Reptiles at Risk: On the Road is an outreach education project which will to spread important messages of reptile conservation in places where species at risk reptiles are actually found. We target specific locations and deliver exciting, hands-on programs featuring live animals. These programs have proven effective in increasing knowledge and positive attitudes about these creatures and their conservation.
This project is a partnership between Laurentian University, the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network, and Sciensational Sssnakes!!
Resources Galore!
Posted by Jeff Hathaway on February 3, 2010 at 10:08 AM
Part of our objective for the Reptiles at Risk on the Road Project is to educate Canadians about the reptiles and amphibians that are found right in their own backyards. Visiting schools, provincial and national parks, and fairs is a great way to achieve this. Unfortunately there is only so much time in a day, and so many days in a year. We can't possibly be everywhere all the time, so we have put resources into creating downloadable guides to help you out!
Visit www.scalesnaturepark.ca/resources.html to download our Quick Reference Guides to Ontario Turtles, Snakes, and a general conservation guide as well! These are all available in two formats. The first is an easy web viewing format, and for printing on regular 8x10 paper. The second is formatted to print as a booklet on 11x17 paper by printers with a "borderless" option.
These guides are meant to be used by anyone. If your organization is interested in printing any of our guides for distribution, we have included a space on the back page to add your logo or information. Send us an email if you would like your logo digitally inserted. If not, just download the file and start printing!
We have also developed curriculum materials for grades 1 through 8. Looking for a way to study organ systems? Algebra? Ecosystems? These materials adhere to the Ontario Science Curriculum, and are free to download at www.scalesnaturepark.ca/curriculum.html
The Reptiles At Risk on the Road Project has been working out of the office lately, developing some pamphlets and booklets about Ontario's snakes and turtles. The winter is a difficult time to travel far and wide with reptiles (since they are ectotherms). For our final batch of programs, we will be looking to our home base of Orillia! Many of the schools so close to us have never had a "snake show" or "reptile educational program" (personally I like the latter). We are going to try something new with our surveys as well. For those who haven't participated in our funded programs (i. e. free), surveys are completed so that we can evaluate how much children's knowledge about reptiles is increasing, and how their attitudes towards the group have changed. Generally we ask schools to complete one survey before our presentation, and one survey after. This time we're going to have TWO surveys before the program. This will help us determine if those increases in knowledge and changes in attitude are due to our program, or a piqued interest in reptiles after doing the initial survey. All of this information is invaluable in the development of the best possible educational programs. Thanks to all of the schools that have already helped us in our quest for knowledge...hopefully you enjoyed your free reptile program as well!
If you are associated with a school in the Orillia area and are interested in learning more about the program, or are keen to book a program, give us a call at 705-327-2353 (ask for Megan).
Migration is a great way to avoid winter temperatures. These great journeys are most notable in many birds, but also recieve attention in mammals including caribou and even people (Florida sure sounds nice at this time of year!). Unfortunately reptiles don't posses the wings or long legs (or airplanes) that often aid in those long distance travels. Our Ontario snakes, turtles, and lizard must make due with the temperatures that are available in the province over the winter. If we remember that reptiles are ectotherms (regulate their body temperature with their surroundings), it makes sense that those snakes, turtles, and lizard must do something to escape the air temperatures. The adaptation to freeze solid we learned about in the last posting are unique to Painted Turtle hatchlings, and Wood Frogs. So where do they go??
Hibernacula is a word describing one of these winter safe spots. Many animals use hibernacula, and the characteristics that make a "good" hibernacula will be different for different critters. For instance, bears can make due with a snow covered debris pile. But because reptiles don't make their own body heat, they can't just rely on the insulation of snow like the bears. They have to get their bodies below the frost line for the winter. I will go into more detail about turtle hibernacula next time, so today we will focus on terrestrial overwintering of snakes.
Snakes lack appendages (I'm sure you all knew that before!!), so digging to get below the frost line isn't a likely option. They have to make use of natural structures. Smaller snakes including the Redbelly Snake and Smooth Green Snake have been documented to spend the winter in abandoned ant mounts. Other species may crawl down crayfish burrows, and others might travel along corridors made in the ground by decayed root systems of large trees. Rocky areas also make great hibernacula, as the cracks and crevices in bedrock can extend down past the frost line. A good hibernacula could harbour many snakes of different species. However not all species overwinter with friends. Massasauga Rattlesnakes overwinter by themselves more often than with other snakes. I think one of the most famous snake overwintering spectacles occurs in Manitoba. Red-sided Garter Snakes (which cna also occur in the northwest portion of Ontario) overwinter in masses that exceed 10, 000!!! These overwintering masses are thought to help the snakes out in the spring during mating season. If they are all together, the males don't have to spend time looking for the females.
You can help out in reptile conservation locally by protecting areas that could be hibernacula for the local populations of snakes. You can also build your own hibernacula by digging large holes into the ground, filling them with rocky debris/rubble, and covering with a layer of earth. These can be fairly involved projects, so check with local regulations before you dig. Winter is such a hard time for our reptiles though, and they can use all the help they can get!
M.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Alberta
