Todd “Chief” Rowley gently fingers the large dent in the 37-pound Albino Burmese Python’s body as it slithers around his shoulders. The snake was attacked by a rat one child irresponsibly left in its cage. The snake was close to death once the wounds became infected, but fortunately Rowley was called with enough time to perform surgery.
In a month the wounds healed. Rowley appropriately renamed the snake Lucky and kept him as a pet. Most of the 30 snakes that have taken over the master bedroom of Rowley’s Orlando home were discarded by people who had a change of heart.
After years of catching snakes as a child and devouring any information about them, Rowley realized a need for snake education in a society that greatly fears the creatures. “People are afraid of snakes because they do not have that cute factor. Many people are brought up to be fearful of snakes.
But they need to know that killing snakes is not going to make them safer; in fact, approaching a snake will only put them in greater danger,” Rowley said. While attending Edgewater High School, he and his older brother performed snake shows for elementary schools. His brother eventually pursued his doctorate and became a college professor in Indiana, but Rowley continued the shows.
Last week at Chickasaw Elementary School, a cafeteria filled with 250 secondand third-graders erupted with excitement each time Rowley brought out a new snake. He strutted the stage with snakes draped over his arms and shoulders, had snakes slithering out of his hat, and pulled rubber snakes from unsuspecting places to thrill the crowd.
In between stunts, he taught the children snake identification and safety as well as the importance of respecting nature. After nearly 20 years of doing shows in his spare time and hosting adventure trips that allow children to do things like camp in the Tennessee mountains and go sharking on the East Coast, Rowley officially started Snake Education with a Twist three years ago.
“I have been doing these things for years but the company finally makes things official,” he said. When he and his brother started catching snakes at age 11, they did not steer clear of venomous snakes. It was normal for their grandmother to cook the animal for that night’s meal and save the skin for Rowley’s hatband.
“We did not know how dangerous it was or how important they were to the ecosystem at the time. I teach kids to leave wild snakes alone and just appreciate them,” he said. Rowley treats his snakes at home much like people might treat a pet dog or cat. He handles them as often as possible. In fact, it is not unusual for him to have a snake wrapped around his shoulders while doing mundane things like vacuuming the house.
“Apart of me really wishes I will forget I have the snake and answer the door one day and some poor Girl Scout will be there with cookies,” he said. “I just like the reactions people have to snakes.” Rowley has been called to venues like Lockheed Martin and Progress Energy to teach employees how to identify venomous snakes and what to do if they encounter them.
But most of the nearly 50 show requests he gets each year are for entertainment purposes. Heather Dunn invited Rowley to her son Dalton’s birthday party four years ago. “He brought a bunch of snakes to my home, which I probably never would have considered before. I am a girly girl,” she said. Since meeting Rowley, Dalton has become fascinated with snakes.
He is so knowledgeable that when neighbors or friends find snakes in their yards, Dalton is the person they consult to ensure their and the snake’s safety. “I told Chief that he cannot retire until Dalton is old enough to take his place,” Dunn said. “Like Chief he has a real passion for teaching others about wildlife and respecting it. He will be the first to save a spider from the playground when other kids are trying to kill it.”
As a single mom, Dunn was concerned she would not be able to help her son explore his love for nature. After an extensive background check and several stellar references, she allowed Dalton to participate in Rowley’s adventure trips. “This is the only way for him to have these experiences. It was always a concern of mine.
I can buy a tent and take him camping, but I could never provide the kind of knowledge and experiences he gets with Chief,” she said. “They learn survival techniques and make friends. It is a real self-esteem boost for an 11-year-old to learn so much and be able to teach others.” Jim Tosi said his life might be completely different if he had not met Rowley.
In middle school, Tosi had a habit of running with the wrong crowd. His mother signed him up at the YMCA to keep him out of trouble. Rowley was running a nature adventure program there, which caught the teen’s attention. However, the program required good grades and a positive attitude. As an adult, Tosi works as a paramedic for a private ambulance service and helps Rowley guide his adventure trips.
“I remember a time when I did not know where I wanted to be in life. Chief’s program required me to be a nice and respectful person and to keep my grades up. I really wanted to go camping and fishing so I became a really nice and respectful person,” he said. “It helped to ground me in my teenage years.
Now I teach other kids to be nice and respectful.” For more information about Snake Education with a Twist, visit www.snakeeducation.com
