Python Ron McGee will be returning to local library branches to entertain and educate children with his educational exhibit of slithering and crawling creatures.

The free event includes up-close and personal interactions with a variety of exotic creatures.

Last Wednesday he brought his show to the Hughson Library. He will be taking his snake collection to the Keyes Library, 4420 Maud Ave., at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. Python Ron will also be appearing at the Ceres Library, 2250 Magnolia St., at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18.

McGee traces back his interest in snakes back to his childhood growing up in Snelling where he was encouraged to go out and trap bugs in a jar. He suggested that kids should never be scared of a bug or snake and kill it, citing the environmental benefits of each one. For example, many snakes keep down the rodent population and a Praying Mantis is great at gobbling up black widow spiders. When showing a corn snake, he noted they can eat 300 to 500 rats in a lifetime.

In years past McGee has displayed such creatures as the tarantula, bearded dragon lizard, a large Black and White Tegu, Cayman Lizard, Asian Water Monitor Lizard, African spur tortoise, Ball python, Green Anaconda and Columbian Red-Tailed Boa.