After School Programs Series The SNAKES-N-SCALES Habitat Adventures After School Program is an in depth trip to other worlds.  Worlds full of creatures adapted to the very specific place they live. Whether they are reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders or insects we guarantee that you will find them amazing! And a unique after school program for all grades. South African Velt- A hot, near desert, plain in the summer and a cool lush grassland in the winter where animals have remained unchanged for millions of years. Here you can find an ancient side-necked turtle or the smartest lizard alive today. New Jersey Great Swamp—A habitat that is home for many of NJ’s reptiles and amphibians and you can visit it with a short car ride. You might meet a box turtle hiding in the woods or a hognose snake, playing dead in the grass. Southeast Asian Rain Forest- What was known as “the jungle” from the movies is an amazing home for animals from the tops of it’s 60 ft high trees to under it’s rich soil. Knife fish cut through it’s clear rivers and monitors hunt along it’s banks. Worldwide Coral Reef—This is the greatest habitat on Earth and is literally built by animals. Home to more and a greater variety of animals than any other. Sharks live here, as do famous lost clown fish. South American Llanos- A gigantic flood plain that spreads across two countries, home to many weird and wonderful creatures. The biggest snakes in the world, the green anacondas hide in it’s lakes and "log-like" mata mata turtles hide in it’s rivers. Florida Cyprus Swamp- The flooded forest of much the American southeast is home to some the largest North American reptiles, like the snapping turtle and the alligator. Worldwide Desert- Some of the harshest places on Earth but still home for many unique and amazing animals; from lizards that have much in common with cactus to scorpions that find one another through "glow-in-the-dark" adaptations. Extinct Environments- The way the Earth is today is drastically different than it was thousands or millions of years ago. This habitat adventure will look at how the planet differed and some of the animals, both as fossils and still alive today, that give us clues of what was. Skulls, Teeth and Bones- We’ll have a look at actual, fully cleaned animal parts and compare them to living animals to draw conclusions about how the structure of the animal effects it’s actions.   Baby Animals- This program compares a group of baby animals with their adults to see what changes occur when animals grow up. OUR PURPOSE To challenge children in every session to look at the world through the animals’ eyes, comparing and contrasting their life with the animals’ in an effort to engender understanding, compassion, curiosity and knowledge. ANIMALS The animals portion will consist of a presentation/discussion, and supervised touching (if possible,) of animals presented. We offer an unequaled variety of animals with over 50 individuals and species, from alligators to clown fish, from tarantulas to toads. This gives us a unique ability to offer an in depth look into the lives, habits, habitats, adaptations and personalities of these animals. Also discussed will be the care and origin of each individual animal. Most are orphaned pets, give-aways, or state confiscations. Our goal is to demystify these animals in the childrens' eyes in the hope of preventing future unwanted and mishandled pets. And as always the animals will be presented through amusing stories, jokes, role playing and other enjoyable modes of learning. ENRICHMENT Enrichment activities will tie into the animal and or habitat group being discussed and observed, and be age appropriate. Available space will also partially determine which activities can be done. (Being in the gym or outside in the Spring, may be desirable.) These activities could include animal imitation and behavior games, reasoning and scientific method work, cross curricular activities such as observational journal writing and drawing, artistic representations, imaginative explorations, music and actual field experience. And all activities will be fun! There is also an online Habitat Adventures Game, played from this website, which all attending children will be given the codes to and may play from any computer.