The American International Rattlesnake Museum is an animal conservation museum located in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
in
Old Town Albuquerque. The museum is devoted to
snakes
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joi ...
, particularly
rattlesnakes, and is dedicated to rattlesnake education. With the staff that is a participant in regular international viper research events, the museum hosts a diverse collection of living rattlesnakes and an extensive library of study material and educational tools.
The museum has the largest collection of different species of live rattlesnakes in the world, which are presented in recreated habitats, and claims to host more rattlesnake species than the
Bronx Zoo, the
Philadelphia Zoo, the
National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the
Denver Zoo, the
San Francisco Zoo
The San Francisco Zoo is a zoo located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, California, between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. The SF Zoo is a public institution, managed by the non-profit San Francisco Zoologi ...
, and the
San Diego Zoo combined.
In addition to rattlesnakes, the museum holds a live
Gila monster, one of the few known
venomous lizard species.
The museum also houses a large collection of snake-related artwork, artifacts, and memorabilia. The museum also contains a gift shop.
Trivia
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-born American comedian, actor, writer, and television host. He is best known for hosting the CBS late-night talk show ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' (2005–2014), for which he won a ...
, host of ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', prominently displays a snake mug from the museum's gift shop and frequently promotes the museum in conversation.
The mug was given to him by actress
Mary McCormack on 13 April 2009. During the interview McCormack, who shot her TV show ''
In Plain Sight'' in Albuquerque, told Ferguson that she and her daughters frequently visit the museum.
Notes
External links
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Museums in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Snakes
Natural history museums in New Mexico