First Day of Interns

My interns had their first official day on Sunday, Feb 12, 2012 and they are so helpful! They make a dynamic team together and I am so grateful to have them on MY team. They are extremely efficient and really easy to get along with, making my job rather simple.

One of my interns has taken on the internship to conquer her fear of snakes. Although she is not ready to handle an 11-foot burmese python just yet, she has shown tremendous growth, comfort, and maturity in a very short time.

 (Having a mini heart attack) 

(Much more confident with Glutamate)

The other intern's goal is to have expertise in herptile handling and husbandry. Hopefully I will help her attain her goal while educating both her and myself throughout the process.

One of my favorite parts of having these interns is the energy and enthusiasm they are bringing to a cause that I am so passionate about. I love sharing my passion with others, hence why I developed Jodie'sArk. I hope you enjoyed this post. 

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Amino Acid Snakes

Hello, Internet!

I cannot believe it's been over a month since I last updated you on Jodie's Ark. I will try to work on more frequent posts.

Anyway, a lot has happened these past few months.

After being appointed to the Board of Directors for the Reptile Rescue of the Carolinas, I felt that it was time for me to take a little bit more initiative with the organization, so I offered to foster a few more snakes.

Some stupid pre-teen decided to steal his mother's credit card and bought 30 expensive snakes and kept them outside in small containers. Mom was naturally against this, so the Reptile Rescue of the Carolinas swooped in and saved the day!

This was my chance to help make a difference. So, in addition to Victor and Queenie, I took on 16 more. This was a dilemma. How could I come up with 16 unique names to help differentiate my snakes? As a biochemistry teaching assistant, I naturally thought of the twenty amino acids. Some of these snakes became Glycine, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Proline, Phenylalanine, Tryrosine, Tryptophan, Serine, Theronine, Aspartate, Cysteine, Methionine, and Glutamate. Oh, and Quazimoto.

Rather than me attempting to post over 60 pictures, check out my Facebook Album! If you see any that you like, please contact Brandon Terry or Matt Stoddard with the Reptile Rescue of the Carolinas.

Another really exciting update!

Sometimes the idea of having so many snakes can be overwhelming. I realized that as an individual, I can only do so much good for these snakes. Getting a team of volunteers and interns can enhance their quality of life so much more! Therefore, in addition to all that my friends do to support the rescue, I will have my own set of interns! I hand selected two very bright and ambitious pre-vet sophomores. My goal for the internship is to treat them with the same respect, kindness, and patience that I have with my snakes.

The interns start tomorrow! I cannot wait!