Reptile rapture

PALMER — Students at Pioneer Peak Elementary School got a treat Thursday when a corn snake began crawling up their principal’s arms.

No, it wasn’t a reptilian invasion of a non-Alaska species, it was all part of the show.

But seeing Principal Dan Molina in the grips of a snake was enough to make the children squeal with delight.

The snake was with Scott Shupe, a Kentucky man who’s been traveling Alaska’s road system with his exotic friends.

He also brought an American alligator, a Burmese python, a snapping turtle and a large lizard to a place those animals simply don’t exist.

Shupe is part of the Kentucky Reptile Museum, and has been traveling with various reptiles since the 1970s. His journeys have taken him to schools and colleges, parks and other places around the country.

In Alaska for the past two months, Shupe has showed off his cold-blooded creatures from Anchorage to Tok, and even as far north as Circle.

On Thursday, it was the students at Pioneer Peak’s turn to be wowed by snakes and lizards.

For Shupe, seeing the amazement on other people’s faces is what drove him on a trip far away from Kentucky.

“It’s been really a joy and a pleasure for me,” he said just before his performance.

At the front of the school’s gym, four boxes sat ominously still on a set of tables. As about 200 pairs of eyes stared straight at the boxes, Shupe pulled his first exhibit from hiding.

A collective “wow” and long “oh” filled the gym.

Shupe stood with a Burmese python around his neck. The nearly 10-foot snake lifted its head and looked at the students, its tongue flicking the air for a scent.

The reaction was just what Shupe expected.

“Most kids in Alaska don’t get to see these animals,” he said. “It’s a rare opportunity.”

Reptiles like the ones with Shupe are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is the same as the air temperature around it. That physiology means a cold climate state like Alaska would easily kill the reptiles when temperatures drop too low.

Shupe’s snakes and lizards and alligators can be found in more temperate areas of the United States, such as the Southwest, Great Plains and coastal regions.

That means getting them to far-flung locations, especially Alaska, provides a significant challenge.

“It’s a logistical nightmare,” Shupe said.

The process is largely reliant on a Delta Airlines program that caters to wild animals who need to travel. Shupe said it’s one of the last programs of its kind to exist at a major airline.

But all that didn’t matter to the kids at Pioneer Peak, and Shupe’s reptiles stole the show.

Of course, Molina, the principal, didn’t expect to become so acquainted with a colorful corn snake.

Just before the show began, a more relaxed, less-nervous-looking Molina summed up what Shupe gave the students Thursday.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for our students,” he said.

Shortly there after, he was made to stand still for five seconds with a snake crawling up his arms while his students were delighted.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252