Lizards leap around Tackapausha Museum

Children had the chance to get up close and personal with reptiles at a live animal show and educational program called “The Fascinating World of Lizards” at the Tackapausha Museum and Preserve on Nov. 26

Dozens of local families attended the event, held at the Nassau County-operated museum on Washington Avenue. From the Mali Uromastyx lizard to green iguanas to snakes, children learned about and held reptiles from across the globe. They also created lizard-themed crafts. 

The program was also a birthday party for one special guest: Glassy, a 40-year-old European legless lizard. Tackapausha Co-Director Dennis Fleury introduced him to the youngsters, who happily munched on birthday cake later in the program.

The Tackapausha Museum and Preserve consists of three sections of hiking trails, the largest Atlantic White Cedar grouping of trees in Nassau, a pond that draws waterfowl and amphibians, a small wetland and a 3,000-square-foot museum with displays about the ecology of Long Island, as well as animal exhibits and interactive activities for children. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. 

Museum admission costs $3 for adults and $2 for senior citizens and children above the age of 5. For more information about the facility and programming, call (516) 571-7443 or visit the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums at www.nassaucountyny.gov/parks.