Snakes of the Florida Keys – October Delicate Balance of Nature
October 26 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
This presentation will cover all things snakes! I will discuss cultural significance of snakes, dispelling myths, and detail the importance of snakes in the ecosystem. I will also help with identification of the more common snakes and highlight current conservation issues affecting these animals with a focus on the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake and the invasive Burmese Python.
Matt grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. His passion for the natural world and scientific inquiry led him to obtain a degree in zoology from Auburn University and a master’s in environmental science from Florida Gulf Coast University. He has worked on a variety of environmental topics ranging from seagrass ecology to endangered bat conservation, however, his passion has always centered around reptiles. His expertise is focused on the conservation of native Florida snakes, such as the Eastern Indigo Snake and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, but he has also spent significant time conducting research on amphibian and reptile communities in the Peruvian Amazon. His studies have now landed him in Key Largo, where he works as a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey conducting research on Burmese Pythons throughout South Florida.
Join us in person in the John Pennekamp Visitor Center at 6:30pm for a pre-lecture reception or via Zoom at 7:15pm: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81856782929
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