Georgie, 8, meets Zoomba the zombie crab at a recent visit by animals from Zoophoria to the Cranford Public Library. Zombie crabs have eight legs and their claws are extremely strong. They can pick up food and put it into their mouth.
CRANFORD, NJ — Children who recently visited the Cranford Public Library met – and touched – several incredible animals.
Samantha Slevens, lead animal educator and owner of Zoophoria, offered the library patrons an opportunity to learn about several animals. Slevens has a degree in zoology from Delaware Valley University. She referred to herself as “Miss Sam.”
Cheeseburger is a cane toad. “When she sits and waits for food, she’s very patient,” said Slevens. Cheeseburger has no teeth and her color helps her blend in. She eats bugs. “Anything that fits inside her mouth,” said Slevens.
Zoomba is a zombie crab who likes to eat dead animals, creating a clean environment for other animals. “Some people eat them,” said Slevens.
Zombie crabs have eight legs and their claws are extremely strong. They can pick up food and put it into their mouth.
Bento the box turtle is a year old and grows into the size of a grapefruit. They hatch out of an egg and only travel a mile from where they were born. They can live up to 60 years of age. Slevens advises if you see one you can pick them up and move them in the same direction they were going. Or you can use a stick to assist them to move along. They eat meat and vegetables.
Zen is a 20-year-old leopard gecko. “If she gets scared, her tail will fall off,” said Slevens. “Her tail will grow back. She likes to eat bugs. They are common pets and live 30 years.”
The grand finale of the show was Noodles, a six-year-old red-tailed boa constrictor. “They live in the Amazon rain forest,” said Slevens. They eat rats, squirrels, and birds. They strike and grab animals and have no interest in eating humans.
After Slevens talked about each animal, she let the children pet them.
When the program was finished, she allowed children to pose with Noodles over their shoulders for photo ops.
Library patron and parent Lee Weitzen, of Cranford, enjoyed the program and said, “She lets you pet all the animals. A wide variety of animals. Really cool.”
Justin Barbaro, of Cranford, said, “It’s a community event, open to the public to introduce kids to wildlife.”
Ron Litz, of Cranford, said, “I loved how interactive the presenter was with kids and making animals exciting.”
His son, Everett, 7, said he liked the gecko and the turtle.
To learn more about Zoophoria, visit: https://www.zoophorianj.com/.
To learn more about The Cranford Public Library, visit: https://www.cranfordlibrary.org/.
Photos by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
