Interviewed by Sara Cody
Name: Chris Mitchell
Age: 17, Senior in High School
Hometown: Mansfield, MA
Area of Interest: Herpetology
Where you've seen him: All over the MAS website... he's our first official volunteer!
Future Plans: Attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst
Other Activities/Interests: Music---he plays the piano, guitar, and bass guitar!
Snakes, tarantulas, scorpions---these creatures, to many people, are the stuff of nightmares. But to Chris Mitchell, these creepy crawlies have the opposite effect on him. Since he first became interested at age 10, his fascination with these animals has quickly developed into a passion. When asked about what sparked his interest, Chris attributed it to the pond in his backyard. "The woods are right next to the pond, kind of in a corner," he describes. "I would go looking for any kind of animals I could find-snakes, turtles, salamanders, frogs." Today, Chris plans on attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst and studying biology. His main interest is herpetology, which is the study of reptiles and amphibians, and that is what he plans on doing after college. However, "I haven't pinpointed exactly where yet. I haven't decided whether I want to work out in the field, or back in the lab. I definitely want to do something involving reptiles."
Chris has his own extensive collection of different types of exotic animals that he has been compiling for the past six years. Today, his menagerie houses around 12 animals, including a Corn Snake, a Ball Python, A Giant Musk Turtle, a Bearded Dragon, a Leopard Gecko, a Pacman Frog, some Grey Tree Frogs, an Emporer Scorpion, and a Rose Hair Tarantula. The animal he claims is the hardest to take care of is his turtle. "They make the most mess, and they don't really care how you set up the aquarium. They will set it up according to how they like it. They'll move stuff around, especially the more aggressive species." Out of all his animals, he would say his scorpion is the most dangerous. "Not that it's very venomous," he reassures me. "But I'm allergic to bees, and I might have an anaphylactic reaction to its venom. I don't know for sure, but there's a good chance that I am." He laughs "There isn't really a place that I know of that I can go get tested for scorpion venom." However, out of all of the different species of reptiles and amphibians, Chris's favorite animal is a python. "More specifically, a reticulated python. They're huge, the biggest pythons. Not as big as anacondas, but they're the second biggest snake. You need eight people to hold them. I've seen pictures of them eating crocodiles." Chris has two animals that he is hoping to add to his collection. "The red-tail boa and the spur-thighed tortoise. I want a large constrictor, and I've never had a tortoise. They're really cool guys."
When asked about his proudest accomplishments, Chris immediately says "definitely educating and informing people about the realities and misconceptions about reptiles and amphibians." He feels that people are "naturally afraid of exotic animals like that, just because they're not used to them. People seem to think that all snakes are slimy, and they're all going to bite you. Every animal has the potential to bite you---not just a snake." Like every other animal, the degree of aggressiveness is entirely dependent upon the person handling it. If you provoke an animal, whether it is a dog, cat, bird or snake, it will bite you. Chris agrees that reptiles and amphibians make good pets, as long as they will be taken care of appropriately. "Make sure you really want it for the right reasons. Don't just buy one because you think it looks cool and then forget about it a week later. Do a lot of research, make sure you are ready and able to care for it and provide for it BEFORE you buy it," he urges. "If you are starting out with a reptile, corn snakes and leopard geckos are the easiest to handle."
Chris seems to follow the philosophy that science is very much a self-motivated passion. If you are also interested in science, Chris recommends that you "do as much research as you can, and try to get as active as you can. Find people who can help you gain a better understanding of what you are interested in." Chris had the opportunity to work exclusively with Al Richmond, one of UMass Amherst's leading herpetology experts. Even before he acquires a new pet, he does extensive research to make sure he has a complete understanding of what he is bringing into his care. The best resources he uses are the Internet and the library. "I'll go and get books about anything I can find." Because of his talents, Chris has become the MAS's very own expert on reptiles and amphibians. He has attended the AAAS convention, and came along to the Fuller Fifth Science Fair in Gloucester, and he also oversaw the adoption of our new ball python, Monty. Chris is an excellent example of how it is never too early to start following your passion. It is up to you to put yourself out there and get it done.
Want to share your interests and aspirations? Contact Sara for an interview!
