Month: May 2020

Ophidiophobia,
or fear of snakes, is the most common fear in the United States! More than half
of the population’s largest fear are our legless friends, followed by public
speaking and heights. What about slithering snakes makes us so uncomfortable?
The cliché is true, snakes are more scared of us than we are of them. Herpetologists,
scientists that study snakes, reptiles, and amphibians, have a special passion
for these amazing creatures.

Snakes are
closely related to lizards, having evolved past the need for legs more than 150
million years ago. Our legless friends can be found across the planet excluding
Antarctica, Iceland, Ireland, Greenland, and New Zealand. Nearly all snakes
swallow their prey whole, opening their jaws wide to swallow food larger than
their heads. Snakes can swallow animals up to 3 times as large as their head is
wide! Due to snakes ingesting such large portions at a time, adult snakes only
eat every two weeks. Talk about eating until you’re stuffed!

Using
forked tongues, snakes smell their surroundings to find food or avoid dangers.
Pit holes are openings in the front of snakes’ heads which assist them in
detecting heat from warm-blooded prey while their jaw bones sense vibrations of
scurrying animals. Snakes are miraculous predators!  Venomous snakes use their poison to paralyze
their food, while nonvenomous snakes, like the python, constrict or choke their
prey.

Snakes
range from 4 inches to 30 feet long! Snakes are covered in scales which help
them trap moisture in dry climates and reduce friction as they glide across the
ground. These scales are composed of keratin, the same substance that human
fingernails and hair are made of. Humans regularly lose their dead skin cells,
but snakes shed their entire skin at once. Molting is the process in which
snakes peel off their outer layers of skin to remove parasites and make room
for growth. Finding a snakeskin in your yard or garden is evidence of a reptile
neighbor!

There are
more than 3,600 known snake species, and only 600 of them are venomous. The
United States is home to 4 venous snakes including copperheads, cottonmouths or
water moccasins, rattlesnakes, and coral snakes. These snakes are responsible
for fewer than 10 deaths annually! Snakes seldom approach and attack humans,
most snake bites occur when someone accidentally steps on a snake. Most
snakebites are no more than a few pinpricks of blood and topical irritation;
snakes cannot carry rabies or other diseases. The likelihood of being seriously
injured by a slithering snake is rare, fortunately!

Rattlesnakes,
one of the United State’s venomous reptiles, are the newest and most evolved
snakes in the world. The rattlesnake obtained their name from their highly
advanced warning signal, a rattling tale warding off predators before a
venomous strike. Within the snake’s tail are pieces of keratin collected with
each skin shed, these pieces knocking together to create their infamous buzzing
sound. This species of pit viper is most often found in the deserts of the
American Southwest, feeding on small rodents or lizards. Rattlesnakes are some
of the most known and easily recognizable snake species!

Join our HTHT @ Home Science Experiment and make your own snake rattle: https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/EOTD_Snake_Rattle_Lesson.pdf

When
picturing a desert landscape, one plant stands apart from the barren desert
horizon: the cactus.  Most people hear
the word cactus, they think of a resilient, thorny plant in a lifeless habitat.
There are more than 2,000 species of cactus that vary in shape, color, size,
and type of habitat! While cacti are native to the dry regions of America, from
the most southern tip of South America to Canada, the hardy cactus can be found
throughout the world today.

How is it
possible for a plant to thrive in a climate that receives little to no water?
Cactus plants have the capability to store large amounts of water to survive
their habitat, conserving water in its roots, leaves and stems.  Cactus plants also have a thick, fatty, waxy
outer layer preventing water loss in the high heat. Humans can only survive 3-4
days without water while the average species of cactus can survive two entire
years without a drop of water!

The defining
feature of cacti are their cluster of spines. Cactus spines are a modification
of leaves that contain no living cells, allowing the cactus to conserve
additional water. The spines create shade for the cactus while also acting as a
defense mechanism. Sharp spines ward off most potential predators, but wild
pigs, desert tortoises, and bighorn sheep still make room for cacti in their
diets! Cactus spines also help to collect water during the occasional desert
rainstorm, trapping fog and dew in their specialized grooves.

Cactus can
also be of a healthy option for humans to munch on! Cacti are full of vitamins
and nutrients and are a food staple in Latin America. Cactus leaf has been
found to lower cholesterol, decrease blood sugar levels and fight diabetes,
improve digestion, and reduce inflammation. Cactus leaves are high in phenolics
and flavonoids, these compounds are high in antioxidants that fight cellular
damage from cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Cacti are a super food!

Cacti are
a resilient, hardy plant who overcome the most extreme environment on our
planet but are unfortunately succumbing to one adversary: human beings. Almost
one third of the 2,000 cactus species are threatened with extinction, making
cacti more endangered than pandas. Illegal trade and land conversion are
threatening the livelihood of this marvelous plant who has adapted against the
odds. More than 86% of threatened cacti being used in gardening come from wild
populations, and rare species such as the Ariocarpus are being sold for
as much as $1,000 per plant. While wanting to grow a cactus from home may seem
like a harmless passion, the continued survival of cactus depends on
protection. Cacti are listed as the fifth most threatened species on the IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species.

Many
animals depend on cactus for nourishment including coyotes, lizards, bats, and
hummingbirds. Rural indigenous cultures have used cactus as a food and
medication source for thousands of years, highlighting the importance of
conserving cactus for future generations. Continue to appreciate the wonder of
the cactus where they are found in nature and remain vigilant in protecting
biodiversity to ensure cacti are protected!

Join our HTHT @ Home Science Experiment and learn more about cactus survival: https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/EOTD_Cactus_Survival_Lesson.pdf

For most
people, a vacation looks like playing in the sand on a sunny beach.  While you may be annoyed as you clean sand
out of every crevasse for weeks after your beach trip, take the opportunity to
recognize the 4.5-billion-year history of sand!

Sand can
be found all over, from the beach to backyard creeks, but what is it? As water
and wind interact with rock, sand is the tiny, eroded particles from years of
this process, but sand can also be composed of seashells, coral, and minerals. Sand
is just tiny pieces of what used to be huge rocks!

The
appearance of sand can vary by the materials the sand is composed of. The most
common component in sand is silicon dioxide, or quartz, which makes sand a tan color.
Basalt is an igneous rock formed by quickly cooling lava, and is common in the
Hawaiian Islands, Iceland, and other islands formed by volcanic activity.
Basalt is black in color and is responsible for the black beaches found in these
areas! There are even places with red sand, and this color can be attributed to
high amounts of iron.

If you
were to take a microscope to sand, you would be able to see the tiny fragments
that together form a sandcastle. As huge rocks have been broken down throughout
time, these tiny particles are continuously eroded. On the same beach you may
find angular, jagged sand grains as well as smooth, rounded grains, this can
help determine the age of the sand. The softer the edges of sand, the longer it
has been eroding!

Join our HTHT @ Home Science Experiment and make your own seashell imprint: https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/EOTD_Sand_Seashells_Lesson.pdf

Sea urchins are often called the porcupines of the sea due to
their prickly appearance. These spikey creatures can be found in all oceans,
warm to cold, around the world in rock pools, mud, coral reefs, or sea grass
beds. Like many invertebrates, sea urchins depend on a tough outer shell to
keep them safe, and in their case, they have large spines as an extra
protection measure. A sea urchin’s shell, called the test, is the organism’s
defining feature.

A sea urchin’s shell is its greatest defense mechanism, warding
off predators with ambulatory spikes. If a sea urchin feels a touch on its
shell, their spines will point towards the source in defense. There are a few
species of urchins known to release venom into the wounds that their spines
create, paralyzing their victims. Snorkelers and divers are often injured when
accidentally stepping on an urchin in shallow water.

Sea urchins are members of the phylum Echinodermata family which
includes sea stars, sea lilies, sea cucumbers and sand dollars. This family can
be identified by their hard outer body and radial symmetry once they reach
adulthood. Radial symmetry means that these creatures have body parts that
branch out from a central point, like the five arms of a starfish, a 5-sided
example of radial symmetry.

These barbed creatures are vital for the environments they live
in. While sea urchins are not currently endangered and can be found throughout
the oceans of the world, their populations have been significantly impacted by
pollution and the warming of our oceans. As the number of sea urchins dwindle
due to human influence, the sea creatures that rely on them as a food source
will be impacted as well. Protecting our oceans and wildlife must be a priority
as we grow to understand the role our choices have on our planet.

Join our HTHT @ Home Science Experiment and make your own sea urchin: tps://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/EOTD_Sea_Urchin_Symmetry_Lesson.pdf

What is echolocation? Echolocation uses sound waves and
echoes to determine the placement of objects, making it possible to maneuver
and find food in complete darkness! For nocturnal animals or animals with
subpar sight, echolocation is a radar to help them navigate through the world.
Bats, dolphins, toothed whales, and a few types of birds have adapted to
utilize sound to guide themselves through the world.

Most popular of the echolocating animals are bats! Bats are nocturnal,
meaning that they are only active during night, so its necessary for bats to
navigate in darkness. Bats produce a series of clicking sounds from their mouth
or nose and this soundwave travels until it hits another object. Once the sound
wave hits an object, like a yummy moth or mosquito, and echo bounces and
returns to the bat’s capable ears. The bats have such an amazing sense of sound
that they can determine where the object is, how large it is, and the objects
shape!

Dolphins are another animal that use echolocation to get around.
Have you ever used goggles to see underwater? While you may be able to see a
few yards away in a crystal-clear pool, ocean water is much murkier. Dolphins
also have a hard time seeing in ocean water! Like bats in the dead of night,
dolphins have adapted to use echolocation. 
Sound waves produced by dolphins travel through water just as they
travel through the air, and returning echoes are picked up by the lower jaw and
foreheads. Dolphins have fatty tissue in their head and jaw that help to carry
sound to their ears and brain.

Echolocation is so effective that humans have taught themselves how to echolocate! Much like a bat or dolphin, a person creates clicking noses with their tongue and await the soundwave’s return. The process of teaching a human to echolocate can be lengthy, but a large payoff for persons suffering from blindness! Try and echolocate around your room today!

Join our HTHT @ Home Science Experiment and test your skills in echolocation: https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/EOTD_Echolocation_Lesson.pdf

Did you know that collagen makes up 75 percent of skin’s
support structure?

You probably think about collagen in your skin because the
word comes up whenever anyone is talking about skin aging. It’s true that this
protein plays a role in the perceived youthfulness of your skin, but there’s so
much more to it. Collagen is a protein and is one of the main building blocks
of our skin. It’s also found in our bones, tendons, and ligaments,”

Your diet plays a
surprisingly large role in the appearance and youthfulness of your skin, Eating
collagen-rich foods or foods that boost collagen production may also help
create the building blocks (amino acids) you need for your skin goals. “There
are three amino acids important for collagen synthesis:

• Proline
• Lysine
• Glycine

Collagen is present in skin, muscle, bone, and connective tissues
and plays a key role in joint health and maintaining supple skin and
elasticity, but as we age, our body produces less collagen.

The speed of that aging process is different for everyone. How
quickly we lose collagen varies with several factors including the environment
and genetics.

So to make sure you’re giving your body the ingredients it needs
to keep your hair, skin, and nails healthy and glowing, here are some great food
choices for your dinner plate:

• bone broth
• eggs
• spirulina
• lean meat
• fish

Join our HTHT @ Home Science Experiment and make your own gummy candies: https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/gummy2.pdf