Loudonville kids get cozy with snake and turtle at Olive Tree Day Care - Wooster Daily Record

Jim Brewer  |  Special to Ashland Times-Gazette

Gracie Jeffries didn't expect to visit, eye to eye, with a gray rat snake.

But that was her unexpected treat Friday, Jan. 13, when she was the first beneficiary of a close encounter with reptiles in her after-school session at the Olive Tree Care.

"We are planning to set up presentations by different community resources as part of our program," said Kristy Spreng, director of Olive Tree. "The visit today by Kyle Casey, naturalist at Mohican State Park, was the first session in this program."

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Casey provided the dozen or more students at Olive Tree, which offers before and after school care for students in grades K-6, an interesting and at times entertaining presentation on Ohio reptiles as the inaugural program.

The program started off quietly enough, with Casey unpacking a box filled with various turtle shells, ranging from tiny ones, about three inches long, to huge and scary snapping turtle shells, a foot or more around.

After talking about the shells, he went to a plastic tote and pulled out a live turtle, a box turtle, one of the species most commonly found in Ohio, and discussed its characteristics.

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"This is a girl turtle," he said. "You can tell by the shape of their shells. Females are higher and more rounded, while male turtles have flatter shells."

Shells that turtles carry on their backs are for protection, and if for some reason a shell is broken, a turtle will grow another, Casey told the children.

After packing the female turtle back in his tote, he pulled a more exciting creature out of it, a gray rat snake, about long.

Fifth grader Gracie Jeffries got the first close look at the snake, perhaps closer than she expected, though she showed no fear of the slithery new acquaintance. Most of the other children at the session also got close looks at the snake.

In his presentation, Casey elicited questions about the lives and characteristics of reptiles, posed by most of the students attending. Based on the sophistication of questions asked, it was apparent the students had studied up on reptiles before his arrival.

Spreng said she hopes to provide regular community-based presentations for students.

For more information on the programs, including interest in providing one, or for more information on Olive Tree, contact Spreng at 419-994-2080. Olive Tree is located in the old church portion of the Newhope Community Church, 637 N. Market St., Loudonville.