Roaches, frogs and tortoises, oh my! Students at Harley Avenue Primary School screamed in excitement as Erik ‘the Reptile Guy’ walked around the school’s cafetorium with his reptilian and amphibious friends on Dec. 10.

Erik Callender – the owner and director of Erik’s Reptile Edventures of Middle Island – presented his Reptile Rescue Awareness program, which he said was created to inspire students to enjoy and respect nature, and to excel in life science.

 The students met Oreo the Tegu lizard and Dozer the African spur thighed tortoise among other scaly creatures. They learned about each of the animals’ environments and the differences between herbivores and carnivores.

Additionally, the students learned to be mindful of how to care for animals and further pledged to read 21 books about a certain creature before buying it as a pet. 

“Respect the animals and the environment,” Mr. Callender said. “It’s important to know where it comes from and how to care for it.”