PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Jad Jamaleddine holds a snake that was brought for children to see at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus.
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — Breakheart Reservation offered a close-up look at creatures that live in our backyards.
Rick Roth, owner of Creature Teachers, the Littleton-based business that specializes in environmental and animal education, said many of the native critters in his collection are thought to be deep woods dwellers.
“I didn’t know that tree frogs stayed in the trees,” said Mohammed Abdallah of Medford. “I personally thought that they stayed in the water most of the time and came out to get berries or something.”
The 10-year-old said he was most impressed by the chance to hold a milk snake and feel how it moves.
Taha Jamaleddine, 10, of Melrose, said he would normally approach an animal, but learned from Roth that he shouldn’t. He was also surprised to learn the difference between a red and grey fox.
“It was really fun,” said Jad Jamaleddine, 8, of Melrose. “He told me a lot of things I haven’t learned. I thought the stripes on the skunk were for camouflage but he said they mean to back off.”
While “Holly” the flying squirrel preferred to hang out in Roth’s shirt pocket, “Double Stuff” the skunk waddled around for the children to touch. Roth told them that the small holes they might find in their lawn could be from skunks who are looking for grubs to eat.
“We have as many flying squirrels as grey squirrels,” Roth said.
But they’re not seen as often because they are nocturnal, he added.
“Vinny” the groundhog snacked on a banana while Roth explained that he’s a little chubby compared to a wild hedgehog. Rather than hibernate during winter, he happily munches on.
Roth brought along a snapping turtle he rescued when it was the size of a quarter. He said as much as he prefers not to take animals from the wild, he knew the turtle wouldn’t survive on its own.
He told the crowd that the best way to rescue a turtle while it’s crossing the street is to sit and wait, while keeping cars back. If there’s traffic, he recommends using a stick to guide it along. If it needs to be moved, he showed the group that it could be lifted from the back of its shell, but never its tail.
Roth also brought along a grey fox and a tree frog, which he said are both animals that can commonly be found in the trees.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.
