Special species of visitors at East Elementary

There were special and unique visitors at East Elementary recently..baby kangaroos, a blue-tongued Skink, a boa, Bearded Dragon, a Fennec Fox, an Eclectus Parrot, and a 4-Eyed opossum.
Sarah Boatner and Kayla Arnold of Barn Hill Preserves-Educational Animal Programs from Ethel, LA paid a visit with their exotic critters.
Boatner said, “We like to show off and educate children about these creatures, and give them a little bit of information about each one.”
“We like to think of ourselves as the traveling Animal Ambassadors. We travel to different schools within a 500-mile radius.”
Boatner introduced East Elementary students to “Doobie” the Fennec Fox. “He lives in the Sahara Desert and can run up to 20 miles an hour. He eats crickets, plants, and can live up to 10-15 years.”
A boa from Central America “Sherica,” curled herself and made her resting place around Boatner’s shoulder. “She prefers to live in the rainforest due to humidity and temperatures. She can live up to 20-35 years and will range in size from 5-6 feet.
“It’s known that females are larger in size and can weigh 22-33 pounds. Her diet may include small to medium-sized mammals and birds.”
“Keelee” the Eclectus Parrot showed off his beautiful green color. “He is from an island off of the coast of Australia. His favorite food is nuts. He can live up to 80 years. He’s a very smart bird. Did you know, green Parrots are males and red ones are females.”
The Black-Bearded Dragon is from the desert of Australia. “When he gets mad his beard turns black in color. He is cold blooded. He runs up to 7 miles an hour. He loves to climb up and rests upon my head because its the warmest part of my body. His favorite food is fruit and he eats crickets.”
“Toby” is from the forest of Australia and is a Blue-Tongued Skink.
From Australia comes “Scarlet” the 6-month-old Red Kangaroo, “She is a mammal with a pouch for to carry her babies. Red Kangaroos are the largest species. When she is full grown she will be able to jump 25-feet in one single jump because her feet are large. She can live up to 20 years. She loves to eat grass and vegetables.”