The Snake : An Animal Deserving Class-Room Study 



By Gayne T. K. Norton 



How much, if any, of the lamentably small portion of time given 

 over to classroom nature-study is devoted to herpetology I do not 

 presume to know; but, judging from more than two dozen educa- 

 tional journals which reach my table monthly, I should say it was 

 almost nil. I ask the question: Why? 



My present deep interest in reptiles and amphibians is compara- 

 tively few years old. Until my proper introduction, I, in common 

 with I venture to say 95 out of 100 people, killed, or avoided in a 

 state of semi-terror, every snake chanced upon. A girl of twelve 

 made me familiar with a few of the most interesting snake facts 

 and I held a snake in my hand for the first time. A mental house- 

 cleaning and readjustment ensued. Innate repugnance was 

 partly overcome by study. 



I dug hard; I forced myself to handle and catch, and become 

 acquainted with, every specimen I could find — and you have my 

 word for it, the reptile house in the New York Zoological Park is a 

 fertile place for such study — until my fear turned to respect. I 

 realized that there were thousands of injurious animals still alive 

 because of the few dozen snakes I had killed. I found what has 

 proven to be, to me, the most interesting of all Nature's life-phases. 

 I write much of my interest; I talk it constantly, observing the 

 effects. Thus, my interest and observation prompt the question. 

 In all the magazines I see, besides all the reviews and files examined, 

 the snake seldom appears in any guise; never have I seen it men- 

 tioned as appearing in the school-room — not only an added reason 

 for its classroom debut, but a proof of the greater necessity thereof. 

 Various individuals and organizations, including the Government, 

 are putting forward snake-conservation propaganda with seemingly 

 small effect. Would not the best method be, and there is economic 

 need for a method, to stop, or diminish, the killing by child 

 instruction? 



Almost every bit of Nature that can be brought into a classroom, 

 and much that can not, has been, is being, or will be studied by 

 pupils of all ages. No matter what branch of natural history 

 receives attention the study is decidedly worth while and the time 

 spent well expended, but, dare I say that 25 per cent, of the speci- 

 mens receiving consideration are of less actual value to child and 

 community than snakes? The snake deserves a much higher 



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