This post should be called "Nature Study: Snakes" I suppose as we studied more than just the Garter snake. I wanted to study Garter and Black snakes because we frequently see these snakes in our backyard. We also often see water snakes down at our beach. My boys are somewhat scared of snakes and this is probably because I am as well and avoid them (and I am probably somewhat scared of them because my parents were, etc.) This is mainly because I don't know know much about snakes and don't even know which ones are harmful and which are not. I decided it was time I learned which snakes are poisonous in our area, so I researched poisonous snakes in Maryland. It turns out that there are only two poisonous snakes in Maryland, the Cottonmouth and the Copperhead, both of which are not seen in our area because they live in rocky areas. Our area is flat wetlands. I printed out pictures of these two snakes to show the boys so that they could recognize them anyway. There are no poisonous water snakes in Maryland, which was not what I was always told as a small child.




Armed with the questions from The Handbook of Nature Study in mind, I got out crayons and paper and we looked closely at snakes...what things snakes have in common, what things are unique to each type of snake...how to snakes act and what do those actions mean...what else do you know about snakes through observing them? Then we drew pictures of the various kinds of snakes we'd talked about, the results of which are at the top of this post. I think that the boys are now ready to observe more from the Garter snakes that frequent our yard, and that is just what nature study is all about.


Excellent study....I agree that a little knowledge prepares you to do further study. I just posted about our day's gopher snake spotting....man he was big and scary.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your backyard study and your journals.
oh my. I think if I saw snakes I would be a-tremblin' in my boots! and I certainly would wear boots if I were afraid I'd see snakes....
ReplyDeleteI am terrified of them, even if I was told they wouldn't bite. I hope I do NOT see any!! ;)
amy in peru
We attended a reptile show last night - and the larger and more venomous the snake became, the more I had to convince my constricting heart that we were safe-ish. :) For Oregon, I do love the snakes God has put on our property - For I really don't like mice in the house. :) Nathan got an albino black rat snake skin at the show last night. He was thrilled. :) Funny. Thanks for putting this one in the Carnival I must have missed it on your blog. :)
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