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SCIENCE ALIVE! - Boop the Sssnoot

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Discussion of our "Venom Snake" kit and the differences between various species of snakes.

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Welcome back to SCIENCE ALIVE! Today's session is "Boop the Sssnoot" We're going to be talking about our "Venomous Snake" kit and the identifying key differences between a ball python snake and the corn snake My name is Mercedes and this is Charlotte with me Hi. And I'm going to let her go ahead and go over the contents of our snake kit We have "Snakes of Texas" and in it there's a binder and the binder has several pictures and of various snakes venomous and non-venomous and information on some of the snakes of South Texas a lot of interesting information that is used when you use for comparing snakes and answers a lot of questions as far as how to tell if they're venomous or non-venomous which is really difficult unless you have one up close and how they camouflage so this is a good binder to have the other thing we have is a poster for the venomous snakes of Texas and it lists all of them these snakes are also some snakes some of these snakes are found in other areas but these are common commonly found in Texas South Texas and on the reverse side, it’s got some cool facts about the individual snakes, their habitats, their behavior pretty good information and we also have quick references on "Snakes of Texas". It's a fold out. We have one for "Snakes of Central Texas" and "Snakes of South Texas". They pretty much have the same species, but there might be a little bit of others that are thrown in because of the different localities This also has some great information and it has beautiful pictures they also have their behavior, their diet, where they live It's double-sided. On this reverse side, it has some of the venomous snakes that are native to Texas and we also have a venomous snake PowerPoint which comes in this little DVD It shows different types of venomous snakes it comes with a DVD on how to properly handle a snake so if you have a snake or you check one out from us, if you watch the DVD, you know not to rush in and grab it, cause they'll get scared and they'll think they're being attacked so that may cause them strike but they're not normally these snakes that we have do not normally strike. They are used to being handled. But, you have to keep in mind that they did just have a very stressful travel in the van, so since you have them for two weeks, I'd advise that you leave them alone for maybe two to three days so they get acclimated to their new centers and they recognize that say, "This might be a heavy trafficked area, so I have to get used to that for a while." And noise levels Yeah, they can pick up on noise levels, too. So, being loud and screaming and screeching your desks across the floor is not a good idea when you have a snake in your classroom. We have some live snakes with us that we were seeing earlier before we started. I have a corn snake right here. And on Charlotte's side she has a ball python So, when you order a snake, they come in these grey tubs. They have plexiglass over them with ventilation holes so they can breathe, obviously They come with a coco husk bedding and a water dish that we only fill just enough so they can get through their travels. You can fill it up as soon as they get into your classroom They do come with heavy duty clips that go on the sides right here This thing is not going to get out through these heavy clips. And it also come with a combination lock. The combination is written on the combination itself on the sides and on the bottom if you were willing open it and handle it yourself. They also come with some info sheets corresponding with the species that you have This is a ball python one This is the ball python One of our smaller ones. We do have a lot of bigger ones, but they're all out right now at in classrooms. And it also comes with a how to properly handle a snake and all as well and what to do if the snake happens to bite you. And these sheets are on the side of the cage, so they'll always be there and in the front pocket, we'll give you the name of the snake and the species that it is Yes, So I'm going to go ahead and take out this corn snake So, corn snake are also known as red rat snakes just because they are a lot similar to a regular rat snake they're just orangish reddish however you want to describe them. They get their name corn snake from the underside of the belly It resembles Indian corn They are native to Southeast of the United States in the Woodland shrubland areas and they have a long slender muscular body Mercedes, why does he stick out his tongue? So, they use that in conjunction with the olfactory senses, that's how we smell, the Jacobson's organ, in order to detect scent molecules in the air. Very calm right now we're not making any sudden movements. You notice, I'm paying close attention to the snake itself and not the camera, because I'm watching its behavior. I don't want to do anything that startles the snake and have it react to my reaction. So they can grow up to five to six feet in length. They're mostly nocturnal They can be most active before dusk or after dawn. We have to tell you that before handling these snakes you need to make sure you wash your hands. Yes, before and after if you have gloves it is best to wear gloves. Yes, all reptiles and amphibians can carry salmonella, so it's best that you handle them with gloves, if you don't have gloves, wash your hands before and after and use hand sanitizer And, also if you wash your hands before, because whatever you touch before has a smell and they might take it as food So that would be a reason for them to strike and we do not want that to happen. So always wash your hands before AND after. And so, since they are mostly nocturnal, sometimes they can be diurnal, which means they are active during the day like us humans. They have round pupils. I don't know if you can get a close-up of that. And when threatened, they can rapid vibrate their tail. And sometimes when that happens against the leaf litter, it kind of sounds like they’re mimicking a rattle of a rattlesnake So, I've had a couple of the kingsnakes do that to me in the cage when I open them. They just look at me and their tails are just a going! Yes, the kingsnakes always do that. How big do they grow? It really depends on their species. So, like this one, this snake can grow to be 5 to 6 feet in length. And let's say a male ball python can only grow 3 to 4 maybe 5 feet in length. You want to take him out? Of course. This one is the ball python and it's native to South Africa in a lowland forest. Ball Pythons were introduced to the United States for the pet industry and make great pets and the reason why they call them ball pythons is because they like to curl up in a ball and sit on the, don't they sit in trees? Sometimes they do, they're mostly terrestrial. If you have a pet ball python and you have an enclosure setup for them at home, and you happen to put stuff that has a more vertical height to it, they will climb it, but they don't normally do that out in the wild. But they do ball up and kind of hide so they can't be found. Yes. When are they most active? So, it really just depends on the species again. Ball pythons are normally completely nocturnal they have vertical eye slits for that reason and mostly because it's really really hot in Africa so, their choice to come out is at night when it's cooled down. Now, offspring wise, in a single clutch or sometimes, they can, corn snakes can lay from 3 to 40 eggs in a single clutch. And ball pythons, their clutches can vary from 3 to 14 eggs at a time. Fun Fact: Not all non-venomous snakes lay eggs and not all venomous snakes give live birth. So, when Boa Constructors, they bear live offspring. And cobras, some species of cobras lay eggs. Oh wow, I never knew that. Yes. Fun Fact. So, what do I do if I encounter a snake? Your best bet is to either just turn the opposite direction and walk away That's exactly what I would do. But if it's really bothering you or if you have some outside pets you're worried about, either animal harming each other, you can always contact the Bexar County Snake Removal service. Their number is 210-574-9242 210-574-9242 As of right now I looked up their information online and they are available 24/7 I don't know about the COVID situation, but that is what they have on their website right now Oh, you do not need to feed them while they are in your care. We did that beforehand. All you would normally need to do is clean out their, yes, their poo and give them fresh water everyday. They come with heating pads on the side right here. This heat pad will suffice for their needs You don't need to put a heat lamp on top of it. If you do the plexi-glass will warp from the heat. And the heat pads are only needed if you feel when it's really, really cold. Yes, if it gets really cold in your classroom, you can plug it in. Otherwise, they are completely fine. This is going to conclude our 15-minute SCIENCE ALIVE! session. Again, I'm Mercedes this is Charlotte. Hi. You can contact us at livingscience@esc20.net at livingscience@esc20.net or 210-370-5688 And we'd be happy to answer any questions that you have for us. Thanks for joining us. Bye.

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