REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS 2008 MENTOR INVITATIONAL

STATION 1 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.Are these creatures terrestrial, aquatic or arboreal? 3.What is unique about this plastron?

STATION 2 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.What key physical characteristics did you use to make the identification? 3.Are these creatures terrestrial or aquatic? What is their prefered habitat. 4.In the bottom picture these turtles are the same age. What is the difference between the two? What is the scientific term for this? (tie breaker)

STATION 3 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.What physical characteristics allow you to make the identification to genus? Name at least 3. 3.In general, what is the range of this creature?

STATION 4 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.What physical characteristic could you use to distinguish this genus? 3.Is the bottom picture the proper distribution map for this genus? 4.True or False? These creatures have a very short neck.

STATION 5 1.What is the order and family? 2.When males of this species defend a potential mate from another male, what behavior do they display? 3.At what times of day or night do these creatures feed? 4.True or False? In the fall, these creatures can dig vertical tunnels up to 30 feet in length, in which several individuals may spend the winter. 5.What two physical characteristics allowed you to identify the family? 6.What is the status of this family of organisms, protected, endangered or extinct?

STATION 6 1.What is the order and family? 2.What is unique about the fore limbs of this family compared to other members of this order? 3.Name as many causes of the decline in numbers of these creatures as you can. (one point each-tie breaker) 4.What is the sex of the creature in the lower image? 5.What is the lone unifying skeletal feature of this family? (tie breaker)

STATION 7 1.What is the order, suborder, family and genus? 2.True or False? This is the second largest genus of this suborder. 3.What physical feature allows distinction between males and females of this genus? When can this feature be observed? 4.True or False? None of the species in this genus are native to the United States. 5.What physical feature do these creatures have the ability to change in response to temperature, humidity, emotion or activity?

STATION 8 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.What is the difference between the two creatures in the picture above? What is this trait called? 3.What is the arrow pointing to in the picture on the above right? 4.What is the escape behavior of this creature when it is disturbed?

STATION 9 1.Examine the upper image. What is the order, suborder, family, and genus? 2.Examine the lower image. Is it the same genus? If not, what is it? 3.How are males distinguished from females of this genus? 4.True or False? All species in this genus lay eggs. 5.What technique is used to distinguish between different genera?

STATION 10 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.What physical feature gives this creature its common name? What is the common name? How is this feature adaptive to life in the desert? 3.True or False? All of the species of this genus have black spots on both sides of their stomachs.

STATION 11 1.What is the order and family? 2.What characteristic helps to identify this family? 3.True or False? All genera in this family are terrestrial. 4.Name three continents on which these creatures are found.

STATION 12 1.What is the order, suborder, family and genus of the creature in the upper image? 2.What is the order, suborder, family and genus of the creature in the lower image? 3.What behavior does the creature in the upper image use to distract predators? What is this behavior called? 4.Look at the modified scales on the head of the creature in the middle picture. What are they called

STATION 13 1.What is the order, suborder, family and genus? 2.What physical characteristics distinguish this creature as a member of this genus? 3.What two behavior does this creature exhibit if frightened or roughly handled. 4.These snakes have what kind of temperament?

STATION 14 1.What is the order, family and genus of the creature in the image on the left? 2.Is the right image the proper distribution map for this creature? 3.What is the common name of these creatures? What physical characteristic gives them this name? 4.True or False? This creature will drool when captured.

STATION 15 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.What are two species that live in the United States. What are their common names and why are they named thus? 3.What other continent do these creatures inhabit? 4.What physical change takes place shortly after these creatures’ deaths? 5.All members of this genus are arboreal, true or false?

STATION 16 1.What is the order, family and genus of the creature in the lower image? 2.Is the upper image the correct distribution diagram for this creature? 3.True or False? The creature in the lower image has two grooved fangs on the upper jaw in the rear of the mouth that secrete toxins, and a divided anal plate.

STATION 17 1.What is the order, family, subfamily and genus? 2.How many plate scales does this genus have on the crown? What similar genus does this characteristic distinguish this genus from? 3.True or False? These creatures have a divided anal plate. 4.Name three things that this creature considers a tasty treat.

STATION 18 1.What is the order and family? 2.These creatures remain in what stage throughout their life span? 3.These creatures are diurnal, nocturnal, or crepuscular? 4.True or False? In some members of this family, fertilization is external.

STATION 19 1.What is the order and family? 2.What distance is the diameter of the eye equal to? 3.Name two states in which these creatures are found.

STATION 20 1.What is the order and family? 2.These creatures are arboreal, terrestrial or aquatic? 3.When their habitat dries up, what unique adaptation do these creatures have to retain moisture? What is the scientific name for this? 4.Name two sources of nutrition for these creatures.

STATION What is the order, family and genus? 2.What unique physical characteristic is displayed in the right image? 3.What is this creatures’ range? 4.True or False? These creatures are nocturnal.

STATION 22 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.True or False? These creatures are terrestrial throughout their entire lives. 3.What is this creatures common name? What physical characteristic gives it this name? 4.What is unique about the tail base of this creature?

STATION 23 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.What is the range of these creatures? 3.What causes the change in color of these creatures? 4.What is the size range of these creatures?

STATION 24 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.True or False? The adults of this genus are able to swim. 3.What unique physical feature is visible on the image above?

STATION 25 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.What is the genetic difference between the two species? 3.These creatures are primarily arboreal, aquatic, or terrestrial? 4.For what animals are these creatures prey?

STATION 26 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.Name two things that are notable about their call? 3.Excluding size what two physical characteristics allow you to make the genus identification?

STATION 27 1.What is the order, family and genus? 2.Name four physical characteristics visible in the adjacent photo that allow you to make this identification.

Station 28 1.What incredibly unique characteristic of this creature is being illustrated in the image above? 2.What is the order

STATION 29 1.What unique identifying physical characteristic of snakes is being illustrated in the two images above? 2.If you have figured it out, what is illustrated on the left image, and what is illustrated on the right image?