meet & Learn about live animals with us!
Live Animal Programs
From school field trips to group programming, animal education programs are a great way to learn about nature firsthand.
Meet and learn about live animals—our Eastern Screech-owl Zelda, Eastern Kingsnake Aragorn, or Red-eared Slider Stella, among others—from our knowledgeable staff naturalists.
To schedule a live animal program, call (585) 457-3228
or email tom@buffaloaudubon.org.
owls, and turtles, and snakes — oh, my!
Meet Our Educational Animals
Zelda
Eastern Screech-Owl
Habitat: Forests, Parks, Cemeteries, and Backyards of Eastern North America
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Fun fact: Eastern Screech-owls can be Gray, Brown, or Red in color.
About Zelda: Zelda was placed with Buffalo Audubon by the SPCA Serving Erie County. After suffering injuries to her left eye as a result of a car collision, she was deemed non-releasable, and will spend the rest of her life as an animal ambassador. You can find Zelda at Beaver Meadow during owl prowl programs, school visits, and live animal programs.
snappy
Common Snapping Turtle
Habitat: North American in freshwater ponds and streams
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Fun fact: Snapping Turtles are better adapted for walking on land than most other turtles
About Snappy: Snappy looks scary BUT he is comfortable with people as he’s been around them his entire life.
sylvie
Wood Turtle
Habitat: Wooded areas of Northeast America, Ontario, and Quebec
Conservation Status: Endangered
Fun fact: Wood Turtles can live up to 58 years old!
About Sylvie: Sylvie loves a variety of fruits, vegetables, and insects.
Stella
Red-eared Slider
Habitat: South-central United States
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Fun fact: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were based off of pet Red-eared Sliders
About Stella: She loves attention and gets excited whenever there are visitors!
Stella’s habitat is generously supported by Strykersville Hardware.
Georgia & Frida
Painted Turtles
Habitat: Across North America, Including the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Watershed
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Fun fact: Painted Turtles are the most widespread North American turtle species
About Georgia and Frida: Both enjoy a variety of food, from turtle pellets to live crickets.
boxanne
Eastern Box Turtle
Habitat: Forests of Eastern United States and Canada
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Fun fact: Male Box Turtles have red eyes, and females have brown eyes
About Boxanne: Boxanne likes to spend a lot of time hiding under her bark log
spotty
Spotted Turtle
Habitat: Freshwater wetlands of the Eastern United States and Southern Ontario
Conservation Status: Endangered
Fun fact: Spotted Turtles are one of the smallest turtle species in North America
About Spotty: Spotty is on loan to Buffalo Audubon from the NYS DEC
aragorn
Eastern Kingsnake
Habitat: Grasslands, wetlands, and open forests of the eastern United States
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Fun fact: Kingsnakes prey on venomous snakes such as Copperheads
About Aragorn: Aragorn is calm and gentle, and one of our favorite snakes to take to school programs
houdini
Black Rat Snake
Habitat: Woodlands, farms, and wetlands of the eastern United States and Canada
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Fun fact: when rat snakes are startled they will shake their tails to mimic a rattlesnake and confuse predators
About Houdini: Houdini has lived his whole life at Beaver Meadow, and was about the size of a pencil when he came to us in 2016
cornbread
Corn Snake
Habitat: Fields and meadows of the Southeastern and Central United States
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Fun fact: Corn Snakes are the most popular species of snakes kept as pets
About Cornbread: Cornbread is over 20 years old!
superb owl sunday with zelda
Even Owls Love Super Bowl Sunday
Zelda smashes through a folding table for Superb Owl Saturday
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