Lizards Adventurer Award
1. What is a Herper and how can you become a Herper?
2. Learn about lizards in your area.
3. Learn how to care for a lizard.
4. Catch a lizard or see them in a pet store, on a video, at a nature center, zoo or books. Invite herpetologist or knowledgeable guest to talk to Adventurers.
5. Paint a lizard on a rock.
6. Read Leviticus 11:29-30.
Purpose:
Learn to appreciate and care for wildlife.
Curriculum Connection:
Builders must earn a nature award for My World III
Resources:
Reptiles & Amphibians for Dummies. Patricia Bartlett. Coauthor of Lizard Care from A to Z.
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Reptiles and Amphibians Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston New York. 2003.
Painting on Rocks for Kids. Lin Wellford, North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio www.artistsnetwork.com
Websites:
Search for (name of your state or province, Lizards) Example: “New York Lizards” Library or Nature Center
Helps
1. Reptiles (lizards, snakes and turtles) and Amphibians (salamanders, toads and frogs) are called herps, which means crawling things. If you really like herps, and watch and learn about them you are a herper. If you go to college and study herps you can become a herpetologist and teach, or work in a museum or a zoo.
2. If you do not have lizards in your area you may study salamanders. If neither is available go to pet stores, museums, use books, videos, etc.
3. Before you catch a lizard, you must prepare for this special guest.
a. If keeping the lizard for a short time, use a plastic see-through jar with air holes.
b. If you keep the lizard for more than a few hours you must (1) know what type of lizard it is and how to care for it. (2) provide a larger container, water and food. (3) place newspaper or sand in the bottom of the container to keep it dry.
4. Observe the lizard in its habitat or other locations as mentioned in Helps #2. Try catching a lizard by hand or by using a noose (noose described in Peterson Field Guide).
5. Paint a lizard on a rock.
See resources: Painting on Rocks for Kids
Draw, stencil, or stamp the outline of a lizard on the rock, using pencils or acrylic paint. For details, use paint brush, Que tips or toothpicks. If you want to put the rock lizard in your yard, apply clear spray for acrylic paint to preserve the art work.