Slithery types move into the Academy for the new “Snakes & Lizards” exhibit

Some of the inhabitants of the “Snakes & Lizards” exhibition: a veiled chameleon,
a rhinoceros iguana, an albino reticulated python, and a Burmese python.

I have a friend who has a phobia about lizards. She sees even a picture of one and it’s panic time. So of course I couldn’t resist telling her where we’d be stopping first when she comes to SF in a few weeks: the new “Snakes & Lizards: The Summer of Slither” exhibition at the Academy of Sciences.

The exhibition, which runs from now until September 5, 2011, features over 60 scaled reptiles from five continents on display in the Academy’s Forum.

In addition to the real, live snakes and lizards on display, the Academy is also adding a little bit of Hollywood magic to the mix. Remember that 40 foot snake from the movie “Anaconda”? It was an animatronic robot created by Edge Innovations and you can see it on display in the exhibit.

The exhibition also features some interesting, related programs:

AMAZING SNAKES OF THE BAY AREA | Daily, 12noon
Learn about native snakes found in backyards and hiking trails throughout the Bay Area, and the important role they play in balancing ecosystems. A presenter will introduce live snake ambassadors, and explore their habitats and fascinating adaptations for living in local arid and coastal climates.

LIVE AFRICAN SAFARI | Daily, 1pm
Explore Africa on a mini-safari highlighting the continent’s biodiversity, and get up close and personal with fascinating live animals and specimens. Africa sustains many types of ecosystems – from savannahs and grasslands to tropical rainforests – and highly diverse wildlife, including numerous species of snakes and lizards, all of which exist in a delicate balance with one another.

The “Snakes & Lizards: The Summer of Slither” exhibition is free but a general admission ticket to the Academy of Sciences is required. When you visit, be sure to pick up the passes at the front entrance for this exhibition as soon as you arrive.

The Academy website has some cool behind-the-scenes videos (scroll down on the page) of Academy snakes being fed. Check out this one of an anaconda dining on a euthanized guinea pig. Gulp!

Sarah B.