The annual Christmas program at the Socorro Public Library on Saturday, Dec. 5, featured exotic animals from around the world.

Actually, these particular animals were brought to Socorro from Tijeras. They're among the rescued and rehabilitated wildlife at the facilities of Talking Talons, an organization dedicated to educating youth about the environment.

"We're so happy to have them here for this. We've been trying to get them here for quite a while. They're really booked," said Jeanne Griffith, a youth services librarian.

The most popular animal by far was the Bearded Dragon, a calm and friendly species of lizard which originates in Australia. Also popular were the Barn Owl named Titus, the one-eyed Red-tailed Hawk called Mingus, and Annie the American Kestrel Falcon.

Imbrium, the Pallid Bat from Alamogordo, got a more mixed reception and seemed the least happy to be at the party. Pallid bats have extremely large ears and their hearing is so good that while they are in the air, they can hear the footsteps of a beetle on the ground. They're also immune to the venom of scorpions and centipedes, which make up part of their diets. These bats are more vulnerable than others to predators like coyotes and house cats because they catch their prey on the ground.

All the animals had fascinating stories, but when Angela Moore, the educator from Talking Talons, asked the audience which animal they would like to see again, the response was unanimous: the Bearded Dragon.

After the Talking Talons presentation, the party moved across the street to the offices of the Literacy Volunteers for refreshments, arts and crafts, and a special visit from a jolly man in a red suit.

The program is sponsored every year by the Friends of the Socorro Public Library as part of a joint Christmas celebration along with the Literacy Volunteers of Socorro County.

Contact Suzanne Barteau