Los Padres Forest Watch presents Emily Taylor, author of California Snakes and How to Find Them (published by Heyday) in a live webinar.

Online event. Register to attend via Zoom.

Fear of snakes is one of the most common phobias in the world, yet step into any local zoo and you’ll find the snake pit to be among these menageries’ greatest attractions. Rattlesnake wrangler Emily Taylor shares her knowledge, enthusiasm, and advice for getting to know our slithering neighbors, dispelling the usual misapprehensions that surround them and celebrating their striking biological traits along the way.

Emily Taylor is a professor of biological sciences at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where she conducts research on the physiology, ecology, and conservation biology of lizards and snakes. A staunch advocate for improving the public image of snakes, especially rattlesnakes, Dr. Taylor is founder of the community science initiative Project RattleCam (rattlecam.org), where members of the public help her and other scientists learn about rattlesnakes by analyzing photos and livestream footage from snake dens. She is owner of Central Coast Snake Services (centralcoastsnakeservices.com), which helps people and snakes in California coexist safely and peacefully. She lives in Atascadero with her husband, Steve, and their menagerie of rescue animals, including Pax the dog, Baby the boa constrictor, Aperol Spritz the bearded dragon, and rattlesnakes Buzz and Snakeholio. Follow her on X @snakeymama.