backyard reptiles alive!“backyard reptiles alive!” is a live animal assembly designed to...
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Educator’s Guide to the Assembly Program:
Backyard Reptiles Alive!
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Program Overview
For young scientists and explorers, it is exciting to learn about the animals that they can find
right in their own backyards. “Backyard Reptiles Alive!” is a live animal assembly designed to
introduce audiences to native species of reptiles and amphibians. Students will learn about the
greater Washington DC region’s ecosystems and how animals are adapted to their habitat.
Other topics introduced in this program include why habitat conservation is important and how
students can help local wildlife.
This guide provides materials that will aid students in getting the best out of this program,
including: facts, vocabulary, suggested resources and activities which can be adapted for
different age groups and SOL needs.
Below is a list of possible animals your audience might meet during this program:
Depending on the duration of your program, students will meet 5-6 animals (30- minute show) or
7-8 animals (45-minute show).
1. Amphibians
• American Bullfrog • American Toad • Spotted Salamander
2. Snakes
• Corn Snake • Eastern Rat Snake • Hognose Snake
3. Turtles
• Eastern Box Turtle • Northern Diamondback Terrapin • Spotted Turtle
For more details on individual animals, visit:
http://reptilesalive.com/animals/animals.htm
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What are the differences between amphibians and reptiles?
Amphibians form the class of vertebrate animals that is evolutionarily between the fishes and
reptiles. The term amphibia is derived from two Greek words meaning “both life”. Most
amphibians hatch from gelatinous eggs laid in or near fresh water. Most hatch in to an aquatic
larval form and remain in water until metamorphosis. Some species spend the aquatic larval
stage within the egg until metamorphosis. In general, most amphibians have four limbs, two to
five toes without claws, and a moist smooth skin.
Reptiles evolved from primitive amphibians and were the dominate life form on earth for millions
of years. Reptiles are not nearly as moisture dependent as amphibians and as a result were
able to utilize manly terrestrial environments. Reptiles have dry scaly skin and where limbs are
present, there are five toes with claws.
Both amphibians and reptiles are classified as ectothermic, meaning they depend on the
environment to regulate body temperature.
Snakes in the Backyard
There are approximately 20 different species of snakes native to the greater DC metro area
and nearly all of them are harmless to humans.
Copperheads are the only venomous snake species native to the immediate DC metro area.
Timber rattlesnakes, which are also venomous, occur in the mountains to the west, including
western Prince William County and western Loudoun County, VA. Venomous cottonmouths (aka
water moccasins) are not found in the greater DC area, but do occur in the far southeastern
corner of Virginia in the Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads area.
Copperheads are shy and rely on excellent camouflage as their primary defense mechanism.
They are not aggressive, however, as with any animal species, they will defend themselves if
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they feel cornered and threatened. Many non-venomous snakes including garter snakes,
northern water snakes, and juvenile rat snakes are often misidentified as copperheads.
To stay safe around snakes, do not attempt to touch or hurt them. The safest method of dealing
with any snake is to just leave it alone. Snakes are a normal, natural, and important part of the
DC area’s ecosystem.
Six Snakes Commonly Encountered in the Backyard
Eastern (Black) Ratsnake (harmless)
● DC area’s largest species of snake, they can grow over 6 feet long
● Juvenile ratsnakes have a pattern of dark squares or diamonds on a light gray background
● Like many snakes, ratsnakes flatten their head into a triangle shape and rattle their tail when they are frightened.
Eastern Gartersnake (harmless)
● Up to 43 inches in length
● Ranges in color from brown to vibrant yellow with checkered/stripe pattern
● May distort their head shape into a triangular shape when threatened. Northern Watersnake (harmless)
● Up to 54 inches in length
● Often misidentified as a cottonmouth/water moccasin which do NOT occur in the DC area
● Large, heavy bodied snake with a pattern of reddish bands on a dark brown background. In addition to the typically patterned northern watersnake, we also have a uniformed patterned variation.
● May distort their head shape into a triangular shape when threatened
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Northern Brownsnake (harmless)
● Up to 15 inches in length
● Very common around homes and urban areas
● Brownish in color with a pattern of dark spots and/or stripes
● May distort their head shape into a triangular shape when threatened Northern Ring-necked Snake (harmless)
● Up to 20 inches in length
● A small snake that often finds its way into basements
● Distinctive ring or collar around the neck with a bluish black back and a and yellowish belly with dark spots
Northern Copperhead (venomous)
● Up to 48 inches in length
● Only native venomous species in the DC area (timber rattlesnakes occur in the mountains to the west, but not in the immediate DC area)
● Not common in backyards, but does occasionally turn up in populated areas, even in the city
● Many harmless species are misidentified as copperheads
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How to Help Turtles in the Backyard A variety of turtles live in the DC metro area. Eastern box turtles are imperiled locally due to
habitat destruction, road mortality, and collection from the wild to be kept as pets. Here are 3
ways people can help turtles in the DC area:
1. Pick up litter - Trash can actually kill turtles when plastic is confused for real food and
is consumed or when it wraps around the necks or heads of turtles. Turtles and other
wildlife will benefit from people cleaning up trash and litter from local habitats.
2. Move turtles to the other side of the road - If it’s safe to do so, a turtle crossing
the road can be moved (by adults only) in the direction it is headed to the other side.
Do not relocate turtles as they have small home ranges and often do not survive being
moved to distant locations by humans. Be aware to keep hands and other body parts
away from the turtle's head, as all animals can bite. Wash hands with soap and water
after touching any animal. Large snapping turtles (identified by having a very long,
dragon like tail) should only be moved by experts.
3. Leave turtles where you find them - Do not take a wild turtle out of its home.
Box turtles reproduce so slowly that the removal of one adult can have devastating
consequences to a local population. Leaving a turtle in the location it was found is the very best
way to help that turtle.
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Amphibian Life Cycles in the Backyard
Most amphibians go through metamorphosis (body change) in their life cycle. Native frogs and
most salamanders lay their eggs in still water, either ponds or vernal pools (see below). Many
of these species can lay hundreds and even thousands of eggs at a time! Juvenile frogs are
commonly called tadpoles, are born with no limbs, and have internal gills. Juvenile salamanders
are known as larvae, have legs with webbed feet and external feathery gills.
Image used with permission of River Bend Nature Center, Witchita.
Habitats in the Backyard
Deciduous Forests
Deciduous forest habitats are distinguished by trees and shrubs that lose their leaves during the
cold season. Most of the eastern coast of the United States is dominated by deciduous forest.
In this habitat there are four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. During winter
months, temperatures can fall below freezing. Reptiles and amphibians hibernate underground
or underwater to survive the winter in the DC metro area.
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Sandy Woodlands
Along parts of the Potomac River and certain other areas along the coastal plain are forests
with sandy soil or exposed bedrock. Most of these forests are dominated by hardy evergreens
and even cactus. Eastern hognose snakes, eastern fence lizards and many other reptile species
are found in this habitat.
Meadows
Grassy fields, often called meadows, attract many rodents, birds, and insects which in turn
attracts a variety of reptiles and amphibians. These open spaces have very few trees and are
very sunny, allowing for flowers and fruit to grow. In the DC area, meadows must be managed
with mowing or fire or they will go through succession to become forests.
Aquatic Habitats
The greater DC metro area is in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The Potomac River, all of
the creeks and streams, and even the storm sewers along the streets will ultimately drain
water into the Chesapeake Bay.
Within this watershed are marshes and swamps that may or may not be tidal and may be
fresh-water or brackish-water. Many species of amphibians, aquatic turtles, and common
water snakes occur in freshwater ponds, swamps, and marshes. Diamondback terrapins are
found in brackish marshes near the Chesapeake Bay and lower tidal Potomac River.
Vernal pools are ponds that dry up during the summer so fish cannot survive in them. They
are important breeding habitat for many amphibian species. Bullfrogs, however, are not able
to use vernal pools because the aquatic portion (tadpole stage) of their life cycle lasts more
than a year.
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Activities
Explore the world outside
By bringing nature into the classroom, students can get a hands on introduction to their
backyard habitats. Allow the students to interact with elements of nature from locations
at home and at school. Have them look at the difference between leaves (from deciduous trees)
and pine needles (from coniferous trees). Leaf rubs are a great craft for any time of year, and
especially in the fall.
1. Collect leaves and evergreen needles or have students bring some from home.
2. Remove the paper from crayons ahead of time.
3. Lay thin paper or parchment over arranged leaves on a hard table surface.
4. Use the peeled side of the crayon to rub the paper over the leaf. This will bring out the
imprint of the leaf.
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Slimy Frog Eggs Sensory activities are great to explore the natural world. Try making a bag of pretend frog
eggs. Slime is a fun science activity, and if you add tapioca pearls, it becomes a clump of soon-
to-be tadpoles.
1. Purchase Elmer’s glue, liquid starch, and sandwich bags (optional).
2. Mix equal parts glue, water, and starch together in a large bowl (for example ½ cup of
each). Practice before hand to determine how much to make.
3. Add tapioca pearls to the slime, enough to resemble the deposit of frog eggs.
4. Create a sensory station for kids to touch and feel or pour mixture into sandwich bag for
each student to have their own. For added measure, tape bag opening to prevent spills or
leakage.
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Food Web Activity
Have students study their backyard or schoolyard to see if they can find any animals (birds,
squirrels, insects and even dogs and cats all count.) Collect a list of animals seen. Try to
determine why these animals are hanging out in this area. Are they finding food? Or maybe
shelter? Guide your students through building a food web. Explain that food chains are rarely
simple. Give them a list of animals that live locally and figure out which are predators, which
are prey, and which are both. Use the below food webs as a guide.
Resources
How can students learn more about reptiles & amphibians?There are many ways students
can pursue their interest in animals and learn more about reptiles and amphibians.
1. Visit your local library for great books about herps.
2. Take a trip to a nature center, museum, zoo, or aquarium. Be sure to read the information
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about the animals on display. There are usually staff members available to answer your
questions.
3. Check out nature and animal programs that are offered at nature centers, libraries and
other venues across the area. Visit the website of your local nature center or library for a list
of upcoming programs.
4. You can email animal questions to Reptiles Alive LLC: [email protected]
How can students help reptiles and other wild animals?The best way students can help
reptiles and other animals is to educate themselves about wildlife and then teach others what
they have learned. People are more likely to care for and respect animals they understand -
education leads to conservation.
How can students become Zoologists or Herpetologists?A great link to learn about how
one develops a career in herpetology is at https://ssarherps.org/all-about-herps/how-to-be-a-
herpetologist/
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GlossaryA
abiotic - Any non-living thing.
adaptation - Any change that improves a living thing’s chances of survival.
amphibian - A category of vertebrate animal that is characterized by thin skin covered in mucous, and part of life spent in water.
anterior - near the front of the body.
aquatic - Having to do with or living in water.
arboreal - living in trees.
B
biotic - Any living thing.
C
camouflage - The ability of an animal to blend into the environment in which they belong.
carapace - The top shell of a turtle or tortoise
coniferous - A forest or plant characterized by the retention of leaves or needles all
year.
D
deciduous - A forest or plant characterized by the annual loss of its leaves.
defense mechanism - Any adaptation that helps a living thing protect itself or prevents itself from being eaten or harmed.
diversity - The relative quantity of life in a given area or habitat.
dorsal - the top side or back of an animal
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E
ecology - The study of how living and non-living things interact.
ecosystem - An area in which living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) things interact as a community.
ectotherms - animals that primarily gains heat through the environment.
endotherms - animals that primarily produces its own heat.
estuary - a partly enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.
evolve - The gradual change in appearance or behavior of a species over hundreds of years.
F
froglet - A phase in the life cycle of a frog in between a tadpole and an adult during which the tadpole has grown legs and is gradually absorbing its tail.
H
habitat - A space that includes all of the qualities necessary for an animal to survive, including shelter, water, and food.
herpetologist - A scientist who focuses on the study of reptiles and amphibians.
hibernate - The seasonal behavior of slowing body functions to conserve energy.
I
Invertebrate - an animal lacking a backbone
L
larvae - An early life stage used to describe salamanders, insects, and others.
M
marine - of, found in or produced by the sea.
metamorphosis - The life cycle or gradual dramatic change of an animal from birth to adulthood. Used to describe amphibians and most insects.
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N
native - An animal or plant that has existed and evolved to live in a specific region or habitat.
non-native/exotic - An animal or plant that has been introduced to a new region or habitat in which they did not previously exist.
P
plastron - The bottom shell of turtle or tortoise
poison - A toxin that must be consumed, inhaled, or applied to the skin in order to do
damage/harm. Differs from venom.
posterior - near the end of the body
R
reptile - A category of vertebrate animal characterized by scaly skin and uses ectothermic thermoregulation.
S
scientist - An individual who asks questions and conducts research to find the answers. Research can be as simple as going to the library and reading a book.
T
tadpole - An early life stage (larvae stage) of an amphibian.
terrestrial - of, on, or relating to the earth
thermoregulation - The act of maintaining a suitable body temperature. Humans and other mammals are considered endotherms as we produce our own body heat. Reptiles and amphibians are considered ectotherms as they regulate their body temperature by using the environment. For example basking in the sun.
• endotherms - animals that primarily produces its own heat.• ectotherms - animals that primarily gains heat through the environment.
V
venom - A toxin that must penetrate the skin in order to do damage/harm. Differs from poison.
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ventral - the bottom or belly of an animal
vernal pool - A small body of water that is not present all year but dries during the early
summer and late fall
vertebrate - Any living thing that has a backbone or spine (vertebrae).
Z
zoologist - A scientist who focuses on the study of living things, typically referring to large animals that can be seen without a microscope.