Snakes, snakes, snakes alive, snakes all over the place!

At the University’s Herpetology Lab, 111 Life Sciences Building, snakes are not the only animals there. There also are lizards, turtles, dart frogs and tree frogs.

The collection is owned by Eileen Underwood, a University biology professor.

‘It is a private collection on loan for teaching and research,’ Underwood said.

The lab was created because Underwood returned from sabbatical with constrictors that she planned on keeping in her home, but Bowling Green has a ordinance that forbids constrictors from being kept in a home.

Most species are common pets and none are poisonous. Students can handle all the reptiles, but students must be trained and approved by Underwood before they do so.

‘This is exclusively run by student volunteers,’ she said.

Students need not be biology majors. Many pre-vet majors volunteer, and some students work in the lab for an independent study class.

Each volunteer is in charge of a certain animal. Duties include feeding, watering, cleaning and taking the animal out of its cage.

Senior Erica Hertzfeld is in charge of bearded dragons. She explained that in addition to those duties, she must also check every day for eggs because spring is the breeding season.

These eggs are taken from the nest and put in incubators and kept track of. Every morning the eggs are checked to see if any have hatched.

As a frilled dragon showed its frill, Hertzfeld said, ‘He does that to show off, mostly to impress his female.’

Senior Meredith Board, walking around with a bearded dragon clinging to the front of her shirt, also volunteers at the lab. After feeding her dragon, leftover lettuce was given to the roaches as food.

The reptiles also eat mice, rabbits, roaches, crickets, mealworms and fruit flies. Underwood said that a variety of food allows the animals to be healthier.

The biology department provides the space and the crickets, but Underwood owns everything else. She sells offspring to purchase frozen rodents, cages and vegetables.

This food is frozen and then thawed. One snake is a picky eater and will not eat rabbits, mice or rats. A live rat was given to him, but he killed it and used it as a pillow.

Many snakes are not eating yet because they were just brought out of their winter cool down. Now they have been moved to warmer temperatures and are given food.

Another picky eater is the New Caledonia gecko, an exotic reptile. This gecko is an omnivore and prefers to eat baby food.

Any new animals that come to the lab are quarantined so that no diseases are spread to any of the other animals.

One of the most exotic animals is a panther chameleon from Madagascar. It is green, red and white with eyes like gun turrets. Its tongue is one and a half times the length of its body, approximately 15 inches long.

The panther chameleon also has five fingers. Two are grouped together and the other three are grouped together to assist with climbing.

When it is stressed, its colors turn brighter.

Underwood also owns mandarin rat snakes, which are brown with yellow and black diamonds. She described these as escape artists. Once one was loose for nine months.

Right now, there is a snake that has been missing for two weeks. When it needs food, it will come out, Underwood said. Until then, a sign on the door warns visitors to keep the door shut so the snake won’t escape the lab.

Even though Underwood is afraid of losing reptiles or that they may be stolen, she said, ‘I’d rather share it. I think it is wonderful.’