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College of Life Sciences
Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum
Live Animal Shows
Frequently Asked Questions

Our popular live animal shows are designed for specific grades in connection with the Utah Science State Core Curriculum. See a description of our current live animal shows below.

Free Weekly In-House Shows

Monday: Vertebrate Variety at 6:30 PM and Adaptations at 7:30 PM
Tuesday: Adaptations at 7:30 PM
Wednesday: Utah's Diversity at 7:30 PM
Thursday: Classification at 7:30 PM
Friday: Adaptations at 7:30 PM
Saturday: Vertebrate Variety at 1 PM & 3 PM

We also hold free public shows on weekdays at 1PM and 3PM during the months of June, July, and August.

Schedule a show in any of the following formats:
Tarantula
In-house
Outreach
Outreach
Webcast
Webcast
Oatis
FHE (Family Home Evening)
Current Shows
Animal Discovery (Preschool)
A quick, age-appropriate glance at Subphylum Vertebrata. Students will play a “game” and in the process discover new things about animals. This show is interactive and created specifically for kids under the age of 6. While we won’t limit group size, it will work much better for groups of 20 or less.

Animals include 3 of the following: cockroach, tarantula, frog, lizard, turtle, snake
Animal Comparisons (Kindergarten)
Audience members play a game of "memory" to explore the differences between animal form and function. This is an inquiry based show that allows students to closely observe differences in body parts, body coverings, and specialized senses in many types of animals.

Animals include 3 of the following: tarantula, frog, lizard, turtle, snake
Classification (First Grade)
An opportunity for students to explore how and why scientists classify animals. Students will use inquiry to classify animals.

Animals include 3 of the following: cockroach, tarantula, turtle, snake, lizard, frog
Habitat Hunters (Second Grade)
Students will explore different habitats and determine why certain plants and animals would or would not be able to survive in any particular environment.

Animals Included: cockroach, frog, lizard or snake or turtle
Nature Interactions (Third Grade)
Teaching how living things interact with each other to produce mutually beneficial conditions. Plants and animals will be discussed and students will help determine how living and non-living things interact in nature.

Animals Included: lizard, turtle, frog
Utah'S Diversity (Fourth Grade)
Discussion of different ecosystems in Utah and the kind of plants and animals that live there. This will be an interactive discussion through each of Utah’s 3 main ecosystems: Wetlands, Forests, and Deserts. Students will help the educator analyze each specimen and learn why they are found more commonly in one area over another.

Animals Included: tarantula or lizard, frog, snake
Adaptations (Fifth Grade)
Examining adaptations in plants and animals and how specific adaptations help species survive under varying conditions.

Animals include three of the following: tarantula, frog, turtle, snake
Vertebrate Variety (General Audience)
Participants will learn the distinguishing characteristics of the 5 vertebrate classes; fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This show is meant for museum visitors of all ages and can be easily adapted for any size group.

Animals Included: lizard or snake or turtle, frog, tarantula or cockroach
Research and Collections (Older Audiences)
This live animal show introduces the museum’s collections and how they are used in research and is designed for older audiences, such as junior high, high school, and college-aged participants. Three live animals will be used in this show.
Available Live Animals
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Monte the snake.jpg
Monte
Ball Python
Python reglus
Female
21 years old
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Cuddles
Ball Python
Python reglus
Male
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Bruce
Ball Python
Python reglus
Male
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Salazar Slytherin
Corn Snake
Elaphe gutata
Over 4 years old
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Simon
Red Tegu
Tupinambis rufescens
Male
3 years old
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P.J.
Blue-Tongued Skink
Tiliquia skinkoides
10 years old
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Colonel Mustard
Bearded Dragon
Pogona viticeps
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Mojo
Bearded Dragon
Pogona viticeps
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Brewsky
Leopard Gecko
Eublepharis macularius
Female
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Topper
Homes Hingeback Tortoise
Kinixys homeana
Male
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Thunder
Eastern Box Turtle
Terapene carolina
Male
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Houdini
Ornate Box Turtle
Terapene carolina ornata
Male
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Lemon
Pacman Frog
Ceratophrys ornata
Male
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Lime
Pacman Frog
Ceratophrys ornata
Male
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Gwen
Chilean Rose-Hair Tarantula
Grammostola rosea
Female
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Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Hissing Cockroach
Gromphadorhina portentosa
Female
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