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Have I ever discussed our resident diamond-backed rattlesnake? His name is Gary (Meow!) and he makes appearances during my "Venomous Snakes of Texas" classroom presentations here at the Living Materials Center. Gary came to mind because of a thank you letter from a student.
Gary is an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake that came to us from a veterinarian who decided to do an experiment. He surgically tied off the ducts that transport the venom from the glands in the jaws to the fangs in the front of the mouth. To avoid having to say, “The operation was a success, but the patient died” the good doctor passed Gary along to us because the snake had refused to eat. After a little TLC and some force-feeding he came through the crisis with all but his venom. Gary is harmless but doesn’t know it, so he still acts like a rattlesnake. I always make a point to tell my audiences this to assure them of their safety. I tell the teachers before the show and the students after I have shown the rattlesnake.
I visited Rice Middle School one day last week and made an animal presentation to the entire sixth grade. I hoisted Gary on a snake stick and walked the length of the cafeteria with students and teachers seated on both sides. As I spoke I was backing up and forgot about a short step-down. I lost my balance for a moment and the crowd on either side spread out.
The next day, in our school mail, I found that every sixth grader at the presentation had sent a thank you note. There was one written by Braxton Dorn that I will never forget.
"Dear Mr. Dunlap, I learned 3 things today. # 1. A deer may be cute, but don't take it in for a pet. They are illegal to be pets. #2. Don't have a crocodile as a pet. Remember, big things come in small packages." And the number three thing that Braxton learned was "#3. Don't sit in front of a teacher next to the middle isle. If you do, you will be thrown off the bench by a frightened teacher!"
I love this job!
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