LIVE ANIMAL EVENT AT AMERICAN PRAIRIE’S NATIONAL DISCOVERY CENTER
ECO-Critters series features a western hognose snake, tiger salamander, and three-toed box turtle

American Prairie, in partnership with ZooMontana, is pleased to announce the return of “ECO-Critters” to the National Discovery Center in Lewistown. On Saturday, August 29, from 10am to 2pm, educational staff from ZooMontana in Billings will return to Lewistown with live animals from around the world in the fourth of five scheduled visits in 2026. One additional visit is scheduled for September 12 during Lewistown’s Chokecherry Festival.

ECO-Critters, designed for everyone interested in Earth’s living creatures, is one of several free educational programs developed by American Prairie’s National Discovery Center staff. This year, Zoo Montana staff will be making the animals available for public viewing at specific times: 11am and at 1 pm. At these times, the Zoo staff will conduct 30-minute up-close presentations about the animals, followed by a Q&A period. Please note these changes. The remainder of the time, Zoo staff will present information on and examples of native species. Visiting on August 29 will be Wilbur, a western hognose snake, Simon the tiger salamander, and Rocket, a three-toed box turtle!

Wilbur, a western hognose snake, came to the Zoo in 2021. Western hognose snakes
get their name because their nose resembles that of a pig. Their upturned nose is what
helps these snakes dig and burrow by acting as a shovel to help them move through the
terrain. They prefer to live in areas that are mostly dry and sandy and can be found from
southern Canada to northern Mexico and can range from western Colorado to eastern
Illinois. These snakes are considered venomous, although their venom is only strong
enough to affect their prey. When threatened, a hognose snake will flip on its back,
open its mouth, and play dead

Simon, one of the Zoo’s tiger salamanders, was hatched between May 2016 and
May 2017. He was donated to the Zoo by a private individual in 2019. Tiger
salamanders are wide-spread, being present over much of North America. While not
currently at risk, they are negatively affected by deforestation and pollution, the latter
because they absorb water and air through their skins. In the wild, they live in forests,
grasslands, and marshy areas. They are mostly nocturnal. Tiger salamanders are
carnivores and mainly eat crustaceans, insect larvae, worms, slugs, snails, and other
small critters.

Rocket is a three-toed box turtle, a subspecies of the eastern box turtle. They are named for having three toes on their hind feet. They are exclusive to North America, ranging from Maine to Florida and from Michigan to Texas. They live in open woodlands, pastures, and marshy meadows. These turtles are omnivores, meaning they eat plants, as well as animals. Their diet includes snails, insects, berries, roots, flowers, fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, birds, and eggs. They have even been observed munching on a dead cow!

During this free event, visitors can explore multiple stations and learn about the natural world in which the animals live and how they are cared for at the zoo. ZooMontana Education and Outreach staff will be on hand to answer questions and handle the animals. Visitors can also tour the National Discovery Center exhibits and learn even more about prairie plants and animals, including “Bandit,” a live endangered black-footed ferret living at the National Discovery Center. Bandit is on loan from the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center/US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The American Prairie National Discovery Center is located at 302 W. Main Street in Lewistown, and is open Thursday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Visit americanprairie.org/national-discovery-center to learn more, and follow American Prairie on Facebook for updates on upcoming events and programming.