Easton Zivnoska teaches local kids about snakes. (Photo courtesy of Easton Zivnoska)

MARQUETTE — One Marquette college student, Easton Zivnoska, is working to undo negative stereotypes surrounding some of nature’s most misunderstood creations: reptiles.

Zivnoska, a biology major at Northern Michigan University, hosts educational reptile shows for grade school classes, small gatherings and loved ones’ events.

His journey in pet care started just around the time he adopted his pet tarantula, Lady, who now stars in educational shows hosted by Zivnoska himself.

“After her, I realized that there’s more to pet care and the health of those animals,” he said. “When it comes to shows, I teach people about them: where they come from (and) their native habitats. Then, I opened it up to how we make that into something that we can maintain at our homes and keep.”

These shows are conducted in a manner where all animals are contained, with only one or two being out on display at a time. Zivnoska holds the animals and speaks about their environment, eating habits, lifespans and more.

Audience participants are welcome to ask questions to enrich their learning experience. They will even, depending on the animal, be given the opportunity to touch them and make a personal connection.

“I try to find a way to show that they’re not all that bad,” he said, especially about the most villified animals like snakes.

Most of his presentations have been to children in younger age groups, accompanied by parents. Zivnoska can find a way to speak to both the child and the parent in a way that educates everyone, mostly dispelling misconceptions that are often cultivated by negative representation in media.

He said knee-jerk reactions about animals people don’t like are often based on content they’ve consumed like cartoons, movies and Instagram or TikTok posts “where they’ll see videos of these things like attacking people or being scary.”

Even in the unlikely case of being bit by a pet snake or tarantula, Zivnoska said, the bites they leave will not cause lasting damage — he compared it to a “bee sting” — whereas a bite from something like a golden retriever could cause severe damage that could scar.

“I tried to show them that the cute animals that they have at home are more dangerous than these guys,” Zivnoska said. “I want to build an understanding that there shouldn’t be any reason that isn’t built upon facts why they should be afraid. If someone is afraid of snakes because they saw in a Disney cartoon that it’s the villain, I mean, that’s no grounds to really be afraid of it just because some cartoon made it look evil when they can be just as cuddly as dogs.”

Starting out with educational shows at schools like Bothwell Middle School in Marquette, preschools, and elementary and high schools, Zivnoska now has the chance to host reptile shows professionally through his work at Northern Scales Reptiles, a reptile shop in Marquette in the Masonic Mall on West Washington Street.

Though the adage “They’re more scared of you than you are of them” may be repeated many times about bats, mice, spiders and more, it’s true.

“It’s always the humans that cause the interactions of aggressive nature between them and the animal,” Zivnoska said. “The animals are just the ones copying that (behavior). It’s better to take it with a peaceful mindset and to show, even if you’re not going to touch it or interact with it, appreciation for the animal being around.”

Those with an open mind, an open heart and a love for unique animals can find educational shows hosted by Zivnoska through the Northern Scales Reptiles Facebook page under the store name.