We head to the Lake Superior Zoo to meet two snakes- the first is Wilbur the Eastern Hognose Snake. Emily Perala of the Lake Superior Zoo explains, “they get their names from if you look at his nose, it’s kind of turned up at the end and it kind of looks a little bit like a pig’s snout.”

These types of snakes like to dig- they’ll hide themselves under loose dirt and rocks. It’s how they cool off on a warm day.

This isn’t very many snakes in Minnesota. They’re mostly found along the bottom, Western Edge of Minnesota. Wilbur has lived at the zoo for about 10 years.

While Oscar the Corn Snake is rather young, and is a more common type of snake across the Midwest. Emily explains why the snake’s name: ” They’re called corn snakes because they like to eat rats and mice mostly. So they like to be really helpful for farmers.”

Oscar is only 4-years-old so he has some growing to do, “They’ll be over six feet long when they’re fully grown, but they’re long and skinny, so they don’t bulk up too much.” This is also one of the most common types of snakes that people keep as pets.