Learning about those Sciensational Snakes at the Innisfil Libarary
by Susan Stein

For the children attending Sensational Snakes Show at the Cookstown Public Library on Wed. March 14, it was a time to get up close and personal with snakes.

It was made possible through the vast knowledge of reptiles and communication skills with young people of Jeff Hathaway, who came to the library with his snakes and turtle.

Jeff, who lives in Lefroy, grew up in Innisfil on the shores of Lake Simcoe. Due to his time spent on, in and under water, he became interested in aquatic biology.

One of his teachers at Barrie Central Collegiate called him "Mister Ecology". At the University of Guelph (1989-1994) he specialized in Fisheries Biology, but took many of the wild-life related courses as well, including Herpetology with Dr. Bogart. Perhaps his interest in Jenny (his girlfriend) caused his focus to shift from fish to snakes. Initially intending to pursue an M.Sc., Jeff had difficulty because his summer field seasons were all occupied by operating Kiddin' Around Day Camp, which he started with other family members in 1991.

When the camp closed in 1996, he took a job with an aquarium, pond and fountain company so that Jenny could concentrate on Sciensational Sssnakes! This gave him a wide range of experience designing and overseeing the construction of water features and filtration systems. His projects included projects at Varsity Cinema in Toronto, the saltwater tank at Chapters in Vancouver, the baboon waterfall and rhino pool at the Toronto Zoo. In 1998 he took a new position at Kenloch Company which designed and supplied filtration and computer control systems, primarily for the commercial swimming -pool market. Jeff also started an aquarium and pond company, Aqua Service Professionals with two partners in 1999. He left the Pool Group in 2001 and closed Aqua Service in 2002.

Jeff now devotes his time to Sciensational Sssnakes! and working on renovations to get Scales Nature Park ready. He still builds a pond or waterfall for someone, and does some troubleshooting for chemical control and feed systems for pool companies. In his spare time, Jeff assists with reptile conservation projects, fishes, paddles and scuba dives in the waterways of our beautiful province, and took up playing volley ball again.

But to me, what mattered most was his abiding devotion to breed and keep his snakes at his home in well designed enclosures and his desire to share this interest with young people.

With his young helper Shawn, he took snake after snake from their sacks and explained their habitat, feeding, and anatomy to the children.

He showed the common garter snake, water snakes (getting their food from under water), milk snakes, who live in barns, but don't drink milk, only water and eat mice. The longest snake (I forget her name) who lives in Canada, can climb on trees with their flat bottom and sides and loves to eat rodents and birds. There were corn snakes shown, who make good pets and come from the South Eastern U.S., but have lived in captivity for a long time.

Out of the sack came the painted turtle and the existence of 1000 different kinds of lizards was mentioned with only "Skink" living here.

Jeff told his fascinated

audience, that most snakes have no eyesight, no ears, smell through their tongues and adjust their bodies to the c hangs in temperature, preferring warmth.

The star of Sciensational Sssnakes! (beside Jeff and Shawn), was the Boa Constrictor, who is 12 years old, has lovely colours, and delivers live babies in contrast with many other snakes who lay eggs.

With words of caution to the children: be gentle, don't pull them, don't put them on the floor. The snakes were handed to the kids, the boa petted and draped around their necks, they truly got the feel of the warmth and not the the false assumption, that snake bodies are slimy. And by listening to Jeff, they learned to appreciate some of nature's diverse creatures.

Many thanks Jeff and Shawn and Sue from the library for hosting this event