The Amazing Amazon

A A A Comments By Amber Taufen Thursday, Dec 16 2010

When I was four years old, my family lived in Brazil, and we once took a trip into the rainforest for a family vacation. There were no paths or roads, and we moved from place to place via motorboat. Our guide told us about the massive snakes that lived in the area — and sure enough, I found one (or one found me) when I strayed from my parents to pick a flower. That’s when I felt something prick my leg and looked down to see a giant snake hanging from my ankle. I screamed bloody murder, my parents came running, the snake slithered off, and for a couple of hours we all thought I was going to die.

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I didn’t, obviously. The snake was an anaconda — a non-poisonous constrictor. Judging from the size of the bite mark, the locals estimated it was around sixteen feet long. I was given a shot for infection, a swab of the bite, then sent on my (now fully traumatized) way.

So I won’t be getting too close to the life-sized anaconda model at the bilingual (Spanish and English) Amazon Voyage, opening today at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard. I will, however, be checking out the displays on piranhas, electric eels, giant and parasitic catfish and much more; I might even make side trips to the Science Lounge and lectures that the museum is offering. Amazon Voyage, which runs until early January 2001, is free with museum admission; for more information, call 303-370-6000 or visit www.dmns.org.
Sept. 24-Jan. 2, 2010

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