 What is the biggest and longest
snake in Missouri? Where do they live, what do they eat, and how do you
tell the difference between a male  and
a female?
Lauren Oster, age 10
 The black rat snake is the longest
snake in Missouri. The longest one ever recorded in Missouri was 84 inches
long. The biggest one ever recorded in North America was 101 inches long.
They live all over Missouri in a wide range of habitats, but they prefer
rocky, wooded hillsides, brushpiles, hollow trees and abandoned buildings.
They eat mostly rodents, but they're not picky. They also eat eggs and
small birds, if they can catch them. It's very difficult to tell male
and female snakes apart just by looking. Female black rat snakes have
a longer, more slender tail, starting from the vent, or anus, than males,
but you would only be able to tell the difference if you had a male and
female side by side.
|
There are so many daddy longlegs
around now. Are there any mommy longlegs? Grandpa says daddy longlegs
are harmless, except to the things they eat. Is that true?
Katie Kurtz, age 4
The name daddy longlegs is a bit
misleading because there are both male and female daddy longlegs. Your
grandpa is right. Daddy longlegs are completely harmless to people. They
are primarily scavengers, but they do prey on aphids. That makes them
very popular with rose gardeners. |
Why do flying squirrels have wings?
Logan Harris, 14
So they can fly, of course! Seriously,
flying squirrels don't actually have wings. They do have loose skin folds
along their sides that spread out when they stretch out their legs. This
creates wind resistance and significantly slows the rate of fall when
a flying squirrel leaps from a high perch. They don't really fly. They
just kind of sail, sort of like a glider. |
Can a vampire bat really suck your
blood?
Sarah Hohne, 10
Vampire bats don't exactly suck
blood. When they bite a host, usually a cow, their saliva contains an
anti-coagulant that keeps blood from clotting. As blood flows from the
wound, they lap it up with their tongue. Vampire bats need at least two
tablespoons of blood each day to survive, but you don't have to worry
about them in Missouri. They only live in the rainforest areas of Central
and South America. A drug called Draculin, which is used to treat heart
patients, was developed from research on the anti-coagulant in vampire
bat saliva. |
How do you tell female and male
tadpoles apart?
Courtney Branch, 12
Jeff Briggler, the Conservation
Department's herpetologist, says there's absolutely no way to determine
the sex of a tadpole. He also said it's nearly impossible to tell most
male adult frogs from females, except during breeding season. Exceptions
are green frogs and bullfrogs. |
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