I wanted to know who some of the best animals in the lab are and why, so I asked students in and out of the animal science lab who their favorite little friend was, and after lots of pictures and petting, I have lined up five of the best animals at ACC for the first edition of this article. Keep reading to get to know them!
Ginko
Sophomore Mia, who is a student in Mr. Re’s Vet Tech class, says her favorite animal in the lab is Ginko, an adorable crested gecko. Mia likes him because he is extremely sweet and attached to his caretakers, making him a very social and lovable little friend. She also mentions how easy he is to maintain and care for, something she deeply appreciates. Ginko is the newest member of the Career Center’s gecko family, arriving around a year ago. He actually belonged to Ms. Laumann, an ACC Spanish teacher, before she surrendered him to the lab. She actually thought he was a girl until she brought him to the lab, where it was discovered he was, in fact, not a girl. Ginko is an affectionate and smart creature who loves attention. He is a wonderful and very appreciated member of our animal lab.
Ace
Eleventh-grade animal science student, Axel, says his favorite animal in the lab is Ace, a beautiful ball python with classic green and black coloring. Axel likes her because she is “super chill,” never aggressive, and likes to hang out around your neck. Soon to be 18 years old, Ace is the largest snake in the lab at a whopping five feet and two inches and weighing in at an impressive eight pounds. She is definitely one of the coolest animals in the lab, often seen rubbing her neck on the glass of her cage and watching all of the students work hard. We are very happy to have her.
Banana Son
Sophomore Sarah says her favorite animal in the lab is Banana Son. She likes him because he was the first animal she took care of, he is very curious and chill, and is overall a very nice snake. Almost seven years old, he is the son of two of our largest snakes in the lab, Ace and Banana Dad. Banana Son was bred in the lab between these two snakes and is already longer than his dad at four and a half feet. Though you may mistake him for an albino, Banana Son is actually a yellow morph. These snakes are very popular for domestic breeding because they produce such beautiful and exotic-looking snakes.
Jazz
Junior Delanie, who is not in the class but often visits, says her favorite lab animal is Jazz. She likes Jazz because she is calm, watches over the lab, and is fat. Jazz is a domestic shorthair tabby cat that ACC rescued from The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) along with her sister, Amber. Jazz is the more rotund of the two, weighing in at nearly ten pounds. Though not an unhealthy weight, it easily distinguishes her from her sister. Before being taken into the shelter, Jazz and her sister were feral street cats, but now they live a lush life full of treats, cuddles, and watching the many mice housed in the animal lab.
Princess Rats
Sophomore Kyla’s favorite animal, or animals, in the lab are the Princess Rats because they are friendly and smart, but sometimes do funny, stupid things. In the Princess Rat cage, there are four fancy rats, all named after Disney princesses: Tiana, Belle, Aurora, and Jasmine. These rats came from the NOVA Vet School, previously having been test rats for students to practice vaccines. Due to these circumstances, when the rats first arrived, they were extremely timid and reportedly hid at the back of the cage when anyone came near it. They are now some of the friendliest animals in the lab, and all four of them run to the bars of their cage to greet people. They are some of the most popular animals in the lab, and for good reason. These affectionate little ladies are one of my personal favorites, too.
