![]() To snatch a position that pays a livable wage as an adult, experience is a must! Start networking as soon as possible by volunteering at businesses or organizations that relate to your passion. “My husband and I never would have imagined we’d be able to pursue our dream jobs like this,” she says.įind Snake Discovery on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and at Interested in Reptiles?įor people looking to follow in her footsteps, Roberts has wisdom to share: “Working in the animal field is a very competitive game. In the meantime, Roberts is working on a series of educational, reptile-related coloring books, and tending to recently hatched snakes. (For now, all hands-on programs are on hold due to COVID-19.) The YouTube success has meant Snake Discovery has built a facility near Maplewood Nature Center, featuring live animal displays, a breeding center, and educational party experiences. Rex currently lives in a renovated bedroom in Roberts’ home but will soon enjoy her own spacious and specifically designed exhibit. Nick lost both eyes but lived an otherwise healthy life for two more years in captivity-much longer than he would have in the wild. The garter snake had a run-in with a lawnmower that required facial surgery. Another oft-featured animal is Nearly Headless Nick, who also came to Roberts under unfortunate circumstances. Unfortunately, her previous owners housed her in a small box, which stunted her growth and caused several health conditions. Before the Robertses took her in, Rex was kept as a pet. With Ed behind the camera, Roberts’ YouTube channel showcases her and her animals’ daily lives, and videos run the gamut, from “Playing Tic Tac Toe with our Exotic Pets!” (featuring fish, snakes, and a parrot) and “How to Turn your Reptile’s Shed Skin into Jewelry!” to “When and How to Euthanize a Snake” and general animal care. We realized there is always more to learn, even if you think you’ve got it all.” ![]() ![]() “We didn’t purchase a thermostat to regulate her heating element’s temperature. “We hadn’t done as much research as we should have,” she says. “Knowing that we ‘produced’ life still blows my mind.” But the early days had their challenges. One of Roberts’ favorite early memories is watching her first clutch of bullsnakes hatch. This role sparked her love of wildlife education and prompted her and husband Ed to open Snake Discovery. While at school, she was an avian nursery intern at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, and later became an interpretive naturalist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Roberts’ love of animals led her to the University of Minnesota, where she earned a degree in fisheries, wildlife, and conservation biology in 2012. Her most popular, “Incubating Bullsnake Eggs-My Worst Experience Ever,” has been viewed 26 million times since she posted it in 2018. To date, the channel has surpassed 2 million subscribers, and its videos have netted almost 400 million views. When the coronavirus struck, she had to cancel all educational programs, totaling over 150 events scheduled throughout the summer of 2020.īut Snake Discovery’s YouTube viewership has spiked-apparently due to quarantine, with Roberts viewing her channel as a home-school resource. There’s also a spiny softshell turtle named Taco, along with other fascinating animals Roberts would bring out to scout meetings, birthdays, schools, and libraries. It quickly grew demand for in-person demonstrations featuring a 7-foot-long boa constrictor named Doug. To build up business, she began advertising and set up a YouTube channel. ![]() Roberts launched Snake Discovery from her home in the summer of 2015.
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