What is that smell?

Ever wonder how you can tell the difference between smells? Why does a lemon have a citrus smell while freshly cut grass smells different? The answer is olfactory receptors. In a short version, different smells stick to your scent glands, or olfactory receptors, causing them to change shape. This change sends a signal to the brain, like a text message, telling your brain what it is your nose is picking up.

Here at Sticks Stones and Bonez, we have all sorts of fun smells to stretch those olfactory receptors. Some are things that your brain will recognize immediately. Others you may not have ever encountered. It's a workout for your scent glands to find all of the exciting scents at our scent-sational sensory station!

Snake Fun!

Thank you to everyone who came out for our snake event yesterday! It was so much fun having everyone there! 

This Wednesday we learned about 5 different snake families and the native snakes of Nebraska! We looked at each type of snake through an interactive website and learned about what makes each family of snakes unique! 

After learning about the different snake families, we looked at some of Nebraska's native snakes! The kids were challenged to look at each one and determine what family it belonged to! The kids did very well and got almost all of them right including the 4 Venomous Snakes of Nebraska which include our native Pit Viper, the Massasauga! 

                           

The kids then got to handle some of our live snakes, including Hector the Dwarf Boa! We compared each snake and used their physical characteristics to sort them into family groups! The kids loved holding the snakes and experiencing how they felt and looked, up close! We then looked at sheds from different snakes including a Burmese Python shed, which is one of the longest species of snakes in the world and compared them! We attempted to do a shed rubbing but did not have a lot of success with that! We learned that our method did not work and that we'll have to try something a bit different the next time. Despite the rubbing not working, many of the kids turned their attempted rubbings into scribble snakes and classified them into one of the families we learned about! 

                                                 

Lastly, we did a snake craft! Each one colored and decorated their snake and were able to take them home! It was a lot of fun seeing the kids work together and create using everything that they learned!

Join us next Wednesday, March 1st, at 11am for our Duct Tape Warfare Event! We'll be learning about the French Short Sword, the Baselard, and will use Duct Tape, Pool Noodles, and more to create our own Baselard Short Sword and re-enact a battle using them! We hope to see you there for more fun and exploration!

- The Sticks Stones and Bonez Team 

The Mourning Gecko

Here at Sticks Stones and Bonez we have a variety of creatures, mainly reptiles, that reside here to help educate our patrons on a variety of topics!

Among these creatures are our Mourning Geckos. These small Geckos, averaging around 3.5" long, are especially interesting! Here are 8 interesting facts about Mourning Geckos!

1. Mourning Geckos are Omnivores! They eat insects, fruit, and nectar.

2. Despite their small size, Mourning Geckos can live to be 10 years old! 

3. Mourning Geckos can be found over a very wide range. They can be found in Southern Asia, Southern Regions of North America, Central America, Northern regions of South America, as well as many Islands including Hawaii!

4. Mourning Geckos are cathemeral! This means that they are active during both day and night at irregular times.

5. Almost all Mourning Geckos are female! Mourning Geckos reproduce by Parthenogenesis. This is a type of asexual reproduction which means they do not require a male to reproduce. Occasionally male offspring are born, but they are infertile!

6. Mourning Gecko eggs are saltwater tolerant which allows them to live in such a wide variety of areas.

7. Mourning Geckos lack eyelids. They clean and moisten their eyes with their tongues.

8. Mourning Geckos can regrow their tail if it becomes broken or is bitten off.

Check back next week for another Herp-day Thursday!