Reptiles! and a give-away

I love reptiles. So I was doubly excited when National Geographic sent these two books my way last month.

Ultimate Reptileopedia: The Most Complete Reptile Reference Ever
by Christina Wilsdon
272 pages; ages 7-10
National Geographic Children's Books, 2015

 How can you resist opening a book with the face of a Tokay gecko plastered on the cover? Cute, right?

This hefty guide begins with an overview: what a reptile is (contrasted to an amphibian); diversity of reptiles; reptile basics (scutes and scales); behavior; and life cycle. There are short sections on camouflage, reptile homes, what they eat and what eats them.

Then Wilsdon dives right into the different groups of reptiles: lizards and snakes; turtles and tortoises; crocs and alligators; and a funny little group called tuataras. Each two-page spread includes a detailed photo of the featured creature, a description about their life and behavior, a "facts" box and additional cool things to know. For example: did you know that Australia is minting a set of coins featuring reptiles? And that there really are dragons? And there are lizards that look like worms?

There is also an interview with a herpetologist - that's a scientist who studies reptiles - and a discussion about what you can do to help save reptiles from extinction.

Mission: Sea Turtle Rescue
by Karen Romano Young
112 pages; ages 10 & up
National Geographic Children's Books, 2015

 This is one of the Mission: Animal Rescue series that focuses on saving animals in danger. Habitat loss, hunting, and other human activities are threatening many animals - but this book points to ways children can help turtles and other animals.

Learning about sea turtles means getting wet, so the author takes us into the ocean to show us how they live and grow. If sea turtles had a superpower it would be flying through the water. They are built for speed. But they can get tangled up in nets and debris.

Young highlights different kinds of sea turtles, and shows how people are protecting hatchlings. Throughout the book we meet sea turtles that have been rescued and explorers who work with them. There are also "Rescue Activities" - things kids can do to learn more about sea turtles and increase awareness about sea turtles in their communities. The last two chapters focus on human-turtle interactions and what's being done to save sea turtles. A page of resources provides links for people who want to learn more about sea turtles, adopt a sea turtle, or go visit them.

Give-Away! Win a copy of Sea Turtle Rescue. Just leave a comment about reptiles or sea turtles before Feb 10. I'll choose a winner by random drawing and let you know on Feb. 12. (Limited to addresses in the US)

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copies from the publisher.

Amphibians and Reptiles

Amphibians and Reptiles: a Compare and Contrast book
by Katharine Hall
32 pages; ages 4-8
Arbordale Publishing

People who study amphibians and reptiles are called herpetologists. Ask them what they study, and they lump 'em all together into one large group they call "herps". Still, frogs and toads have some similarities, and they are very different from snakes and tortoises.

Katharine Hall compares how reptiles and amphibians are similar - they are cold-blooded and hatch from eggs. She also compares how reptiles differ from amphibians. Most amphibians have smooth skin, while reptiles tend to have dry, scaly skin. Photographs illustrate the important features: eggs, skin, fangs, webbed feet.

At the back are pages that go beyond the simple story. There kids can learn more about the five classes of  vertebrates (things with backbones) and play a mystery sorting game. There's a wonderful page that explains what being a herpetologist is all about, and what you'll need in your "herpetology research kit" and more.

If you really love frogs, then head over to Sally's Bookshelf today where there's a bunch of frog-related activities.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy from the publisher.

Snake vs Frog

Garter snake eats frog ~ photo by Carrie Kerr

I've got a couple garter snakes living in my garden. They hide amongst the tall grass and weeds, and snuggle beneath the mulch when it gets too hot. I like having them around because they are marvelous at pest control. Garter snakes eat slugs, snails, insects, and earthworms. Sometimes they'll eat other snakes and even frogs and toads.

Every now and then I find toads and frogs hanging out beneath the cabbages or in the beans. They are usually far, far away from the snakes.

But the other day, my friend Carrie found both together in her garden. She says the meeting, while beneficial for the snake, didn't end so well for the frog.

On the other hand, it looks like the snake may have bitten off more than it can chew... the frog is more than a mouthful. How can a thin garter snake eat something so much larger than its head?

The trick is in the jaw. Unlike us, snakes have jaws with joints at the front. These joints - and the hinges at the back where they articulate with the skull - are connected with tendons and ligaments that stretch, allowing them to take enormous bites. For this snake, eating a frog would be like you trying to stuff an entire watermelon into your mouth.

You can find out more about Eastern Garter snakes here and here. And you can read more about snakes here.

Snake Skin ... Patterns

Snakes are hunters - but they have natural enemies, too. Birds, raccoons, foxes and coyotes see snakes as tasty fast food. Sometimes the patterns on a snake's skin look vivid to us, but in their natural habitat those rings and blotches blend into the background. Designs can help break up the snake's outline.

Test it: Cut out a dozen snake shapes from cardboard. Then, using a field guide, color your snakes to match some of the patterns of snakes in nature.

Now head out to do some field research. Take your cardboard snakes to a wooded area and scatter them around. Challenge your friends to find the snakes - and write down (on the back of the snakes) which order they were found (first, second....). Then go to a different habitat, like a grassy area or a rocky area. Scatter your snakes around and see which ones are found first.


Do some patterns work better than others? Why?
Check out other things happening over at STEM Friday.

Snakes Bask in the Sun for a Reason

creative commons license

 Snakes, like their reptile cousins, are "coldblooded." That doesn't mean they have cold blood - it means that they regulate their body temperature by using the energy of the environment around them.

When we get cold, our body starts to shiver and that shivering warms us up. When snakes need to warm up, they slither to a warm rock and bask in the sun. It's like when you get out of a cold swimming pool and lay down on warm cement - it warms you up. 

Scientists have a cool name for using the environment to regulate your body temperature: ectothermic. 

You can test the powers of basking by putting different materials out in the sun for awhile. Try a piece of aluminum foil, a white napkin, a dark napkin, a light colored rock, a dark rock, and other items. If you have a thermometer, you can check their temperatures after 5 minutes, 10 minutes.... an hour. How fast do different materials warm up? Does color make a difference? 

Once your items are warm, put them in the shade. How long does it take for them to cool down? Check out other science posts at STEM Friday.

Python

Python
by Christopher Cheng; illus by Mark Jackson
 32 pages; ages 5 - 8
Candlewick, 2013

"It's morning in the bush. Python stirs..." She is hungry, but first she slithers to a sunny rock to bask and warm up. That's because pythons, like all reptiles, are ectothermic.

'Ectothermic' is more than just another cool word to add to your vocabulary; it refers to animals that acquire heat from their environment - like a sun-warmed rock.

This is a great story of the daily life of a python - but not for the squeamish or faint of heart. Because after shedding her old itchy skin (molting), this python is off on a hunt. She strikes out for a bird - and we see her rows of needle-like teeth that, writes Christopher Cheng, are "perfect for grabbing, hooking and holding". The bird escapes; a rat is not so lucky. We see python wrap around and suffocate its prey. We watch the rat disappear, tail-last.

Python lays eggs and coils around them to keep them warm. But once they hatch, she doesn't stick around caring for her young. That's OK because the hatchlings are soon ready to start their own lives of watching, waiting, and catching their own meals.

Pythons live in Africa, Asia and Australia. While they aren't native to North America, there are pythons living in the southern regions of the US - particularly in Florida where Burmese pythons are eating local wildlife. People organize "python patrols" and hunt the invaders. Where did these exotic pythons come from? People releasing their pets.

Check out other science resources at STEM Friday.

Snakes Alive!

Garter Snakes (Photo credit: Miles Frank, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

The other day I was walking down my road and a garter snake slithered out of my way. It was sunning itself on the warm hardpacked oil & stone surface, grateful for warmth after what seems like a late-arriving spring.

I usually have a snake or three hiding in beneath the mulch in my garden, or warming themselves on a stone in the morning. Snakes are great garden workers: they kill pests without poisoning beneficial species, don't eat the plants, and they're usually shy.

Like other reptiles, snakes have scales instead of fur or feathers. Unlike their reptilian relatives, snakes don't have legs, though way back in evolutionary time their ancestors might have. At least that's what some research indicates.

Of the 3,000 or so species of snakes around the world, 17 live in my state of New York. The most common is the garter snake that I see in my garden and along the roads. But I also find Northern redbellies, black rat snakes (really long!), green snakes (aka "grass snakes") ans milk snakes.

This year, 2013, is the Year of the Snake. Get to know some of the snakes in your neighborhood. Where do they hide during the day? Where do they sun themselves? And do they have special sunning places that they return to day after day? Make a "snake map" of your yard.

Check out other science posts and book reviews at STEM Friday.