By Mark Bialczak

LPL Communications Specialist

Animals and you-can-touch exhibits will take their yearly trip from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo to the Liverpool Public Library’s Carman Community Room for the popular “Zoo to You” program, from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 31.

Zoo Education Coordinator Miranda Nelson will bring Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, an Inland Bearded Dragon, an Eastern Box Turtle and a Silkie Chicken.

Kids and caregivers should be ready to learn.

Nelson says this year’s program will center around “Animal Sounds.” There will be examples from tigers to otters and cockroaches to whales. An interactive game will give children the chance to make a sound, with guessing from the audience.

Touchable biofacts will include an ostrich egg and snake skin.

Of course, the live animals are always big stars.

The Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are an invertebrate species that are wingless and three-inches long. Yes, they are native to Madagascar. Their snake-like hissing can startle predators. Nelson will bring males and females. They can be told apart because the males have horns on their heads.

The Inland Bearded Dragon is a lizard native to Australia. They earned their name because of the expandable throat pouch with spiky scales that indeed looks like a beard, and an overall look that resembles a dragon. The Gifford Zoo’s pair is named Rhaegol and Drogon as a nod to “Game of Thrones.” Both are calm, but Rhaegol is the more dominant of the two.

The Eastern Box Turtle is a locally threatened species. The Eastern Box Turtle has the ability to actually close its shell completely like a door, earning its name. The Gifford Zoo’s three are named Matilda, Ethel and Elliott. All are friendly and curious. One will visit the LPL.

The Silkie Chicken is very fluffy, with feathers that feel like silk. Nelson will bring a white male Silkie that loves to make much noise and eats a lot of lettuce.