Not long after we moved into our new home, we were spending the afternoon playing outside. I heard Old Crow say to Crazy Horse, "Don't touch it! It may be poisonous!" I thought he may be talking about a plant (as we had just been talking about poison ivy). When I walked over I was shocked to see them pointing to this large creature. It startled me so bad...I was almost scared. I had never seen anything like it! It was fat, slick, and extremely fast. Not to mention that orange head.
We took some pictures of it and then headed inside to do some research. I used this strange sighting to begin an impromptu science lesson. Old Crow and I set out to decide what this orange-headed lizard was called. We googled several different phrases and didn't get anything helpful until I typed "lizard with an orange head." We finally got some hits!! It is called a skink.
Here is one website where we found lots of information:
During this spontaneous lesson, Old Crow learned about the skink's habitat, food source, reproduction, and whether it was poisonous. We were also able to look at many other photos of the skink.
So the next time you find a new, interesting creature
remember that it can be a teachable moment. :)
Jenny
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