Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Herpetology Show Tohono Chul Park Tucson, Arizona May 2015

                     A Gopher snake; non venomous they like to act like rattlers.

Location: Tohono Chul is located in west Tucson on Paseo Del Norte off of Ina Road. The park is open daily from 9-4 pm. Make sure to bring sunscreen and sunblock because temperatures can be hot even during the winter. Admission is about $14 per visitor and yearly passes are available for purchase.

While visiting Tohono Chul on a Friday, Quintin and I watched a splendid reptile show at one of the pavilions at the park. The show lasted over an hour and it featured about seven snakes, two turtles and a Gila monster. The reptiles are all owned by the Tucson Herpetological Society.    The docents were also very informative and gave excellent information about each animal. Except for the Gila monster and rattlesnake, a docent walked around with each animal for individuals to touch and see up close.  What is obvious at shows like this is that the younger generation has a healthier attitude towards snakes and their place in the ecosystem. The show takes places every Friday at 10 am through May and is part of the admission to the park..

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                    Coachwhip they eat many types of rodents.

                Sonoran king snake. They are constrictors and will eat many different types of rodents and snakes including rattlesnakes.

                 Milksnake; named because it likes to hang out in barns.

                  Mountain kingsnake

                   Mud turtle

                         Gila monster

                    Gopher snake

Arizona mountain king snake

                                        Mountain King snake

                         Western diamondback rattlesnake