Average Lifespan: 2-3 years
Average Length: male 20-25 cm, female 16-18 cm
Habitat: originated in Northern China, can now be found all over the world
Usual Diet: omnivorous, milk, meat, vegetables, poultry, eggs, grains, nuts, fruit
Captive Diet: Rat pellets, fruit, vegetables, peanuts
Mating: Females come into heat for 20 hours every 4-6 days and will mate with the dominant male.
Reproduction: Rats are very prolific. The gestation period is 21-23 days. They can have 2-14 young per litter, average is 7. Female rats can mate again within 8 hours of giving birth. Young are blind, naked, and helpless at birth. Their eyes open at 14-17 days old, and they are weaned at 3 weeks.
Special Features: Rats can eat up to 1/3 of their weight in 24 hours. Rats are good swimmers, jumpers and climbers and they can travel 2-3 miles in one night when foraging for food. They live in large groups with one male dominant over the others.

About this Wild Child...

These girls are highly active and athletic. They love their new home with all the tunnels and climbing structures. Joining us from a private home where they were raised as loved pets, all threerats have fabulous personalities and simply love their new career as program specialists! 

Average Lifespan: 10-15 years
Average Size: 10 in. 1.5 lbs
Habitat: Andes Mountains, Chile. Semi-arid areas
Usual Diet: Hardy, coarse grasses and herbs
Captive Diet: Chinchilla food, hay
Mating: Chinchillas mate for life, and the female is the dominant member of the relationship. Courtship begins by the male or female pulling out fur from the other.
Reproduction: Gestation is between 111 and 125 days, depending on altitude. That1s 4 times longer than a rabbit. Litters can be from 1-5 kits. They are born with open eyes and fully furred. Mother and pups remain together until autumn. Females can mate again as soon as a few hours after giving birth, thus allowing for up to 3 litters in a year. Chinchillas can become sexually mature in 5 months.
Special Features: Chinchillas have approximately 80-120 hairs per follicle, so they are extra soft and have no chance of being afflicted by fleas. Chinchillas big ears work as built in air conditioning – when the chinchillas become too hot, all the blood rushes to their ears. It’s like when humans blush – it feels hot on the inside and cool on the outside. A chinchilla’s fur will fall out if it gets wet. In the wild, Chinchillas roll around in volcanic ash to bathe - at CNC, they are given a dust bath every Sunday. They get the water they need from the plants they eat, as there is very little rain in their natural habitat.

About this Wild Child...
Tacora came to us as a rather obese chinchilla. But, put on a diet, she has become a very healthy and happy addition to CNC. She loves to eat hay, and she likes to run around her cage to get exercise. She loves attention and visitors, but she is a little shy. Don't be discouraged if she hides from you!

Average Lifespan: 20-30 years
Average Height: Up to 7 feet in length (from head to tail!)
Habitat: India, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Usual Diet: Seeds, grain, fruit, other plant material, and some small animals, like mice, insects and snakes.
Captive Diet: Grain and cracked corn
Mating: Peacocks are polygamous (they have more than one mate) and live in small families. With the onset of the mating season, the male displays its full trail of feathers to the females.
Reproduction: The female peacock (called a Peahen) are excellent Mothers and likewise peachicks are very easy to raise. Peahens build shallow nests made of sticks, leaves, and grass and lay 4-8 eggs, which are incubated for about 28 days. The young are watched over by the peahen until the peachicks are able to take care of themselves.
Special Features: The male peacock can raise his brilliantly-colored train of feathers, forming a stunning display. Female peacocks do not have a train of feathers like males.
Though peacocks can fly strongly for short distances, they rarely do fly.

About this Wild Child...
Native to India, this peacock was strangely found wondering around the Ithaca woods. CNC got a call asking to take the pesky thief away from neighborhood bird feeders. Peacocks are one of the most beautiful birds in the world, especially the males. Each year, Captain grows in his long train for the mating season and then drops these feathers in the summer. You can purchase his "eyelet" feathers in our gift shop and help pay for his food. Captain shares his home with a female pheasant, Casper. They are an odd couple, but very much in love!

Average Lifespan: 6-8 years
Average Length: Males - 35 inches, females - 25 inches
Habitat: Prairies, brushy areas, croplands
Usual Diet: Insects, seeds, berries, insects, even small rodents
Captive Diet: Cracked corn, grain, fruit
Mating: Male pheasants are usually polygamous, but monogamy is sometimes observed.
Reproduction: Females lay 8-15 eggs in April and the eggs hatch 22-27 days later. Chicks can fly when they are just 2 weeks old.
Special Features: Pheasants can fly at speeds up to 60 mph. They usually feed and nest on the ground and perch in trees at night.

About this Wild Child...
Casper came to us from a broken home. She hatched from a clutch with normal colored pheasants. She was the outcast, and her brothers and sisters picked on her. They would not let her eat with them, they would not let her play games with them, and they chased her away every time she came near. Now Casper spends her days with Captain, a male peacock. While it may seem an odd match, the two have become very good friends and now Casper can brag that she has the prettiest male in town living in her house!

Average Lifespan: 10-21 years
Average Length/weight/wingspan: 22 inches long, 2-4 lbs, 56 inch wingspan, the female is larger than the male
Habitat: North America, spreading from central Alaska to the mountains of Panama, Northern birds move south during the winter
Usual Diet: Small rodents, rabbits, snakes, lizards
Captive Diet: Rats, chickens
Mating: Both males and female exhibit mating displays, they circle and soar to great heights and then fold their winds and plummet to treetop level, they will repeat this display 5-6 times.
Reproduction: Red-tailed Hawks nest in March in tall trees (35-75 feet tall). They have 1-3 eggs per year. Eggs hatch after 28-32 days.
Special Features: The Red-tailed Hawk is the largest of the hawk family. The eyesight of a hawk is eight times as powerful as a human's.

About this Wild Child...
Gaji came to CNC after she was hit by a car and her right wing was amputated. Since she cannot fly, we have given her a safe home. Gaji has been with us for over 11 years and is currently retired from programming, but she loves visitors! 

Loki is our newest addition to our animal collection. He was shot by a hunter and his wing was unable to heal enough for him to be released, as he can only fly very short distances. Loki is now getting used to his new home next to Gaji. We are currently working with him in hopes that he will soon be able to be part of educational programs.

Because hawks mate for life, Gaji and Loki cannot be placed in an enclosure together, because they are not original mates and might not get along.

Average Lifespan: 20 years
Average Length: 12 inches from head to tail
Habitat: Continental Europe and Middle East, Africa
Usual Diet: fresh green leaves, fruit, seeds, insects
Captive Diet: bird seed
Mating: Males have a mating call, which is different from the call of the female. Both male and female will scream after mating.
Reproduction: Doves lay 2-3 eggs. The female will sit on the eggs for 18 hours and then the male will give her a break and sit on the nest for 6 hours.
Special Features: Males are distinguished by their courting activity which includes a typical bowing wherein the chest is puffed and the bill is touched to the ground while cooing rhythmically.

About this Wild Child...
Ripley has recently been trying to have more young, but has been unsuccessful possibly due to the age of her mate, Barnum. She is a shy bird, who enjoys resting in her nest with Barnum, perching on a branch, or bathing in the water bath.

Barnum is not as shy as Ripley and will perch on our hand if we present him the opportunity. He makes a beautiful mating call that will get anybody's attention! Barnum also enjoys perching on the branches and bathing in the water bath.

Average Lifespan: 15-20 yrs. 
Average Length: 12 inches 
Habitat: Native to the Australian scrubby desert. 
Usual Diet: A variety of seeeds, greens, fruits and vegetables. 
Captive Diet: Greens and fruit, Millet spray, seed mixture. 
Mating: In the wild, cockatiels will often pair for life, building their nests in tree hollows about 6 or more feet above the ground. 
Reproduction: The female will lay an egg every other day for a clutch of between 3 to 9 eggs. The incubation period is 18 - 20 days. The chicks will begin to leave the nest at about 5 - 6 weeks and will be totally independent about 2 weeks after leaving the nest. 
Special Features: In the wild, the cockatiel is predominately gray. But there are a variety of color variations, or mutations, from domestic breeding. Cockatiels are very docile and friendly to people as well as other birds. In the wild they live in groups of about twelve birds, though they will flock in the hundreds after breeding season and where food is plentiful. Consequently they can be housed very well with other small birds of the non-parrot family. Some cockatiels will learn to mimic human words, they have high pitched voices and are not the very best talkers. 

About this Wild Child... 
All three birds were donated after their owner realized she did not have the time to give them the attention they needed. When they first arrived, these birds were very afraid of being handled and became upset whenever approched.  Slowly, they are learning to enjoy their interaction with our handlers but it will be some time before these guys can be used in our education programs. When you come to visit, make sure you spend some time talking with them. Van loves to learn new tunes to whistle!  

Average Lifespan: 5-15 yrs.
Average Length: 9cm
Habitat: Native to the Australian grasslands.
Usual Diet: A variety of greens, fruits and vegetables.
Captive Diet: Greens and fruit, Millet spray, seed mixture, grit in the form of calcium.
Mating: Zebra finches are a joy to watch as they prepare their nest and raise their young. The mating dance and song of the male is a good indication that they are happy and ready to breed. The male ‘sings’ and bounces on the perch to attract the hen. He will soon try to jump on top of the hen. If she is willing, they will mate.
Reproduction: The hen will lay about one egg a day, for 3 to 8 eggs. They will start sitting on the eggs when she is done laying eggs. Both female and male help with the incubation but the female does most of it. The eggs should start hatching about 14 days after they start sitting.
Special Features: Zebra finches are attractive birds, and males are easily distinguished from the females. The males have black and white bars on the throat and breast, orange cheek patches and brown on the sides of the body. Both males and females have red-orange beaks, although the male's is much brighter in hue.

About this Wild Child...
The first ten zebra finches were a charitable donation...but they've had a few babies since then. They are very talkative birds but are still considerate to the other animals by chirping softly. Although small, they’re very quick!

Average Lifespan: 2 or more years
Average Length: Adults can grow to be 4 in. long.
Habitat: These critters are usually found in the Rainforests of Madagascar.
Usual Diet: Rotting plants, fruits, and vegetables and decaying animals.
Captive Diet: Wheat germ, fruits and vegetables
Mating: Courting takes place within a males territory, and females may go in and out of different territories. Males fight to win a territory. Females tend to mate with the winners before the losers.
Reproduction: Females carry the fertilized eggs in their abdomens for about 60 days till the nymphs hatch and emerge live from the mother. Nymphs molt about six times in their lives, and after the last time are sexually mature.
Special Features: Hissing roaches have thousands of tiny hairs on their legs and feet that help them climb up walls and aquariums. They are sometimes used as food for other pets like lizards and tarantulas

Average Lifespan: 7-10 years
Average Size: 12inches
Habitat: African rainforests
Usual Diet: Dead and decaying plant matter
Captive Diet: Rotten fruits and vegetables and wheat germ
Mating: When mating, the male always makes the first move. He follows the trail of pheromones the female leaves behind as she wanders around until he reaches her.
Reproduction: The female makes a small nest of compressed soil just below ground level. A few weeks after mating, the female lays 10 to 300 eggs in this nest. The eggs do not become fertilized until after laying, and are covered with a tough, resistant coating to protect them from predators and fluctuating environmental conditions. Gestation is roughly 3 months. Young millipedes are abandoned after hatching, but grow quickly and reach maturity in three to 10 years.
Special Features: Millipedes are considered “nutrient recyclers” since they eat dead plant materials lying on the ground, making them a highly valuable organism for the environment. Although their name literally means “thousand-legged,” most millipedes have no more than 300 legs. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment, and a mature millipede averages about 40-60 segments. Baby millipedes have only a few segments at birth, but grow quickly and add two to three segments each time they molt.

About this Wild Child...
Our five millipedes live with and enjoy the company of our Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. The Giant Millipedes are known for their non-aggressive disposition and their main defense mechanism is to curl up into a ball and excrete a defensive liquid! Get a close up look at these strange creatures when you come visit!

Average Lifespan: Females: 15 yrs. Males: 2yrs. 
Average Length: 5 inches 
Habitat: Native of Mexico, and is frequently found in Belize, El Salvador and Guatemala, where is can be found in deep burrows. 
Usual Diet: Arthropods and small vertebrates. 
Captive Diet: Live crickets. 
Mating: A male will being the mating process by spining a sperm web. This consists of a small band of thick silk open at both ends onto which the male deposits a small drop of sperm onto its underside. He then climbs on top of this web, reaches underneath and begins the process known as sperm induction. The male alternately dips his emboli (palpal bulbs) into the sperm, drawing it up until he is fully 'loaded'. He then dismantles this web and goes is search of a female. Once he finds her, he will attempt to creep up on her to "attack". The male must be very careful when mating, if he does not grab hold of her fangs or does not run off when done, the female will kill him. 
Reproduction: When the time is right, the female will start to dig up the substrate and start to lay silk around the tank walls. She will look for a suitable shelter where she can feel safe and will usually seal herself up inside. Over the following hours, the female will spin a dense mat of thick silk and deposit her eggs onto this, finally gathering together the sides of this mat to form a loose round ball. Over the next few months the female guards the eggs constantly, rotating them every few hours but rarely leaving them unattended. 
Special Features: This is a very handsome spider of the New World Brachypelma family of tarantulas, with very distinctive jet black legs and abdomen. The abdomen is liberally sprinkled with fine red hairs. 

About this Wild Child... 
Spindle was donated as a former pet. Female tarantulas can live a lonnnnnng time, perhaps longer then many pet owners are willing to accomodate. She is the most active tarantula we have ever had at the Nature Center and loves to climb over everything in her house.   

Gui & Shen
Chinese Box Turtles
(Curora flavomarginata)

Average Lifespan: Over 25 years
Average Length: 6-7 inches
Habitat: Forests in sub-tropical to temperate climate, ponds, rice patties, and streams, Southern China, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands
Usual Diet: Omnivorous, snails, worms, fruit
Captive Diet: Small mice, fruit, vegetables, and cat food
Mating: Mating occurs during late spring, summer, and fall. Courtship for box turtles involves some chasing and biting. The male stretches out his neck and sways back and forth so that the top of his head rubs against the female's chin. They will then play; taking turns chasing and trying to overturn each other. Eventually the male will try to bite the female and she will retreat into her shell and then they will mate.
Reproduction: Nesting occurs from March though August. The female will dig a nest that is 4 inches deep lay 2-3 clutches of 2-3 eggs per nest. The eggs are large, and take up a significant amount of space in her body, which is why she lays so few. Usually there is a month between laying clutches. Eggs hatch after 68-85 days.
Special Features: The upper and lower shells of box turtles are connected with a hinge, this allows them to completely shut their shells from predators.

About this Wild Child...
Gui used to live a solitary life as a classroom pet, but after she suffered an injury that has left a permanent scar on her head, she was delivered to CNC. She now lives with three other turtles and enjoys her daily excursion outside with a volunteer. We can't seem to convince her she is not a tree climber as she always wants to play in the exposed roots of our big tree. Gui is our oldest resident, she over 40, but we can not reveal her full age...she is a lady after all!

Shén is a 35 year-old male and his name means “smile” in Chinese. When you come to visit him you’ll see why! He is much more active than the other turtles, and loves to take a running dive into his swimming pool.

Average Lifespan: 5 to 10 years wild, up to 20 in captivity
Average Size: 5-11 inches
Habitat: They have been introduced all over the world including the Southeastern United States
Usual Diet: Aquatic insects, snails, tadpoles, crawfish, fish, crustaceans, and plants.
Captive Diet: A variety of fruits and vegetables as well as fish and small mice.
Mating: Female red-eared sliders are typically larger than males. Courtship involves a unique dance where the male will approach the female from the front, stretch out his front feet and vibrate his claws on the female's head or neck. The female will continue to swim forward while the male does this until she is receptive, then she will sink to the bottom for mating. Mating usually occurs from March to July.
Reproduction: The female can produce up to three clutches in a year, laying 4 to 19 eggs at a time in a shallow hole, ten inches wide on shore. The eggs will hatch 60 to 75 days later, usually from July to September, but they can spend the winter months in the nest and hatch in the spring.
Special Features: Red-eared Sliders get their name from the broad red stripe behind their eye and their habit of sliding into the water when startled. Red-eared sliders prefer quiet water with a muddy bottom and abundant vegetation, but they are also rarely found in moving waters. They can frequently be seen basking on rocks, logs, vegetation masses, and on banks.

About this Wild Child...
Lewie and Tabasco both came to us as former pets. Tabasco has just recently joined our three other aquatic turtles and is very happy with his new friends! You can see them swimming around in their tank or piled on top of each other to bask in the light.

Average Lifespan: Wild 18 years; Captivity 38 years
Average Length: 5-8 in.
Habitat: rivers, ditches, sloughs, lakes and ponds, Southeastern United States
Usual Diet: Insects, fruit and vegetables, and sometimes small rodents.
Captive Diet: Turtle pellets, worms, fruit
Mating: Male scooters will approach female, stretch out front feet, and vibrate their long claws on the female's head and neck and bite her. If the female is receptive she will sink to the bottom and the male will mate her from a vertical position. Mating lasts up to 15 minutes.
Reproduction: Females have from 1-3 clutches in a season. Nests are dug 2-4 inches deep in soil. A clutch can have from 4 to 23 eggs. It takes 2-2.5 months before young hatch.
Special Features: Male scooters have a unique courtship dance that they will do any time between March and July. It only attracts female scooters.

About this Wild Child...
L. T. is a small turtle, her name actually comes from Little Turtle. She lives in a large swimming pond with three of her friends. Though L. T. is still quite shy with her caretakers, she has become inseparable from Lewie and Picasso. L. T. can often be found piled on top of the larger turtles taking refuge from her long day of swimming and getting as close as she can to the basking light. 

Average Lifespan: 40-60 years
Average Length: 4.5-6 in.
Habitat: Shallow water with vegetation, Eastern United States
Usual Diet: Aquatic vegetation, insects, crayfish, and small mollusks
Captive Diet: Pinky mice, fruit, turtle pellets
Mating: The male seeks out the female and swims after her and then show off by swimming backwards. He brushes against her cheeks and if she is receptive, they will sink to the bottom of the lack or river to mate.
Reproduction: The female lays 6-12 eggs in May or June, and buries them in a hole in the soil. The eggs may hatch 2-3 months later, but some eggs do not hatch until the following spring. The hatchlings always go immediately into the water.
Special Features: Painted turtles are the most common and widely distributed turtles in the Untied States. They like to spend their time swimming in ponds and slow moving streams. The red and yellow markings on the painted turtle make it easy to identify.

About this Wild Child...
Picasso is a true artist. She prefers swimming to resting and eating, always trying to perfect her moves in the water. Picasso spends her days showing off by holding her breath longer than the other turtles she lives with. Even her best friend, L.T., takes a break from swimming on occasion, but not Picasso. So when you come to visit, lookunder water for the painter, she'll be there, guaranteed.

Average Lifespan: 50 yrs.
Average Size: 6-8 inches long
Habitat: Russia, Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan, Northern and Eastern Iran, North Western China and Kazakhstan. Most commonly found in sand and clay deserts with sparse grasses and bushes.
Usual Diet: Vegetation, mostly grasses, flowers and leaves
Captive Diet: Greens and fruit
Mating: Most mating takes place the first few weeks after they come out of hibernation. Males initiate mating by circling the female and bobbing its head. He will often bite the front legs of the female at times pulling off scales.
Reproduction: Three to five eggs are the usual number for a clutch of eggs, hatching in August or September depending on when they were laid. In the wild, some hatchlings may overwinter and not appear until the next late spring.
Special Features: Tortoises are different than turtles. Tortoises are entirely land dwelling animals, whereas turtles are semi-terrestrial. There are about 50 species of tortoises, with a few native to the USA, such as the gopher tortoise. Tortoises are not usually considered to be small in size, with the well-known Galapagos tortoise as one of the largest weighing up to 600 pounds!

About this Wild Child…
Timothy and Tupper came to us as former pets. The only way to tell them apart is by looking at their bottom shells. Tupper has a squiggly line on his tummy!

Average Lifespan: 18-20 years
Average Length: 17-24 inches
Habitat: tropical savannah woodland, open country with lots of ground cover, West Australia
Usual Diet: insects, snails, carrion, flowers, fruit
Captive Diet: canned cat food, and vegetables
Mating: The male will continually bite the female and as a result injury can occur during mating. The male finally bites the female behind the neck before they mate.
Reproduction: Skinks have a 4 month gestation and are born live. Skinks have 5-20 young at a time. Young take care of themselves and disperse within a few days of birth.
Special Features: Blue-tongued skinks bask in the mornings to raise their body temperature to 30-35 degrees Celsius. Skinks can shed their tails to escape predators. They have moveable, transparent lower eyelids that protect the eyes from dust and allow them to see at the same time. They ingest small stones to help digest their food.

About this Wild Child...
Jackie is a strange animal. Her stocky body and stubby legs make her look very funny, and her blue tongue doesn't help her look any more normal. Like many of the snakes, Jackie likes to hide under her bark, unless it's feeding time. If you are lucky, you can see her stretch. That's about all the physical activity you'll ever see Jackie do.

Average Lifespan: 10 yrs. in captivity
Average Weight: 10-18oz / 13 to 24 inches long including tail
Habitat: Central Australia. They prefer semi-arid to arid woodland habitats
Usual Diet: Plant matter, insects, spiders, and the occasional small rodent or lizard
Captive Diet: Adult Bearded Dragon food, fruits, greens, and insects.
Mating: The beard is used for both mating and aggression displays. Both sexes have a beard, but males display more frequently, especially in courtship rituals. Breeding season is during the warm summer months.
Reproduction: Sexual maturity is reached at 1 to 2 years of age. Mature females typically lay clutches of 11 to 16 oblong leathery eggs in early summer. The eggs are laid in nests dug in sandy soil and the unattended young hatch 3 months later.
Special Features: When intimidated, they flatten their bodies and stand erect with mouth gaping. The light-colored mouth lining, spines bordering the lower jaw and puffed-out blackish beard give an intimidating appearance. This defensive display has earned these lizards the common name of "bearded dragon". Their ability to change shades of color, from light to dark, helps them to regulate body temperature.

About this Wild Child…
Yarrei and Yur-ro came to us as former pets. They like to be handled by the animal caretakers and will stay perched on their shoulders during education programs. You may see Yarrei occasionally bobbing his head up and down to attract his mate! Yur-ro doesn't seem all that impressed though...

Average Lifespan: 25 to 30 Years
Average Length: 15 Feet
Habitat: Central and South America
Usual Diet: Young birds
Captive Diet: Small chicks, and rats
Mating: Both males and females have spurs at the end of their tails, which are used to stimulate each other for mating.
Reproduction: Young are born alive, and average in length of 20 inches. Usually 20-60 young in each brood.
Special Features: The boa's reaction to danger is either to flee or to threaten by hissing, a noise like escaping steam that can be heard over a distance of 100 feet. Despite all the hair-raising stories told about boas, they prefer to live a quiet life and only as a last resort defend themselves by biting.

About this Wild Child...
Bella in French means "beautiful". This snake deserves her name because, not only is she beautiful, but she is very vain. Bella likes nothing more than to show off, and is very disgruntled when another snake is chosen over her to do a program. To keep her happy, we must feed her first on feeding days. Bella is not shy and will show us when she is upset by pretending to strike.

Average Lifespan: 25 years
Average Length: Usually no more than 3 feet.
Habitat: Lives in rock outcrops, semi-desert, brushy hillsides, or pine forests. Found in the western US from Baja California to Arizona to Texas.
Usual Diet: Mice, lizards, birds, other snakes
Captive Diet: Mice
Mating: Mating takes place from March to June, and king snakes do not mate for life.
Reproduction: Lays about 2 dozen eggs in rotten logs. Hatchlings emerge about 2 months later.
Special Features: King snakes are wholly or partially immune to the venom of rattlesnakes and will kill and eat them. In the presence of a king snake a rattler will neither strike nor rattle, but will lay with head low and raise center part of its body in a loop, with which it will strike heavy blows to the king snake.

About this Wild Child...
Elvis is a star here at CNC. He loves hiding under his bark, most likely to get away from all of his adoring fans. He is a beautiful snake, with a great pattern of yellow and black. And don't let his plumpy size and lazy attitude trick you, he would fight any of our other snakes, if he had the chance. We don't call him "The King" for nothing!

Average Lifespan: 25 years
Average Length: 3-6 feet
Habitat: Found in prairie environments in central US. It is often found near rocky outcrops and clumps of vegetation, as well as under rocks, logs and debris from sea level to 7000 feet.
Usual Diet: Feeds on other snakes, lizards, birds and their eggs, small mammals, turtles and frogs.
Captive Diet: Mice
Mating: Mating takes place from March to June.
Reproduction: Females lay 4-20 eggs, which hatch about 2-3 months later.
Special Features: The King snake locates and identifies rattlesnakes at night with its sense of smell. It immediately bites and surrounds its victim with suffocating coils, as a Boa Constrictor would do. When the rattlesnake is well exhausted, the King snake simply swallows it whole, while still alive.

About this Wild Child...
Henry is a very regal animal. He is our larger king snake, and like Elvis, he enjoys hiding under his bark.

Average Lifespan: 20 years
Average Length: 5 feet
Habitat: Equatorial Western Africa
Usual Diet: Rodents, small mammals, small birds, large insects
Captive Diet: Frozen and than thawed mice and chicks
Mating: Ball Pythons mate by chance; that is the males seek out females, but as they are a slow moving snake, it may take months or even years for two snakes to find each other in order to mate.
Reproduction: The mature female will lay 20-30 eggs once a year
Special Features: The Ball Python is considered a "mild" constrictor. It patiently waits for prey to find it and does not move very far from its chosen home except to find a mate. Snakes feel approaching danger through vibrations in the ground. While most snakes will seek a hiding spot or slither away when threatened, the Ball Python, true to its name, curls into a very tight ball with it head buried in its own curls.

About this Wild Child...
Well...we always thought we had two male pythons. And then Koosh laid six eggs. So we were wrong. Koosh is spending her days high in the branches of her enclosure. Nerf likes to dig under the tree and sleep in the dark shadows of his larger mate. Both of these snakes can be seen doing programs both on and off-site. Because they always behave and remain calm no matter what the situation, they are a staff favorite. Maybe one day, they will lay eggs that hatch. 

Machi
Corn Snake
(Elaphe guttata)

Average Lifespan: Estimated at 20-25 years
Average Length: 3 to 5 feet
Habitat: Primarily in the Southeastern United States. They like wooded areas, abandoned buildings, and trash piles.
Usual Diet: Corn snakes will eat mice, rats, lizards, and small birds.
Captive Diet: Domestic mice and chicks
Mating: The male will follow a selected female for hours. When the opportunity presents itself, the male crawls repeatedly over her back, executing wave-like body movements.
Reproduction: Corn snakes usually reach sexual maturity at about 18-36 months. They mate from March to May. Clutches vary from 3 to 21 eggs, which usually hatch in July through September.
Special Features: The corn snake, also known as the red rat snake, is one of several species of rat snakes in the United States. Rat snakes are large, powerful, non-venomous snakes, which feed on a variety of prey species which they overpower by constriction.

In the wild, corn snakes normally vary in shades of orange and brown. These colors help to camouflage the snake in its natural environment, enabling it to blend with leaf litter and earth colors. In captivity, different variations of color have been developed by breeding selectively chosen snakes with defective color pigment genes. As a result, captive corn snakes can vary in color from gray and black, to red and orange, or to nearly all white (albino). When corn snakes feel threatened, they will vibrate their tail--they are rattlesnake wannabees!

About this Wild Child...
Machi has a very playful personality. He is always on the move and loves to explore when his handlers take him outside to play. He is one of the smallest snakes here at CNC and is also one of the prettiest (but don’t tell him we said so)! His gorgeous color makes him stand out from the other snakes and also helps him gain some extra attention from visitors.

Average Lifespan: 20-25 yrs
Average Length: 36-96 inches
Habitat: All over the United States, from desert to grassland, to mountain forests.
Usual Diet: Small rodents, young rabbits, lizards, eggs, birds and occasionally other snakes. Prey is killed by constriction and suffocation.
Captive Diet: Baby chickens and mice
Reproduction: Six weeks after mating, females lay a clutch of eggs with 2 to 24 eggs each. Hatchlings emerge fully developed within 10 weeks, and are large enough to eat small mice. Gopher snakes in the wild reach maturity in 3 to 4 years.
Special Features: Keeled scales. Gopher snakes are very aggressive and will hiss and strike at disturbances. Mainly diurnal, cold-blooded Gopher Snakes often change their activity patterns to become nocturnal during the intense heat of the summer. Gopher Snakes may be observed sunning on the slick rock, or drawing heat from the pavement during the day, to ready themselves for active nights.

About this Wild Child...
Terrto is another very friendly snake. He will gladly be picked up, and will turn himself into a bracelet on your arm. He is a very active snake here, and he likes lots of attention.