Science Museum of Western Virginia: Live Animals

Our Live Animals are on public display.

School groups can request an animal demonstration.

Live animals are also featured at birthday parties!

Of the thirty species of reptiles which have a home at the Science Museum, these are among the ones who most frequently meet the public.

BALL PYTHON "Lumpy"
Scientific Name: Python regius meaning ”royal python.”
Size: 3-5 ft, one of the smallest pythons in the genus.
Habitat: West African grasslands, savannahs, and scrub forests.
Diet: In the wild, anything that can fit into its mouth, such as small rodents, injured birds, etc. In captivity, it eats mice and small rats.
Life Span: 15-20 yrs in captivity.

They are named "Ball" pythons because they will curl up in a ball when frightened. Their thick bodies and short tails indicate they are terrestrial and they usually don’t climb. For a pet, captive-bred ball pythons are among the best snakes to have, but one captured in the wild is one of the worst. It may have parasites, and it usually won't keep a regular feeding schedule.

BEARDED DRAGON
Scientific Name: Pagona vitticeps.
Size: 16-24 inches.
Habitat: Australian open grasslands and thorn shrub.
Diet: (omnivorous) In the wild: crickets, small mice, greens, fruits, worms, cockroaches. In captivity: crickets, mealworms, leafy greens, and fruits.
Life Span: 10-15 yrs in captivity.

Males will sit atop a fence post or rock for hours just defending its territory. When they see another male, they’ll puff their spiny throats up and it sticks out, looking like a beard. When they’re scared, their beards will turn black. When choosing a pet, always choose one over 5 inches. The smaller ones are the most delicate.

CORN SNAKE
Scientific Name: Elaphe gutatta, in the rat snake family.
Size: 2–5 feet.
Habitat: SE USA and down into Mexico; in wooded groves, rocky hillsides, meadows, barnyards, and along streams and springs.
Diet: In the wild: mice, rats, birds, bats. In captivity: mice and rats.
Life Span: up to 21 years in captivity.

Underbelly resembles the color of Indian corn. Corn snakes are nocturnal. The corn snake readily climbs trees and enters abandoned houses and barns looking for prey.

EASTERN BOX TURTLE
Scientific Name: Terrapene carolinas.
Size: 4-8.5 inches.
Habitat: East coast, expands to Michigan down to eastern Texas as well, in terrestrial, moist forested areas, wet meadows, pastures, and floodplains.
Diet: In the wild: slugs, strawberries, and mushrooms that are often poisonous to humans. Many who have eaten box turtle have died from the toxins in the mushrooms. In captivity, diet consists of leafy greens, fruit and veggies, crickets and mealworms.
Life Span: 50+ years in captivity.

In the wild, if the habitat remains constant, a box turtle will spend its whole life in the area the size of a football field. Native Americans used to hunt this turtle for the meat, and then used the shell for rattles during rituals. Males have red eyes, females have yellowish-brown eyes.