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THE STRANGE WORLD OF REPTILES
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BASIC:
Predator - An animal that hunts other animals for food. eg: frog, snake, tiger, hawk, shark etc.
Prey - An animal that is hunted by another for food. eg: frog, snake, rabbit, zebra, fish, sparrow
Continent - One of the seven major land areas on Earth. North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe
Constrict - To squeeze
Digest - The process by which food is broken down for its nutrients by the stomach, intestines and other organs.
Decay - To rot away
Cold-blooded - Animals that gain their body heat from the sun.
Venomous - Having the ability to inject poison into the blood stream of another.
Carapace - Upper part of a turtle shell
Plastron - Lower part of a turtle shell
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ADVANCED:
Evolution - The natural process through which all life changes over time through genetic mutation and variation.
Poikilothermic - Ability to acquire heat from the environment and supplement with heat produced by the body.
Dermal ossical - Bone which is not skeletal, but arises from the dermis of the skin.
Anaerobic - Work produced in the absence of oxygen.
Aerobic - Work produced in the presence of oxygen.
Chelonian - The turtle order.
Squamate - The lizard and snake order.
Crocodilian - The order of crocodiles and alligators.
Rhyncocephalian - The tuatara order.
Serpentes - the snake suborder.
Brille - the scale which covers all snakes' and some lizards' eyes.
Jacobson's Organ - An organ in the roof of snakes' and some lizards' mouths that interprets smell.
Vestigial - A left over, usually useless organ.
Viviparous - Born alive, after having an umbilical connection to the mother.
Oviparous - Born from a shelled egg, after having no umbilical connection to the mother.
Ovoviparous - Born alive from the mother but held as an unshelled egg internally until birth, after having no umbilical connection to the mother
Cloaca - The vent of a reptile.
Coana - The opening in the roof of the reptile mouth that connects the nostrils with the throat in the absence of a soft palette.
Taxonomy - The scientific separation of life into groups based on similar characteristics and genetics.
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KINGDOM OF THE COLD-BLOODS
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BASIC:
Predator - An animal that hunts other animals for food. eg: frog, snake, tiger, hawk, shark etc.
Prey - An animal that is hunted by another for food. eg: frog, snake, rabbit, zebra, fish, sparrow
Continent - One of the seven major land areas on Earth. North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe
Constrict - To squeeze
Digest - The process by which food is broken down for its nutrients by the stomach, intestines and other organs.
Decay - To rot away
Cold-blooded - Animals that gain their body heat from the sun.
Venomous - Having the ability to inject poison into the blood stream of another.
Poisonous - Toxic, being made of or covered by chemicals that can harm another if touched or eaten
Amphibian - A group of animals that lives part of its life in the water and part on land. eg: frogs, toads, salamanders
Gland - An organ or bunch of cells that that specializes in doing one job, like making saliva, tears or poison.
Carapace - Upper part of a turtle shell
Plastron - Lower part of a turtle shell
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ADVANCED:
Evolution - The natural process through which all life changes over time through genetic mutation and variation.
Poikilothermic - Ability to acquire heat from the environment and supplement with heat produced by the body.
Dermal ossical - Bone which is not skeletal, but arises from the dermis of the skin.
Anaerobic - Work produced in the absence of oxygen.
Aerobic - Work produced in the presence of oxygen.
Chelonian - The turtle order.
Squamate - The lizard and snake order.
Crocodilian - The order of crocodiles and alligators.
Rhyncocephalian - The tuatara order.
Serpentes - the snake suborder.
Brille - the scale which covers all snakes' and some lizards' eyes.
Jacobson's Organ - An organ in the roof of snakes' and some lizards' mouths that interprets smell.
Vestigial - A left over, usually useless organ.
Viviparous - Born alive, after having an umbilical connection to the mother.
Oviparous - Born from a shelled egg, after having no umbilical connection to the mother.
Ovoviparous - Born alive from the mother but held as an unshelled egg internally until birth, after having no umbilical connection to the mother
Cloaca - The vent of a reptile.
Coana - The opening in the roof of the reptile mouth that connects the nostrils with the throat in the absence of a soft palette.
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THE GOOD, THE ICKY AND THE SLIMY
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Insect - A group of animals that have 3 body parts; head, abdomen and thorax, 2 antenna, 6 walking legs and an exoskeleton. eg: ants, bees, crickets, beetles, roaches etc.
Arachnid - A group of animals that have 8 walking legs, 2 body parts; cephalothorax (head-chest), abdomen, an exoskeleton and grabbing fangs. eg: spiders, scorpions
Venomous - Having the ability to inject poison into the blood stream of another.
Poisonous - Toxic, being made of or covered by chemicals that can harm another if touched or eaten
Amphibian - A group of animals that lives part of its life in the water and part on land.
Chitin - Hard fingernail-like material which makes the exoskeleton of most insects and arachnids.
Fang - A hollow, needlelike, stabbing weapon used by some animals to inject venom into their prey. eg: spiders, snakes
Abdomen - The back end body part that holds most of the organs in arachnids and insects.
Thorax - The middle body part of insects.
Exoskeleton - The armor-like covering of insects and arachnids that protects the body and gives it form.
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YER DESPICABLE
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Despicable - Having performed acts that are known to be annoying, hateful and disturbing. Deserving of hatred. Being so vile as to warrant despising.
Arachnid - A group of animals that have 8 walking legs, 2 body parts; cephalothorax (head-chest), abdomen, an exoskeleton and grabbing fangs. eg: spiders, scorpions
Crocodilian - A group of 23 reptiles that include Alligators, Crocodiles, Caiman and Gharial. All of which are aquatic, have long flat tails, powerfully built, heavily scaled bodies and long, specialized skulls for grabbing and holding struggling prey.
Telson - The part of the scorpion's body that looks like a tail which supports and controls the stinger.
Chelicerae - Grabbing fangs found in spiders.
Ophidiaphobia - Fear of snakes.
Venomous - Having the ability to inject poison into the blood stream of another.
Poisonous - Toxic, being made of or covered by chemicals that can harm another if touched or eaten.
Fang - A hollow, needlelike, stabbing weapon used by some animals to inject venom into their prey. eg: spiders, snakes
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DINOSAURS AND FOSSILS
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Fossil - Proof that some sort of life existed in the past.
Theory or hypothesis - An idea or bunch of ideas that seem to make sense based on an incomplete set of facts.
Fact - Something which is known as a certainty.
Extinct - All of a group of animals or plants are no longer alive
Decay - To rot away
Paleontology - The study of past life on Earth.
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TEACHER'S GUIDE TO
"EXTINCTION IN THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST" - Grades 7-12
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This program will focus on the reptiles and amphibians of the tropical rainforests and the pressures that these creatures must endure. This interactive program will not be exactly the same for any two groups since the program works with the children at their level of expertise. Familiarity with some common vocabulary however can be useful to allow the presenter to delve farther into the subject in a limited amount of time.
A variety of better-known words will be used in the program. They are listed briefly here, but it is assumed that the group is fmiliar with their meanings already. (reptiles, amphibians, predator, prey, pollution and vertebrate.)
TROPICAL RAINFOREST: An area that is generally close to the equator which experiences a great amount of rainfall, high humidity and constantly warm temperatures. These conditions support a huge variety of plants and animals. Large rainforests exist in Africa, South America, Asia and Australia, with smaller ones on equatorial islands like Madagascar, Sumatra and Borneo.
CANOPY: The umbrella of branches and leaves that cover the entire forest at a height of 50-100ft. This umbrella covers the area so thoroughly that 80% of the sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground. More species of animals and plants on Earth live in the rainforest than any other habitat.
HABITAT: The plants, animals, weather, geographic and geologic conditions that comprise the living spaces of any animal or plant.
ENCROACHMENT: A process in which people build roads, farms, factories, etc. farther and farther into the rainforest from many sides.
POACHER: A person who kills animals illegally, though some poachers kill for food or subsistence and other kill for profit. The former are rarely detrimental to wildlife, the latter almost always are.
ALIEN SPECIES: An animal brought by humans and released into a habitat different than where it belongs. This is sometimes done unintentionally, as when rats stowaway on ships.
SLASH & BURN AGRICULTURE: A destructive, short term method of farming where all the trees and plants are cut down and burned so seeds may be sewn in the nutrient rich ashes. The ashes wash away within a couple years forcing the farmers to move on. When native people populations were low the destruction was small and the forest could invade from all sides.
"ADAPT, MOVE OR DIE": When an animal is faced with changes in its life, it must change to match these changes, (adapt), or go to a place where the changes have not happened, (move), or die.
THREATENED: This status indicates that the species of animal is in trouble or under pressure from some activity.
ENDANGERED: There are very few of a type of animal left. "Endangered Species Lists" are comprised by state, by country and worldwide as a whole. An animal may be endangered in a state but thriving worldwide.
EXTINCT: All of a kind or species of an animal are dead.
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TEACHER'S GUIDE TO
"EXTINCTION IN THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST" - Grades 2-6
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This program will focus on the reptiles and amphibians of the tropical rainforests and the pressures that these creatures must endure. This interactive program will not be exactly the same for any two groups since the program works with the children at their level of expertise. Familiarity with some common vocabulary however can be useful to allow the presenter to delve farther into the subject in a limited amount of time.
TROPICAL RAINFOREST: An area that is close to the equator which experiences both a great amount of rainfall and constantly warm temperatures. These conditions support a huge variety of plants and animals.
REPTILE: An air breathing vertebrate, usually born from an egg laid on land, has a scaly skin and is cold-blooded, (body heat acquired from sun.)
AMPHIBIAN: An air and water breathing vertebrate, usually born from an egg laid in water and is also cold-blooded.
VERTEBRATE: Animal with "a backbone." (actually a series of bones.)
PREDATOR: Animal that hunts for food, (tyrannosaurus rexes, spiders, frogs, lions, sharks)
PREY: Animal that is hunted for by an other animal, (deer, spiders, frogs) note that many animals can be both predator and prey.
ENCROACHMENT: A process in which people build roads, farms, factories, etc. farther and farther into the rainforest from many sides.
POACHER: A person who kills animals illegally.
POLLUTION: Chemicals or materials that humans discard into the air, land and water which can cause harm to plants, animals and humans.
NON-NATIVE ANIMAL: An animal brought by humans to a different place than where it belongs.
SLASH & BURN AGRICULTURE: A destructive method of farming where all the trees and plants are cut down and burned so seeds may be sewn in the nutrient rich ashes.
"ADAPT, MOVE OR DIE": When an animal is faced with changes in its life, it must change to match these changes, (adapt), or go to a place where the changes have not happened, (move), or die.
ENDANGERED: There are very few of a type of animal left.
EXTINCT: All of a type of animal are dead.
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