Science museum curator has a flair for animals

Bunny Watson, live animal curator at the Museum of Science Boston, feeds one of two porcupines at the center. (Wiqan Ang for the Boston Globe)

As the live animal curator at the Museum of Science Boston, Bunny Watson's duties are as varied as making sure a bobcat gets a CAT scan to kennel training an opossum.

Watson oversees the care and feeding of some 50 species, including an alligator, great horned owl, boa constrictor, and a poison dart frog.

"There's no such thing as a typical day with animals," says Watson, who starts her day early in the morning, walking bobcat Annie through the basement hallways, near the Live Animal Center.

The animals in the center come to the museum from many sources, including zoos and wildlife rehabilitation facilities. The museum is also working to ensure the survival of select wildlife species, such as those lettuce-loving red-bellied turtles, found only in Plymouth County, and cotton-top tamarins, both of which live comfortably in cages or tanks at the museum.

Of the 120 animals Watson cares for at the museum, she says the Australian Walking Stick is the most finicky diner. The insect has a voracious appetite and is notoriously finicky about what foliage is on its dinner plate. Watson goes out and cuts chunks off of a Pyracantha, an evergreen planted behind the museum. But that and weekly shopping for 10-12 heads of romaine lettuce for hungry red-bellied turtles is all in a day's work for Watson.

Watson, aptly named Bunny by her animal-loving mother, says a live animal curator can annually earn in the range of $30,000 to $50,000, with job benefits including developing some loving relationships with the animals. Annie, the bobcat, for instance, "jumps up, rubs her head on the bars, and makes all sorts of mewing noises like a housecat when she sees me," says Watson.

"It's the first thing I see when I walk in the door, and it's nice to have someone so happy to see you," she says. On the other hand, handling the rattlesnake, well, "that's always an adrenaline rush."

Besides Annie, what are some of your other favorite animals at the museum?
It's a tie between the bobcat and the porcupines. We have two porcupines, one who is extremely elderly. I'm afraid to say how he is old because I don't want to jinx it - he turned 20 in March. Porcupines have a very pleasant and easy-going personality and are very endearing. They come waddling over to check you out, and just go through life doing their thing. They're not high-strung at all.

As compared to what? That stressed out snake?
Dealing with the rattlesnake definitely can wake you up, especially when you've got the rattlesnake, well, just rattling at you. I obviously don't pick him up with my bare hands; we use snake hooks, but even so, it's challenging. The red-tailed hawk is another one that can be quirky to deal with.

Do you have the scars and bite marks to show it?
Sure do. I was grabbed by the red-tailed hawk with his talons, but it was my own fault. I was trying to feed him something with an ungloved hand, and he got his talon through the fleshy part of my finger and then decided to hang on for a while. I've also been nipped by the opossum, but they are notorious for nibbling first and asking questions later.

Have any of the animals ever escaped?
We take care of these animals 365 days a year, with their care attended to by curatorial staff, interns, and volunteers. So yes, once in a while, someone slips and forgets to latch a cage. I once found a flying squirrel in a lab coat in the closet.

Do you actually go grocery shopping for the animals?
I go shopping twice a week at the local Shaw's or Market Basket and buy staples like sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, and kale. For the red-bellied turtles, they are a federally endangered species that we hatch and keep from September to June. When they're small, they don't eat much, but by February, they're eating 1-2 heads of lettuce a day. Try walking into a store and walking out with 10-12 heads of romaine lettuce. People start noticing.

Do you have your own animals at home as well?
Oh, yes, much to my husband's chagrin. I have three dogs, three cats, three rabbits, a guinea pig, a bird, a ring neck dove, a rat, two White's tree frogs, and a horse. But the horse doesn't live at the house.

Why tree frogs?
I bought them in a moment of weakness. I couldn't bear seeing them stuck in the pet store. They're these big green lumpy things, like smooth blobs with a smile. They're frogs with a personality. They're pretty neat.

What do you wear to work? Tiger stripes?
Just casual stuff, because by the time I come home, I'm covered with all sorts of interesting things. Pick a type of poop, and I've got it. The bobcat likes to spray, and the birds poop, and more.

Final question. Your first name is Bunny. So is your brother's name, well, Moose, or Newt, or something like that?
No, sorry, it's Matthew. Very biblical.