Snake Rattle and Roll

Don’t Tread on Them

By: Charles Giuliano - May 29, 2010

Astrid checking out the museum.

The snake museum is located near the Texas/ New Mexico border.

It’s four bucks for adults.

A homey setting.

The attendant was friendly and informative.

The prize specimen is an albino rattler which was bred in house.

All the specimens were captured locally.

A large rattler.

Up close with a mean looking insect.

A local tarantula.

Here’s looking at you.

Togetherness.

Interesting patterns.

A sidewinder,

Leaping lizards,

Tarantula.

Captured.

They are fed mice and rats.

Waiting for dinner.

An appropriate flag.

 

The serendipity of American highways.

Round the bend coming out of South West Texas we encountered this collection. After a moment of discussion we decided to take a look.

It was a funky little space and our press passes failed to impress. So we opted to spend the four bucks each.

Far as one could tell we were among the few visitors that day. Seems the owner was out hunting snakes. The sitter was himself a bit of a critter but full of frontier charm in a gruff kind of way.

Seems all the specimens were locally captured and raised. Depending on size they are fed either mice or rats. We were told it is quite a sight come feeding time.

The albino rattler, the prize of the collection, was bred in house.

As they say what’s worse than finding a worm in an apple? Half a worm. Better to encounter these critters on display than down by the creek.

Compared to the TV documentary we viewed on thousands of  Burmese Python and Nile Lizards in the Everglades these snakes looked down right cute and friendly.