She said king snakes should be left alone because they eat other snakes, rats, lizards and fish.
Because so many snakes have been killed, some varieties are rare in this area. Tucker said this is the case for the bull snake because of forests being cut down. This snake makes a loud hissing sound when it is frightened.
“But they hardly ever bite anyone,” Tucker said.
Snakes come in a variety of colors, but the boa is the most colorful. Tucker said the colors of the rainbow can be seen when sunlight hits a boa’s scales.
Boas give birth to live young, while pythons lay eggs.
Screams arose when one snake was placed on the floor, even though it was far away from the audience.
Each of the four venomous snakes found in the United States were shown with the Yarbroughs Educational Reptiles duo highlighting ways to spot them, and stay safe around them.
Tucker said the nonvenomous king snake has red and black rings of color touching, while the venomous coral snake has red and yellow rings of color touching.
“The coral snake lives much further south and you hardly ever hear about them around here,” Tucker said.
Copperheads on the other hand are found in this part of Alabama.
“I bring all of the poisonous snakes that you have around because I feel like if you know what they look like, know where they live, maybe you can make sure that you never get bitten by one,” Tucker said.
She said told students to walk around piles of sticks rather than on top of them because a snake could be under them.
It was also pointed out that water moccasin snakes are found in a variety of locations, not just near the water.
Rattlesnakes make noise when they are frightened and sense movement. Tucker warned against running away from the sound because the person could be running closer to the snake when they think they are running away from it. After spotting a snake, the safest thing to do is stand still and then walk away slowly.
In addition to the myriad of snakes, a tortoise, tegu lizard, mata mata turtle and alligator joined the fun.
