SALISBURY — The Rowan Public Library’s Big Show began with the first of the library’s Summer Reading Series taking place at the main branch at 201 W. Fisher St., featuring Big Show Rowan Wild.
On June 1, Rowan Wild’s Amy Cesak, education naturalist and Ashleigh Miller, part time education naturalist, came with three of their friends from the nature facility, which is located inside of Dan Nicholas Park, 6800 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury.
Children and adults gathered at the library for the program, during which time they brought out three friends, Mrs. Nacho the turtle, Miss Lucy the hedgehog and Mr. Grumpy the snake, for them to see and learn about.
Cesak said the animals would be brought around so they could see them up close and encouraged everyone to not touch the animals and only look at them so they would not be scared.
The first animal introduced to the group was Mrs. Nacho, an Eastern box turtle, which Cesak said is native to North Carolina and these turtles are special for multiple reasons.
The first, she said, “is because they are North Carolina’s state reptiles. She represents us North Carolinians.”
Secondly, this box turtle can do something no other turtle can do, and after showing the line on her stomach, said that this line acts as a hinge on a door.
“When she gets scared, she can pull her head and legs in and close her front and back doors and be completely boxed off. And when she is boxed up, her shell is hard because it’s made of bone and her shell protects her entire body.”
Miller pointed out as she took the turtle around to show everyone, that Mrs. Nacho’s head and legs remained out and wasn’t scared of the group.
Cesak noted multiple things about the turtle’s shell including that she was born with it and it grows with her, that it has scales on it to protect the shell, which in turn protects her entire body and that these scales are made of keratin, much like nails and hair.
Lastly, she said the shell has rings and as one counts the rings on a tree to determine age, one can do the same for her. Cesak said that Mrs. Nacho is between 45 and 50, and could live to be 80-100 years old.
She also pointed out that the Eastern box turtle is the only land turtle in the state with most of the turtles here living underwater, and they have toenails and dig holes to hibernate in the winter.
The next friend brought lots of oohs and ahhs from the crowd as they introduced Miss Lucy, an African pygmy hedgehog.
Cesak asked the children if Miss Lucy was big or small and they responded by shouting out ‘small’ and she told them she was full grown. And, she added, she is considered a prey animal, meaning, she said, “that another animal considers them food. Being a prey animal, she has to have a lot of ways to defend herself.”
One way she can do that is she is nocturnal, coming out at night and sleeping during the day, using her nose to smell things at night.
Another defense mechanism is the spikey hairs on her back, which hurt when they stick out straight, said Cesak.
“Unlike a porcupine, she cannot lose her quills,” she said. She took an example of a porcupine quill around for all to see and feel.
During the questions and answer time, one of the children asked how old she was, and Cesak shared that they weren’t certain of her age because she was part of a rescue and they didn’t know how old she was when they got her.
Prior to bringing out Mr. Grumpy, Cesak reassured them they would never bring an animal that would hurt them, but that many are scared of snakes and said if they didn’t want to see it up close to let Miller know as she came around.
Mr. Grumpy, she said, is a type of rat snake, a cross between a black and yellow rat snake, as was indicated by his markings. She also pointed out that he is about four years old and is non-venomous.
As Miller carried him around the room, he was wrapped around her arm, and Cesak pointed that out and said he was that way as a means “to protect himself from falling.”
Other information she shared about Mr. Grumpy was the fact that he is a constrictor, which she said “tells you how he kills his prey” and explained that he grabs it with his mouth, wraps his body around the prey and squeeze it and then proceeds to eat the prey whole.
Cesak said that these types of snakes do have teeth and are shaped like hooks, which are used to grab the prey and pull it into his mouth once he gets it.
The Big Show Series will continue with a variety of programs being held at the Headquarters, South, East and West branches.
For additional information about the various programs, visit the library’s website.
