It takes a lot of time and resources to keep all of the museum’s animals healthy and happy. Why do we do it? Quite simply, we love animals!
Many of our animals come to us from rehabilitation facilities and cannot be released back into the wild. We care for them and allow them to serve as ambassadors – interacting with visitors to promote understanding about their species and their habitats in the natural world.
Meet some of our Animal Ambassadors…
Cha Cha – Corn Snake
Corn snakes are a type of rat snake and are named for the pattern of their belly scales. (Can you see a corn shape on Cha Cha’s scales?) They are known to be good climbers. Corn snakes are carnivores and eat rats, mice, and other small rodents.
Penny – Virginia Opossum
Virginia opossums like Penny are marsupials and females carry their young in a pouch as they mature. When they feel threatened, opossums can appear to be unconscious or dead. That’s called, “playing possum”.
Bella – Barbados Blackbelly Sheep
Bella is not a goat! She and her son Benji Boo are a special variety of sheep bred for their meat, not their wool. They will shed their winter coats when the weather is warm.
Hedwig – Eastern Screech Owl
This robin-sized nightbird is common in the eastern U.S., including in city parks and shady suburbs. (Do you have an owl for a neighbor?) Hedwig spends the day roosting, becoming active at dusk. Like most other screech owls, he does not screech.
Flapjack – Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle
Where do eastern spiny softshells get their name? They are named for the spiny projections along the front edge of their carapaces (upper shells) – SPINY. Those flat carapaces are covered with leathery skin instead of bony plates – SOFTSHELL.
Mike & Lucky – Mini Hereford Steers
Hereford steers are popular beef cattle, known for their hearty health and gentle dispositions. Since Mike and Lucky are mini Herefords, they will only weigh 600-1000 lbs. as adults.
Obi – Eastern Kingsnake
Common in North Carolina, Kingsnakes like Obi live in forests, fields, and even urban areas. They are useful to have around because they eat venomous snakes and rodents like rats and mice.
Spike – Alligator Snapping Turtle
Albert – Eastern Collared Lizard
Collared lizards eat a variety of insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and moths. They also eat spiders, small snakes, and even other lizards! They are one of few lizards that are capable of bipedal motion – running on two legs. If a collared lizard loses its tail, it does not grow back.
Aroma – Striped Skunk
Striped skunks like Aroma are typically solitary, docile animals, but don’t make them angry! When threatened, a skunk can spray a noxious scent up to 15 feet. Although they don’t truly hibernate in the winter, they experience extended periods of inactivity during cold months.
Franklin – Nubian Goat
While Franklin is very good-natured and can even walk on a leash, Nubian goats often engage in rearing and head-butting to establish dominance in their goat groups. They also emit a high-pitched sneezing sound and stomp one forefoot if alarmed.
Find these ambassadors and many more in the museum and at The Farm.
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Use dropdown menu to select ANIMAL AMBASSADORS.
By providing a second chance at life to non-releasable and unwanted animals, The Schiele is able to provide education, inspiration, and hope for the next generation.
