Changing Planet: Disappearing Lizards
It turns out that snakes are the most feared of any animal on Earth. Reptiles have had a consistently bad rap for a long time - from the serpent in the Garden of Eden to the basilisk of Lord Voldemort. Reptiles are seen as sinister, scaly, deceitful and more than a bit threatening.
But did you know that rattlesnakes, some of the most feared snakes of North America, bear live young and some actually stay with their young after birth to teach them life habits? That sounds more maternal than threatening! Rattlesnakes (and many other reptiles) are responsible for controlling the population of rodents and insects whose populations would otherwise grow uncontrollably. Snakes and lizards serve as a food source for birds, other reptiles, mammals and even some insects, thus supporting the natural ecosystem that is home to many plants and animals. Climate change is affecting reptiles - which are a vital link in our ecosystems!
Find out more about how rising temperatures are affecting the world's lizard populations using our Changing Planet: Disappearing Lizards lesson plan. And use our newest PowerPoint presentation to review reptile basics (and clear up some possible misconceptions) in your classroom.
Enjoy these additional resources and remember, that it's not fair to judge a reptile by its "wrap" - scaly though it may be!
Click on the video above to watch the NBC Learn video - Changing Planet: Disappearing Lizards.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
is a fun group game appropriate for the classroom. Players follow nitrogen atoms through living and nonliving parts of the nitrogen cycle. For grades 5-9.
You might also be interested in:
Biomes are large regions of the world with similar plants, animals, and other living things that are adapted to the climate and other conditions. Explore the links below to learn more about some of the...more
The temperate forest biome is found in regions where there is large difference in temperature between winter and summer. Regions with this climate are generally found in the mid-latitudes, far from both...more
Deserts are full of interesting questions. How can anything survive in a place with hardly any water? Why is it so dry to begin with? You can find at least one desert on every continent except Europe....more
Many educators are now finding opportunities to teach about Earth's climate and climate change in their classrooms. Windows to the Universe provides an interlinked learning ecosystem to a wealth of resources...more
Altocumulus clouds (weather symbol - Ac), are made primarily of liquid water and have a thickness of 1 km. They are part of the Middle Cloud group (2000-7000m up). They are grayish-white with one part...more
Altostratus clouds (weather symbol - As) consist of water and some ice crystals. They belong to the Middle Cloud group (2000-7000m up). An altostratus cloud usually covers the whole sky and has a gray...more
Cirrocumulus clouds (weather symbol - Cc) are composed primarily of ice crystals and belong to the High Cloud group (5000-13000m). They are small rounded puffs that usually appear in long rows. Cirrocumulus...more