Colmillos, escamas, caparazones y colas: grupo educativo para amantes de la herpetología

Fangs, Scales, Shells & Tails will meet twice weekly on an ongoing basis. This social club will be a fun, educational, safe, and positive environment for lovers of all things Reptile and/or Amphibian so they can learn and grow as a group of peers with similar interests. The class of Reptile & Amphibians is a vast, diverse, and strange one filled with natural wonders, some dangerous and some that we even bring into our homes. Fangs, Scales, Shells & Tailsh is our opportunity to share our passion for these incredible organisms together! 

Every session will be an interactive multi-media exploration of a daily theme/concept. The class experience will be a mix between lecture, discussion, hands-on activities, group work, use of slide shows, readings from articles and books,  and video clips from documentaries.  I will also provide weekly recommendations on outside resources that will help students learn more and find opportunities to participate in challenges and citizen science projects. I will also provide weekly, voluntary, conservation/scientific challenges relating to the material we discuss in class. 

I encourage students to bring their own particular interests/questions to the group whether it be personal stories, books, articles, images, or anything else a student may want to teach/explore/question with the club. If you have a Reptile or Amphibian as a pet you are more than welcome to bring it to class to share with everyone so that we can learn, in action! Participation and discussion are strongly encouraged and will help make our club an enriching and entertaining environment where we can be passionate about our curiosity.  The following is a more detailed look at the first seven weeks and the topics we will cover: 

Week 1 (July 25th-31st): Venomous and Poisonous Reptiles/Amphibians. 
One of the first things that come to mind when you think of reptiles is venom or poison. So, we will explore the species that are dangerous, harmless and the difference between venomous organisms and those listed as poisonous. 

Week 2 (Aug 1st - 7th): Strangest Reptiles to Ever Exist 
In this fascinating class, we will learn about some of the strangest Reptiles to exist in our modern world. In our exploration, we look at the biology, history, and folklore of these strange creatures. You will be shocked, amazed, and inspired by what you discover! 

Week 3 (Aug 8th - 14th):  Strangest Amphibians to Ever Exist
As we did with the strangest reptiles we will explore some of the strangest amphibians in the world. In our exploration, we look at the biology, history, and folklore of these strange creatures. 

Week 4 (Aug 15th - 21st) : Taxonomy & Evolution 
We will briefly look at Taxonomy, the classifications of animals, and the scientific naming system. We will also look at how evolution works and informs this classification system. This will allow us to trace the evolutionary history of reptiles and amphibians back through millions of eons of Earth's history. 

Week  5 (Aug 22nd-28th): Common Misconceptions 
Often misconceptions and urban legends develop about certain creatures especially those we fear (like many do with reptiles and amphibians}. We will look at common and less common misconceptions and what science has to say about these ideas and sort out fact from fiction while understanding how these misconceptions form in the first place, 

Week 6 (Aug 29th - Sept 4th): Best and Worst Pets
This week will be all about reptiles and amphibians as pets. We look at the best and worst pets for beginners, how to care for your pet, care, and what supplies are required. 


Week 7: Citizen Science & Conservation 
This week will discuss the ways we can get involved with the wonderful world of herpetology. We will become Conservationists and Citizen Scientists participating in real projects and initiatives. 


Forthcoming sessions: 

Week 8:  Snakes
Week 9: Lizards
Week 10: Crocodilians
Week 11: Frogs & Toads
Week 12: Salamanders & Newts
Week 13: Turtles & Tortoises 
Week 14:Smallest Reptiles 
Week 15: Venomous Frogs & Toads
Week 16: Prehistoric Reptiles and Amphibians 
Week 17: Careers in Herpetology
Week 18: Cobras
Week 19: Bearded Dragons
Week 20: Constrictor Snakes
Week 21: Axolot & The Giant Japanese Salamander

Note: order and choice of the topics are subject to change depending on individual student interests, or current events surrounding the topics. Again, I encourage students to express their particular interests so that I can hone each session to accommodate everyone's curiosity.