Reptile Researchers

Reptile
Hey there! I’m Reptile Pete, a
researcher at the San Diego Zoo
and I’m here to familiarize you
with our awesome classroom
program, Reptile Researchers!
Researchers
...and I’m Dr. Zoolittle. I
specialize in animal scat!
As you and your students join Reptile
Pete’s journey through the world of reptiles,
they will engage in research-based activities,
discover reptile characteristics, and learn
how our daily actions affect the health of
our local ecosystem and the reptiles that
call it their home.
By using the materials included in this
packet, your students will dive into the life of
a field researcher, discover the local reptiles
in San Diego County, and gain an appreciation
for the role reptiles play in our ecosystem.
In this packet, you will find activities that can
be used prior to your classroom visit to
frontload information, help students’ gain
understanding after your classroom visit, or
as a stand-alone resource to familiarize your students with reptiles and
field research. All of the activities aim to enhance your students’
experience and understanding of our Reptile Researchers program.
Feel free to pick and choose any of the activities to supplement your
Reptile Researchers program; each activity reinforces the researchfocused theme of the program.
Enjoy getting to know our scaly friends!
Next Generation Science Standards
for California Public Schools
The activities included in this packet align with the Next Generation Science
Standards specifically for 3-6th grade listed below.
3rd-5th Grade
Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some
organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot
survive at all. (3-LS4-3)
Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when
the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live
there may change. (3-LS4-4)
6th Grade
Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of
resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an
ecosystem. (MS-LS2-1)
Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes
to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect
populations. (MS-LS2-4)
Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and
ecosystem services. (MS-LS2-5)
Conservation Research
Why are Researchers and Conservation Research so important?
Conservation: The preservation,
protection, or restoration of the natural
environment, natural ecosystems, vegetation, and
wildlife.
“The San Diego Zoo Institute for
Conservation Research (ICR) is committed to
generating, sharing, and applying scientific knowledge vital to
the conservation of animals, plants, and habitats worldwide:
this is the science of saving species!
It is the largest zoo-based
multidisciplinary research effort in
the world. More than 150 dedicated
scientists carry out research vital to
the conservation of animals, plants,
and habitats in over 35 countries
worldwide.
The ICR first identifies the most significant problems
for conservation and restoration of endangered species
and then applies the most innovative and creative science
possible to solving them.”
Doctor Johnny Komodo’s Journal
Hello! My name is Dr. Johnny Komodo and I am a field researcher at the Charles
Darwin Research Center in the Galapagos Islands. I have been studying the giant
Galapagos Tortoises on Santa Cruz Island for the past year. I have been observing
these magnificent tortoises’ behavior as well as the behavior of the other animals
around them on the island to gain a better understanding of their role in the
environment. Here’s a part of my journal to tell you a little bit about what I have
learned here in the Galapagos!
June 24, 2014
It never gets old seeing these amazing
creatures—the Galapagos Tortoises—here on
Santa Cruz Island. When I first started my
hike around the island this morning, I noticed
that one of the tortoises was munching on a
prickly-pear cactus pad. Although this kind of
food seemed a little pokey to me, this fellow
seemed to enjoy it quite a bit! After he was
finished with the pad, he then started to eat
the bright red fruit that grows on top of the
cactus pad. I guess that’s where the name
“prickly-pear” comes from! Something that
I’ve learned from my observations that’s
really cool, is that by eating the cactus fruit,
digesting it, and pooping it out, the Galapagos
Tortoises actually help this prickly-pear
cactus plant grow! Without the tortoises
eating the cactus seeds, the plant wouldn’t be
able to sprout into a new plant. This would
definitely explain all the new cactus plants I
have been seeing pop up all over the island…
After studying the eating habits of
the tortoise, I decided to travel down the hill a
little ways and found a very interesting
picture....a little bird, I believe it was a finch,
was sitting on top of another tortoise’s shell!
Every minute or two it flew to the neck of
the tortoise and started to eat what looked
like little bugs off of the tortoise. What was
even more interesting was, as the little finch
was eating these bugs, the tortoise’s neck
started to stretch out until it was
completely extended and the tortoise looked
like a giant statue!
I imagine that this would be a wonderful
way to rid the tortoise of those pesky little
bugs while at the same time, providing a meal
for the finch! (Later, at the field station, I
learned that this is called a “finch response.”)
As I was watching the finches
enjoying their afternoon snack,
I thought about how the
vegetation-or plants on this
island used to be so much
more abundant, providing
plenty of food for the
tortoises. Ever since the early 1900s
(and even before that), settlers,
explorers, whalers, and even pirates
have stopped at this island and made a
lasting impact. Farming and buildings
replaced the native plants and took
away much of the food that the
tortoises used to graze on.
And as new settlers continued to
move into Galapagos Tortoise habitat,
they brought with them non-native
species like dogs, goats, pigs, and rats
that devastated the tortoise
population. Goats would eat the
tortoise food, rats and pigs would eat
the tortoise eggs, and dogs would even
eat the young tortoises! They only
start out about the size of a baseball
so they can be quite vulnerable as
babies. Also, since the tortoises can
survive for long periods of time without
water, sailors used to take the
tortoises from the islands and keep
them on their ships as a source of food.
Because of all this, the Galapagos
Tortoise population decreased from
well over 250,000 to just 10,000
tortoises alive today.
However, what cheers me up, is
that I am helping this wonderful animal!!
In addition to my research out here on
the island, back at the Charles Darwin
Research Station, we have been
collecting tortoise eggs and incubating
them to help them safely hatch.
After they hatch, we take
care of them for a few years and
then re-release them back into the
different islands here in the
Galapagos. We call this program
headstarting, and I love being part of
it because it helps give these little
babies a better chance of survival
out on the islands.
I could go on and on about how
much I enjoy researching and learning
about the giant Galapagos Tortoises,
but for now, I will call it a day and pick
up my research again tomorrow.
Questions to consider:
1) What is the purpose of Dr. Johnny Komodo’s research?
2) What role does the Galapagos Tortoise play in their ecosystem?
3) What contributed to the Galapagos Tortoises’ decline in numbers over
the years?
4) If the numbers of the Galapagos Tortoise continue to decline, what
effects could this have on their ecosystem?
5) What could you do in your daily life to help Galapagos Tortoises? What
could you do to help tortoises native to your habitat?
A Galapagos
Tortoise in the
“finch response”
Darwin’s Finch
Prickly Pear
Into the field you go!
Introduction
There are many different native lizard species found in Southern California. They can range
anywhere from a common fence lizard to the unusual legless lizard. Lizards play an important role in our
ecosystem such as eating pesky bugs found in our backyard—including black widows—and can often go
unappreciated. This activity encourages students to assume the role of a field researcher and observe
the evidence and behaviors of lizards found in the comfort of their own backyard.
Objectives
Students will observe and identify the native lizards
found in their own backyard.
Students will record evidence of lizards in their field
journals.
Students will speculate the effects of humans on the
presence or absence of lizards in their environment.
Students will identify action steps they can take to help
native lizard populations.
Materials
Field Journal or Paper and a Clip
Board
Pencil
Binoculars (optional)
Field Guide
Activity
1) Introduce topic of native lizards with your students and discuss where they may have spotted a
lizard before.
2) Discuss what different native lizards are found in Southern California using a basic Field Guide. (Basic
Reptile Field Guides may be found at your local library, or you can use these helpful websites:
http://www.sdnhm.org/archive/fieldguide/herps/
http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/lizardsid/lizards.id.html).
3) Introduce and discuss the topic of field research and why journaling would be helpful to a field
researcher. Discuss behavior of a professional researcher: quiet, patient, detailed, observing only
using senses of sight and hearing-not touch.
4) Using a pencil and a journal or paper and clip board, have the students begin their own field journal in
class making sure to have them state their name, purpose for their journal, and habitat in which
they live: city, suburban, rural etc.
5) Have students observe in their backyard anywhere between 15-20 minutes each day. Have the
students record any evidence—scat, food, and sightings—of lizards. Students can sketch any lizards
that they find in their journal or describe any patterns that they see on the lizards to help identify
their lizards in the class field guide.
6) Debrief with the class each day and discuss students’ findings. (This can extend through any length
of time desired by the teacher).
7) Discuss what factors would influence a large number of lizards found and what factors would
influence a small number or absence of lizards found. (i.e., habitat-space, water, food, shelter vs.
concrete buildings with little vegetation)
Extensions
Repeat activity in the Summer or Winter and compare and contrast the similarities/differences in
findings. Discuss how weather influences lizard behavior especially since they are ectothermic or
cold-blooded.
Have students take action to help increase their native lizard population! Students can attract
lizards to their backyard by building rock piles, wood piles, setting out water, and planting thick
plants like shrubs or bushes that lizards would love to hide under or eat!
Location:
Date:
Time:
Reptile Species Identified:
Sketch:
Behaviors Observed:
If reptiles are absent, predict why:
What’s that word again?
Objective
Students will define the words reptile, ectothermic, exotic,
native, tuatara, conservation, headstarting, and research.
Students will correctly use this vocabulary in a sentence.
Materials
List of vocabulary words: reptile, ectothermic, exotic, native,
tuatara, conservation, headstarting, and research
8 large pieces of paper (to use as a poster)
Colored Markers
Dictionaries
Activity
1) Divide the class into 8 groups (or 7 depending on class size-can
combine the words conservation and research to
Conservation Research)
2) Assign a vocabulary word from the list above to each group
of students.
3) Have students use a dictionary to define their assigned
vocabulary word.
4) After defining their word, students will then create a poster
including the vocabulary word, it’s definition, the word used in a
sentence, and an illustration of the word. (The word used in a
sentence can describe the illustration).
5) Students will then present their poster to the class explaining
the vocabulary word and it’s meaning.
Name that Scat!
Objectives
Students will use pictures to practice observation skills.
Students will discuss the importance of observation to field researchers.
Students will identify animals based on their scat or poop.
Materials
Pictures of Scat
Pictures of Corresponding Animals
Activity
1) Introduce the topic of field research (collecting information outside of a
laboratory i.e., a specific environment like a desert or river, to gain a better
understanding) and brainstorm different methods scientists might use in field
research—observing behavior, identifying scat (poop), or counting the number of a
specific plant or animal found in a particular location. Discuss what each method
would help scientists learn.
2) Explain that students will practice the method of identifying scat to gain a better
understanding of the animals that can be found in San Diego County.
3) Discuss with students the difference between a carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore
and brainstorm what might show up in each eater’s poop.
4) Split the class into pairs and explain that the students will use their observation
skills to identify which scat belongs to which animal.
5) Distribute packets of pictures to each pair of students.
6) Ask students to defend their reasoning for which pictures they matched up and
discuss why correctly identifying scat might be important to a field researcher.
7) Optional: Show students a picture of scat with trash in it and discuss how the
trash ended up there, why this would be unhealthy for the animal, and what
students might do to prevent this from happening.
Galapagos Tortoise
scat with trash inside
Komodo Dragon scat
Iguana Identification
Objectives
Students will match different color beads to the corresponding number to identify
specific iguanas.
Students will create their own iguana identification code using the bead method.
Materials
Iguana Identification Activity sheet, one per table
Color Bead Identification Chart
Tag Your Iguana! Activity sheet, one per student
Crayons
Pencils
Introduction
Tagging individual animals is an important way that scientists can keep track of a
population of animals. It helps them know which animals are the parents, which are the
kids, and it helps scientists identify specific individuals from a distance without having to
rely solely on appearance. One of the methods scientists use to tag and identify
individual iguanas is using a series of colored beads. In order to tag the iguana, scientists
must create a unique color code of 3 beads, where each color bead corresponds to a
different number, to apply to each specific iguana. After that code is decided, the
scientists will then attach this bead code to the iguana’s dorsal crest on the back of
their neck—kind of like when someone gets their ears pierced. This will then allow
scientists to track these iguanas for years to come!
Activity
1) Introduce the concept of bead tagging to students and speculate why tagging and
tracking would be important for iguanas.
2) Explain how scientists identify individual iguanas by matching each color bead to a
number using the Color Bead Identification Chart.
3) Clarify that in order to correctly read the beads and identify the iguana, the
colors need to be identified and recorded from the outside to the inside.
4) Split the class into groups or by table and distribute the Iguana Identification
Activity sheet and have students use the Color Bead Identification Chart to
identify the iguanas on their activity sheet. Discuss results with the class.
5) Distribute the Tag Your Iguana! Activity sheet and have students create their own
individual iguana using the Color Bead Identification chart, ensuring that the
student records the iguana’s number, name, age, and gender.
6) Optional: Have students identify each other’s created iguana for more
identification practice!
I love reptiles and want one as a pet!
Which one should I get?
Turtles and Tortoises
Turtles and tortoises are pretty awesome reptiles! They can be really small like a
Russian Tortoise or really big like a Galapagos Tortoise. They also have some pretty cool
adaptations like their shell and ability to save water from their poop. However, neither
turtles or tortoises make very good pets because they can live for a really really really
long time—like over 100 years! Because of this, turtle and tortoise pets tend to outlive
their owners. Also, some turtles like the Red-Eared Slider look cute as little tiny babies,
but can grow to be as big as dinner plates! Sometimes those owners are not aware of
how big their turtle can get and occasionally, when the turtle grows too big to care for,
the owners let them go into the wild. This can harm native plants and animals and has
become a big problem here in San Diego County. If you still want to have a pet turtle or
tortoise, be prepared to care for it for a VERY long time and make sure it comes from
a responsible source and not the wild.
Crocodilians
Crocodilians, like the Salt Water Crocodile, are some of the biggest reptiles in the
world! They have hard bony scales called osteoderms and sharp pointy teeth. They also
have stronger jaws than hyenas, jaguar, and sharks! Because of this, crocodilians are
super cool to look at and learn about, but do not make good pets. Even the smallest
crocodiles like the Dwarf Crocodile and Caiman can be quite dangerous.
Lizards
Some of the best reptile pets are lizards. You can enjoy the native lizards that
you can find in your own backyard or you can choose to care for a larger lizard like the
Bearded Dragon. Lizards are awesome natural pest controllers and eat many
undesirable bugs found around your house—even black widows! If you want to care for
a scaly lizard friend, choose something like a Bearded Dragon or Leopard Gecko. Just
make sure to avoid lizards like green iguanas, monitor lizards, and chameleons. These
lizards are extremely difficult to care for, can grow to be very large, and can be
endangered and illegal to own. As always, make sure your pet comes from a responsible
source!
Snakes
If you want a slithery scaly friend, then snakes are for you! Snakes are found in
many different habitats all over the world and have many different colors and
patterns. Snakes can be great pets to handle as long as you handle them safely and
know a thing or two about snake behavior. Just be prepared to feed them some tasty
meat treats, like mice, since all snakes are carnivores or meat eaters. Some great
snake pets to start off with are Ball Pythons, Milk Snakes, and Corn Snakes. These
snakes stay relatively small and are typically mild-mannered. Snakes to avoid are large
snakes (like Burmese Pythons), Rosy Boas, and any venomous snake. Large snakes can
grow to be over 30 feet long are extremely difficult to care for. Rosy Boas are illegal
to purchase as pets, and venomous snakes are very dangerous to own and should not
be handled.
Important Reptiles to Know
Western Pond Turtle
Habitat: Streams and ponds that sustain
water all year round.
Aquatic: This small turtle spends much of its
time swimming around eating insects, snails,
crayfish, and other tasty treats that they
find in the water. However, during some of
the coldest and hottest times of the year,
the Western Pond Turtle will bury itself
under a pile of leaves and sticks to reach a
comfortable temperature for 2-3 weeks
without needing to eat anything!
Local: Western Pond Turtles used to be found all throughout Southern California, but
because of habitat loss and the introduction of exotic or non-native animals, like the
Red-Eared Slider, these turtles are listed as Vulnerable and are only found in very
remote areas of Southern California.
Jamaican Rock Iguana
Habitat: Rocky woodland in limestone terrain; sandy scrub; tropical dry forests.
Seed Dispersers: What goes in must come out, right?! Well, since the Jamaican Rock
Iguana typically dines on leaves and fruits, the animals and the plants in their ecosystem
depend on the iguanas’ poop to help spread the seeds from the plants that they eat
throughout their habitat.
Losing Habitat: Due to logging, the
introduction of invasive species like dogs
and cats, and habitat loss, this species of
Iguana is considered Critically Endangered.
BUT there is reason for hope! The San
Diego Zoo's Institute
for Conservation
Research Center has
successfully bred
three species of highly endangered rock
or ground iguanas.
Tuatara
Habitat: Scrubland on islands surrounding New
Zealand.
Living Fossils: Tuataras are one of the most
unique animals in the world. Even though they
look like a typical lizard, their closest relatives are
an extinct group of reptiles that used to live
around the same time as dinosaurs! Tuataras
themselves have been around for millions of
years and are different enough from lizards
that they are categorized in their own reptile
group separate from lizards.
Tuataras in Trouble: Tuataras used to be found all
throughout the islands of New Zealand, but over the years, introduced predators such
as dogs, rats, cats, and ferrets destroyed much of the Tuatara population. However,
today, through habitat restoration and breeding, organizations like the San Diego Zoo and
New Zealand’s Department of Conservation are helping Tuataras make a comeback!
Desert Tortoise
Habitat: Sand dunes, rocky hillsides, and canyon
bottoms.
Land Dwelling: Tortoises are specially adapted for
living life on land and species like the Desert
Tortoise have long nails that they use to help them
dig dens to escape the sun in their scorching 105degree desert.
Hibernate: Not only will these tortoises dig to
escape the heat, but they will also dig to hibernate
and save energy during the coldest parts of the
year! Desert Tortoises hibernate in dens along with other tortoises typically between
January and February.
Trash or Food?: As the Desert Tortoise digs to escape the heat or cold, occasionally it
will run into landfills full of trash and mistake the trash for food. Desert Tortoises are
considered Endangered because of this use of their habitat as well as the pet trade.
Well, hopefully you enjoyed our trek through reptile
researcher mania and learned something new about the
reptiles around you! If you have discovered a passion for
reptiles and love learning about them like I do, then be sure
to check out the cool things our herpetologists (the folks
who study reptiles and amphibians), zookeepers, and
researchers are doing at the San Diego Zoo and Institute
for Conservation Research to help out reptiles around the
world! Thanks for joining me!
http://www.sandiegozooglobal.org/News/scientist_has_field_day_in_galapagos_islands/
http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/category/animals-and-plants/reptiles-and-amphibians/
http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2013/03/20/the-wondrous-reptile-house/
Resources:
http://www.sandiegozooglobal.org/ICR/purpose
http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2010/10/19/leapin-lizards/ (Prickly Pear Cactus Pic)
http://www.coloringme.com/iguana-coloring-pages.php (Iguana Coloring Sheet)
http://www.californiaherps.com/info/livingwithherps.html (Making Your Backyard Herp
Friendly Info)
http://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/santa-cruz/ (Galapagos Island Info)
http://www.nsta.org/publications/interactive/galapagos/activities/pdf/atales.pdf
(Inspiration for Johnny Komodo’s Field Guide Activity)
http://www.bioquicknews.com/node/2246
(Darwin’s Finch photo)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotts101/1753869627/
(Komodo Dragon scat picture)
Unless otherwise mentioned, all photos are from www.sandiegozoo.org