Reptiles Presentation

[reptiletalk]

hey everyone,

i have this idea for the last few months, to create a presentation for school kids about reptiles. Create a gentle introduction to the hobby and what it feels like to own reptiles. I would love to see your ideas, what to include in the presentation. Thanks in advance.

[Zoo Nanny]

I think educational presentations to school children are great. Parents seem to appreciate their children having the learning experience. Presentations as an introduction to the hobby I'm afraid you would get an awful lot of flack from fearful parents. I wonder if there is a way of combining the two together so it wouldn't feel as threatening to the parents.

[Tsubaki]

I used to give Reptile introduction classes at schools, did that a few years in a row at 3 different schools. I used to bring several animals representing different groups, and had one classroom reserved for the day which had room to put my transport tubs with uth's attached to them (And i would do this in the summer, so the ambient temperature would be sufficient). I brought a Bearded Dragon, a Boa Constrictor, a Retic and a corn snake. This was all approved by the school, and there was a permission slip that had to be signed by parents for their child to be allowed to attend. I don't think i have ever had a child not being allowed to come, i have had some parents show up to join the class though. The permission slip explained what the lesson would contain, also that the students would not be physically exposed to dangerous animals. The permission slip was required because some handling of harmless reptiles would take place.

I'd upload the actual presentation i used but it's in Dutch so thats not of much use to you. It was laid out like this though.

- What are reptiles, and what different kinds are there (With a picture slide).
- What kinds of reptiles are often kept as pet, why they are kept as pets + what general husbandry/care they require. (general care for commonly kept species)
- Is there a reptile suited for me? How to get started.
[This is where the Bearded dragon / corn-snake and the Boa came out, i would use the Boa and the corn-snake to differentiate between snake species. Together with some pictures. The bearded dragon was put on a table and would be fed pieces of apple (Always a huge hit, he loved those apples), the corn snake was held by the bravest amongst the kids. The boa used as a good explanation that not all reptiles appreciated to be handled by just anyone, and that they are not pets to be cuddled. He was a very flighty animal to hold, but not aggressive. But it helped explain that every reptile can be different, and that even though less common. Even cornsnakes can have a temper]
- Short talk about other terrarium animals Frogs/Salamanders/Spiders/Insects and a picture slide.
- Why are other reptiles are Not suitable as pets for the common keeper. (I used as examples venomous snakes, giant monitors, giant snakes, snapping turtles and crocodiles, with another picture slide)
[ The retic would come out, very grumpy animal, would be a big change from the very docile corn and the docile but flighty boa. It was very discouraging to most kids, real life example why giants are not something to take lightly even though the internet pictures make them look nice. It was also a good help in explaining that even though there are docile reptiles, not all of them Are docile. And that they should always assume the worst when considering purchasing a reptile as pet.]
- Question round.

And that was it basically :p

[reptiletalk]

I think educational presentations to school children are great. Parents seem to appreciate their children having the learning experience. Presentations as an introduction to the hobby I'm afraid you would get an awful lot of flack from fearful parents. I wonder if there is a way of combining the two together so it wouldn't feel as threatening to the parents.

Initially i want to give short description about snakes, lizards,turtles and tortoises with a nice powerpoint presentation. Then i will introduce some animals with great temperament. I had contact with some schools and they are very eager. Now i need some help to create the presentation. Nothing too deep but to cover most of the concept of having reptiles as pets. how to respect them and not be afraid of them.

[reptiletalk]

I used to give Reptile introduction classes at schools, did that a few years in a row at 3 different schools. I used to bring several animals representing different groups, and had one classroom reserved for the day which had room to put my transport tubs with uth's attached to them (And i would do this in the summer, so the ambient temperature would be sufficient). I brought a Bearded Dragon, a Boa Constrictor, a Retic and a corn snake. This was all approved by the school, and there was a permission slip that had to be signed by parents for their child to be allowed to attend. I don't think i have ever had a child not being allowed to come, i have had some parents show up to join the class though. The permission slip explained what the lesson would contain, also that the students would not be physically exposed to dangerous animals. The permission slip was required because some handling of harmless reptiles would take place.

I'd upload the actual presentation i used but it's in Dutch so thats not of much use to you. It was laid out like this though.

- What are reptiles, and what different kinds are there (With a picture slide).
- What kinds of reptiles are often kept as pet, why they are kept as pets + what general husbandry/care they require. (general care for commonly kept species)
- Is there a reptile suited for me? How to get started.
[This is where the Bearded dragon / corn-snake and the Boa came out, i would use the Boa and the corn-snake to differentiate between snake species. Together with some pictures. The bearded dragon was put on a table and would be fed pieces of apple (Always a huge hit, he loved those apples), the corn snake was held by the bravest amongst the kids. The boa used as a good explanation that not all reptiles appreciated to be handled by just anyone, and that they are not pets to be cuddled. He was a very flighty animal to hold, but not aggressive. But it helped explain that every reptile can be different, and that even though less common. Even cornsnakes can have a temper]
- Short talk about other terrarium animals Frogs/Salamanders/Spiders/Insects and a picture slide.
- Why are other reptiles are Not suitable as pets for the common keeper. (I used as examples venomous snakes, giant monitors, giant snakes, snapping turtles and crocodiles, with another picture slide)
[ The retic would come out, very grumpy animal, would be a big change from the very docile corn and the docile but flighty boa. It was very discouraging to most kids, real life example why giants are not something to take lightly even though the internet pictures make them look nice. It was also a good help in explaining that even though there are docile reptiles, not all of them Are docile. And that they should always assume the worst when considering purchasing a reptile as pet.]
- Question round.

And that was it basically :p

Thank you so much for your input. Exactly what i was looking for.

[reptiledude987]

My question on this would be is there some type of insurance required to do this? If by some off chance a child were to be bit by an animal (even a harmless cornsnake bite) could cause some parents to freak out. How was that factor addressed in these presentations?

[bigsnakegirl785]

I assume that's what the permission slips would be for, and I'd assume only certain animals would be allowed to be held or touched by the children. I could see letting the children hold a corn, but I wouldn't let any of the children hold a boa constrictor (unless it was small - 4' or under) no matter its temperament. Same with a retic. Touching, with the head held away, maybe, but I wouldn't let them hold them, as far as snakes go. I don't have much experience with lizards so not sure which ones would be ok for the children to touch/hold. I'd also bring some hand sanitizer for them to use if they touch the reptiles.

[Tsubaki]

Like i said only the cornsnake was ever held by any children, i held the boa myself and the kids weren't allowed near the retic :). They did enjoy feeding the beardy though!

[reptiledude987]

That makes sence but the reason I asked is because a couple years ago for my sons birthday party we paid to have a reptile show thru a local supplier. they brought a couple leos a beardie some BP's and a carpet python. I asked the guy who ran the presentation what was involved in doing shows (because I have most of the animals that were in the presentation). As in this case there were no permission slips involved he had to have an insurance policy in case something did happen. Even tho all the animals brought were typically docile theres always the remote possibility of an incident. Thats why I was wondering if that was the same scenario for school persentations but the permission slip thing makes sense.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Like i said only the cornsnake was ever held by any children, i held the boa myself and the kids weren't allowed near the retic :). They did enjoy feeding the beardy though!

Yup, I was agreeing with you on that. haha Both retics and boas are common in presentations, though so are Burmese pythons, so that's why I used them in my example. And corns, of course! It depends on what you have on hand, though. I'd say any small, thin, docile colubrid would be good for the kids to handle. Small boas and pythons could work, too, but I wouldn't let them handle an adult or large subadult boa constrictor, for liability and safety.

[Tsubaki]

The permission slip described the children would be allowed to come in direct contact with reptile considered harmless to humans, also only if they were brave enough. There was also a contact number for more information when wanted, some people called require what kind of reptile their kid would come into contact with. They were all satisfied with the description of a small snake that was not venomous, and not big enough to leave more than a scratch (Especially explaining a hamster bite would leave a more serious mark helped them understand). Some parents were a bit creeped out but said 'as long as i don't have to do it' :D

[Zoo Nanny]

There are available insurance providers in the US for animal presentations. A smart move to have the insurance. You would need to check in your country. You may also find out that schools will not hire you to come in without the insurance policy in place.

[reptiletalk]

There are available insurance providers in the US for animal presentations. A smart move to have the insurance. You would need to check in your country. You may also find out that schools will not hire you to come in without the insurance policy in place.

I will also check this out. Thanks for the tip.

[SSSSnakes]

This is what I do for my business for the last 35 years. If you want the real poop on Insurance, schools and safety issues, PM me and I will answer any of your questions.

[reptiletalk]

This is what I do for my business for the last 35 years. If you want the real poop on Insurance, schools and safety issues, PM me and I will answer any of your questions.

Thanks a lot.