Our Take: Snake show brings important information

Jason Clark from Southeastern Reptile Rescue can pack the Laurens County Library.

Every year, Clark’s snake show brings in the young and old alike, filling up the back part of the library where children get as close to the tape that staff placed on the floor earlier in the day. That tape is a warning telling adults to keep their children from crossing that line. 

On June 12, Clark demonstrated his wide range of knowledge of snakes which began when he was 7. By the time he was in seventh grade, Clark had a reptile collection of 52 animals. 

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By the time he was in the ninth grade he did his first public show. By the time he was 14 he was picking up snakes by contacting 911 and asking about any calls where snakes or other reptiles needed rescuing.

Clark has a simple message to anyone attending his shows. “Snakes are not mean, they’re scared,” he said.

Most people are bitten by a snake two to three minutes after they first see it. Some of this is because people choose to try to scare it away by poking it with a stick or try to get closer to it to maybe take a picture.

 Now may be the time to read up on snakes or other animals in books or other information at our local library.

One thing for certain is if one does not get any other safety tip from Clark, the main one may be leave things along, especially if you do not know much about them.