Can a bearded dragon compete with a hungry raptor sweeping down on him in the deserts of Australia? The answer lies in the dragon’s anatomy—its collapsible ribs, one of those easily overlooked facts about nature Long Island Game Farm in Manorville is spotlighting on Saturday, Aug. 31.
Eric Powers, aka Ranger Eric, founder of the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery (CEED) in Brookhaven, will be taking to the Game Farm’s new interactive stage to present Animal Adaptations, covering wildlife and their survival tricks from around the globe.
“Animal Adaptations is a presentation where I bring out live animals, and I talk to everybody about how their special adaptations help them to survive in their particular environment…I usually walk around with the animal, so everyone gets up close and personal, maybe even touching the animal,” Powers said.
When the size of the gathering is prohibitive, he said, “I’ll call one of two kids up per animal and then everybody can kind of vicariously experience the animal through them.”
As for the bearded dragon, he said those flexible ribs let them escape even a raptor by scurrying into a hole. If the predator is a snake, the ribs can double the size of their body, making them “look huge.”
According to the Long Island Game Farm website, other animals CEED has been known to introduce, when possible, are snakes, an Argentine black-and-white tegu, tortoises vs. turtles, chinchilla and owls. Presentations are scheduled to take place 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, at the Long Island Game Farm, 489 Chapman Blvd.
CEED and its team members visit hundreds of schools each year throughout Long Island and other venues, like Long Island Game Farm, to build an appreciation for wildlife, according to Powers.
“I've been working with the Long Island Game Farm for probably 15 years, and I just appreciate them because it's a family-run business and (you can) see how much they love and care for their animals and how much passion and dedication they put into teaching people about these animals,” Powers said.
Now celebrating 55 years, Long Island Game Farm was started by Stanley Novak and his wife Diane on a 26-acre hay and cattle farm they purchased in Manorville. Opening in 1970, the farm quickly grew to 300 animals and came to feature attractions like a tiger show. One of the couple’s daughters, Melinda, is now Long Island Game Farm president, keeping the tradition alive.
Just last year, The Foundation for Wildlife Sustainability Inc. became the Game Farm’s nonprofit arm, furthering its mission to connect people and animals.
The importance of this connection became clear to Powers, while at the University of Northern Colorado working to rescue the Great Prairie Chicken population on the Eastern Plains of Colorado. When ATV riders destroyed the nest site, he came to realize the importance of good environmental education.
“I kind of turned the corner into teaching people about nature and why they should care about it,” he said. “By asking questions about nature it leads you to discover new and amazing things, and when you start down that journey of learning about nature, you realize how interconnected everything is and ultimately you realize that you’re part of that interconnection.