Q: What is the difference between a cottonmouth and a water moccasin?
Jerry Niswonger Jr., age 11, Doniphan

A:Cottonmouth snakes are dark brown to almost black, and they spend some of their time swimming in water. While people are very rarely bitten by them, cottonmouths are venomous and their bite is dangerous. They generally are most active at night and eat fish, frogs, other snakes, lizards, rodents and small birds.

Some people call cottonmouths lowland moccasins, trapjaws, gappers and, commonly, water moccasins. Usually people talking about cottonmouths and water moccasins are describing the same snake. To add to the confusion, however, some people use the name "cottonmouth" for this species and "water moccasin" for various non-venomous water snakes, such as green water snakes and northern water snakes.

Q: Why don't green plants burn?
Tonya Edwards, age 13, Robertsville

A: Green plants burn, but not nearly as fast or easily as dead plants. The reason why is water. Leaves, stems and flowers of green plants are made up mainly of water and, therefore, don't burn very well. In essence, the water in a green plant has to boil away before the remaining plant tissue will catch fire. Dead wood and plants are "dried up" and make better fuel for fire.

Q: Where do coyotes live?
Benjamin Desroches, age 12, Bolivar

A: Before settlers built cities, towns and farms in Missouri, coyotes lived mainly in prairies that covered much of the northwest and western part of the state. As people converted prairies to agricultural land or cities, coyotes had to adapt and move into more brushy or wooded areas.

Today they are common throughout Missouri and live in different kinds of habitats: open fields or prairies, brushy areas and woods bordered by open lands. You are most likely to see them at sunrise or sunset traveling along ridge tops or near the edges between fields and woods.

Q: What do you know about the little green bugs that swarm around lights at night? They are very small and green, and in the mornings there are thousands of them dead on our floor.
Martina Kargel, age 13, Willow Springs

A: The bug you showed me is a member of the leafhopper family of insects--a family with more than 2,500 different species in it! Leafhoppers are one of the most common insects found in grassy areas, and many species have brilliantly colored front wings. They are small, somewhat longer than wide, and they feed on the juices of plant stems, hopping from plant to plant. When resting, they fold their wings over their backs, and you usually can see spines along each hind leg. Sometimes they walk sideways.

Leafhoppers--and probably most insects--swarm around our porch lights because light and heat from the bulbs confuses and attracts them, distracting them from their natural routine, which is to eat, search for mates and lay eggs. Many other animals, such as birds and amphibians, depend on leafhoppers and countless other insects for food..