Squamates—legged and legless lizards, including snakes—are among the most successful vertebrates on Earth, found everywhere but the coldest and highest places on the planet. This special collection provides articles and activities to supplement the Science Explorations online investigation Uncover Lizards and Snakes: Learn the Story of Squamtes.

		Leapin' Lizards (SuperScience) Article for grades 3 through 6 Introduce younger students to squamates and some of scaly lizards and snakes that are part of this group of animals. Then put their exhibit-designing skills to the test.
		PDF [plugins: Adobe Acrobat; filesize: 220kb] [pages: 4] More about this Resource

		Scaly Surprises (Science World) Article for grades 6 through 10 Did you know that a snake's skin includes see-through scales that cover its eyes. Or that chameleons have sticky tongues to pull in their prey? Examine squamates and their remarkable adaptations.
		PDF [plugins: Adobe Acrobat; filesize: 224kb] [pages: 4] More about this Resource

Animals

		Hall of Biodiversity Exhibition Materials for all ages Enter the Museum's Hall of Biodiversity for an eye-opening look at the variety of life on Earth—and the ecological crisis we now face because of vast threats to the planet’s biodiversity.
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Discovering Vietnam's Biodiversity Article for grades 3 through 12 Now that peace has firmly taken hold in Vietnam, scientific research is flourishing once again. Meet some of the country's diverse animal and plant life, including many rare and endangered species.
		Webpage More about this Resource

Endangered Species

		Endangered! Exhibition Materials for all ages African wild dog, Asian elephant, Indian python, American crocodile—threats to endangered animals are a global problem. Explore a world at risk, and learn what you can do to help.
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Endangered Species Game Activity for grades 3 through 8 Roll snake eyes, and you're on your way to survival. Land on the extinct box, though, and you're gone. Kaput. Finis. In this board game, your very survival is at stake!
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Web of Life Game Activity for grades 3 through 8 When you're done, it may look like you have a tangled mess of twine. But don't be fooled. You'll have created something much more than that—the web of life for an ecosystem!
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Saving Species Article for grades 3 through 12 Take a world-wide tour of biodiversity. You'll meet mollusks in the reefs off the Bahamas, the aye-aye in the tropical forests of Madagascar, and the clever mimic-ant spider that lives in Australia.
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Going, Going, Gone? Article for grades 3 through 8 Today, species are becoming extinct—disappearing from our planet—at a faster rate than ever before. What's behind this increase, and what can be done to slow or stop it?
		Webpage More about this Resource

Habitats and Ecosystems

		Spectrum of Habitats Exhibition Materials for grades 6 through 12 Did you know that the world's deserts keep expanding each year? Or that islands have the highest animal extinction rate—75 percent? Take a closer look at the major habitats found on Earth.
		PDF [plugins: Adobe Acrobat; filesize: 4155kb] [pages: 20] More about this Resource

		Welcome to the Dzanga-Sangha Article for grades 3 through 8 Travel to the lush Dzanga-Sangha rainforest with BaAka. This excellent tour guide will show you the sights—and help you find the clues needed to play Connect the Dots.
		Webpage More about this Resource

Species Classification

		Tree of Life Article for grades 3 through 8 Think of a cladogram as the ultimate family tree. On it, you can see how all living things are related, including the single ancestor they all share. Learn more about Earth's Tree of Life.
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Hall of Biodiversity Educator's Guide Activity: Cladograms Activity for grades 6 through 12 In the same way people trace their history with a family tree, scientists use an evolutionary tree to show a species' close and distant relatives. Learn how they work by making a tree of coins.
		PDF [plugins: Adobe Acrobat; filesize: 22kb] [pages: 1] More about this Resource

		Fossil Halls: Cladistics Exhibition Materials for all ages What is the best way to reconstruct evolutionary history? Find out with this look at cladistics and the branching points on the Earth's evolutionary family trees.
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Fossil Halls: Vertebrate Evolution Exhibition Materials for all ages Jaws, grasping hands, three-toed feet, placentas, watertight eggs, eye sockets near the snout—explore these and other evolutionary branching points of vertebrate evolution.
		Webpage More about this Resource