'Sunday Scientist' to explore snakes of the past and present Feb. 19

            The University of Nebraska State Museum's next Sunday with a Scientist program for children and families will explore snakes of the past and present. The program will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine Streets. Museum Sunday hours are 1:30-4:30 p.m.

            The event will be led by Jason Head, State Museum curator of vertebrate paleontology and assistant professor in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Deptartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and Dennis Ferraro, herpetology professor in the UNL School of Natural Resources and Extension Educator with UNL's Southeast Research Extension Center.

            Head will present information about fossil snakes and their relationship to climate change. He will also talk about the discovery of the 60 million-year-old Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the world's largest snake.

            Ferraro will show visitors various live snakes of Nebraska. There will also be a 13-foot, 100-pound albino Burmese python on display. Visitors will learn about these slithering specimens and the importance of their conservation.

            Upcoming Sunday with a Scientist Topics: March 18 -- Ashfall Fossil Beds; April 15 -- Food Science; May 20 -- Bees; June 17 -- DNA; July 15 -- TBA; Aug. 19 -- Plants; Sept. 16 -- Biofuels; Oct. 21 -- Ogallala Aquifer; Nov. 18 -- TBA; Dec. 16 -- Platte River Time Lapse Project.

            For updates on the Sunday with a Scientist schedule through the year, visit the museum's website, www.museum.unl.edu.

            Sunday with a Scientist is a series of presentations that highlight the work of State Museum scientists and those from other UNL departments and institutions, while educating children and families on a variety of topics related to science and natural history. Presenters will share scientific information in a fun and informal way through demonstrations, activities, or by conducting their science on site. Sunday with a Scientist programs are 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Morrill Hall on the third Sunday of each month.

            The University of Nebraska State Museum in Morrill Hall is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays, and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Regular admission is $5 for adults (19 and over), $3 for children (5-18 years, 4 and under are free), and $10 for families (up to two adults and children). UNL staff, faculty, and students are admitted free with valid NU ID. Friends of the Museum are also free with valid membership card. There is an additional charge for planetarium shows. Parking is free. For further information, telephone the museum at 402-472-3779, or contact Kathy French, Education Coordinator, at 402-472-6647 or kfrench2@unl.edu.

Writer: Dana Ludvik, Public Relations Coordinator, NU State Museum, 402-472-3779