One of the nice features of LeFleur's Bluff State Park location was that it was adjacent to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science which meant the drive was only a few miles. It was also on the list of ASTC reciprocal facilities so our admission was covered. It was a surprisingly nice museum with many interesting and informative displays. Around the museum were many nature trails through some of the same woodlands comprising the state park. On a nicer day, we might have done some hiking but we chose to spend our time indoors.
Most of the dinos were animatronic and very colorfully imagined. Why not, after all, we have no idea what their flesh really looked like. Some were even covered with feathers now instead of scales - a very recent discovery gaining popularity.
I spent a good deal of time watching these two Diamondback Terrapins (she's on top, he is on the bottom - adult males are noticeably smaller than adult females.)
She is sitting on him for the moment (she is the size of a dinner plate, he is the size of a bread plate.
I was fascinated by the three-foot-long congo eel, a three-toed amphiuma (longest amphibian found in North America). Yes, he does use that little leg.
Quite the local attraction, a two-headed rat snake.
Resting under heat lamps, all so still, we had to wait for eye blinks and toe wriggles to assure ourselves they were alive! I was sure that alligators would eat turtles and found many disturbing YouTube videos showing just that. My guess is they are very well fed, so why bother.
Who knew there were dreaded ROUSes in Mississippi! Ok, it is really a Russian Boar, but come on, it must have been the model for the "Rodents Of Unusual Size" in The Princess Bride.
Back to my favorite couple! They were now joined by a beautiful Blue Crab (female - red-tipped pinchers).
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