Slither into Reading with Hibbing Public Library
There was an excited chatter from more than 100 children filling the basement meeting room at the Hibbing Public Library when Sarah’s Serpentarium owner Sarah Glesner carefully pulled a small crested gecko from its cage and started walking through the crowd letting anyone who wished a chance to give the friendly lizard a careful touch along it’s back Monday afternoon in Hibbing.
Monday marked the kickoff for the library’s annual summer reading program at the Hibbing library and Glesner’s program got the ball rolling in a big way. The capacity crowd learned about lizards, turtles, snakes and even got to see how a scorpion glows under black light.
Glesner, who has a degree in wildlife biology and more than 20 years experience working with animals in the Duluth area including working for the Lake Superior Zoo and at Hawk Ridge found that her passion is reptiles and now operates Sarah’s Serpentarium based in Superior Wisconsin where she serves as a reptile educator and rescuer.
Glesner, who is also on call when the Duluth or Superior Police Departments find something unexpected and need expert advice, now takes neglected or abandoned snakes, turtles and lizards and works to return them to health. After the animals are cleared for placement, she finds homes for the unusual pets through a closely monitored adoption program.
Glesner’s program was sponsored by the Arrowhead Library System and she will be teaching about reptiles at several area libraries over the next few weeks including stops in Grand Rapids, Coleraine, Cloquet, Hoyt Lakes, Chisholm and Mountain Iron.
The animals used in Monday’s program were all rescued and selected for both their uniqueness and their friendly personalities. Glesner shared stories about where the animals came to her, including how her corn snake was found in an apartment, hiding in a bag of stuffed animals. Nobody knows where the snake, native to the southern United States came from but it’s assumed it escaped from another apartment or was let loose when a neighbor moved.
The box turtle had a more personal story for Glasner who talked about how she found the turtle abandoned in a bucket of water left outside the Lake Superior Zoo with a note explaining that the turtle was taken from the wild in South Carolina and no longer wanted after the person’s grandchildren grew tired of it.
The turtle which lives on land, not water was nearly drowned when found and could not be added to the zoo’s collection because box turtles won’t get along with newly introduced turtles. The turtle which is now used for educational purposes is an example of why wild animals should be left in the wild.
For the children attending Monday’s summer reading kick off, any new found interest in the scaly critters they just met can be enhanced with a large assortment of books on animals and reptiles for reading and earning credit for the reading program.
For more information about summer reading programs or to find out when Sarah’s Serpentarium will be at your facility check your local library for times and listings.
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