"SLITHER "
This program is intended to give a better understanding of the role snakes
play in the natural environment.
All of our programs are
tailored for the education level and age group of the audience.
The snake program can be a simple "show and tell" program with live snakes of
various sizes, a real skeleton, pass around snake sheds, and lots of
answers for inquisitive youngsters to a much more detailed scientific
"lecture" for older students. Please see the sample program outline
below.
We always bring plenty of visual aids - snakes
large and small - as well as other items for the students to touch and
feel.
A truly interactive experience!
1. Introduction: Tiny to Giants, 3000 species
2. Evolution
a. Paleozoic era - emergence from the sea
b. Mesozioc era - the dinosaurs
c. Cretaceous era - the emergence of snakes
3. Natural Habitats
a. Thermoregulation
b. Tropical vs. Temperate
c. Deserts
d. Tropical Rainforests
e. Subterraneous
f. Arboreal
g. Aquatic vs. Terrestrial
h. North American native species
4. Cold-blooded
a. Basic anatomy (vertebrate vs, invertebrate)
b. Size and Shape
c. Scales and Shedding
d. Locomotion
e. Skulls and Teeth
f. Sense Organs
5. Food and Hunting
a. Insectivores
b. Carnivores
i. Constrictors
ii. Venomous
iii. Hunt vs. Ambush
c. Specialized Feeders
d. Snakes as Prey
i. Active Defenses
ii. Passive Defenses
6. Reproduction
a. Egg Layers
b. Livebearers
c. Courtship rituals
d. Parental Care
e. Genetic variations
7. Conservation
a. Myths and Phobias
b. Habitat Destruction
c. Overharvesting
d. The Future ??
QUESTION and ANSWER PERIOD - provides for an opportunity for controlled contact
