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​1. Where and when might one seek snakes in the park? 

Snakes like to warm themselves in sunny exposed locations.  Copperheads are most likely seen at dusk or in the evening.

2. Reptiles are cold-blooded, air breathing vertebrates, with a bony or scaly skin.  Can you explain what “cold-blooded” means?

Cold-blooded creatures take on the temperature of their surroundings. They are hot when their environment is hot and cold when their environment is cold.

​3. Generally, reptiles lay soft shelled eggs.  Can you give some examples of reptiles that lay this type of eggs?

Turtles, some snakes, and most lizards lay eggs with softer leathery shells.

​4. Some snakes give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs.  The eggs are incubated within the female’s body.  Which snakes in Virginia give birth to live young?

All venomous snakes in Virginia give birth to live fully developed young.   There are three venomous snakes in southeastern Virginia. The Timber (or canebreak) Rattlesnake, the Eastern Cottonmouth (or water moccasin), and the Northern Copperhead. Other snakes that bear live young are the Garter, Brown, and Water Snakes.

​5. According to the Virginia Herpetological Society, there are 25 species of turtles in Virginia. How many of these are known to live in Isle of Wight County?

13 turtles:   Snapping Turtle, Eastern Painted Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Eastern Chicken Turtle, Striped Mud Turtle, Southeastern Mud Turtle, Diamond-backed Terrapin, Coastal Plain Cooter, Northern Red-Bellied Cooter, Eastern Musk Turtle, Woodland Box Turtle, Red-Eared Slider, and Yellow-bellied Slider.

​6. A Cooter is a North American river turtle with a dull brown shell and typically having yellow stripes on the head. They usually live in fresh or brackish water and have flipper-like limbs for swimming.  Preferred habitats include slow current, soft substrate, basking sites, and abundant aquatic vegetation.  What do you think basking sites are and what purpose do they server?

The availability of suitable basking sites is important for freshwater turtles. Basking in the sun elevates the turtle's body temperature, permitting digestion of food. It also provides vitamin D.  Suitable basking sites must have exposure to sun, be accessible to turtles, and provide a safe site from predators and disturbance. Turtles are often seen basking on logs that are partially in water and partially on the shore. These slanted logs give turtles a choice to either climb completely out of the water or remain partially submerged.

​7. When describing a specific species of turtles, the carapace is the first item that is described.  What do you think the carapace is and what is it made of?

There are two parts to the shell of a turtle.  The upper portion is called the "carapace" and the bottom half is called the "plastron."  Both shells are actually made of many fused bones. The carapace is the fusion of about 50 bones - the ribs and vertebrae.

​8. According to the Virginia Herpetological Society, there are 7 species of lizards that are known to live in Isle of Wight County. Can you name any of these?

Eastern Six-Lines Racerunner, Eastern Slender Glass Lizard, Common Five-Lined Skink, Southeaster Five-Lined Skink, Broad-Headed Skink, Eastern Fence Lizard, and the Little Brown Skink

​9. What is the difference between a lizard and a skink?

Lizards and skinks are classified in a larger sense as lizards.  They inhabit similar environments and both feed on insects, spiders, and small invertebrates, which is why we categorize them as beneficial animals.  Skinks are just much larger and have distinctive color variations.

​10. Did you know that some lizards have no legs, and actually look like a snake?  Can you guess which of the Eastern Virginia lizards has no legs?

The Eastern Slender Glass Lizard is a legless, snakelike lizard.  It has a tan strip extending the whole length of its body.  The eastern slender glass lizard is seldom seen, as it is very secretive, and tends to hide in burrows or under dry grass.