American Prairie is bringing back its ECO-Critters program to the National Discovery Center in Lewistown, in partnership with ZooMontana.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 1, educational staff from ZooMontana in Billings will return to Lewistown with live animals from around the world in the second of six scheduled visits in 2024.
The historic Power Mercantile Building was completed in 1901. In 2018 American Prairie purchased the structure and remodeled it for the nonprofit’s National Discovery Center.
ECO-Critters is designed to highlights living creatures from across the planet and is one of a number of free educational programs developed by American Prairie’s National Discovery Center staff. Four additional ECO-Critters events with ZooMontana are scheduled for July 6, Aug. 24, Sept. 7, and Oct. 6.
Animals visiting on June 1 include Ginger the Garter Snake, Rocket the Western Box Turtle, and a number of Madagascar Hissing Roaches.
According to the program, Ginger, the garter snake, can live in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, fields, grasslands and lawns, but garter snakes are never far from water, be it a wetland, stream or pond. This is because amphibians (frogs) are a large part of their diet. Garter snakes are highly variable in appearance, but generally have large round eyes with rounded pupils and a pattern of longitudinal stripes. They also vary significantly in length, from 18 to 51 inches. A garter snake hatch can include as many as 57 young. If disturbed, it may coil and strike, but it typically hides its head and flails its tail.
Rocket, is a Western Box Turtle, which is a species of turtle inhabiting the prairie or grassland regions of the Western and Midwestern United States. They usually spend their entire lives in an area of just a few acres and hibernate during the winter in shallow holes they dig. Western Box Turtles are omnivores and eat insects like grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, worms, vegetables, greens, and fruit. They have sharp “beaks” that allow them to tear into their food. Box turtles are also oviparous, meaning they lay their eggs outside their bodies. The Western Box Turtle faces many challenges from human activities, including loss of habitat due to agriculture and urbanization. They are also victims of the pet trade.
Madagascar Hissing Roaches are one of the largest living cockroaches in the world. They live in the forests of Madagascar, an island off the southeastern coast of Africa. During the day they hide beneath the leaf litter or in rotting logs and then emerge at night to scavenge for food. They feed mainly on fruit and other plant material. They are known mainly for the “hissing” sound they make, which is made by expelling air through their breathing holes. They make four separate hiss sounds: a male combat hiss, two mating and courtship hisses, and an alarm hiss (that sounds like that of a snake). Although deforestation is somewhat of a threat to this species, they have adapted well to changes in habitat.
During this event, visitors can explore multiple stations and learn about the natural world the animals live in and how they are cared for at the zoo. Visitors can also tour the National Discovery Center exhibits and learn even more about prairie plants and animals. ZooMontana Education and Outreach staff will be on hand to answer questions and handle the animals.
The American Prairie National Discovery Center is located at 302 W. Main St. in Lewistown, and is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit americanprairie.org/national-discovery-center to learn more, and follow American Prairie on Facebook for updates on upcoming events and programming.
