Mother nature on the Geaux: LaPlace Library welcomes exotic animals – L’Observateur

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The Lesser Tenrec could glance like a hedgehog, but it is basically additional carefully associated to an elephant.

Patrons notice a bearded dragon within the LaPlace Library.

The children’s house inside of the newly reopened LaPlace Library wing was packed for the Mother nature on the Geaux demonstration.

LAPLACE — Youngsters viewing the newly reopened LaPlace Library Branch came experience-to-deal with with a scorpion, boa constrictor, bearded dragon and other great creatures throughout a presentation by environmental educator Tanee Janusz with Nature on the Geaux.

Janusz begun volunteering at a young age and swiftly acquired a enthusiasm for functioning with animals. Above the years, she’s had the enjoyment of operating with the Audubon Character Institute, the University of New Orleans Coastal Training and Analysis Facility, and the Louisiana Mother nature Center. She presently cares for 60 animals, encompassing 35 species.

“For the most component, they are all rescued unique pets,” Janusz stated. “I do have a several native animals like box turtles.”

Although Janusz has beforehand worked with educational facilities in the space, this 7 days marked Nature on the Geaux’s very first visit to St. John the Baptist Parish Libraries.

The software started with curious children – and their mother and father who had been equally enthralled – acquiring an up close and personal appear at an Asian Forest Scorpion underneath a black mild. Subsequent arrived an additional creepy crawler, the African Big Millipede, before the kids had a possibility to pet a bearded dragon.

When the red-tailed boa came out, the audience experienced a good deal of questions about the longest and heaviest snakes in the planet. Little ones observed the snake was beginning to drop, and they shortly realized that snakes lose their pores and skin in a single piece, identical to how they would get off a sock.

The little ones discovered that bearded dragons never reduce their tails the way some other lizards do. Tracing the back again of a tortoise, they learned how shells are a lot more than a home they are in fact component of the tortoise’s backbone.

A little animal that resembled a hedgehog was exposed to be a Lesser Tenrec native to the island of Madagascar. Janusz explained that the critter may possibly appear like a hedgehog, but it is truly far more carefully associated to an elephant.

“I hope they get a better relationship not only to the animals we have all over us, but animals that can be identified all around the environment,” she explained. “Sometimes individuals just never have access to be capable to experience heading to the zoo or aquariums.”

Mother nature on the Geaux is based mostly out of Slidell and will journey to St. Tammany, Orleans, Upper Jefferson, Tangipahoa, St. Bernard, and Harrison, Pearl River, and Hancock counties in Mississippi for no supplemental rate. For a vacation payment, Janusz and her critters will arrive to Higher Plaquemines, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, Livingston, Washington, Stone, Lamar, Jackson County, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, St. Helene, and Forrest County.

The following no cost library software appearances are scheduled for this summer:

– 6/27 @10:30 a.m. Poplarville

– 6/27 @2 p.m. Picayune

– 6/28 @11 a.m. East Lender Regional

– 6/28 @3 p.m. Wagner

– 6/29 @3 p.m. Lafitte

– 6/30 @11 a.m. West Bank Regional

-7/12 @11 a.m. River Ridge

– 7/13 @11 a.m. Belle Terre

– 7/13 @3 p.m. Gretna

– 7/19 @11 a.m. Terrytown

– 7/19 @3 p.m. Are living Oak

-7/20 @6:30 p.m. West Baton Rouge

For far more facts, stop by natureonthegeaux.com.