Animal Profiles:

Bertha: Burmese Python

Bertha is our 19 year old Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus). She was donated to the Natural Science Center from a private owner in the summer of 2006 where she was captive born and raised.  At the NSC, Bertha resides in the Discovery House in Animal Discovery Zoological Park.

Burmese pythons are among the six largest snakes in the world. They are native to Southeast Asia and mainly reside in the trees or on the ground of rainforests and other habitats found near water.  They are known to be good swimmers and interestingly, possess the capacity to stay submerged in water for over half an hour.  Burmese pythons can reach lengths of 22 feet and can weigh over 150 lbs. At her most recent weighing, Bertha weighed just over 100 pounds and measured 15 feet long.

Burmese python snakes feed on small and large animals - some of the larger ones can eat whole pigs, sheep and alligators! These non-venomous snakes strike their prey with sharp-curved back teeth then wrap their body around them and constrict their muscles to ultimately kill their prey and swallow them whole. Bertha's favorite foods are rabbits, whole chickens, and rats.  She eats approximately 8-10 lbs. of food every month.  

Burmese Pythons have long been common in the pet trade and unfortunately, have now become an invasive species in southern Florida because of escapes and releases.  The US Park Service has captured several hundred pythons and is worried about the threat of the fragile ecosystem in the Everglades as they will eat endangered birds and alligators.

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Bone-Crusher: Alligator Snapping Turtle

On December 21, the Natural Science Center unveiled its newest and now oldest resident, Bone-Crusher, a 92 year old alligator snapping turtle. Alligator snappers are the largest freshwater turtles in North America and are often known as the "dinosaurs of the turtle world" since they can live upwards of 150 years. With a spiked shell (averaging two feet long), beaklike jaws, and a thick, scaled tail, Bone-Crusher is a sight to see! Look closely at his shell and you'll see battle scars in his shell (holes and indentations) from alligator attacks throughout his long life.

For reasons unknown, Bone-Crusher has lived his entire life in captivity. Donated by the David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, Kansas, Bone-Crusher's new home is in the former nurse shark exhibit in the NSC’s small, downstairs saltwater aquarium. Visitors can see Bone-Crusher now every day during regular business hours.  

Here are some more interesting facts about Alligator Snapping Turtles:

  • Alligator snappers typically live 80-120 years and can be found primarily in rivers, swamps, and lakes of the southeastern US from Texas to Georgia. 
  • They differ in appearance from the common snapping turtle by three large ridges with raised plates along its back giving the animal a prehistoric look. 
  • These giant turtles have a unique hunting technique for food.  They have a pink worm-like appendage on the tip of their tongue and while holding their breath for nearly an hour, will lay motionless in the water, mouth wide open, hoping to lure in a fish. 
  • Snappers have no natural predators other than humans, who capture them for their meat and shells and to sell in the exotic animal trade. A severe reduction in population due to unregulated harvesting and habitat loss has led states to protect them and they are listed as a threatened species.

To see more photos of Bone-Crusher, click here. To watch a video of Bone-Crusher, click here.

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Tom the Turkey

The Natural Science Center acquired Tom the Turkey in August, 2010 from a local person who had two turkeys originally.  Unfortunately, the other one was killed on the road and the owner was afraid Tom would follow his friend's example. So she brought him to us.  We tried to introduce him to some hen turkeys but he wanted nothing to do with them.  He much prefers the company of people and is very attracted to wheeled vehicles like strollers.  He will also run after the gator our zookeepers ride on.

 In the spring he will display - a slightly smaller version of the peacock's display.  He puffs up, spreads his tail and wing feathers and drags the tips of his wings along the ground to make a sound.  While this is good way to get your attention sometimes the kids thinks he's hissing at them!  He will often strut along side the peacocks as if to say "I'm just as handsome!".

Come say "Hi" to Tom the Turkey next time you visit!

And don't worry, we "pardoned" Tom once again this year for Thanksgiving!