Happy Herpers

     The Kansas Herpetological Society held its spring field trip at Bourbon State Fishing Lake in Bourbon county and over a hundred people attended, mostly kids.  If you want to stir some excitement in the outdoors with kids, nothing beats a pile of herps.  Snakes, lizards, salamaders, turtles--you know, nature's hand pets.  (Excepting any rattlesnakes and copperheads of course.)   Those were captured as well and observed at a distance.  The crew of herpers spanned across a rocky prairie hillside looking under rocks for a chance to catch something lurking below.  A centipede, scorpion, beetles, ants and eventually a really cool snake or lizard.  This is nature's natural treasure hunt.  And the excitement doesn't end at the discovery.  The education lesson only starts then.  In the video, a young herper explains the virtures of a beautiful western rat snake to even younger herpers.  In another picture, Jesse admires his milksnake he just caught.  Having fun in the Kansas Outback is as easy as looking under rocks.  And watching these kids explore their world and developing a life-long love of these animals is pure joy for the adults as well.  In fact, its hard to tell the adults from the kids when the excitment level is practically the same.  Take your kid herping.  If you need help, check out the Kansas Herpetological Society on the web for all kinds of information and assistance.