Story last updated at 10/16/2008 - 11:24 am
Reveling in reptiles
Naturalist Scott Shupe criscrosses Alaska, bringing diverse group of reptiles to Juneau
It's not too often that you get to see a live alligator in Alaska.
Nature enthusiasts of all ages will get that chance on Sunday, Oct. 19, when nationally known naturalist Scott Shupe presents a 45-minute program at the Douglas library beginning at 3 p.m. titled "The World of Reptiles." Shupe has spent the last couple of months crisscrossing Alaska, visiting schools and libraries with a motley group of reptiles that will get to spend several days in the capital city.
The program is a unique opportunity because reptiles are nearly nonexistent in Alaska's complex ecosystem, Shupe said. The only exception is a variety of garter snake that can be found in the far south of Southeast Alaska, he said.
"Other than that, there are no reptiles in Alaska. There are a few amphibians, most notably the wood frog, but no reptiles."
Shupe has brought seven such reptiles to the Last Frontier with him, ranging from a baby alligator to a 10-foot Burmese python, an Alligator Snapping turtle to a 4-foot long Tegu lizard from South America. And getting an alligator to Juneau is apparently no simple task.
"It's quite a logistical issue to travel around with these animals," Shupe said.
However, bringing these animals to Alaska for people to be exposed to is well worth the hassle, he said.
"It's a great, fun and entertaining and educational opportunity to learn about a group of animals that they just aren't exposed to very often," Shupe said. "For me it's a great opportunity to do something that I've always wanted to do, which is see the state of Alaska and travel around the state."
Shupe has partnered up with the Natural History Educational Company as well as the Kentucky Reptile Zoo in order to execute his ambitious travel plans in Alaska. He has given presentations in Fairbanks, Wasilla, Anchorage and many other smaller locations since coming to the state in August.
"That's one of the things that I live for, is to get out and experience nature and wildlife in different parts of the world," he said. "So for someone whose ambitions include those kind of things, coming to Alaska is right up near the top of your list in things you want to do with your life."
Shupe said he has worked with animals professionally for decades, with reptiles being his specialty for most of his adult life. He began his career in Florida working for zoos and tourist attractions prior to creating his own educational lecture business in the late 1970s which he ran for about 25 years.
"I'm a naturalist more than a herpetologist," he said. "Now a herpetologist is someone who specializes in the study of reptiles and amphibians. And if I could be so presumptuous as to claim to have any expertise in one field, it would be that."
Shupe has worked in the past with cougars, wolves and even birds of prey. Coming to Alaska has been thrilling from a naturalist's point of view, he said.
"Coming to Alaska was really the culmination of an ambition I've had for many, many years to see Alaska, its wilderness, its wildlife, and I've had a high degree of success in doing that. I've seen moose and caribou and bears and Dall sheep and mountain goats," Shupe said. "All my free time is spent out with my camera taking pictures of wildlife around the state of Alaska. It's been a great experience for me."
Shupe said he wanted to use his passion for reptiles as a sort of passport to Alaska to help make the journey feasible. Along with the free presentation open to the public on Sunday, Shupe will also spend time in local schools on Monday and Tuesday.
"For kids in Alaska, the opportunity to get to see these kinds of animals live and up close is kind of a rare opportunity," he said.
• Contact reporter Eric Morrison at 523-2269 or eric.morrison@juneauempire.com.
