The Sternberg Museum's Animal Ambassadors
Our animal ambassadors are individual animals that are often tame or trained and used to educate the public. These animals can represent their species during educational tours or when traveling to schools. Our ambassadors are important to help us connect the public to their wild relatives and the wonderful things they do for us, or the issues they face, so that we can help them. These animals are often fed or handled during school programs and educational talks. This allows children and adults hands-on experience to help better understand why these animals are so important in environmental conservation.
Levi the Alligator Snapping Turtle
Macrochelys temminckii
Levi came to us in 2010 from an illegal commercial turtle farm in Arkansas. Even though he is very large, we do not know how old he is. Levi, like most alligator snapping turtles, does not do much. On occasion, you can see Levi hunting for fish by wiggling his togue but mostly he just waits for his caretakers to give him the food. Levi enjoys checking out visitors when they stand by his tank and watching movies on his iPad.
Darius and Pebbles the Sulcata Tortoises
Centrochlys sulcata
We received Darius and Pebbles in 2013 from a zoo. Pebbles hatched in 1952 and Darius hatched in 1999. They are very friendly and often interact with the public. They enjoy going for walks outside and eating.
Rex and Raptor the Mertens’ Water Monitors
Varanus mertensi
We received Rex and Raptor in 2017 from a zoo when they were only a few months old. We were unaware of their genders until 2020 when they reached maturity. Rex is a male and Raptor is a female. Even though Raptor is much smaller than Rex she is clearly the boss. They enjoy sunbathing, swimming, and eating as much as they can.
Phyllis the Northern Snake-Necked Turtle
Chelodina oblonga
We received Phyllis from a zoo in 2019. She was hatched in captivity in 2006. She became an instant favorite due to her wonderful personality. She enjoys swimming and following people around. She loves to explore new things in her tank and is a fascinating eater.
Chompers and Stompers the Tiger Salamanders
Ambystoma tigrinum
These two were wild-caught near Hays and donated to the museum in 2020. They are super easy to care for because all they want is food and they will eat anything. The Tiger Salamander is Kansas’s state amphibian and these two do a great job showcasing how cool they are.
Queso the Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum
We received Queso after some much-anticipated time in 2020, from the Phoenix Herpetological Society. Queso is a venomous lizard with the behavior of a lazy house cat. When Queso is not napping she enjoys exploring her cage and her many enrichment activities that her caretakers do for her. She is very smart and loves to rearrange her enclosure.
Yoda and Sebulba the Sonoran Desert Toads
Incilius alvarius
We received these three in 2019 as young toads. They have grown very fast due to their voracious appetites. They are always a hit with visitors because they try to lick anything that moves. Greedo is a male and Yoda and Sebulba are females.
Jason the Bull Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Jason was donated in 2018 when a longtime volunteer found him in their living room. He was a hatchling at the time and has been involved in our education program since then. He is very friendly, enjoys warm baths, and hanging out with his caretakers.
Pretzel the Great Plains Rat Snake
Pantherophis emoryi
Pretzel is the only reptile born and raised at the museum. Pretzel was born in 2001 when the staff incubated snake eggs. She is incredibly sweet and enjoys hanging out with her caretakers whenever possible. She is famous for education programs and is a great example of how wonderful snakes can be.
Mazie the Speckled King Snake
Lampropeltis holbrooki
Mazie is a wild-caught snake from the Hays area. She was found shortly after hatching in 2020 on an abnormally cold day and was brought to the museum. We instantly fell in love with her gentle yet sassy attitude. She can often be found hanging out in her caretakers’ pockets or pooping all over people.
Oreo the California King Snake
Lampropeltis getula
Oreo was hatched in 2019 at a pet store. After he was adopted, by a family that volunteers at the museum, he refused to eat mice for months, so they asked the museum for help. It only took a few days for us to show him how to eat and he has not looked back since. Once the volunteers saw how amazing Oreo is with little kids, they decided to donate him. Oreo is often called the rattlesnake wannabe for his awesome tail shakes.
Crush the Ornate Box Turtle
Terrapene ornate
Crush was wild-caught in 2019. We have Crush to represent Kansas’s state reptile, the ornate box turtle. For a turtle, he is extremely fast. He loves all kinds of meat and strawberries are his favorite fruit. He enjoys burrowing and chasing bugs around his enclosure.
Ladybug the Albino Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta
Ladybug was donated to the museum in 2018. Her previous owners thought she hatched in 2008. Ladybug, along with other turtles, is not on display but spends her days roaming around our large animal room with the other turtles. She is a very sweet turtle that enjoys sunbathing and sitting on her caretakers' lap. Ladybug can often be found hanging out with her best friend, Jeffery the snapping turtle.
Toffee and Mocha the Rats
Rattus norvegicus
These two female rats were given to the museum in 2020. They are captive-born and are not found out in the wild. They are both incredibly smart and sweet. They enjoy napping on their caretaker’s shoulders, or in their pockets, as well as stealing food. Toffee passed away in 2022, from old age. We were lucky to have a wonderful and friendly girl like Toffee to help teach the community about how amazing her species is.
Brutus the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
This rattlesnake was wild-caught 2011 in Oklahoma. This venomous species of snake is large and aggressive but serves an important role in its ecosystem. We use this rattlesnake to educate the public of the negative effects that Rattlesnake Roundups have on all snakes.