Post Secondary School Programs

Fear of reptiles, and snakes, in particular, is common even among those with a passion for animals. Exposure to snakes will help students overcome this fear so that it does not become an issue for them in the workplace. Students enrolled in animal care courses typically do not have much exposure to reptiles and amphibians. These animals are becoming much more common in private homes as pets. A well-rounded understanding of the characteristics and needs of reptiles and amphibians will give students more options when looking for work.

Animal Care Courses
Reptilia’s staff provide unique programs for students learning about animal care. Many animal care courses do not have the time to cover reptiles and amphibians in depth. In fact, many schools have only one or two classes (2-4 hours) devoted to covering the biology and care of these increasingly popular but misunderstood animals. Reptilia’s programs cover a lot of information effectively in a way that students remember. The live animals and experienced demonstrators make the experience unique because it covers theory and practical application together.

Programs at Reptilia
Bring your class to Reptilia and experience a hands-on demonstration and a tour of our zoo facility. The visit to our facility is especially meaningful for animal care students as they can see how the animals are handled and housed in a zoo setting. We also have venomous species at the zoo which provide an opportunity to demonstrate handling of venomous reptiles.

Programs at Your School
Our staff can bring a variety of animals to your school and deliver the same program provided at our zoo.

Workshops for students enrolled in teacher’s college focus on Life Systems curriculum and Biology curriculum. Many teachers who will teach at the elementary school level do not have a science background. Reptilia’s workshops provide a foundation in life sciences or an in-depth look at one particular aspect of the curriculum. Teacher candidate workshops also focus on using a multidisciplinary approach to teaching.

Programs for Teachers and Teacher Candidates
Reptilia understands that many teachers at the elementary school level are apprehensive about teaching science because they do not have the background in science necessary to teach the concepts outlined in the curriculum. Reptilia’s teacher workshops are conducted with this in mind. The goal of each workshop is to provide teachers with the knowledge necessary to confidently teach the concepts in the curriculum. Each workshop will have three main components which are consistent with the three primary aspects of the curriculum. That is, the workshops will focus on the following: (1) teaching basic concepts, (2) providing activities that focus on investigation, exploration, and data collection, and (3) demonstrating links between the concepts and the outside world. After attending Reptilia’s workshops, teachers will:

• Be familiar with the topics in the Life Systems Strand.
• Have more knowledge to draw from during lessons.
• Have support materials that can immediately be put to use in the classroom.
• Be able to easily meet the curriculum requirements for the Life Systems Strand.

Reptilia is supported to a great extent by schools and teachers. These workshops help us share our expertise and knowledge with teachers and school boards that support us.

Programs at Reptilia
Bring your group to Reptilia and experience a hands-on demonstration and a tour of our zoo facility. The visit to our facility is especially meaningful for teachers as it gives them an opportunity to see the great diversity that exists in this group and we can demonstrate how to use zoos and zoo exhibits as teaching tools.

Programs at Your School
Our staff can bring a variety of animals to your school and deliver the same program provided at our zoo.

Research involving reptiles and amphibians is on the rise. Students enrolled in courses intended to prepare them to work with wildlife in the field need exposure to reptiles in real-world situations. Reptilia can provide hands-on in-class experiences and guided field courses that will prepare students for real-world work with reptiles and amphibians. Courses demonstrating safe handling of venomous species are also available.

Reptilia’s expertise extends beyond biology and husbandry to handling and collection of data in the field. Students studying reptile and amphibian biology in the context of natural resources management and research will benefit from Reptilia’s identification and field courses. Each course is designed to teach students about the natural history, ecology, behavior, and identification of reptiles and amphibians.

Ontario Species Lesson
Our first session focuses on the identification and natural history of native Ontario species of reptiles and amphibians. Students will learn about the natural history, ecology, and behavior of native species while learning how to identify them. A combination of live animals, video, and slides will be used in the multimedia presentation.

Students enrolled in zoology courses rarely see or work with live animals. Reptilia’s zoology/herpetology classes cover aspects of reptilian and amphibian physiology, classification, evolution, and ecology.

Zoology Programs
Zoology students don’t often get to work with live animals. Several options including live demonstrations and field courses are available. All programs will be customized to suit the needs and requests of the specific course coordinator. Reptilia will work closely with the coordinator to ensure each goal is achieved. Some options and suggestions are listed below:

Herpetology
This is an identification lab that will teach students how to identify various reptile families from live specimens. Video and slides will also be used as part of the experience. Live examples from more than 15 families of reptiles will be brought to your lab for students to see first hand. Alternatively, you can bring your students to Reptilia and observe even greater diversity in a hands-on presentation and zoo tour.

The increasing popularity of reptile and amphibian pets makes it necessary for veterinarians and their technicians to have at least a basic knowledge of reptile and amphibian identification and care. Reptilia’s focus is on proper identification, handling, and common health issues associated with the most common reptile and amphibian pets.

Veterinary Students and Technicians
Reptilia’s staff provide unique programs for students learning about veterinary science. Many veterinary science and vet tech courses do not have the time to cover reptiles and amphibians in depth. In fact, many schools have only one or two classes (2-4 hours) devoted to covering the biology and care of these increasingly popular but misunderstood animals. Reptilia’s programs cover a lot of information effectively in a way that students remember. The live animals and experienced demonstrators make the experience unique because it covers theory and practical application together.

Programs at Reptilia
Bring your class to Reptilia and experience a hands-on demonstration and a tour of our zoo facility. The visit to our facility is especially meaningful for students as they can see how the animals are handled and housed in a zoo setting. We also have venomous species at the zoo which provide an opportunity to demonstrate handling of venomous reptiles.

Programs at Your School
Our staff can bring a variety of animals to your school and deliver the same program provided at our zoo.