It is not every day that you get to spend quality time with reptiles of all stripes. But on the first Tuesday of the month from now until September, you can. Nonprofit Sonoran Reptiles will host free “Snakes! Lizards! Tortoises!” events at Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village in an effort to educate the public about these reptiles. Only non-venomous creates are handled. The hands-on experience is key. “You don’t really gain respect or an understanding of a creature until you’re able to experience it and actually touch it. That’s what really creates the connection. That’s what gets people asking questions, and that’s what we want,” says Brett Smith, founder and president of Sedona-based Sonoran Reptiles. Sonoran Reptiles has been doing educational events throughout the Verde Valley for a few years and recently gained its nonprofit status. In addition to educational events, relocating snakes and teaching people about safety around these animals, the organization also rescues and rehabilitates reptiles. Sonoran Reptiles hopes to open a public brick-and-mortar space in Sedona in the near future.
On average, Sonoran Reptiles will have nine volunteers on hand to answer questions. Each volunteer is assigned to an animal. Typically, the group will bring nine non-venomous animals you can touch and four to six venomous animals locked in cages. Specifically, you might see an Arizona black rattlesnake, black-tailed rattlesnake, western diamondback rattlesnake, California kingsnake and gopher snake. You might also see a Gila monster – one of the only venomous lizards in the world – and a Sonoran desert tortoise. Volunteers will discuss the animals, answer questions about them, and if you feel comfortable, let you hold the animals. Although the idea of touching reptiles might make most of us feel a bit uneasy, Brett says it’s common for people to be hesitant. “The opposite of fear is knowledge. We say the more you know about them, the less you fear because the more you understand,” says Brett. “So we have people that are coming, completely terrified. And by the end of it, they’ll have snakes crawling on them. And they’re taking pictures, and they love it.”
Look forward to learning more about these creatures – native species are important to the ecosystem. “We want people to be genuinely interested in what we’re trying to share with them about these animals,” says Brett. – Teresa K. Traverse
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