On Wednesday, the Reptile Man came to visit my kids' elementary school. It is a very worthwhile show to watch. The owner of the Reptile Man business, and the Washington Serpentarium is Scott Peterson. You could say that he is an advocate for reptiles of all kinds. He is based in Monroe, in the Seattle area. His business is open 365 days a year, and speaking at schools is part of his commitment to spreading the word about how necessary and wonderful reptiles are. He is very informative, having studied zoology in college. And he has a very calm, soothing voice. And that's just as well, because when he is holding up a venomous snake, or an alligator in a room full of people, he has to keep everyone calm. I have seen him before, and I've also visited his serpentarium. However, each time I see his show, I learn something new. At one point, for example, he held up Lucy the alligator, telling us many facts about the animal. I didn't know that alligators never stop growing, and can reach up to 1000 lbs in weight. Lucy is just a baby, and was raised as a new born by Mr. Peterson. In fact, he raises all his animals from newborns or eggs; he doesn't keep any wild-born animals. All of his venomous snakes have had their venom sacks removed, obviously for the safety of everyone around them. And, talking about snakes, he has many, many kinds, including the deadly black mamba, cobras, and rattle snakes, and the non-venomous pythons, anacondas, and boas. I also didn't realize just how important snakes are because of their diet. They mainly eat rodents, and that saves us all from diseases and a lack of crops. One of the animals that I liked best was the African tortoise. They can live up to 200 years. I was able to pet the one he brought. It was amazing. It's shell was thick and hard like rock. In fact, you can drive a car over one and it won't be crushed; it is that strong! Lions try to eat them, and have to give up, because they cannot penetrate the touch shells. It really was quite a show. The children and parents loved it. I recommend his website too, at : reptileman.com. Enjoy!

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: an advocate, venomous, rodents.

1. He is an advocate for abandoned animals, and works hard to protect them.

2. The black mamba is the most dangerous venomous snake in the world.

3. Rats and mice breed very quickly, and spread diseases if uncontrolled.