Q: My grandma is always telling me about two snakes called the coachwhip and the blue racer. Are these snakes extinct or do they live in Missouri?

Amanda Devore, age 10, Doniphan

A: Your grandma has been describing two snakes that are alive and well and living in Missouri. They are not extinct, and they are not venomous or harmful to people. In fact, they each fill an important niche in nature. They help keep populations of small rodents under control because they prey on rodents. They also eat other small snakes, lizards, birds and insects. Snakes also are food for other animals.

The coachwhip lives in the Ozarks on dry, rocky glades. If a person or predator corners one, it will curl up, vibrate its tail and fight to defend itself. They are known for their speed.

Blue racer is a common name used by Missourians to describe the Eastern yellowbelly racer. Racers live throughout the state in native prairies, grasslands, pastures and in brushy areas along the edges of forests. Racers also vibrate their tails when threatened.

Both snakes are fast-moving. Even though they may be speedy, they do not chase people. If you come across one, simply leave it alone; it won't hurt you, and it will use its speed to get away from you.

Q: Are glow worms lightning bugs or totally different insects?

Rhonda Reise, age 10, Cedar Hill

A: The answer is both; glow-worm is another name for a young firefly AND a totally different insect. The name glow -worm is used to describe fireflies in their young—or larval—stage. But members of another family of insects are also called glow-worms. Both types of glow-worms are beetles.

Firefly larvae have long, curved jaws shaped like a sliver of the moon. They use these jaws to inject a toxin into things they eat, such as snails, slugs, earthworms and other insects. Unlike the adult fireflies, these glow-worms do not blink. Instead, they produce light continuously. Sometimes the eggs even glow. Scientists are not sure what role the "glow" plays in firefly eggs and larvae, but someday maybe someone will "shed light" on the subject.

The other glow-worms are a small group of beetles belonging to the family Phengodidae. They are related to fireflies, which are members of the Lampyridae family, but are not the same. Look for glow worms in the spring by searching along grassy and brushy places.

Q:: Why do mosquitos lay their eggs in water?

Danielle Nace, age 12, Kearney

A: Mosquitos lay their eggs in water because that's where the food is. Young mosquitos are called wrigglers, and they are aquatic. They spend most of their time chewing on bacteria, yeast, protozoans and other tiny bits of floating stuff in the water.

They molt—or shed and grow a new body covering—then grow into a comma-shaped pupae. When they are in this stage, people sometimes call them tumblers. That's because you can see them moving around—or tumbling—in the water. After a few days, a pupa gulps air and splits open in the middle, and out comes an adult mosquito.

Kids: have a question?
Professor Oakley Q. Nutkins
Outside In, Missouri Conservationist
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180