What exactly is a tortoise? Tortoises are reptiles that live on the land, whereas turtles live in the water for the most part.

Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) are fascinating creatures only found in the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They have large, scaly front legs for digging.Their shell or carapace is dark brown with deep lines.

We met this desert tortoise at a class at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.

We learned a lot about tortoises in the class, including that you should never pick up a wild tortoise. It turns out that one way a tortoise survives in such a dry environment is by holding urine in its bladder and recycling the water from it. If someone picks up or otherwise scares a desert tortoise, part of its defense is to urinate. Studies have shown that unless the tortoise can quickly replenish the supply of water that it lost by urinating, that it is likely to dehydrate and die. Just shows that simple human curiosity can be fatal to other creatures and that we need to be respectful of wild animals.

We also learned desert tortoises that have been brought into captivity should never be returned to the wild because they potential carry diseases that might infect wild tortoises.

Other desert tortoise facts:

• They can live up to 100 years.
• The females don’t lay eggs until they are at least 15 years old.
• They dig burrows in the soil to stay cool in the hot summer.
• They eat desert plants such as cacti.
• They hibernate in the winter.

Activity 1. Desert Tortoise Drawing

Gather:

• Art supplies such as crayons, colored pencils and markers
• Photographs of desert tortoises, from books or the Internet
• Drawing paper
• Optional: coloring sheets to print out

Encourage the children to examine the photographs closely and draw a scene with a desert tortoise. For more formal instructions, try how to draw a desert tortoise.

Activity 2. Learning the life cycle

Like many reptiles, tortoises hatch from eggs. You can see the eggs, hatching and young tortoises in this video.

As the narration points out, the young tortoises spend time after hatching absorbing the remains of the egg yolk as an important source of nutrition.

Young tortoises grow slowly over a period of years. There are physical differences between the males and females in the shape of the carapace, etc.

For much more information, see this detailed life cycle of desert tortoise.

So, do you think they are cute and that you might want to have a desert tortoise as a pet?
Consider these facts first:

1. You will probably have to leave your tortoise to someone in your will, because if you care for it well, it is likely to outlive you.

2. You won’t be able to see it all winter, because it needs to hibernate.

3. You need to supply it with specially selected food. The fruits and vegetables we eat contain too much water and chemicals that can harm tortoises.

4. You will need to find someone else to care for it if you can no longer do so. You can’t just let it go because it won’t survive and it is likely to carry diseases that will harm other tortoises. Besides, it is illegal to do so.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has more about rules and care of desert tortoises.

As with any animal, it is really important to do your research before adopting a pet. With care, many people are quite successful when they adopt captive-bred animals.

If you are really interested in desert tortoises, “get out of your shell” and learn more about them. Then, pass on what you find out to your friends.

Be sure to check out Desert Tortoises by Elizabeth Thomas and other great books about desert tortoises.

Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Library Binding: 24 pages
Publisher: Capstone Press (August 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1429666455
ISBN-13: 978-1429666459

Book was supplied by publisher for review purposes.

Looking for STEM books for children? Check the STEM Friday round up each week for recommendations.

STEM Friday is hosted today at Simply Science.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is easy and fun. Be sure to visit the website and read all the instructions, but in a nutshell you need to set aside at least 15 minutes on at least one of the days, gather a paper, pencil and a set of binoculars (optional) and count the birds you can see in your yard or neighborhood. When you are finished, you enter the data in the online form at the website (open only during the count). Then check back to see what birds others have counted in your community.

Related activities:

1. Bird Watching

Bird watching is a popular and engaging activity. You don’t need to travel or have expensive gear to bird watch. You can simply look out the window and spot birds. Birds are interesting because they are colorful, active and can be found almost anywhere. At various times of year birds are migrating, singing, building nests and raising babies. There’s always something exciting going on amongst your neighborhood birds.

Are you a complete beginner? Learn your birds by figuring out a few at a time, using field guides and websites. Here are some popular field guides:

Keep a notebook full of drawings and notes next to your favorite birding window. Over the course of a year you will begin to recognize the regulars and also new birds.

Many communities offer bird hikes and birding classes. Check you local newspaper and do a few Internet searches for local birding clubs and events.

2. Bird Feeders
What can you do to encourage birds? Many people start by making simple bird feeders, such as the classic pinecone rolled in birdseed. Many of the crafts you see suggest using peanut butter, which is not fun at all for children with peanut allergies. Try this alternative that actually attracts a larger assortment of birds as well.

Gather:

• dry, clean pine cones, enough for all participants
• lard (available in most grocery stores) at room temperature
• bird seed
• ribbon or string
• plate or tray to spread seed on
• butter knife or craft sticks

Spread the bird seed on a tray. Tie the string or ribbon on the pine cones to serve as a hanger.  Have the children “butter” the pine cones with lard, either using their fingers or craft sticks, filling in the cracks. Then roll the filled pine cones in the bird seed, which should stick. (Note:  I found it was easier to tie the strings first, but you can also do it last). Hang the pine cones in a tree that you can watch and wait for the birds to discover it.

You can make another simple feeder by stringing fruit such as raisins, grapes, cherries or orange sections on a bit of twine or string and hanging it out. Just be careful and find out what works best in your region because scattering food for birds can also attract unwanted guests, including bears in some areas!

Often you can reduce the number of unwelcome guests by choosing what type of food you present and how. For example, niger thistle seed attracts colorful birds like finches and doves, but not pigeons or rats. Check with your local Audubon Society or other birding resources for recommendations.

3. Nesting Materials
Making cards full of nesting materials can be a fun project that is easy to do with supplies from around the house.

Gather:

• index cards or roughly three-inch by five-inch pieces of card stock, enough for all participants
• hole punch or scissors
• yarn, preferably wool or cotton
• thread
• hair or anything else you think a bird might use in its nest
• string or ribbon to hang card

Brainstorm about what might be useful to a bird. Poke holes in the index cards with a hole punch or cut holes with scissors (with an adult’s help). Tie a 12-inch piece of string, yarn or ribbon through one hole to serve as a hanger. Loosely stuff the rest of the holes with a variety of nest making supplies, making sure the birds can pull it out fairly easily. When you are finished, go outside and hang the cards in bushes or trees where the birds will find the materials. Check over time to see which materials they chose first, second, etc. Refill the cards as needed.

4. Bird Garden

If you get serious about birding, you might think about planting a bird garden. Find out abut which native plants in your area provide food or shelter for birds and add a few to your garden. Providing water through a birdbath or pond is also helpful as long as the water is kept clean and fresh. Check for more information in books, magazines and on the Internet for useful plants to grow in your region or community.

5. Fly like a Bird

Study birds in flight. Make a kite, decorate it like a bird and fly it on a windy day.

Finally, even if it is raining and nothing is happening outdoors, ask your child what it would be like to fly like a bird. Then pretend you are birds. Spread your wings and soar and swoop together.

For more information try:

Audobon

American Birding Association

Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

Bird Studies Canada

For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson by Peggy Thomas and illustrated by Laura Jacques

Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590787641
ISBN-13: 978-1590787649

And these books about birds for children:

Characteristics of Five Major Orders of Insects

Scientists who name insects have grouped them into about 30 different orders (the exact number is still under debate). However, five of the orders are the most common.

1. Beetles (Order Coleoptera) – Of all the more than one million species of insects, beetles are by far the most numerous. There are an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 different species of beetles!

Characteristics:
Adults with hardened front wings called called elytra. Hind wings are generally under the elytra and are membranous (sort of like plastic wrap).

Beetle larvae are grubs or worms with a distinct head.

One type of beetle larva is called a wireworm.

Beetles go through complete metamorphosis, which means they have four life stages:  egg, larva, pupa and adult.

See the life stages of a carpet beetle

2. Flies and mosquitoes (Order Diptera)

Characteristics:

The order name of this group means “two wings.” Unlike all other insects, adult flies have only two wings, rather than the more common number of four. (The second pair of wings have been reduced to a knob-like structure called a haltere.)

Flies also have complete metamorphosis. Most fly larvae lack a distinct head and are commonly called maggots.

3. Ants, bees and wasps (Order Hymenoptera)

Characteristics:

Most adult hymenoptera have four membranous wings, with the forewings larger than the hindwings, although it might be hard to tell in a resting insect because their wings are folded. Many bees, wasps and ants have a stinger, which they use to defend themselves or subdue prey. Bees and wasps, in particular, have black-and-yellow or black-and-red warning coloration.

Bees have robust bodies and are usually quite fuzzy.

Wasps are usually hairless and shiny.

Ants have antennae that bend in the middle, like an elbow.

Hymenoptera also have complete metamorphosis.

Ant larvae are shaped like a crochet hook. They have a head, but no legs. The smaller, yellowish ovals are the eggs. The beige sack towards the top right is a pupa within a cocoon.

Bee larvae also lack legs. The larvae are on the left, sitting on the bright yellow bee bread that they use for food. The four white objects on the center/right of the photograph are pupae. You can see some of the characteristics of the adults, like eyes and mouthparts, in the pupa.

4. Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

Butterflies and moths have four large wings, usually covered with flat scales

Butterflies are brightly colored and fly by day.

In general, moths (like this atlas moth) are more drab and fly at night.

Lepidoptera also undergo complete metamorphosis.

The larvae of butterflies and moths are called caterpillars.

See this post for photographs of the butterfly life cycle and more information.

5.    True bugs, as well as aphids and cicadas (Order Hemiptera)

Note:  The Order Hemiptera has undergone several revisions over the last few decades. For a long time there were two separate orders, the so-called true bugs were called hemiptera (meaning half-wing) and the aphids, cicadas and their relatives were called homoptera (meaning uniform winged). Then the Order Hemiptera was re-named Heteroptera. Finally, based on new evidence, the two orders have been combined into the Order Hemiptera. You will see names of the earlier orders in older texts.

Insects in the Order Hemiptera have sucking mouthparts that suck up fluids rather like a turkey baster.

The “true bugs”have interesting wings that are half leathery and half membranous. They also have a triangle-shaped piece in the middle of their back.

The membranous part of the wing is between the two raindrops in this photograph of a mesquite bug. Can you also see the triangle (just to the right of the center raindrop) and the sucking mouthparts?

In this milkweed bug the membranous portion of the wing is black, the leathery part is red. Can you see the triangle?

More about mesquite and squash bugs

The aphids, cicadas, leafhoppers and their relatives have wings that fold like a tent over the rear section or abdomen.

Underneath…

…you can see the mouthparts as a tube running between the bases of the legs.

Hemiptera have incomplete metamorphosis, which means they have three life stage:  egg, nymphs (that look mostly like an adult, but lack wings) and adults.

Here are stinkbug nymphs that just hatched from eggs.

This is a cicada nymph that lives most of its life under the soil.

Once again, in this view of the underside you can see the tube that it uses to suck fluids from tree roots.

(More about cicada nymphs)

So, there’s a quick overview of how to recognize some of the insects you might find in your yard.

Please feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments.

The science of organizing living things into groups is called classification. The Swedish botanist Linnaeus first proposed a system for grouping and naming organisms in the 1750′s. The system is hierarchical with the upper levels including those below it.

If you are older, you may have learned something in school like “King Philip Came Over From Greater Spain” to remember the hierarchy of groups. Recently scientists have added a higher level, the domain and removed the Kingdom Monera. Plants, fungi, animals and protists belong to the Domain Eucharya.

This video explains the domains:

The kingdoms contains many distinct groups called phyla. Each phylum is divided into a number of classes. The classes are further divided into orders, families, genera, and finally, species.

Here is the classification hierarchy of the honey bee:

Domain:  Eucharya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Hymenoptera
Family Apidae
Genus Apis
species mellifera
Common name: honey bee

Sometimes it can be difficult to visualize. If you are a visual person, try drawing some diagrams. Here’s one for insects.

Classification Activities for Children

Up until recently, classification was mostly based on the physical characteristics of the organisms.

1. Sorting is an important precursor for classification for very young children.

Gather:

• toys, balls, stuffed animals, etc.

For young children, sort by any feature you can think of.  You can sort by color, soft versus hard, shiny versus dull, by size. It’s a great way to learn opposites, colors, shapes, and vocabulary words, too. Have fun!

Later graduate to sorting various toy animals by classes. Although is is best to use realistic models or stuffed animals, you can use pictures as well.

Start with the vertebrates, the  fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals.What characteristics do fish have? (fins, scales, gills). How is a reptile, such as a snake, different from an amphibian, like a frog or salamander? (Dry skin, scales). How is a bird (with feathers and a beak) different from a bat (mammal)?

Once your child masters that level, add insects, spiders and other animals without backbones. You may also sort by other characteristics, such as carnivore (meat eater), herbivore (plant eater) or decomposer (eats dead plants). Make a box labeled with each characteristic for the child to place the objects in or simply make heaps on the floor.

What are some differences between the plant and the butterfly sitting on it?

2. Twenty questions

The guessing game “twenty questions” also can be modified to act like a classification key. Keys are used to identify living things and often utilize similar yes or no questions.

Have one person think of an object, preferably a living thing in this case. The point is for the others to ask yes or no questions, using narrowing the topic until someone can guess what the object is. The trick is that you are only allowed 20 questions.

Is it living or dead? Is it green? Does it have flowers? Does it have a backbone? Does it have feathers? Does it have scales? The characteristics that separate the kingdoms, phyla and classes can quickly narrow your focus to the correct group.

3. Build your own classification scheme.

Gather:

• bag
• paper clips
• small balls
• crayons
• chalk
• coins
• pencils

To explore ways to classify things, have your children build their own classification scheme using objects from around the house. Fill a bag beforehand with a mix of items similar to those suggested above. Ask the children to group the objects. What characteristics did they use? Would the balls and coins go together because they are both round, or did the coins go with the paper clips because they were metal? Name the groups, and then mix the items again to come up with another system.

One of the fun parts of classification is that there aren’t any right answers, just best guesses. Scientists rearrange the groups all the time as they gather more information.

4. Older children may want to investigate the use of DNA to group and identify living things.

Here’s a more advanced discussion of classification (also discusses cladistics, how classification is tied with evolution).

For more information try:

Macaws are from Mexico, Central and South America. Their bright colors and inquisitive natures make them popular with humans.

Facts about Macaws:

• have colorful feathers
• can live 50 years or more
• have strong beaks for eating fruit and seeds
• males and females pair for life
• nest in tree cavities
• travel in flocks

Most macaws live in rain forests. A rain forest is a place with trees that gets a lot of rain. How much rain? Some rain forests get up to an inch of rain per day, or 365 inches per year! Rain forests are often found in warm, tropical regions, but there are also cooler rain forests. An example of a cooler climate rain forest occurs in the west coast of the state of Washington.

Tropical rain forests are home to an abundance of interesting, colorful, and unique birds, in addition to macaws:

• toucans
• hornbills (Africa and Asia)
• antbirds
• trogans and quetzals
• hummingbirds
• hoatzins (see video below)
• and many more

Activities:

1. Bird Beaks

Birds use their beaks for many of the same purposes that we humans use our hands. Birds eat with their beaks, build nests with them, and even groom themselves with them. Birds do not have teeth, but they do have tongues.

One of the first things you might notice about the macaws, toucans, hornbills and hummingbirds is how different their beaks are.

(Photograph of hyacinth macaw by Malcolm at Wikimedia)

The macaw’s beak is long and curved on top, coming to a hook at the end. The lower beak is short and stubby in comparison. It looks rather like a can opener.

Check out how these wild macaws use the pointed tip of their beak and their tongue to remove nut meats from nuts. Note: This video has numerous pop-up ads.

The toucan’s beak is so large that you might wonder how it flies. It turns out that the beak is very light. Toucans eat mostly fruit, although they also eat insects.

The hornbill’s beak is also very large. The structure on the top is called a “casque” and it is thought to be involved with calling (sound production). Larger hornbills have a diet similar that of the toucan. Smaller ones are omnivorous (they eat many things), or even carnivorous (eating only meat).

The hummingbird’s beak is long and slender like a needle. Known for drinking nectar from flowers, hummingbirds also eat small flying insects.

Eating like a Bird

1. Food

Gather:

• various small fruits like blueberries, raisins, nuts, 0-shaped cereals, gummy worms, and small crackers (check about food allergies beforehand and avoid foods with those ingredients). If you don’t want the children to snack on the food afterwards, choose inedible items like un-popped popcorn and packing peanuts.
• plates or dishes to present the food on
• variety of equipment to mimic bird beaks, such as tongs, toy pliers, toothpicks, chopsticks, tweezers or forceps, and straws
• paper cups or similar containers to act as the bird’s “crop” (where the food goes)
• timer (optional)

Depending on the number of children and the amount of food and equipment you have, you might want to form small groups.  Explain that the children are going to “eat like a bird.” Suggest that they try to put the different food items into their “crops” (cups) using the different tools, but not to use their fingers. Present each child/group with a plate holding an assortment of food items and allow them to freely explore the options. Do some tools work better than others? Brainstorm about what might be other challenging foods that birds might eat. How would you eat an oyster or a snail without hands? How would you eat a fish without dropping it? What other types of tools might be helpful?

Handling time:

Introduce the idea of “handling time,” that is the amount of time it takes to pick up, process and eat a particular food item. Using a single tool and a timer, see how many pieces of a particular food they can get into their crops (cups) in a short period of time, such as a minute. Try other kinds of food for the same length of time. Weigh the amount of each type of food that was gathered to discover which type was most efficient, or resulted in the most food consumed per minute. Graph the results.

Another way to perform this test might be to time how long it takes to pick up a particular number of one type of food item with different tools. For example, how long does it take to pick up 30 raisins with tweezers versus toothpicks?

Fluids:

Have you ever watched a bird drink? Notice how these chickens scoop up water and then tilt their heads back to let the water flow down their throats.

Drinking is also a challenge with a beak. Often the tongue helps. Scientists have recently discovered that hummingbirds have a tongue like a mop that they use to slurp up nectar. If you’ve ever visited a lorikeet exhibit, you might have seen the brush-like tongues they use to lap nectar.

Gather:

• straws
• spoons
• new toothbrush
• juice
• shallow bowls

Pour the juice into shallow bowl. Compare how easy it is to drink with a straw or spoon versus try to drink by collecting fluid in the bristles of a toothbrush.

2. Bird Craft

One thing that catches your eye about these tropical birds is their colorful feathers. Make a brightly colored bird.

Gather:

• craft pom poms (2 sizes, body and head)
• colorful feathers (available at craft stores)
• matching color chenille pieces, cut into short lengths for beaks
• sewing thread
• white or craft glue
• scissors

Chose 1 large pom pom for body and one smaller pom pom for the head for each bird. Take a few minutes to study the structure of the feathers. Find two similar feathers for wings and one for a tail. If the feathers are widely different sizes you can trim them with scissors. Choose a section of chenille to serve as a beak. Bend the chenille into a v-shape, if desired, or leave it long to serve as a hummingbird beak.

Glue the head and body together. Set aside to let dry or the head may slip when adding other elements. If you are doing a flock of birds, you can glue some while others are drying. Put a bit of glue on the hard tip of each feather (where it attached to the bird in real life) and insert it into the body on either side to form wings. Add glue to the hard tip of the tail feather and insert it on the opposite side from the head. Finally add some glue to the tip of the chenille and add to front of head, taking care not to move the wings and tail. Allow to dry.

Once dry, tie a length of thread around the body and hang up. You can create mobiles or flocks of birds or use them as puppets.

3. Bird homes and rainforest layers

The rainforest is divided into layers.

The emergent layer consists of the very tallest trees that push up through the canopy.

The canopy is the dense layer of treetops.

Under the canopy there may be little light. Wherever light passes through the canopy, young trees, shrubs and vines can grow. The forest floor is also teeming with life.

Birds like the hoatzin use the trees of the rainforest for homes and food.

Many birds live in the canopy layer of the rainforest, although some nest in the shrubs and vines of the understory. Ant birds follow army ant swarms running over the forest floor, catching insects and other arthropods chased up by the approaching ants.

Project:  Chose a rainforest bird that interests you and find out where it lives in the rainforest. Does it nest in trees in the canopy or shrubs in the understory? Where does it find food?

Prepare a short report and share what you have found out with others.

Macaws by Cecilia Pinto McCarthy

Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Library Binding: 24 pages
Publisher: Capstone Press (August 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 142966049X
ISBN-13: 978-1429660495

Rain Forest Life by Janine Scott

Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Capstone Press (August 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1429671521
ISBN-13: 978-1429671521

Books were provided by publisher for review purposes.

My earliest memory of garter snakes is from visits to my grandmother’s house. All my cousins and I knew that between the moist rocks around the old dug well was a sure place to find garter snakes. Everyone had a chance to catch one and handle it, carefully letting it go and washing our hands afterwards. None of us were afraid of garter snakes because of our experiences with them. This book brought back those fond memories.

Let’s find out more about garter snakes:

1. Garter snake facts

There are at least 20 species of garter snakes in North America, belonging to the Genus Thamnophis. Although supposedly named for the fact that the species with stripes resemble a garter (an old-fashioned band used to hold up stockings), some do not have any patterns, or have spots or checkered coloring instead of stripes. Individuals of one species, the common garter snake, can be different colors and patterns depending on where they are found.

This gopher snake has a strong checkered pattern.

Where do garter snakes live? Garter snakes are often found near sources of water. Some species are actually aquatic. They are found throughout North America.

Do garter snakes lay eggs? No, garter snakes and many other snakes give birth to live young.

Unlike other snakes, garter snakes are diurnal, which means they are out and about during the day. Many other snakes are nocturnal and hunt at night.

2. Outer covering

Reptiles are generally covered with bony plates or scales, which is one of their identifying characteristics.

Snakes’ bodies are covered with small plates called scales or scutes.

Have you ever looked closely at the scales of a snake? The scales on the back of a garter snake have ridges in the middle. They are called “keeled” scales. Snakes with keeled scales usually have a dull appearance overall.

Other snakes have smooth scales without the keels.

Snakes with smooth scales have a brighter, shiny appearance. Herpetologists (scientists who study reptiles) use the position of the different types of scales as one way to identify snakes.

Snakes have a special transparent scale over their eyes called a brille. It takes the place of an eyelid. Because of the brille, snakes can not close their eyes.

As a snake grows, it periodically sheds its outer skin. When the snake is about to shed, its brille becomes cloudy.

On this shed snake skin, you can see the bottom scales are larger and broader than the top scales. (I was actually taking a photograph of the ants that were recycling the skin.)

3. What do garter snakes eat?

Snakes are predators, feeding on other small animals. In the book, Garter Snake eats an earthworm. When in the water, garter snakes eat frogs, tadpoles and fish.

I can see this snake has eaten something recently. How can I tell?

4. Snake senses

One interesting aspect of snakes is that they have different senses than we do.

To smell, a snake doesn’t use its nose. Instead it has a bag-shaped organ called a Jacobson’s organ in its mouth to sense chemicals in the air. Ever seen a snake stick out its tongue? It is “smelling” the world around it.

Some snakes can sense infrared radiation through a pit organ or heat-sensing organ just below the eyes.

5. Make a snake craft

Gather:

• One large “fuzzy” chenille (at least 20″ long) for each child
• 10 + light-colored construction paper cut into 1 1/2″ wide strips by at least 12″ long for paper beads per child
• assorted pieces of colored construction paper for head and features
• markers or crayons
• scissors
• pencil (to form paper beads around)
• white glue
• photographs or illustrations of snakes

Process:  You might want to have the children make their paper beads in one session and assemble the snakes in another. For very young children, it would probably be best for an adult to pre-assemble the beads.

To make a paper bead, roll a rectangular strip of construction paper tightly around a pencil and then glue the free end down with white glue. Slide off the pencil and allow to dry. Make approximately 10 beads per snake.

While the beads are drying, start the snake. Have the children form a small loop at one end of the chenille to form the snake’s “head.” Have them cut out a construction paper head and tongue, if they would like. Decorate the head and glue it to the chenille loop.

Once the beads are dry, decorate with markers. Show the children photographs of actual snakes for inspiration. When completed, slide the beads onto the chenille behind the head. Bend up the tail a bit to prevent the beads from sliding off. Add finishing touches.

Now you have a snake in the grass.

For more information about garter snakes:

An informative video (may play ad the first time)

Look for Garter Snake at Willow Creek Lane.

Soundprints books also are available in audio form, as well as smaller books with a plush toy.

Book provided by publisher for review purposes.

Do you remember the Spiders in Space Project? The same group is now conducting experiments with Plants in Space and you are welcome to join along, asking the question, “How do plants grow in space, without gravity?” The idea is to plant the same type of seeds here on earth at the same time as those in space and then look for differences in growth.

This project is for both classroom and homeschool students, as well as for informal science at home.

The experiments have already started. The first seeds were planted Tuesday, September 20, 2011 It is now completed, and the pictures and videos of the results are archived. Don’t worry, however, you can jump into the project with any of the next plantings:

• Planting 2 will be Thursday, September 29, 2011
• Planting 3 will be Friday, October 7, 2011
• Planting 4 will be Monday, October 17, 2011

This video shows some of the results from the first planting.

Wow, dancing plants!

See the website in the link above for all the details, plus you can sign up and download a free instructor’s guide. The one for Spiders in Space was very good.

This nonfiction picture book tells the incredible story of the marbled murrelet, a tiny seabird that searches deep in old forests to find a place to nest in a large tree. Once they build the nest, incubate the eggs and the eggs hatch, the parent murrelets fly all the way to the ocean to catch fish for their nestlings. They bring the fish back to the tree, a journey that may be as long as one hundred miles per trip.

The fact that murrelets nest in old-growth trees was only discovered recently, after all who would think of looking for a seabird nesting in a big tree?

Activity:  Investigate what sorts of animals live in a tree in your neighborhood.

Gather:

• notebook
• pencil
• binoculars (if available)
• camera to record observations (if available)
• field guides to help you identify animals

Pick a tree in your yard, or nearby, to study. If you can, try to identify the tree. Go out each day for fifteen minutes. Slowly approach the tree looking for birds and squirrels first. Listen and look through your binoculars. Once you write down all the birds and squirrels that you see in the tree, then get closer and look for insects and spiders. Try to figure out what they are and what they are doing. Do this for one week. Or even better go out in the morning for ten minutes and the evening for ten minutes. Do you find different animals at different times of day?  After you are done, count how many animals use the tree.

Here is a list of some of the animals we found in our desert willow tree, Chilopsis linearis:

We chose the desert willow tree because it flowers most of the summer, supplying nectar and pollen for many visitors.

Some animals that visit the flowers include,

carpenter bees like this one,

honey bees, flies,

green june beetles, hummingbirds,

verdins, and lesser goldfinches.

The lesser goldfinches might be taking nectar, but they also peck around the buds, perhaps looking for insects.

Although many birds perch in the branches to preen,

or to wipe their beaks like this house finch is doing, no birds have ever nested in the willow. Perhaps the foliage is too sparse to provide a good cover for a nest.

A few insects use the leaves for food.

We think these eggs hatched into…

this large caterpillar, which will become a Manduca rustica moth..

Several kinds of birds like the seeds.

The trunk of the tree serves as a home for tiny ants that look for food (forage) around the flowers.

It is likely that the roots provide food for insects too, such as cicada grubs.

Of course, all the insects that feed on the willow may also serve as food for other animals. I suspect the verdins and the hummingbirds both feed on the small flies that are attracted to the flowers.

It seems like a whole community of animals depend on our desert willow for their livelihood.

How many animals do you think you will find on your tree?

If you try this project, we’d love to hear what you discover.

This citizen-science project involves gathering samples of ants from near homes or schoolyards throughout the United States.

To participate you simply need to visit the website School of Ants, sign up, and order an ant sampling kit (the kits are free). Everyone is welcome to give it a try.

The kit will contain three types of vials. The blue-capped vials (they come with cookie bait) are to sample in a yard or other green space. The red-capped vials are for sampling a sidewalk location. If you have any other ants or even other insects, that you would like identified, send them along in the orange-capped vial.

You will need to leave the baited vials on the ground for one hour, open to let the ants crawl in. Then you cap the samples and place the ones with ants in the freezer for at least an hour (I recommend overnight).

You will need to purchase an envelope and postage to mail the samples back, so there will be some cost to you.

The ants you send in will be identified and recorded on a map. It’s that simple!

I would love to hear from you if you decide to participate. Let me know what you find.

And if you’d like to find more citizen science projects, try the Citizen Science Network. There is a project finder feature that let’s you search by keyword and whether it is family-friendly.

Introduction to Dragonflies and Damselflies

What is a dragonfly and what is a damselfly?

Dragonflies are the large, showy insects that you see around ponds and other bodies of water. When they land on a plant or other object, they hold their wings straight out.

Damselflies, on the other hand, are usually a bit finer, more delicate looking. They rest with their wings folded behind their backs.

Look closely and you will see they often sport bright colors, such as red, green and bright blue. They can be just as colorful and fun to watch as birds or butterflies.

Dragonfly and Damselfly Life Cycles

The adult female dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs in the water, or on plants or debris in or near the water. The eggs hatch into nymphs (sometimes also called naiads) that feed on other organisms in the water. After a year or two, they crawl to the surface and the adult emerges. There is no transitional or pupal stage.

(You can see a video of the dragonfly life stages on YouTube, but be aware that an inappropriate ad popped up when I watched it. )

1. Dragonfly watching

Nothing beats strolling out to a pond, stream or lake and simply watching dragonflies and damselflies in action.

One of the first things you notice when you see dragonflies or damselflies is their strong ability to fly. They have four wings, and can move the fore and hind wings independently. Their wing movement may not be easy to see until you capture them on film.

In this BBC video clip from Life in the Undergrowth, you can see a dragonfly’s amazing flight slowed down.

Often dragonflies are searching for food when they are flying. They catch other flying insects, such as mosquitoes, while on the wing. In this video you can see dragonflies catching flying termites (although the video title identifies the prey as ants).

According to a recent newspaper article, Arizona dragonfly watching a growing hobby at the Arizona Republic, dragonfly watching is increasing in popularity. Several of our local nature areas are now offering dragonfly walks lead by experts. Check in your area for local events related to dragonflies, especially in the summer.

2. Dragonfly Swarms

I recently found a wonderful blog called The Dragonfly Woman. University of Arizona Entomology Ph.D. student Christine Goforth has started a citizen science project about dragonfly swarming (more about that in a minute), plus has loads of cool information about dragonflies and insects in general.

What is a dragonfly swarm? When a group of insects gather together in a large group, for whatever purpose, it is often called a swarm. In the case of dragonflies, the swarm may be a bunch of dragonflies feeding together at one location. This is called a static swarm. Dragonflies can also form large groups and move from place to place. This is called a migratory swarm.

Christine’s video of a dragonfly swarm:

Are you interested in a citizen science project? The Dragonfly Woman has been collecting reports of dragonfly swarms throughout the world. Check her blog for summaries from last year and to report a dragonfly swarm yourself.

You might like to see Dragonfly Woman’s posts about making a dragonfly collection using a scanner as well. I love the idea of being able to preserve the insect’s image and let the dragonfly go again.

Edit: I just found this lovely dragonfly craft, and knew I had to add it here.

Do dragonflies occur where you live? Have you ever seen a dragonfly swarm?

My related posts:

Review of Dragonflies of North America book for kids

Photographs of dragonflies and damselflies

Some great books about dragonflies: