News Dinner Is Served: Snake Chats Slither into the Swamp

Baton Rouge, LouisianaSep 03, 2026Calling all reptile lovers to the front! The past two months have been ones many Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center visitors won’t soon forget after getting an up-close look at live snake feedings during the center’s new Snake Chats. 

The sessions started in July and continued in August on Saturdays at 11 a.m., quickly becoming a favorite for visitors who love snakes or are curious about their feeding routines. 

The hour-long program starts with a presentation on snake feeding habits and anatomy, the types of food they eat and an introduction to the center’s resident snakes visitors are about to see in action. 

Visitors then walk as a group around the nature center, stopping at one snake exhibit at a time as the presenter feeds each snake its selected food item. 

“People get to witness each snake’s personality and see how they react to their food,” said Harper Martinez, a BREC Recreation Educator at the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center. 

Snake Chats are included with regular admission to the nature center, and there is no age minimum. However, parents should be aware that visitors will see snakes eat whole rodents that were previously frozen and thawed before feeding. 

Because snakes are not always tidy eaters, feedings may include blood, which may distress sensitive visitors. For reptile enthusiasts, however, seeing the snakes’ natural feeding behaviors is part of the program’s appeal.  

Snake Chats are scheduled around the center’s regular feeding routine. Most snakes eat once every one to three weeks depending on their size, species and age, while some can go two to four months between meals. Staff carefully tailor each snake’s diet to its individual needs. 

“Our education staff was looking to engage the public with a routine task that is often inquired about and was normally done without promotion,” Martinez explained. 

The center’s first official Snake Chat was held in July and drew a strong turnout along with positive feedback from visitors. The program also gives BREC an opportunity to connect with the area’s community of reptile enthusiasts while giving other visitors a safe environment to learn more about animals they may otherwise fear or misunderstand. 

“We want visitors to be able to understand the importance of snakes in our environment, how they help control pests, lessen their fear, and have them gain a deeper appreciation for often misunderstood creatures,” Martinez said. 

While the Snake Chats are still in a trial phase this fall, Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center staff are looking to make the program a weekly offering beginning in the spring. 

Snakes are not the only animals getting their own educational program. The nature center is also trialing a Turtle Talk series in September. The program will follow a similar format to Snake Chats but will focus on the center’s turtle collection. 

If both programs prove successful, staff hope to add Snake Chats and Turtle Talks to Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center’s standard program schedule, giving visitors even more opportunities to get an up-close look at some of the center’s most fascinating residents.