The MSU Herpetology Club invited students and community members to Herp Night on Wednesday to give people up close and personal looks at numerous reptiles and amphibians.
It’s not Halloween yet, but plenty of crawling creatures were on display Wednesday night at Herp Night, the MSU Herpetology Club’s reptile and amphibian educational event.
Every semester, the club holds the public outreach event to show students and community members a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians, said zoology senior Emily Gertiser, president of the MSU Herpetology Club.
The event included various types of snakes, frogs, turtles and other kinds of Michigan reptiles and amphibians.
“We can educate them and they can ask us questions,” Gertiser said.
“They can see and touch animals they don’t have access to on a regular basis.”
Attendees made their way to numerous stations to learn about the different creatures, some of which they even could handle themselves.
International relations senior Zach Taylor, who said petting a python was his favorite part of the event, said people have misconceptions about reptiles and amphibians because of how they learn about them.
“Most people’s experiences and knowledge with these types of creatures comes from … National Geographic or the horror stories from their friends,” Taylor said. “So it’s kind of nice to actually be able to hold a snake or a turtle.”
The lure of seeing and learning about these animals that are not common in Michigan is what draws most people to the event, Gertiser said.
“I definitely think that it’s just that there are animals that they can see that are not seen on a normal basis,” she said.
“You can see a 6-foot boa, and most of that’s completely unheard of.”
Another big reason people come to Herp Night is because they have questions about reptiles or amphibians, Gertiser said.
“A lot of people come to us with questions pertaining to animals as pets,” she said. “We educate them about several different things.”
The animals at the event were mostly owned by members of the club, but some were loaned for the night from the Fenner Nature Center, 2020 E. Mount Hope Ave., in Lansing, zoology senior Trish Eddie said.
Dispelling myths about reptiles and amphibians is one of the biggest parts of Herp Night, Eddie said.
“I think people are creeped out by their lack of legs,” she said. “They’re just kind of taboo. Not many people have them that you know of.”
Taylor said being able to handle and learn about animals that aren’t normally on campus is what makes Herp Night so unique.
“I think it’s really awesome,” he said. “It’s very interesting to be able to see a lot of these reptiles and amphibians you don’t normally get to see just walking around campus.”
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