Exotic Pets Visit East Brunswick Library

Nicole Smith challenged around 60 people to eat worms Thursday afternoon.

In a meeting room at the , she pretended to tip a bucket, full of wriggling gray mealworms, into her mouth. She smiled as the audience gaped.

“Just kidding,” she said. Intead she tossed the gray worms to a yellow leopard gecko, who gobbled them down.

The lizard is one of eight exotic animals exhibited by Smith, an animal enthusiast hailing from fauna educational company Outragehisss...Pets. The young audience members also enjoyed appearances by a tortoise, chinchilla, tarantula, parrot, toad and an armadillo.

At the end of the animal exhibition Smith hoisted up a giant yellow python nicknamed Daisy.

“This is my workout,” she said, adding that the pythons can weigh 80 to 100 pounds. At some exhibitions the python feels so heavy on her shoulders that she said she breaks out into a sweat.

Smith, who studied animal science at Cornell University, has been exhibiting animals since she was 15 years old. She loves working with both animals and children.

Although she briefly considered becoming a veterinarian after graduation, Smith ultimately decided to stay with the company.

“I couldn't say goodbye to Outragehiss,” she explained, adding that the mission of the company is to teach people to appreciate animals while also creating an entertaining environment. “It's education disguised as fun.”

Located in Chestnut Ridge, New York, the exhibitors of Outragehiss...Pets travel the tri-state area doing various shows and other educational presentations with animals. Venues include not only community libraries but also firehouses, community centers, Bar Mitzvahs and birthday parties.

The language she uses to describe animal biology in her presentations varies, Smith said, depending on the demographic of her audience. For young children she stickes to basic facts, such as the differences betwen warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals. But for the East Brunswick Library audience – which included a lot of older children in elementary school – she said she bumps up the vocabulary to include larger words such as “camouflage,” and “nocturnal.”

“If they're a little older, you give them a little more,” she explained.

Animal shows, sponsored by the Friends of the East Brunswick Library, are a favorite with the community, with yearly exhibitions each drawing around 150 children and parents. This is the third time Outragehisss visited the library.

“It's been so popular with the public. Animal shows are always a hit,” Youth Services Librarian Linda Levine said. She added that in the past the library has hosted a live penguin exhibiton from Jenkinson's Aquarium, and wildlife rehabilitator group Raptor Trust also brought in a series of live owls.

Visit the East Brunswick Public Library website for a calendar of events.