AUMTeach’s slithering teaching partner Paprika makes learning hands-on

Auburn University at Montgomery’s orange mascot, Curtiss the Warhawk, is no longer the only colorful creature associated with the university.

Meet Paprika, AUM’s friendly, 20-month-old corn snake who serves as an educational animal and teaching partner for students in AUMTeach, a minor program at the university that allows undergraduate STEM majors to earn a secondary teaching certificate while pursuing their degrees.

“AUMTeach students can plan lessons around Paprika and take her into K-12 classrooms in the River Region as an interactive and engaging way to reinforce biology teaching standards and concepts,” said Molly Trammell, AUMTeach advisor and recruiter who cares for Paprika.

Named for both her distinctive coloring and the cartoon character from the children’s educational television series “Blue’s Clues,” the juvenile corn snake belongs to a snake species native to Alabama. Corn snakes are nonvenomous, and Paprika’s calm nature has helped make her a welcome addition to learning environments and AUM’s campus.

Paprika has already made appearances at Baldwin Middle School, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Montgomery County 4-H and AUM’s Early Learning Center as an ambassador for AUMTeach and a hands-on part of the students’ educational experiences.

“As our resident education animal, having Paprika available allows AUMTeach students to plan interactive lessons around biological and ecological concepts,” Trammell said. “This is the whole point of having her around.”

In the past, Paprika has been incorporated into a lesson on Alabama ecological conservation at Baldwin Middle School, while her shed skin has been used during show-and-tell events. Students are also learning that working with a live animal means respecting its needs.

“Like any living being, there are periods of time that she needs to rest such as during shed or after, but students are all very respectful of Paprika’s downtime and plan their lessons accordingly,” Trammel said.

From summer camp inspiration to AUMTeach star

The idea of bringing Paprika to AUM grew out of Trammell’s desire to create the same excitement about science among future teachers that she had seen reptiles generate among younger students.

During a College of Sciences STEAM camp for Montgomery-area middle school students in summer 2025, AUM faculty and staff brought reptiles to campus to help campers explore conservation, ecology and herpetology.

“The campers were extremely enthusiastic, asked lots of questions and cited it as one of the best parts of their experience,” Trammell said. “I wanted to bring that same opportunity to our AUMTeach students, so we began the process of securing permission and space for her on campus.”

Paprika’s care and supplies are privately funded by Trammell, who also managers her day-to-day care. Since arriving at AUM, Paprika has become a popular presence in AUMTeach and now serves as the program’s official educational animal, even making appearances on AUMTeach T-shirts.

“AUMTeach students really love getting to know, hold and help care for Paprika, but they also learn a lot about reptile husbandry and how to ethically incorporate animals into lesson planning and teaching,” Trammel said. “She is fun to have around, but ultimately serves our students in an educational capacity. She has also turned many people who thought they don’t like reptiles into snake lovers.”