Snakes - Heckrodt Wetland Reserve

NaturelFnaeks
Snakes
Obiectives:
Studentswill be obleto...
. Describevqriouschorocteristicsof snokesond nomesomewoyso snoke
is odoptedfor survivol.
.
Describehowdifferent snakesmoveond why.
Discusshowsnqkesuseexternolsourcesto regulotetheir body
temperoture.
Resourcesincludedin this packet:
1. Close-UpOn Cobros- on octivity thot helpsstudentsunderstondsnoke
chorocteristicsond nomesomewoyso snokeis odoptedfon survivol.
2. SunBothWolk - this interoctiveoctivityollowsstudentsto observe
snokesondother reptilesin their nqturolhobitot.
3. HowDo SnqkesMove?- on interqctiveoctivity in whichstudents
simulotethe different woyssnqkesmove.
4. PlayThermo-herps!-qninteroctiveoctivity whichdemonstroteshow
cold-blood
ed repttlesuseexternolsourcesof heot in order to survive.
r
5. Rottler! - this gamedemonstrotespredator/preyrelotionshipbetweena
snokeondq hunter.
6. SnokeSlither-o fun ombulotoryoctivityto get kids up ondmoving.
7. Snokesof Wf Quiz-octivity thot quizzesstudentsoboutsnokesin Wf.
8. MokeA SlinkySnoke- Studentsmqkeo movoblesnokecrqft.
9. MokeA Dried BeonPicture-o croft octivity in whichstudentsmokeo
beonsnqkepicture.
10.A list of odditionolresourcesoboutsnokes.
Makethe most of vour visit...
Bringyoursenseof adventure!
anywildonimols!
don'thqndle
Don'tpickplontsor berries...ond
Stoy on the boordwolkor troils to ovoidtromplingdelicoteplonts.
qll trosh. Animqlswill try eating
Pick-upqndthrow crwoy
onything...once!
HeckrodtWetlond Rese?ve,
Locotedot 1305 PlonkRood,Menosho,WI 54952
For info coll: 920-720-9349
AdditionolResources:
L. Wisconsin
Herpetology
Homepage
httpt / / www.mpm.edu/
collect/ verl zo/her? / atlas/ welcome.ht
ml
informotion
Bockgnound
onreptilesondomphibions,
including
snokes.
qndTurtles- Bockwoods
2. Snokes
Wisconsin
http://www.bockwoodswisconsin.com/dato-/f
opics/topic16.html
informotion
Bockground
onsnakes.
3. MN DNR
http://www.dnr.stote.mn.us
informotion
Bockground
onsnokes.
4. Environmentol
Educotion
for Kids(EEK)- WI DNR
httpt/ / www.dnr.st
at e.wi.us
/ eek/
informotion
Bockground
in Wisconsin.
onthe snokes
5. WI DNR
httP://www.dnt'ttot".*,.ut
informotionoboutsnokasin Wisconsin.
Bockground
6. Animolsfn The Wild: SnokeMistqkes- Discovery.com
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplons/proqroms/onimalsinthewild/snokemisfokes/ind
Thiswebsite hosvocobulory,
guestions,
links,andoctivitiesrelqtedto snokes.
7. Waterf ord PressGames
ordpress.com/gomel.html
http://www.woterf
On-lineinteroctivegamesrelotedto snokes.
8. SnokeCrafts - Whot YouNeedto KnowAbout
http://fomilvcrofts.obout.com/cslsnokecrof
f s/
Snokecroft ideos.
9. Snakes
http: / / eduscapes.com/
4Zexplore/ snake.htm
Linksto snakeinformotionolweb sites.
10.Snokes
http://www.unif
studiesforkids.homesteod.comlSnokes.html
coloringpages,
Lessonplons,worksheets,
songsondstoriesrelotedto snokes.
11.Snokes!,
by LucilleRechtPenner
12.5linky
ScolySnokes,
by JenniferDussling
13.Amczing
Porsons
Snakes
,by Alexandro
14.FunWith NotureTokeAlong6uide,by Mel Boring,DiqneL. Burns,LeslieDendy
15.ReptileWorld,by lon Spellerberg
& Morit McKerchor
16.NotureWith Children
of All Ages,by EdithA. Sisson
- Let'sHeorft For Herpsl,by NotionolWildlifeFederotion
17.RongerRick'sNoturescope
18.OutsideondfnsideSnokes,
by ScndroMorkle
19.SnokeAlleyBond,by ElizobethNygoord
20.5moll6reenSnoke,by LibboMooreGray
21.TheSnokeWhoWosAfroid of People,
by BorryLouisPolisqr
22.5linkv
by DorothyHinshow
ScolySlitherySnokes,
Potent
23.HideondSnqke,
by KeithBaker
24.Rottlesnoke
Dqnceby Jim Arnosky
Snakes- Pre/Post
Lesson State Standards
Close-Upon Cobras
Take alook at snoke
characterlstics by maklng a cobra flip-up.
Objectlaes:
Describe seueral
characteristics of
snokes. Name some of
the ways o sncke is
adapted for suraioal.
Ages:
Intermediate
Adosnced
and
Iilaterials:
. copiesofpage49
. copies of the king
cobra facts on psge
43
. tracing paper
. cardboard
. paper and pencils
a glue
a raw, shelled
sunflower seeds
a modeling clay
a pictures of snakes
a stapler
Subjects:
Science, Language
Arts, and Arts and
Crafts
enlarged section of body
sunllowerseeds
42
here's no doubt about it:
Cobras are "cool." And regardlessof how kids feel
about snakes in general,
they're usuallyfascinatedby cobras.You
can take advantageof this fascinationby
having the kids make a cobra "flip-up" to
learn more about the characteristicsof
snakes. Before getting started, make a
sample cobra yourself, using the directionsunder "Making the Flip-Up."
Begin by showing the kids pictures of
snakesand reviewing the characteristics
that all reptilesshare. (See pages3-4 for
more about reptilian characteristics.)
If
possible,take a hip to a zoo, nature center, or natural history museum to give
your kids a firsthand"feel" for snakes.Let
them look at a variety of snakesand note
the differencesand similaritiesthey see.
Afterward discusstheir observations.
Next passout copiesof page49 and the
king cobra factson page 43 to each person. Explain that the skeletonon page49
is that of a king cobra. Then discussthe
characteristicsof the king cobra and
snakes in general, using the completed
flip-up you made earlier,the information
under "Snakes,Insideand Out," and the
backgroundinformationon pages37-38.
Tell the kidsto take notesof the discussion
on a separatepieceof paper. Explainthat
they'll be using these notes later when
they make their own flip-ups.
After your discussion,passout a pencil,
piece of tracing paper, two sheets of
cardboard,a lump of clay about the sizeof
a baseball,a pile of sunflowerseeds,and
glue to each person. Then have the kids
follow the directions below to make a
cobra flip-up.
Mexrxc THEFr-rp-Up
1. Glue the pagewith the cobra skeleton
to one of the sheetsof cardboard.
2- Lay the tacing paper over the skeleton and trace the outline of the cobra.
Glue the outline to the other sheet of
cardboard.
3. Spread the clay within the snake's
outline, making the clay thick enough
to give the mbra a three-dimensional
look.
4. Startingat the tail, stick the seedsinto
the clay to form rows of "scales" (see
diagram). Continue to make rows of
scalesuntil you reach the point where
the front of the snake is raised up,
showingthe undersideof the cobra.
5. Make the large,narrow belly scalesby
marking lines across the snake's undersidewith the tip of a pencil. Where
the neck is flattenedto form the hood,
the scales are stretched apart. Put
several seed "scales" on the sides of
the hood, settingthem apart from one
another(seediagram).
6. Mark the eye and noshil with a pencil
tip.
7. Staple the pieces of cardboard together along the top, with the clay
snakeon top of the skeleton.
When the kids have completed their
cobra flip-ups, have them each write a
paragraphabout the cobra, usingthe fact
sheet about cobras and the notes they
took during the discussion.Then tell them
to glue the paragraphto the back side of
the top piece of cardboardso that when
they lift the clay snake, they can read
about it. They can also glue their cobra
factson the page with the cobra skeleton.
Finally have them label the ribs, fangs,
backbone or vertebrae, hood, eyes, tail,
belly scales,body scales,and upper and
lowerjaw on the claysnakeand skeleton.
And havethem draw and labelthetongue
(seediagram).
- Let's HearIt For Herps!
Source:RangerRick's Naturescope
t;
Senses: Tell the kids to think about how
they sensethe world around them. Then
ask them if they think snakescan hear,
we, f.eel,taste,or smell.Tell them that
snakeshave all of thesesenses,although
some are betterdevelopedthan others.
For example,snakeshave fairly good
close-upvision,but can't seeobjectsthat
are far away. And snakescan "hear"
vibrationsand very low-frequencysound
wavesthrough their tiny inner ear bones
at the back o{ their jaws, but they don't
have outer ear openingsand can't hear
most sound wavestravelingthrough the
air. Snakesalso have a good senseof
smelland a limited senseof taste.They
use their tongueto do most of the "sni{fing," but also pick up scentsthrough their
nostrils.(See"How Herps Smell" on
page4 for more about how the tongue
picksup scents.)
Teett and Fangs: Have the kids look at
the cobra'steeth and describesome of the
ways its teeth are differentfrom their own.
(smaller,curved,pointed) Explainthat all
snakeshaveteeth.But theirteethare
sharp and many point back toward the
throat. Tell them snakesuse their teeth to
hll their prey and/or hold it as they
swallow.Point out the fangsin the picture
(the two largeteeth on the upper jaw).
Explainthat poisonoussnakeshave fangs
that inject venom into their prey. (Fangs
are specialkinds of teeth. See "Meat-
EatingStrategies"on page 38 for more
about fangs.)
Venom: The venom oI differentsnakes
containsdifferentkinds of toxins.Some
deshoy blood cells,othersattackthe nervous system,and some do both.
Feeding: Have the kids open their
mouthsas far as thev can and then ask
them if they think thly could swallowa
cantaloupewhole. Tell them if they had
jaws like a snake,they could easily
swallowsomethingthat big. Explainthat
snakesalwaysswallowtheir food whole
and they often eat thingsbiggerthan their
heads.They can do this becausetheir
jawbonesare looselyattachedto the skull
and to eachother.(See"GulpingTheir
Grub" on page 38 for more about how
snakeseat.)
Also explain that all snakesare meat
eaters.Some snakeskill their prey by
constrictionand some by injectingvenom.
Other snakesjust eat their prey alive.
Ribs and Vertebrae: Have the kids
point to the cobra's backbone.Ask them
to describeiL (lt's a seriesof interlocking
bones.)Tell the kids that each bonv
s€gmentof the backboneis calleda
uertebrs(plural is uertebrael.Then ask the
kids how many ribs are attachedto each
vertebra.(2) Now ask the kids if they
know how many vertebraeand pairs of
ribs people have. (Adultshave 25 or 26
vertebraeand 12 pairsof ribs.) See if
someonecan expl?in.what the functionof
the snake'svertebraeand ribs might be.
Explainthat a snake'svertebraeand ribs
help support its long body and protect its
insidesfrom damage.Also explainthat
musclesattachedto the ribs help a snake
move. (See"Moving Like a Snike" on
page37 for more about how snakes
move.)
Scaly Skin: Snakesare known for their
scalyshn. Like most animals'skin, snake
skin has several layers. The outer layer of ,
skin is a thin one that the snakeshedsas '
it grows. (How often a snakeshedsits skin
dependson climate,nutoition,the snakets
age, and other factors.)Theactualscales
are thickenedareasof skin below this i ,
outer layer. In most snakesthe scalesare
smooth and dry and overlapto help pro- '
tect the body. The belly scalesare often
largerand flatter than the other body
scalesand help snakesmove. Each eye is
also coveredby a hard, round, clearscale.
Innaids: Like other slenderanimals,
snakeshave organsthat have evolvedin
unusualways to fit their long, narrow
shape.In most snakes,for example,the
left lung is very smallor gone altogether,
and the right lung extendsnearly half of
the way down the body. The stomachis
also long and thin, squeezedin among the
other organs.
Tue Kwc CoeRA
o lives in forests in India and Southeast
Asia
a
a
o
o
press sunflower seeds into clay
can grow to a length of 18 feet
(5.4 m)-longer than a pick-uphuck
can have a head the size of a man's
hand
hassmallfangsin the frontof its mouth
can injecta deadlynervepoisoninto its
victims
can injectenoughvenom in one biteto
killa personin about 20 minutes
feedson other snakes
can spreadout the ribs in its neck to
flatten the skin and form a hood
can be yellow,brown, olive,dark gray,
or black
builds a nest out of leaves,grass,and
soil and then coilsaroundthe top until
the eggshatch
is worshipedby someculturesin Asia
43
PncE
COpvCAT
Cr-ose-Up
ONCosRAs
RANGERRICK'S NATURESCOPE:LETS HEAR IT FOR HERPS!
(SeeCloe-Up on Cobwp4?l
49
Sun Bath Walk
Reptiles love to
sunbath. You can
often find turtles
sunning themselves on logs in a lake or pond.
Snakes can be found sunbathing on rocks, in
sandy areas, or in a sunny opening in the woods.
Procedure:
Take a walk on a warm sunny
day to hunt for reptile
sunbathers. Have the children
bask in the sun themselves and
imagine what it would feel like
to a cold-blooded reptile.
The students can use identification guides to
identify animals they see along their walk and
make sketches of them.
Have the students note how well a snake/reptile
blends into its environment (camouflage,)
Ghildren can also look for shed skins of snakes.
Source: Nature With Children of All Ages
How Do Snakes Move?
Procedure:
Put your bare foot on the
ground and try to make it
move forward by wiggling
the toes. This gives an idea of how snakes move
by using their muscles. On smooth and flat
ground, snakes move in a straight line by pushing
their muscles against the
ground. C)nrougher grouhd,
snakes move in a wavy line,
pushing their bodies from side
to side against small objects
such as pebbles or plants.
Students could also role play to move like a
snake, or play a snake relay race, moving like a
snake.
Sourcer Nature With Ghildren of All Ages
PloyThermo-herps!
You'llneed:fhermometers
ond o 3 fl,long stringfor eoch
poir of children;o ploying
oreo oboul30 feel in diomelerwilh sunnyond shody
spols,fourlrofficconesor
flogs,o wotchwilh o second
hondond fope.
Morko sforlingpoint
(whereyouwillstondlin lhe
cenlerof the ployingoreo.
Mork 4 feedingzones,eoch
oboul l5-30 feet owoy from
you. Mokesurelhe polhslo
lhe differentfeedingoreos
voryin lhe omounlof sunlighl
lhey receiveGiveq fhermomelerond o
slringlo eochteom.Hove
themwolk oroundin the
pioyingoreo ond loke lhe
lemperolureol vorious
locotions.Bringthem bock
logelherond overogelhe
lemperolures.Hoveeoch
childlope off on oreoon lheir
lhermomeler30obovefhe
overogelemperolureond 2"
below il lo S"spoce.l
Explointhol lheirlhermomeler is ocluollyo herp ond
lheiriob is to guideil sofelylo
one of lhe designoled
feedingoreos.Theymust
movelhe lhermomeleron lhe
groundond theymusl keep
lhe lemperoturewifhinlhe 5
degreerongemorkedoff
wilh lope! Theycononly
move3 feef ol o lime,lhen
theymustreslfor 30
seconds!Theydon'l
hovelo movein o
slroighlline,buf lhey
connofshodetheir
"herp'withlheirbody.
Beginlhe gome.EveryfhirlY
"go!"
Eochleom
seconds,coll
con movetheirlizordup lo 3
feel of o time,fhen musf slop
ond stoyslillunlilyousoygo.
Ployogoinby swifching
ossignedfeedingoreos,
chongingfhe femperofure
ronges,elc.
(Adopledfrom Obisl
Rattlarl
Form a small circle around one
?erson who is brindfolded and
another ?erson who has a ratNle.,
Whenthehunter oayo'rattleenake" the other child must
shaka the rattle.Ihe hunLer tries Ip t ag thc rattlesnake.
Each may move witiin the circle.Fhose who are forming the
circle are atnmakesurethatlhe raltlesnakc and huntcr
otay within f.he circle, and are tn remain quict,throughout,
the game.
'Ratlle
can be made trom any conlainer (like an emfiy film
canieter) and filled wif,h something that will make noise when
shaken like popcorn kernele or pebbleo.
SnokeSlither
Toodd movemenlto o herp
progrom,do the snokeslither.
Thisworkswellwith children
from 3-7 yeorsold.In o single
file line eochchildputshis/
her hondson the shoulderor
woisl of the personin front of
him/her.Thenleodthem.
choo-choostyle,in on
oscillolingor evenspirolpolh.
Theywont wonl lo slop!
Source:Herps!
Snakesof WisconsinQuiz
l. Fill in the letter of the wisconsin snakethat is identified in each clue.
A. Easternmilk snake
B . Easternhognosesnake
C. Blue racer
D. Blackrat snake
fastestsnakein Wisconsin- can
reachspeedsof up to 4 mph
don't look for this snakeon the
ground;climbs treesquite well
andis more likely to be found
l8-30 feet abovethe ground
E. Timber rattlesnake
F. Bullsnake
G. Fox snake
receivedProtectedWild Animal
statusin WI in April 1998;it is
. illegal to possessthis animalor
its partsor to kill this animal
unlessyou arein a lifethreateningsituation
'"a
farmer'sbestfriend," this
animalwill eatthe equivalentof
12pocketgophersper season
theDustin Hoffman of the
snakeworld. Often mistakenfor
a cobra.
an old legendclaimsthat this
animalwill stealmilk from the
cowsin your barn;really, this
animaljust wantsto feaston the
micenearby
this animalis sometimescalleda
"copperhead".NOTE:
This
animalis NOT venomous.
Source:WI DNR
Makea SlinkySnake
Use tollet paper rolls
andpapertastenets to
make o mooable snoke.
Ages:
Adaaneed
Ivlaterials:
. tollet paper rolls
o scissorc
. paperpunches
o paperfastenerc
o thin cardboard or
manilafolderc
. tape
a crayons, markerc, or
paint and
paintbntshes
o pictures oJsnokes
SubJects:
Arts andCrufts
Dagram I
t
I
I
I
I
I
I
Your kids can make a movable snake
that will wrap around their armsand slither
across the floor. Just have them follow
these easy steps:
1. Cut five toilet paper rolls into fifteen
ll/z-inch (21-cm)long pieces. (These
will be the snake'sbody segments.)
2. Cut two side notchesin each end of
thirteen of the pieces. The notches
should be about Ys to Y2 inch (.61.3 cm) deepand I inch (2.5cm) wide
(see diagram 1). Then Punch four
holesin eachsegmentas shown in the
diagram.
3. Make end pieces by cutting two side
notches in just one end of the two
remainingsegments.Then punch tr,vo
holes in each of these segments(see
diagram2).
4. Starting with an end piece, assemble
the body segmentsone by one. Fit the
piecestogetherasshownin diagram3.
Then insert paper fastenersinto the
holes and spread the ends of the
fastenersapart inside the snake. (Be
sure to fit the cardboard pieces together as shown in the diagram. And
don't fasten the paper fastenerstoo
tight or your snakewill not be able to
move easily.)
5. To make the head, cut out a 5 x 6inch (13 x 15-cm) piece of thin
cardboard or manila folder and roll it
into a tube. (The tube should be
slightlywider than the toiletpaperroll.)
Fit one end of the tube over one of the
end segmentsand tape the edgesof
the tube together.Then tape the head
to the end segment and cut out the
snake'smouth (seediagram5)'
6. Cut out a forked tongue from the
cardboard and tape it inside the
snake'smouth.
7. To make a tail, cut out a 5 x 6-inch
(13 x 15-cm)pieceof cardboardand
roll it into a cone. TaPe the cone
together and then tim off the toP so
that it's even (see diagram 4). Fit the
largerend over the other end segment
and tape it in place (seediagram5)'
8. Use crayons, markers, or paints to
decoratethe snake. (Provide pictures
of snakesfor the kids so they candecorate their snakesaccuratelY.
)
J
t
,
cut notches on both
sides
punch holes
tape head to body
here
6
- Let's HearIt For Herps!
Source:RangerRick's Naturescope
tape tail to bodY
here
MAKE
A
ICTURE
W H A TY O U N E E D
W H A TT O D O
o pieceof posfenboond
oboot 12x IB
incheslonge
Spnegdthe.newspopen
ovengodn
wonKspoce.
* fine-poinfrnonken
Divideop fhe beonsondpeos,
poffingeochcolonino pile.
' botfle of glue
Usethis book fo chooseo snoke,o
solornonden
on o lizono.
. dniedbeonsondpeos:kidneubeonsone
block,Splifpeos
ned.blockbeons'one
oneqneen,
novqbeonsonewhife,lentils
onefrefiowonCpintobeonsspotted.
Withfhe rnonken
dnowfhe outlineof
the onirnolonto
the posferboond.
Dnowifs bondson blofcheson
spots of colon
o l-l€WSp0p€P
. dornpwoshcloth
qlcteon oneof fhe spofs on
, 6 Spneod
s rnosking
fope fon honging
blotchei usinggour fingens.
!r
Wipeuoonfinqenscleonwifh fhe
dornp"woshct6th.
;T, Conefdllq
plocefhe beonswith col-
the picfoneonto fhe
onsrnofbhing
groe.
Mokesonefo pot the beonsclose
fogethen
1 0 Repeofwith the ofhensections,
rnokingsctneto usethe nightcolons.
44
d
ii"
Funwith Nature
Source:
t
lef the finishedpictunedng,then
hongif on goonwollondobn
iroogcuia"