The Year of the Snake at Museum of Natural History

The Idaho Museum of Natural History on Idaho State University’s Pocatello campus is opening a new exhibit, Snakes of Idaho, on March 14.

“Snakes of Idaho” exhibition, created by Emeritus Biology Faculty Charles Peterson, Ph.D., dives into the beautiful and fascinating world of Idaho’s native snakes. This place-based exhibit will leave you with a greater appreciation for these fascinating animals, and how you can help conserve them. The exhibit consists of stunning photos of Idaho’s 12 native species of snakes along with detailed information to explain these animals in a way you’ve never experienced before!

The exhibit conveys the importance of snakes from their biodiversity to their ability to control pests, disease, and even stop crop loss! Snakes are an important symbol in many cultures throughout the world, and are important to biologists today in ways beyond anything our ancestors could have imagined.

This exhibition is a culmination of Dr. Peterson’s 45 years of research into Idaho’s snake populations.His interests include the biology and conservation ecology of amphibians and reptiles populations in the Northern Intermountain West, though he has recently returned from a trip to Antarctica. He is currently leading community science projects utilizing the iNaturalist app to document the distribution and activity of amphibians and reptiles in the Greater Yellowstone Area. 

Join the IMNH on March 18 at 7 p.m. to hear Dr. Peterson discuss his research. This lecture is $3 and due to limited space registration is required, visit isu.edu/imnh for more information.

The IMNH has served Idaho since 1934. To learn more or to sign up for classes please visit isu.edu/imnh or call (208) 282-3168.