Cornflake is a corn snake that joined our staff in 2014. Corn snakes are native to Kentucky, but have a limited range within the state. They are non-venomous snakes and get their name from their appearance being similar to maize. Corn snakes eat primarily rodents and small mammals. Cornflake is a vital member of our education team!
Lil' B (Balthazar) joined our ranks more recently when he was rehomed to us. He is our resident Grey Rat Snake, measuring in at over 6 feet. The closely related Black Rat Snakes are the most common snakes found in Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve and are non-venomous. Black Rat Snakes are good climbers which allows them to hunt for birds and eggs in trees. Both Cornflake and Lil' B are constrictors, meaning they coil tightly coil around their prey, crushing them. Lil’ B can be found hanging out in his enclosure in the Welcome Center! If you see a snake in the wild, leave it alone! You can get musked on or bit, even by a non-venomous snake.
Francis is a yellow bellied slider! This species is not native to Kentucky, but Francis came to us because he needed care. Yellow bellied sliders can live 20 to 40 years and are one of the most common turtle species in the southeast. You may notice that Francis has extra long finger nails, males have these in order to "flirt" with females. He would wiggle his finger nails in front of her face and she would choose the male with the longest fingernails to mate with. Francis eats an omnivore diet consisting of bugs, worms, and plants. He has excellent camouflage which would help him in the wild as from below he looks like a sunspot. This causes fish to go up to him not realizing that he is a predator. From the top, he blends in with water or logs, so birds may not see him. In his free time, Francis enjoys basking on the rocks in his tank and hanging out with his fish friends.
Chocolate is one of our beloved resident box turtles. Before he joined us, he was malnourished during critical growing years. This led to his shell being malformed, his growth being stunted, and his bones improperly forming. He was found wandering our property and since entering our care, we have ensured that Chocolate receives a balanced diet and proper lighting. Eastern box turtles are Kentucky's only terrestrial turtle. They are omnivores and eat primarily worms, berries, and veggies. You can tell an Eastern box turtle's gender from the color of their eyes and the shape of their plastron (bottom of their shell). Males have red eyes and dented plastrons, while females have brown eyes and a flat plastron. During the warm months, Chocolate enjoys spending time with his turtle friends in the box turtle enclosure by the bird blind.
Stop by LNC to say hi to our critters and enjoy the nice weather while you are here!
** Please note that we are not an animal rescue and we are not able to take in injured or unwanted pets or wildlife of any kind **