Free: Reptile & Amphibian Day at N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

The 25th Annual Reptile and Amphibian Day will take place at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones Street, Raleigh, on Saturday, March 16, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It’s free to attend and perfect for all ages.

The theme this year is toads!

Here’s what’s going on:

Presentations in the Daily Planet Theater throughout the day
Presentations on the World Stage throughout the day
Dozens of exhibits featuring live animals
Crafts
Activities

This event is perfect for all ages – from the youngest tadpoles to the oldest tortoises.

Exhibits and presentations are in English, but there will be a large number of volunteers who speak Spanish.

Here’s some of what’s going on:

North Carolina Zoo Conservation
North Carolina Zoo
The North Carolina Zoo is committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles. Through active participation in several breeding, head-starting and monitoring efforts, both at the zoo and in the field, their goal is to ensure that these species have the opportunity to thrive. They will show examples of some of these programs.

Herp Shop
NC Herpetological Society (NCHS)
Sales of shirts, books, totes and art support the conservation and education of amphibians and reptiles through NCHS outreach programs, research grants, and land management. Specific funds support endangered species through Project Bog Turtle and Project Simus.

My First Snake
NC Herpetological Society
This is a hands-on station where people may see snakes up close, touch and even hold them if they choose (while we control their heads). They will have several native and exotic snakes of proven good temperament for handling.

Turtle Trekkers
Piedmont Wildlife Center
Learn all about box turtles and how you can help save them for future generations!

The Traveling Tortoise
The Traveling Tortoise is a mobile science program dedicated to the fascinating world of herpetology! People of all ages will have an unforgettable experience interacting with and learning about creatures from around the world.

Herpetology Club at NC State
Students from NC State will present what their club does at meetings, trips, and outreach programs to educate themselves and others about reptile and amphibian conservation.

North Carolina Natives
NC Herpetological Society
See and learn about a large variety of native North Carolina reptiles and amphibians! They will have snakes available for touching.

Find the Copperhead
NC Herpetological Society
Test your snake ID skills as you try to Find the Copperhead! Learn more about this local venomous snake and see a live one up close.

Membership Experiences
Friends of the Museum
Today only!

Free Reptile & Amphibian Day T-shirt with new/renewed membership purchase on site.
Plus a special 20% discount for new members in Museum Stores.
Don’t miss the members-only animal feedings in Windows on the World (3rd floor)!

NCHS Membership
NC Herpetological Society (NCHS)
Discover what the NC Herp Society is all about — who they are, what they do and some of the projects and initiatives they use to accomplish their goal of conservation — and consider becoming a member today!

Project Simus
NC Herpetological Society
Project Simus is an initiative of the North Carolina Herpetological Society which focuses primarily on the Southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), but also studies other Sandhills area reptiles and flora and fauna associated with the longleaf pine ecosystem. Stop by to learn about this important project!

Project Bog Turtle
NC Herpetological Society
Project Bog Turtle is a conservation initiative of the North Carolina Herpetological Society. The goal of the project is preservation of the critically endangered bog turtle and its habitats in North Carolina and surrounding states. Visit the booth to learn more and to find out how you can help!

NCHS Youth Branch
North Carolina Herpetological Society
The NC Herpetological Society’s Youth Branch booth showcases the awesome opportunities they offer for 2nd- through 12th-graders interested in all things reptile and amphibian. For those interested in joining, contact youthcommittee@ncherps.org.

Face painting
Paint savvy
Face painting for families.

Green Iguanas
Triangle Green Iguanas Rescue
Learn about these majestic creatures of the trees.

Dracarys! Dragons Among Us
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Dragons are not just mythological beasts — they live alongside us! Explore real “dragons” found in nature and discover the similarities they share with the fantastical creature.

Irish Herps & Green Herps
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn about the herps of Ireland and meet some green herps!

T-Shirt Sales
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Come buy an amazing T-shirt designed in-house by a Museum graphic designer to commemorate your time at Reptile and Amphibian Day 2019. This shirt will feature the Oak Toad! All proceeds from Museum T-shirt sales support future educational events at the Museum!

Pollywog Playspace
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Visit this space with games and activities perfect for “tadpoles”!

Herp Biodiversity!
Biodiversity Initiative at East Carolina University
Come to our interactive sampling of herp diversity and learn about the important role that biodiversity plays in the environment!

Toad Talk!
Nash Community College
Come by and learn all about everyday toad life!

Mimicry in Peruvian Poison Frogs
Department of Biology, East Carolina University
The department will present four different color pattern morphs of the Peruvian mimic poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator). Observers are tasked with matching each color pattern morph to the color morph of a model species (shown in photos).

Inviting Amphibians and Reptiles into Your Backyard
NC Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation; N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Come learn about how to create a wildlife-friendly habitat for reptiles and amphibians in your backyard. Come see live native snakes, toads, frogs, salamanders and turtles. Learn how to identify the copperhead, NC’s most common venomous snake, by playing our “Spot the Copperhead” identification game.

Herp Watermedia Painting Demo
Stacy Lewis Studio
Stacy will be creating some of her fun and colorful watermedia and collage paintings of all sorts of reptiles and amphibians!

City Nature Challenge
The City Nature Challenge is an international competition among urban areas to see who can document the most species in their area during a four-day period in April. The Triangle Area is competing in this citizen science event again in 2019. City Nature Challenge: Triangle Area will engage local citizen scientists in the larger event. Come find out how you can participate!

Castaway
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Discover hidden treasures within the depths of research vessel logs.

Wetlands for Amphibians and You
Carolina Wetlands Association
Wetlands are an essential component of our natural systems that support huge wildlife and plant diversity while serving many critical functions directly and indirectly for humankind.

Green Tree Pythons by Kimberly Burge
Southern Chondros
Kimberly will have a few green tree pythons on display and will discuss captive breeding of this species, general husbandry, ontogenetic color change, and anything else the audience is interested in asking. (This is not a handling or touching table.)

Toad Woodland Habitat Tree Giveaway
Terra Vita Stewards
Through their We Plant it Forward program, Terra Vita Stewards will give away trees to help replenish the woodland habitat for toads.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Learn more about the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, North Carolina’s state trail that stretches from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smokies to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks.

Girl Scouts: 3 Cheers for Animals
Girl Scouts, North Carolina Coastal Pines
Interested girls and families can stop by to learn about the 3 Cheers for Animals Journey and how to join Girl Scouts!

Cool Crocodilians
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn about the diversity of crocodilians around the world!

Life in the Dark: Terrific Troglobites
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Did you know that there are some herps that live in caves their entire lives? How about snakes that hunt other cave-dwelling creatures? Check out this exhibit to take a trip through the dark and come out with a cool snake craft!

Monkey Health Explorer
NCMNS Genomics and Microbiology Research Lab
Find out about our rhesus macaque immunity project to categorize blood images to better understand monkey health and behavior. Come learn how you can get involved in this exciting project! zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer

Skin Microbes & Health
NCMNS Genomics and Microbiology Research Lab
Learn about our skin microbiome research projects in humans and other animals, such as our ABCC11 project, where we look at how genetics and daily habits can affect our microbes. windowintogenetics.org/earwax/

Spadefoot Toads and Their Amazing Adaptations to Life in the Desert
Pfennig and K. Pfennig Labs, UNC-Chapel Hill Biology Department
Grad students will present information about the many unusual characteristics of spadefoot toads — like shovels on their feet and cannibalistic tadpoles — that help them make a living in the hot, dry desert. They will have live spadefoot toads from the deserts of the Southwest and one of their North Carolina relatives on display.

Prairie Ridge Ecostation
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn about the reptiles and amphibians that call Prairie Ridge “home” and about the citizen science projects you can become involved with, too!

Fossil Toads Information Station
Paleontology Research Unit
Stop by the Paleontology Research Lab and talk with paleontologists about the fossil record of frogs and toads (anurans). When did frogs and toads first appear in the fossil record? How are they different from modern toads, and how are they the same? Take a look at some fossil frogs!

NC Alligators: iNaturalist Citizen Science Project
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Have you ever used your smartphone to take a photo of a gator in North Carolina? Come and learn how you can be a citizen scientist and help the NC Wildlife Resources Commission learn more about alligators in our state.

NC Snake Catcher
NC Snake Catcher
This exhibit is targeted toward a humane approach to dealing with nuisance snakes. Emphasis will be on education to fight fear with facts.

NASA Solve
NASA
NASA Solve is an invitation to members of the public to contribute their time and expertise to advancing research, solving problems, and potentially winning prizes as a result of their work. Specific projects listed on nasa.gov/solve engage participants in problem solving for prize competitions, citizen science projects, and competitions aimed at advancing NASA’s mission.

Backyard Wilderness
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
The Backyard Wilderness display is a beautiful pop-up designed to encourage kids to go outside and explore. Visitors go on a scavenger hunt within the display to find and learn about the critters hidden within — just as they would if they were looking for creatures outside.

Triangle DIY Biology
This group will show a gel electrophoresis kit that they distribute, along with instructions and a lesson plan, to teachers who can then build their own apparatus. This activity meets a specific requirement in the North Carolina Essential Standards. tridiybio.org/education.html

Investigate Water Quality with the EarthEcho Water Challenge
EarthEcho International
Learn about the importance of water quality as you take part in a hands-on water monitoring activity to investigate your local waterways, and share your findings with the world through the EarthEcho Water Challenge!

Science on the Trails
Kids in Parks
The Kids in Parks TRACK Trails program is a nationwide network of family-friendly hiking adventures that encourages children to get active and healthy in our parks. In recent years, Kids in Parks has been developing ways to incorporate Citizen Science and STEM activities along nature trails and will be presenting examples of these materials that were piloted at an elementary school in Western North Carolina.

Tile-o-scope AR
Northeastern University
This project is a toolkit for physical, augmented reality citizen science games. The purpose of this tool is to make environmental health and justice data more accessible to community groups by promoting a new way to participate in data sorting and analysis. By using the prototype games (that ask players to classify animals, street signs, or other images) they hope community groups and citizen scientists can recognize the potential of this tool to be used for issue-specific data. The games are based on tile matching and can be played by multiple players with small physical tiles on a table.

Zooniverse
Zooniverse is the world’s largest people-powered research platform, connecting citizen scientists from 192 countries with scientists and researchers in subjects ranging from astronomy to zoology. We’ll showcase a few relevant projects, and guests can participate in hands-on activities that illustrate how Zooniverse works.

Bio Blitz Concept: Shooting Species for Science
All Species Photography
Bio Blitz is a short, intense team effort to discover as many different life forms as possible in one location. Bio Blitzes are very powerful tools for environmental education, conservation, and community engagement. Images from Bio Blitzes highlight the species diversity found in an area, but they also show people having a positive experience with their local ecosystems.

Native and Adoptable Reptiles
BeWild, Inc.
BeWild, Inc. will be bringing a few NC-native reptile and amphibian ambassadors for people to learn about and see up close. They’ll also have info about the rescued animals up for adoption at BeWild!

ecoEXPLORE
The North Carolina Arboretum
ecoEXPLORE (Experiences Promoting Learning Outdoors for Research and Education) is an incentive-based citizen science program for children in grades K-8. Developed by The North Carolina Arboretum, this innovative pilot program combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to foster a fun learning environment for children while encouraging them to explore the outdoors and participate in citizen science. This program will be expanding to all 100 NC counties over the next five years.

Citizen Science at the EPA: EnviroAtlas Participatory Mapping & Pet Health Survey
U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development
EnviroAtlas (epa,gov/enviroatlas) is a web mapping application that boasts 300+ data layers, several of which originate from citizen science collection efforts such as iTree. It also supports added data, so users can fully integrate web services or data downloads of their favorite citizen science data with EPA-hosted data to tell a compelling science story in their community.

GLOBE Observer
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
GLOBE Observer enables volunteers to collect environmental observations of clouds, water, and land in support of NASA satellite-based science.

Creekwatchers
Cape Fear River Watch
The Creekwatchers program is a citizen science program established to protect the Cape Fear River and its tributaries through monthly observations and cleanups by volunteers. It is a STEM-driven initiative that monitors, improves and promotes hands-on community ownership of the water quality in the Cape Fear River Basin. Through the program, citizens adopt creeks in their backyard to monitor, assess, and report so that all residents can be educated about the state of the river and new or persistent problems can be remedied.

Salamander Research
MYLES of Science
High school students join the organization for a week-long, adventure-based, science-intensive trip. Students hike, camp and assist park scientists with the collection of important field science data in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding Western North Carolina Mountains. The ecosystems here have some of the greatest diversity of flora and fauna of any place on Earth. MYLES participants hike in small groups, led by qualified staff, and study the ecosystems while conducting field-based science. myles.montreat.edu

The HerpMapper Project
HerpMapper
This exhibit will illustrate what the HerpMapper project is via static displays, and how it can be used via interactive demonstrations on a laptop and mobile devices.

Cooper Citizen Science Lab
NC State University
We will be showcasing 3 citizen science projects! Crowd the Tap, which looks at what type of water pipes are in peoples home; Sparrow Swap, which explores using House Sparrow eggs as indicators of environmental pollution; and Sound Around Town, which explores peoples perceptions to noise pollution.

Toadally Terrific Toad Craft
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn about how and what toads eat, then crate a toadally terrific toad game to take home!

Amphibians and Conservation
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Did you know that amphibians are early indicators of environmental health issues? They are extremely sensitive to pollutants and other environmental changes, which is why global amphibian health is in steep declines. Come learn about the amazing diversity of amphibians around the world and ways you can make a difference to keep them, and you, healthy!

Boa vs Pythons!
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn some interesting facts about the largest, longest, and heaviest snakes in the world! Get up close and personal with live representatives of the two titan snake families!

SciStarter: Citizen Science on Parade!
SciStarter
We will showcase local projects anyone in NC can do and schedule walk-abouts to help visitors learn how to use instruments to monitor local air and water quality, track biodiversity, and even monitor light pollution. We basically help people discover and engage in other people’s projects!

Lovely Lizards
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Check out some of the live lizards from the Museum and learn about their unique adaptations!

Make a plant phenology wheel with Budburst!
Budburst, a project of the Chicago Botanic Garden
Phenology is the study of seasonal changes in the life cycles of plants and animals, like when they flower or migrate. Come make a plant phenology wheel and learn about how your family can submit plant life cycle observations to help scientists understand how plants are responding to environmental change! Learn more at budburst.org

Snake ID
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Meet some real live snakes and learn how to identify the most common snakes in your yard!

Hydrogen Sulfide and Corrosion Testing Kit
Northeastern University
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) is a neurotoxic, corrosive gas produced by a range of industries including oil and gas production, hog farming, sewage treatment and paper production. The Wylie Lab at Northeastern University is developing a low cost, colorimetric kit for communities to map corrosion and hydrogen sulfide using photographic paper. We invite communities and partners interested in using the kit to explore this participatory monitoring tool.

Turtle Shell Evolution
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Turtles have evolved all kinds of different shell shapes to adapt to different environments. Come learn why a softshell turtle has a leathery shell and a gopher tortoise has a hard and heavy shell!

Wild Spotter: Engaging and empowering citizen science volunteers to protect against invasive species
U.S. Forest Service, University of Georgia, and Wildlife Forever
Wild Spotter is a collaborative project with the University of Georgia’s Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, Wildlife Forever and the USDA Forest service that engages and empowers citizen science volunteers to provide critical scientific support to better address the expanding threat of terrestrial and aquatic invasive species. There are 3 pieces of information that citizen scientists collect on each population of invasive species detected: 1) what was found (common name and scientific name), 2) where it was found (the GPS location), and 3) how much was found (a measure of the extent of the invasion). Information is collected and uploaded through the Wild Spotter mobile application or website.

American Spring Live-special Nature Program
UNC-TV
Learn about UNC-TV’s partnership with the NC Museum of Natural Science to promote American Spring Live and Citizen Science!

Toads of the World
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn about the diversity and amazing adaptations from toad species all over the world!