October 2026 Noon Lecture

Lecture title:  "Isn't there a Book?  Someone Ought to Write a Book!  The Trials and Tribulations of Writing a Book About Mississippi Snakes."  

Description:  The process of producing the book, "MISSISSIPPI SNAKES:  Their Identification, Natural History, and Influence on the Culture of the Magnolia State"

Bio. Terry Vandeventer

In 1976, Terry left his position at Southern Illinois University to join the Jackson Zoological Park in Jackson, Mississippi. As curator of the reptile collection, he modernized care protocols, introduced naturalistic enclosure designs, and launched several successful husbandry and breeding programs for rare species.

After five years at the zoo, Terry founded The Living Reptile Museum Educational Productions, which has since become the longest continuously running live lecture series of its kind in the United States. He has also served as a herpetology field associate with the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science for more than forty years.

Widely known throughout Mississippi as both a public speaker and the author of numerous popular and scientific articles on snakes, Terry is one of the state’s most recognized wildlife personalities. In 2006, the Mississippi Wildlife Federation honored him as Conservation Educator of the Year for his decades of work educating the public about native snakes.

Terry and his wife, Ginger, live on their snake-friendly property just outside (appropriately enough!) the small town of Terry, Mississippi.