Snake and Alligator Feeding at the Museum of Life and Science

What we liked: As you have already guessed right now, the NC Museum of Life and Science is definitely one of our favorite places in Durham.  We have a membership and we love heading over and exploring a different part of the museum each time.  Plus, they keep adding new places to explore.  We've already told you about the museum overall, the butterfly releases, the Launch Lab, and the new alpacas, the Into the Mist exhibit, and much more.  This time, we again found something awesome that we didn't even know existed at the museum.

Every Thursday at 4pm, head over to the Carolina Wildlife exhibit between the weather and space sections inside.  Inside the exhibit you can take a look at all kinds of NC wildlife from owls to turtles to snakes.  However, at 4pm on Thursdays, you get a little extra special treat.  The keeper comes out for snake and alligator feeding time.  Now, this is not for the squeamish, but my scientifically curious little boys, it was great.

The larger snakes and alligators are fed frozen mice while the smaller snakes are fed goldfish.  While some of the snakes immediately pounced on the food, others waited, saving it for another time.  We watched the baby alligators in various stages of learning how to dive down for their food in the water, and also learned that their rattlesnake is one of the oldest in captivity at 32 years old.  After the feeding, the keeper brought back out a baby alligator for the kids to pet.

What we liked:  I feel like the kids and I both learned a lot.  It was a chance for the kids to really learn a little more about nature.  The keeper was happy to answer any questions that we had and it was a really neat experience.

What we would change:  As I said, it is not for the squeamish because of the particular diet that these animals do have.

Website and other important information:

Website:  http://lifeandscience.org/exhibits/carolina-wildlife

Address: 433 Murray Ave, Durham, 27704

Time: 4pm on Thursdays

Photos: 

(the 32 year old rattlesnake)

(the keeper and baby alligator)