Snakes Alive

This little fella turned up recently in Florida 

Respighi, the Italian composer, visited the Butanta Snake institute in Brazil to overcome his fear of snakes. I, for one, am scared to death of them.  The thought of encountering the one pictured above gives me the willies.

The Instituto Butantã is located in a large outdoor park near the campus of the University of Sao Paulo, attracting more than 300,000 people annually, is one of the main sights of the city of São Paulo.

Seems peaceful enough

The institute is world-renowned for its collection of venomous snakes, including its 407 varieties of cobra, as well as lizards, spiders, and other unpleasant creepers.

Enter President Roosevelt, an early visitor.

In addition to the serpentarium, which consists of terrariums and spacious outdoor concrete snake-filled enclosures , there is also a historical museum with information about the museum’s founder Dr. Vital Brasil, a biological museum, and a museum of microbiology.

Know Before You Go

The deadly Jararaca pit vipers kept in the first of the three outdoor snake enclosures can be hard to see for much of the day. If you are keen to see them in all their sinister serpentine beauty check out the enclosure just before sunset when they begin to become much more lively. You won't be disappointed.

THAT DID IT!!!  BYE.