Southern hognose snake

We just learned about the type of snake the Green Vine Snake.

Another type of snake is the Southern Hog-Nosed Snake.

This type of snake lives in the southeastern US.
They eat mostly toads and are not dangerous to humans.

These snakes won't bite people, but when they are scared they will try to pretend like they are dangerous, puffing up their body, hissing, and even pretending to strike.
If that doesn't work they will play dead like a possum!
They roll over onto their back and hang their tongue out of their mouth.
Sometimes even if they are picked up, and rolled over, they'll roll their head back, trying to prove that they really are dead.



(from: wikipedia - southern hognose snake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Siberian Husky

Green Vine Snake

We just learned about the striped house snake.

Another type of snake is called the green vine snake, or the Ahaetulla nasuta.

It is a skinny green tree snake that lives in Asia.

This snake has venom but it's bite will only make your skin swell up for a few days, like a bee sting.
It mostly just eats frogs and lizards.


(from: wikipedia - ahaetulla nasuta)

When it gets scared it puffs up it's body and you can see a black and white skin underneath it's scales.

(from: wikipedia - ahaetulla nasuta)

There was a legend long ago that if one of these snakes looked at you, it's eyes would make you blind.


(from: wikipedia - ahaetulla nasuta)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Basset Hound

Striped House Snake

We just learned about the type of snake the Massasauga.

Another type of snake is the striped house snake, also known as boaedon lineatus.

This snake is found in Africa, and is found inside or near houses a lot where it eats up mice and rats that carry diseases and destroy food.
These snakes are not poisonous, so they are not harmful to humans and can be very helpful.
Lots of people keep these snakes as pets.

The word lineatus in the snakes name comes from the white line that goes down the snakes body.
They come in different colors too, black, red-brown or green.


(from: wikipedia - boaedon lineatus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Australian Cattle Dog

Massasauga

We just learned about the Schnauzer and a whole lot of other types of dogs!

Now let's learn about snakes!
They can be scary and look slimy, but snakes are very important in nature, just like spiders, sharks, alligators and other scary animals.
Snakes help by eating things like mice and rats that carry diseases and eat crops.
They are also food for other larger animals like hawks and eagles!

One type of snake is the Massasauga, which is a venomous rattle snake.

These snakes can grow to be about 2 feet long, and they are grey with dark brown or black spots on their body.

They are venomous, which means their teeth let out venom to kill their prey when they bite.
Even though the venom can hurt humans, it won't kill them as long as they go to the doctor after getting bitten.

These snakes are shy and try to stay away from humans.
They would only bite a human if they were stepped on or if someone tried to pick them up.

Mostly these snakes eat mice, rats, lizards, frogs, centipedes and even smaller snakes.
Since they do not have arms to hold their prey or big teeth to chew it up, they have to bite something like a lizard, wait for it to stop moving, and then swallow it whole!


(from: wikipedia - massasauga)

The rattle on the snake's tail is made up of a bunch of little hollow hard pieces of keratin that are hooked together. When the rattle snake is feeling threatened it will shake it's tail to make a rattling sound to warn people to stay away.
Every time that the rattle snake sheds it's skin, it grows another piece for it's rattle.


(from: wikipedia - rattlesnake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Sheet Webs

Schnauzer

We just learned about the type of dog the Pekingese.

Another type of dog is the Schnauzer.

This type of dog came from Germany, and comes from the word for snout, or mustache.
The schnauzer comes in three sizes, giant, standard and miniature.
They grow long hair that is sometimes shaved to make them look like they have a mustache.

They were originally used to kill rats that carried diseases, and they have also been used as guard dogs, police dogs and message carriers.


(from: wikipedia - schnauzer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Tubular Webs

Pekingese

We just learned about the type of dog the Fox Terrier.

Another type of dog is the Pekingese, also sometimes called the Lion Dog.

This dog is from China, and is part of an old legend about a lion that fell in love with a butterfly, or a lion and a monkey.


(from: wikipedia - pekingese)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Funnel Webs

Fox Terrier

We just learned about the type of dog the Boston Terrier.

Another type of dog is the Fox Terrier.
There are two types of Fox Terrier, the Wire Fox Terrier and the Smooth Fox Terrier.

The Fox Terriers were used long ago for hunting foxes. They were very good at chasing the fox and making them run out of their fox den so the hunters could chase them.


(from: wikipedia - wire fox terrier)



(from: wikipedia - smooth fox terrier)

There is a famous dog show called the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and the Wire Fox Terrier has won the top prize more than any other type of dog, with 14 wins.
The smooth fox terrier has won 4 times.

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Cobwebs

Boston Terrier

We just learned about the Jack Russel Terrier.

Another type of dog is the Boston Terrier.

It has a black and white coat, and because it looks like it is wearing a suit it has the nickname of the American Gentleman.

Long ago people raised these dogs to fight other dogs for fun, or to hunt rats, but now they just keep them as pets.

(from: wikipedia - boston terrier)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Spiral Orb Webs

Jack Russell Terrier

We just learned about the type of dog the Yorkshire Terrier.

Another type of dog is called the Jack Russell Terrier.

These dogs are small and energetic, and were used to hunt foxes.
They were small enough to chase a fox into it's hole, energetic enough to keep up with a fox, and also obeyed well and just chased the fox instead of biting it.


(from: wikipedia - jack russell terrier)

There is a famous painting of a Jack Russell Terrier looking into a phonograph, that has been used by some companies as their picture.


(from: wikipedia - jack russell terrier)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Exoskeleton

Yorkshire Terrier

We just learned about the type of dog the Keeshond.

Another type of dog is the Yorkshire Terrier, sometimes called a Yorkie.

Yorkies are small dogs, about 7 pounds, and they were used long ago to catch rats in cotton and woolen mills.


(from: wikipedia - yorkshire terrier)

During World War II there was a famous Yorkie named Smoky that a soldier found and adopted. The dog traveled with him in his backpack on airplanes and boats, and even helped save some soldiers because he was small enough to crawl through a tunnel carrying a telegram wire.

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider silk - cribellum

Keeshond

We just learned about the type of dog the Samoyed.

Another type of dog is the keeshond.

This type of dog is very fuzzy with black and grey fur.
It's name comes from a famous old Dutch person nicknamed Kees, and the word hond which meant dog.
Because it was a famous dog of a Dutch person, and because it always seems to be happy it has the nickname of the "Smiling Dutchman".

(from: wikipedia - keeshond)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Silk Webs

Samoyed

We just learned about the type of dog the American Eskimo Dog.

Another type of dog is the samoyed.

This dog was known as sled dogs and herdings dog for reindeer in the cold and snowy parts of Sibera in Russia.

They have a tail that curls up right over and rests on their back, and they can use it when sleeping to keep warm.
Their fur is a double coat, and some people have collected their fur to use in fur coats.

They are very happy dogs that always look like they are smiling, so they have the nickname of Sammie smiles or smiley dogs.

(from: wikipedia - samoyed (dog))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Gossamer Silk Ballooning

American Eskimo Dog

We just learned about the type of dog the Whippet.

Another type of dog is the American Eskimo dog.

There are sizes of this dog, toy, miniature and standard.

These dogs became famous because a few different circuses were using them as show dogs, and one dog was even trained to walk on a tightrope.
Because the dogs were so popular, the circus would sell American Eskimo puppies after the show.

(from: wikipedia - american eskimo dog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Silk Glands

Whippet

We just learned about the type of dog the Greyhound

Another type of dog is a whippet.

The whippet is a lot like a greyhound, just smaller.

Since they are smaller they were used long ago to hunt rabbits, and sometimes people race whippets to see which is the fastest.

(from: wikipedia - whippet)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Spinnerets

Greyhound

We just learned about the type of dog the Newfoundland.

Another type of dog is the greyhound.

The greyhound is the fastest dog in the world, and they can run 40 miles per hour.
This isn't as fast as a cheetah, but it's way faster than any human can run.

Greyhounds are sometimes raised to be used on racetracks, to race against other greyhounds.

(from: wikipedia - greyhound)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Hearts & Blood

Newfoundland

We just learned about the type of dog the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.

Another type of dog is the Newfoundland.


(from: wikipedia - newfoundland (dog))

The newfoundland is a very big strong dog, that is great at swimming.
It has webbed feet almost like a duck, and it swims very well.
The newfoundland is so good at swimming, that they sometimes are used as rescue dogs for people that are drowning.


(from: wikipedia - newfoundland (dog))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Lungs

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

We just learned about the Flat Coated Retriever

The last and smallest type of retriever dog is the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.

This dog is an orange brown color and is good at helping hunters catch ducks.
The dog will go play out in the water, and the ducks swim over to see what is going on.
This is called tolling.
Then the hunter calls the dog back and he stands up, which scares the ducks and makes them fly away, and he can try to shoot them.


(from: wikipedia - nova scotia duck tolling retriever)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Esophagus

Flat Coated Retriever

We just learned about the type of dog the Curly Coated Retriever

Just like the curly coated retriever had curly hair, there is a dog called the Flat Coated Retriever that has flat non-curly hair.

This is another type of dog used a lot for hunting, with strong jaws and a long mouth for carrying birds and other animals that it is returning for hunters.

The flat coated retriever looks a lot like the labrador retriever, but there are a few small differences like the flat coated retriever has longer hair and a thicker chest.


(from: wikipedia - flat-coated retriever)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Pedipalps

Curly Coated Retriever

We just learned about the type of dog the Labrador Retriever.

Another type of dog is the Curly Coated Retriever.

Just like you'd think from the name, this dog has a curly coat.
The curly coat keeps the dog warm in water, and also keeps poky plants like burrs from getting to their skin and scratching them.

Just like all other retrievers they are good dogs for hunting and going to get the prey and bring it back.

(from: wikipedia - curly coated retriever)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Chelicerae

Labrador Retriever

We just learned about the type of dog the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
We learned a while back about the Golden Retriever.

Another type of dog is called the Labrador Retriever.

This dog is sometimes just called a Lab, and comes in three colors: Black, Yellow and Chocolate.
It is a very smart dog that is good at hunting and loves the water.
Labs are also great helping dogs and are used a lot as seeing eye dogs for blind people.


(from: wikipedia - labrador retriever)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Eyes