Copernicus, Pinky, Blitz, Rosy, Caesar, Herbie and Dog. All of these specimens have one trait in common: They are classroom pets in Lawrence schools.

Twenty-one snakes, nine turtles, seven frogs and toads, six spiders, two scorpions, one caiman, and an unknown quantity of fish live in David Reber’s biology room at Free State High School.

The highlights of Reber’s collection are two boa constrictors and a 4-foot-long caiman — a type of crocodile. Reber received the caiman from a former student when the crocodile outgrew its small stage.

Of the snakes and reptiles, “Most of them I have caught myself, except the ones that are not native to this area,” he said.

Reber said he did not call the animals “pets.”

Instead, he called them specimens since some of the animals were not slated for a long life.

To feed the caiman and collection of snakes, Free State maintains a rat-breeding operation.

“The rodents are there for the one and only purpose of snake food,” Reber said. “We try to keep them breeding so that there is enough to feed the snakes.”

Each semester, Reber has a few students help care for all his specimens. Students feed the animals and clean the cages.

“It is a good lesson in population fluctuation for the students who care for the rodents,” he added.

On the last day of school last year, Reber’s classroom was alive with whoops from students surrounding the boa cage.

Seth Mccauley, sixth-grader at Sunset Hill School, 901 Schwarz Road, cuddles with Herbie, the class guinea pig. Teacher Ray Buckingham, pictured at the back of the classroom, lets his students occasionally take Herbie, his cage and a plentiful supply of food home for the weekend.

If the students behave themselves and they deserve a treat, he said, then he allows them to choose which rats to feed to the snakes. This was one of those special days.

The Free State Biology Club takes members of Reber’s collection to display at community functions such as the Baker Wetlands Field Day and Clinton Lake Cleanup.

Other Free State residents include a bearded dragon and an assortment of fish in Jordan Rose’s biology classroom.

“The bearded dragon (Caesar) happens to be a very messy eater, often times wearing his food on his face,” Free State senior Taylor Anderson said.

Steve Heffernan’s class is home to three octopi and innumerable fish. Unfortunately, his zoological collection has suffered several casualties. For example, Heffernan’s one-eyed puffer fish puffed himself up between two filters and poked out an eye with his own spine. He lived half-blind until his death from old age last year.

Prairie Park School students, from left, Erin Reese, fifth-grader, and Amber Carter, second-grader, read a book together as a bearded dragon rests on Carter's shoulder.

But Heffernan’s octopi have been by far the most popular.

“The first octopus I had escaped. I had the top off the tank, and the octopus crawled out the side of the tank. He got halfway across the room before I caught him,” Heffernan said.

Whenever Heffernan obtains a new animal, the students democratically decide on a name by voting.

Cuddlier critters

Herbie, a long-haired guinea pig, lives in Ray Buckingham’s sixth-grade Sunset School classroom, where he is the center of attention.

“We let him walk around the room during recess when he have indoor recess,” Buckingham said.

A California king snake is among the adopted pets at Prairie Park School, 2711 Kensington Road.

But Herbie is active even while students are working.

“Herbie has a water bottle that he likes to bang when it is quiet in class,” sixth-grader Seth McCauley said.

Herbie is a popular weekend buddy for Sunset sixth-graders.

“Occasionally, I let the kids sign up to take him home over the weekend. I share him that way. I give them the cage and enough food to last over the weekend,” Buckingham said.

McCauley had his mom fill out a “Herbie slip” to give him permission to bring Herbie home over the weekend. Because Herbie is so popular, however, it may be awhile until he can bring Herbie home. Both of the sixth-grade classes are allowed to request weekend custody, and the waiting list is long.

Three rats live at Hillcrest School: Pinky and Blitz are in Lisa Melton’s fourth-grade classroom, and Rosy stays in Kathy Farwell’s third-grade classroom.

Fourth-grader Jake Walther said Rosy “loves to chew on hair.”

A hermit crab.

Prairie Park School pals

At Prairie Park School, fifth-grade teacher Catherine Williams used pets as a learning tool. Her class adopted several animals, including a California king snake, geckos, turtles and hermit crabs from an exotic pet shop that was forced to close for violating the Kansas Pet Animal Act.

“I really enjoy them,” Williams said. “The kids take responsibility for caring for them and feeding them. The kids use them for research topics.”

— Journal-World Teen Advisory Board member Liz Snyder is a senior at Free State High School.