Handling at the Zoo

    Danny Creelman
    Mrs. Dunsten Hoover
    AP Language
    12th September 2019

    For the past 4 summers, I have been a volunteer at the Cincinnati Zoo. This most recent summer, unlike others, I was able to handle animals in the program I am in. These animals consisted mostly of small reptiles, but there were a few outliers, such as Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. A good majority of the animals I handled were snakes, all of which were different in species and personality. My two favorite snakes to handle were the Brazilian Rainbow Boa and the Kenyan Sand Boa. While they both were boas, the differences between these two snakes could not have been more apparent. 
    The Kenyan Sand Boa is a funky looking fella, who on average, reaches about 20 inches. They have the face of a sock puppet, with eyes that stick out of its head like they were glued on. Lastly, Sand Boas have long cylindrical bodies, that only taper at the very end. Brazilian Rainbow Boas look practically the opposite. Measuring around 5 feet long, they have narrow faces that end in dog-like snouts. Their eyes are similar to other snakes: reflective, round, and black, resembling a puppy dog. 
Besides their looks, these animals also act very different. Rainbow Boas are arboreal, meaning they live in trees. This makes them very active climbers, wrapping their limber bodies around anything that they can find. Most of the time you are their tree, where they climb and twirl around your arms and fingers, eager to see what surrounds them. Compared to the Rainbow Boa, The Kenyan Sand Boa is not active at all. She likes to sit flat in your hands, like a noodle on a dinner plate. This is typical behavior for any Sand Boa, as they are ambush predators. We like to show guests how they hide in the sand by putting her in a bin full of sand, which she slowly digs herself into. However, both snakes are very sweet. They are used to people coming up to them, and they often enjoy the attention.

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