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Meet Acton's summer guest, Kyle the corn snake

Local residents can get up close and personal with Kyle at the Halton Hills Public Library's Acton branch all summer

Kyle is shy, but the Halton Hills Public Library (HHPL) is doing everything it can to make him feel at home. They have tricked out a large terrarium for the corn snake to calm his nerves.

Kyle will be spending his summer vacation at the Acton branch, in July and August. Adults and kids who are interested in getting to know Kyle, and going so far as holding him, can come to the library on Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“We wanted to bring in something that would be of interest to kids, especially kids who we don’t normally consider as readers,” said Dani Austin, the children’s services librarian at HHPL. “It also gives us the opportunity to do a little natural science education, which is something we know people are interested in.”

On Saturday, Kyle helped launch the HHPL’s Summer Reading Challenge for kids, youth and adults.

Children are encouraged to challenge themselves by reading as many books as possible and log their progress either on a paper calendar provided by the library or the Beanstack app. The goal is to get kids reading for 15 to 30 minutes a day.

“A lot of science shows that (reading daily) promotes the retention of everything we’ve learned during the school year and sets them up for success,” noted Austin.

Kyle came to Acton from Sciensational Sssnakes!!, which provides hands-on education about reptiles and amphibians. The group was on hand to show kids a range of reptiles on Saturday, including turtles and snakes. 

“Conservation through education is the byline of the business,” said Jenny Pearce, owner of Sciensational Sssnakes!! “Reptiles are the most at-risk group of animals in the province. What we want to get across is that although they are really in trouble, they are also one of the easiest animals for us to help.”

Pearce and her team mesmerized the kids by showing them a black rat snake named Willow, Jill the garter snake, Shore the water snake and Ceratina who, just like Kyle, is a corn snake. Two turtles, a snapping turtle named Gonzo and Beau the Blanding’s turtle, also made an appearance. All of these snakes and turtles are native to the province.

The only non-Ontario species was the showstopper, Burmese python named Salazar, the largest snake in the presentation. Children and parents got a chance to touch the snakes. Some brave souls also allowed themselves to be wrapped by the serpents.

If you're wondering what the skin of a snake feels like, it's softer than you think - a mix between silky, rubbery and leathery.

For further details on the Summer Reading Challenge, visit hhpl.on.ca.