We Are Wild About Animals in the Classroom

1. We Are Wild About Animals in the Classroom 2012

2. We will be getting animals for 5 Habitats: Freshwater, Salt Water, Mealworm, Salamander, & Mediterranean Gecko • Materials will arrive for us to set up in preparation for the live animals on 8/24/2112. • Live animals will arrive on 9/6/2012.

3. Inventory List for Saltwater Habitat: • Large Marine Set: includes an urchin, a serpent star, 2 turbo snails, and a small hermit crab • Thermometer/Hydrometer: measures temperature and the level of salt in the aquarium • Saltwater Master Test Kit: measurespH, • Crushed Coral: provides bacteria necessary for a healthy environment * I will be providing a 10 gal tank, food, a water heater, filters, lights, large rocks to hide under, fish, and possibly other animals.

4. Saltwater Habitat Critters • Urchin • serpent star • 2 turbo snails • small hermit crab • My 2 fish may join later on. They are damsel fish.

5. Salt Water Info • Sea urchins & serpent starfish are echinoderms-meaning they have spiny skin. • Turbo snails are mollusk. • Hermit crabs are arthropods • All of these are invertebrates. • Fish, however, are vertebrates. • Everything in this tank will be cold blooded. Their bodies need to adjust to the temperature in the tank when they are introduced.

6. Salt water aquariums can be difficult to maintain. • Water temperature- • pH- 7.8-8.4 • Salinity- 1.023- 1.026 • Live sand or crushed coral contains living bacteria that is beneficial to a healthy environment. • Lighting should be provided for healthy aquariums.

7. “The Clean Up Crew” • Sea urchins have radula like teeth for eating algae, plant and animal matter, including kelp, decaying matter, algae, dead fish, sponges, mussels, and barnacles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFc6sZV_Nsg&feature=related • Serpent Starfish eat dead organisms. Watch one eat a small fish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2YfB3LD8-A • Turbo Snails eat algae and decaying matter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTSXYEe1bEQ&feature=related • Hermit crabs eat decaying matter such as shrimp, fish, etc. As they grow, they will change shells to accommodate their body.

8. Inventory List for Freshwater Habitat: -Fresh Water Oxygenating Plants: help establish a healthy environment • 3 Fresh Water Mystery Snails: help control algae * I will be providing a Betta Fish (Siamese Fighting Fish), possibly other fish, 1 plant, a small aquarium, food, and filters

9. Siamese Fighting Fish-Bettas • The wild ancestors of this fish are native to the rice paddies of Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. They can live in small areas and come up to the top of water to get air. In the wild they eat mosquito larvae. • Betta will fan out their fins when excited. If you place a mirror near them, they think it is another fish and will try to fight their own reflection. They were bred specifically for fighting, with winners determined by a willingness to continue fighting. Once one fish retreats, the match is over. Large amounts of money are wagered during these fights, with potential losses as great as a person's home. Video • Males build bubble nests near the surface of the water. After mating, females slowly release eggs. Males chase females away because they eat the eggs. Males catch the eggs with their mouth and blow them into their nest. He carefully keeps them in his bubble nest, making sure none fall to the bottom, repairing the bubble nest as needed.

10. Fresh Water Care: • Fresh water fish are vertebrates and cold blooded. Fish need to be fed fish flakes or pellets. • Snails are invertebrates, mollusk, and cold blooded. Snails eat algae & food waste. • Water should be room temperature 68-78⁰F. • All creatures should be floated to adjust their body temperature to the aquarium temperature. • If plants are used, a filter does not have to be used unless there are a lot of living organisms. • Fish & snails are sensitive to chlorine and other chemicals. When changing or adding water, use a conditioner. • Aquarium lighting is important for living plants to survive. Aquariums should not be placed in sunlight because it can change the temperature of the water.

11. I have a snail that is floating. Does that mean it’s dead? Probably not. The snail has collected a gas bubble under its shell. In time it will sink. • Snails are crawling on the water plants. Are they eating them? Perhaps. They are probably eating algae growing on the plants. However, if there is not enough other food for the snails, they may eat the plants. Also, if the plants are weakened and beginning to die, the snails may eat them. • A snail has retracted into its shell and hasn’t moved. Is it dead? Probably not. Snails often do this for a few hours or even for days. As long as the shell is tightly closed, it is alive. A snail that hangs limply out of its shell is dead and you should discard it.

12. Inventory List for Mealworm Habitat: -100 Mealworms: food for salamanders and the gecko • Bran Meal: mealworms live in this - Plastic Aquarium/Terrarium: container for mealworms * I will provide food such as carrots, lettuce, apples, etc.

13. Mealworm Info: • Mealworms are invertebrates & arthropods • Put 5 to 10 cm of bran meal, oatmeal, wheat germ, or whole-wheat flour in the bottom of a plastic pan. Add 25 to 50 beetles, larvae, or pupae and place a small slice of potato or apple or a banana peel on top of the meal for moisture. You can add a thin layer of paper towel for the beetles to crawl on. Mist the paper towel for added moisture.

14. Check the culture regularly for adults and pupae. Remove them and set up new cultures. The beetles have wings but seldom fly; still, it is a good idea to cover the culture container with a screen or perforated lid. As the name “darkling beetle” implies, these insects prefer the dark, so keep them in a cabinet or other darkened location. All stages of mealworms do well at normal room temperatures, but they will develop fastest at temperatures in the 25 to 30º C (77 to 86º F) range.

15. Inventory List for Mediterranean Gecko Habitat: • Mediterranean GeckoVideo • Repti Calcium: sprinkled on mealworms to provide calcium & vitamins • Gro Brick: ultra-compressed natural • coconut fibers for the soil like base • Vegetative Moss • I provide tank, plants, hiding area for gecko, heat lamp, food, food bowl, mister, & a water pool.

16. Mediterranean Gecko Info: • Geckos are reptiles, vertebrates, and cold blooded. • Mediterranean geckos live in the tropical and subtropical areas around the Mediterranean Sea and east into India. Their specialized toe pads allow them to climb walls and even walk across ceilings. They are not native to the US and should not be released. They can be found in the southern most points of the US as an invasive species. They were brought over from Mexico on cargo ships in crates. • They are agile climbers, so your habitat must have a tight fitting, ventilated lid. • Substrate can be paper, smooth pebbles, fine sand, peat moss, potting soil, or specialized reptile litters. There should be at least one hiding place for each gecko. Place branches and other decorative objects in the tank for climbing. Provide a shallow dish for water with some pebbles in the bottom to help avoid drowning of live food.

17. An incandescent light or under-tank heater gives temperature control. If using an incandescent hood, place branches such that the gecko can climb upward to the heat source to find its desired temperature. If using a lamp, position it toward one end of the tank for the same reason. If using an under-tank heater, place it under one half of the tank. Either place three thermometers in the tank or use one thermometer in different locations to check for temperature variations within the habitat. Try to establish a range of 24-30°C (75-86°F) so your gecko will have a warm basking area and an area to cool down. Nighttime temperatures can drop to 18-24ºC (65-75ºF).

18. Mediterranean geckos need high humidity (60-70%), which requires lightly misting the habitat 2-3 times per day or including live potted plants. You may find that the gecko drinks droplets of water deposited by the misting. If so, you can remove the shallow dish. • Your gecko will need live foods. The food offered should be small enough to fit into the animal’s mouth. Suitable foods include flightless Drosophila, crickets, mealworms, Superworms, and wax worms. Vary the amount fed until you find the schedule that suits your gecko. At least once a week dust the food with a calcium/vitamin supplement.

19. How large is a Mediterranean gecko? They reach an adult length of 5 to 13 cm (3 to 5”) • Can Mediterranean geckos be handled? Only if you are gentle and take time to accustom them to the presence of your hand in the habitat. They are very shy and can scare easily. Want to hear a gecko scream? • My gecko is losing its color. What is wrong? Geckos become dull just before shedding. Maintain humidity in the habitat to help this process along. • My gecko lost its tail. Is it going to die? Their tails may break off if they are mishandled or frightened. This injury often leads to the loss of the animal. If it survives, it will regenerate the tail, but it may be smaller or misshapen.

20. Inventory List for Salamander Habitat: - Plastic Aquarium/Terrarium: • 3 Salamanders: Land phase specimens * We will use the vegetative moss, gro brick, mister, etc. from the gecko habitat for the salamanders. We may even try to see if they can co-exist in the same habitat.

21. Salamander Info: • Salamanders are amphibians, vertebrates, cold blooded, and have smooth moist skin. Amphibians are usually born as eggs, grow in water using gills to breathe, and mature into land dwelling creatures. Their skin is very sensitive to the environment as they absorb pollution through the skin. Potting soils often contain fertilizers that can harm the salamanders. • Always wash hands before and after handling to avoid transferring any chemicals including hand sanitizer onto them. Salmonella is a bacteria that can live on amphibians. Washing hands after handling can keep you from becoming very sick.

22. Salamanders require high humidity and cool temperatures. Hot, dry conditions will cause salamanders to become much less active than normal. Mist the tank every other day, and maintain the temperature between 18-21°C (64-70°F). A small fluorescent bulb placed near the habitat will provide adequate light but not create excessive heat. • Environment: require easy access to water and land

23. Salamanders need live food. The food should be small enough to fit in the animal’s mouth. Larger food organisms, especially crickets, may harm the salamanders. • Feed flightless Drosophila, cricket nymphs, Enchytraeus (white worms), or soft-bodied insects of appropriate size. • Eating a variety of foods keeps the salamanders healthy. • Dust the insects with a mineral/vitamin suppliment just before feeding to your salamanders. • Adjust the amount of food offered and the frequency until you find what works. Overfeeding causes stress. • Remove dead and uneaten food after the salamanders have finished eating. Keep the water fresh at all times.

24. Walking Sticks & Millipedes • Walking Sticks & Millipedes are arthropods-jointed legs. They do not bite or sting and can live in the gecko habitat as long as the gecko can play nicely & not try to eat them. • Stick insects can be handled and can be quite tame, but they are fragile and must be handled with the utmost of care. Gently remove them so that they do not loose legs. • They eat blackberry, raspberry, privet, hawthorn, oak, rose, and ivy. Fresh cut branches of these plants can be placed in water in the cage and changed once they dry out (or are consumed). The water container must be closed off or sealed so that the insects do not fall into the water and drown.

25. Millipedes can live with the Gecko & eat carrots, leaves, potatoes, or apple. They can be give fish food flakes from time to time for protein. Their defense mechanism is to curl up. They may secrete a liquid that some people find irritating to the skin. • Millipedes do not actually have a million feet, but typically have 80 to 400.

26. Their lifespan is very short, usually dying with a few days of entering a home or a building unless there is a source of moisture and food. • If a millipede has everything it needs, it can live anywhere from 5-10 years!

27. Rules for All of the Animals • Always wash your hands before and after handling any of the animals. • Your hands have oils and chemicals that can be transferred to the water or animals. • Salmonella is a bacteria that can live on invertebrates, amphibians & reptiles. Washing hands after handling can keep you from becoming very sick. • Always ask for permission to handle the animals. • If something is wrong with an animal or it is acting funny, you should report it immediately. • If someone is mishandling animals or doing something they are not suppose to, you should immediately report it. • Never tap on the animal’s habitat.

28. If you want to tap on the glass, please tap on the butterfly’s habitat instead. It doesn’t mind, but the living organisms do.