Desert Museum Herp Hunter's Exhibit Guide

HERP HUNTER’S EXHIBIT GUIDE

Learn about the am- GETTING STARTED Tadpoles and froglets have a high mor- phibians and reptiles As you tour the Desert Museum with tality rate and are preyed upon by garter on exhibit as you tour your students, ask them the following snakes, bullfrogs, and the larva of preda- the Museum grounds. questions at the corresponding exhibit. cious diving beetles, dragonflies, and gi- (See your self-guided visit tour map for ant waterbugs. exhibit locations.) Encourage students How are the life cycles of the spadefoot to read signs, make careful observa- toad and leopard frog similar and dif- OBJECTIVES tions, and discuss their answers. ferent? Students will: QUESTIONS During mating, the male fertilizes the  Answer the ques- eggs as the female lays them. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, which undergo meta- tions in their Herp LIZARD ENCLOSURE Hunters guide. morphosis before developing into adults. Locate and identify any lizards you It takes several months for the leopard  Learn about the frog to go from egg to adult, where as it reptiles and am- can find. takes the spadefoots less than two weeks. phibians of the Answers will vary Spadefoot toads are adapted to life in and Sonoran Desert. Describe what they are doing. How around temporary pools, as thus, they is this affecting their body tempera- must mature quicker before the pools dry. SUPPLIES NEEDED ture? Leopard frogs are found in permanent waters. One copy of the Herp Answers will vary depending upon the Hunter’s Guide temperature. Lizards basking in the Which snakes give birth to live young? sun are warming their bodies; those in (student version) per Rattlesnakes student the shade are cooling down. Which snakes may eat other snakes? If you can’t find any lizards, explain why. Kingsnakes eat other snakes including small rattlesnakes. It’s either too hot or too cold, and lizards are in rock crevices, shelters, or EARTH SCIENCES burrows. The first vertebrate animal found on REPTILE, AMPHIBIAN AND land was an amphibian. Find the oldest INVERTEBRATE BUILDING fossil of an amphibian in this exhibit. Study the amphibian reproduction The oldest amphibian fossil is that of an diorama. How is the respiratory sys- ancient salamander. The first amphibians tem of a tadpole different from that appeared about 400 million years ago. of a frog? Name some predators of Find the fossilized skeleton of the tadpoles or froglets. mesosaurus. When was this meso- Tadpoles have gills and obtain oxygen saurus alive? How did this fossil help from the water, where as frogs have scientists prove that South America lungs and breathe air. and Africa were once attached?

HERP HUNTER’S EXHIBIT GUIDE

The mesosaurus lived about 270 mil- loosely interlock. When vibrated, their lion years ago. Fossils of this creature clashing creates sound. were found in South America and Afri- ca. Since this creature couldn’t swim LIFE ON THE ROCKS across the ocean, scientists use this How long does it take for leopard and other evidence to deduce that both frogs to mature? What other am- continents were attached during this phibian preys on their eggs? time. 1year; Non-native bullfrogs DESERT GRASSLANDS Describe Gila monster skin. Find and name Arizona’s only en- Each of the Gila monsters bumpy dangered snake. Why is it endan- scales contains an osteoderm or small gered? boney plate. This is a feature common Desert-grassland massasauga. The de- among dinosaurs. struction and degradation of grass- Which snake in this exhibit is consid- lands due to agricultural expansion ered the best climber? (which has eliminated some popula- The Coachwhip snake. It is equally at tions and threatens others), overgraz- home on the ground or in a high tree. ing, and other development activities, are the primary threats to these snakes. DESERT TORTOISE Mortality on roads and illegal collec- What are some threats to the desert tion are other contributing factors. tortoise? What is unique about the nose and Threats include off road vehicles, road defense strategies of the Mexican construction, housing and mining de- hognose snake? velopments, livestock grazing, collect- At the tip of its nose, it has one special- ing for pets, raven predation on young ly adapted scale, shaped like a trowel hatchlings, malnutrition, respiratory with which it digs food (mainly toads diseases possibly introduced by people and lizards) out of loose soil. When releasing captives, and habitat de- threatened by predators, this snake can struction. flatten its head and neck while hissing and striking with either its head or tail. LIFE UNDERGROUND If that doesn’t work, it will flop on its Which reptile has elliptical pupils? back and shake violently, sometimes Why are they useful? covering itself with dirt, vomit, excre- The western banded gecko. They help ment, musk, or blood, then lies limp. increase night vision. Move the model of a rattlesnake’s Which snake feeds on bats? rattle. Describe how it works. Sonoran Lyre snake The rattle is made up of keratin (like your fingernails) and the segments