Reptiles in the classroom

"Big Daddy"

     I love critters of all shapes and sizes! Last year, I was the fortunate recipient of a donated bearded dragon. Someone in our community had purchased a bearded dragon (and every imaginable accessory) for his family. They enjoyed "Big Daddy" for a while and then the kids got older and had interests that kept them on the go. So, one day the office pages me and says they have a donation for the science lab. I walk to the office and a gentleman says it is outside in his car. When he opened the back of his suv and I saw our newest addition, I have to admit I was a little frightened. I did not want to hold him for several weeks. Thank goodness, it was love at first sight for my husband, so he took good care of him until I was comfortable. It didn't take long, and "Big Daddy" won my heart. He really does have a lot of personality. And the students love him!
     When you have something you love, sometimes you need more than one...so, bearded dragon #2 joins us this year. I was able to get "Bubba" through a "Pets in the Classroom" grant. I want the students to be able to watch him grow ("Big Daddy" came to us full grown). The students do a great job of taking care of our lab pets. They feed them, clean their cages (with my asssistance), they do research on them, making sure their habitat and diet are correct. We have even started growing crops for them to eat (greens, carrots, certain fruits) and insects for them (crickets, silkworms, and superworms). Bearded dragons are easy to maintain. They use the bathroom once a day to once every other day and are funny about wanting their cage cleaned immediately. They are friendly, docile, and inquisitive. They are much friendlier than our gerbil who now lives at my house (biter). Bearded dragons are recommended for reptile beginners. And they are safe for students with allergies.    



"Bubba"

Our newest reptile is "Forrest Gump" the chameleon. More coming soon on chameleons! They are such interesting critters! Make sure to stop by my lab pet page @ Superlative Science to see my other critters!