Today I had the pleasure of listening to the Philadelphia Zoo come over to our school and give us a firsthand look at reptiles. If you didn't know, reptiles are animals and have specific factors that differentiate them from the rest of the animal kingdom. All reptiles are cold blooded, shed skin, and have scales. There are various types of reptiles and we saw three types today. First we saw an alligator. Thankfully it wasn't alive or else I probably wouldn't be here :) The zoologist brought the skin of the alligator to show us. The scales were tough and bone-like at certain parts. Also it was quite heavy due to the size of an average alligator. Surprisingly, the alligator is a great parent and watches over its young carefully. Too bad we didn't get to see the alligator when it was alive... Next came turtles, one of my favorite types of animals. The zoologist brought an animal this time and it was a tortoise of course. The skin of the tortoise does not fall off all at once but in small little pieces. Also, the shell is attached to the turtles body and can be used as protection. Sadly, sea turtles aren't the most "protective" parents. They lay their eggs on the beach and rush away. So many turtles die this way, but thats how life works. Sadly, we humans are their worst enemies. With all our pollution of this planet, turtles are slowly dying out. We have to try helping our planet out. Lets move away from this sad topic and move on to snakes. These slithering creatures are magnificent animals. There shedding of skin is unique as all the skin falls away at once. Also all snakes aren't venomous. Many are constrictors. This mean they squeeze there prey. Think of it as a big hug, though you'll probably be in pain. Finally came lizards. These animals are like snakes but with legs and ears. Also some can drop their tail from the rest of their body to scare a predator. Cool huh? Anyways, thanks for reading my blog and come back soon to read more about my amazing adventures through the world of science!
