Turtle Terror (9 page)

“Tea soon,” called out Mom. “And I'll tell you what—how about some shellfish for supper?”

“NO SHELLS!” Josh yelled.

Danny added, “ABSOLUTELY NO SHELLS—PLEASE!”

amphibian:
an animal that can live on land and in water

anemone:
a sea creature with short tentacles around its mouth

antidote:
something that takes away the bad effects of a poison or disease

arachnid:
a member of the group of animals that includes spiders and scorpions

cellular:
made of cells

crustacean:
a shellfish

hijack:
to take control of something by force

hologram:
a type of photograph made by laser beams. A hologram appears to have depth as well as height and width

mammal:
any animal of which the female gives birth to live young and can feed them with her own milk

myriads:
a huge number of people or things

predator:
an animal that hunts other animals

prey:
an animal that is hunted by another animal

reptile:
a cold-blooded animal that creeps or crawls, such as lizards and snakes

scales:
the thin, overlapping parts on the outside of fish, snakes, and other animals

serum:
a kind of fluid used in science and for medical purposes

snout:
the front part sticking out from an animal's head, with its nose and mouth

telepathy:
communication of thoughts from one person's mind to another without speaking, writing, or gestures

transparent:
something is transparent when you can see through it

BOOKS

Want to brush up on your reptile knowledge?

Here's a list of books dedicated to creepy-crawlies.

Johnson, Jinny.
Animal Planet™ Wild World: An Encyclopedia of Animals
. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2013.

McCarthy, Colin.
Reptile
. DK Eyewitness Books. New York: DK Publishing, 2012.

Parker, Steve.
Pond & River
. DK Eyewitness Books. New York: DK Publishing, 2011.

WEBSITES

Find out more about nature and wildlife using the websites below.

National Geographic Kids

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

Go to this website to watch videos and read facts about your favorite reptiles and amphibians.

San Diego Zoo Kids

http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals

Curious to learn more about some of the coolest-looking reptiles and amphibians? This website has lots of information and stunning pictures of some of Earth's most interesting creatures.

US Fish & Wildlife Service

http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/amphibians-reptiles-and-fish.aspx

Want some tips to help you look for wildlife in your own neighborhood? Learn how to identify some slimy creatures and some scaly ones as well.

CHECK OUT ALL OF THE
TITLES!

Ali Sparkes grew up in the wilds of the New Forest, raised by sand lizards who taught her the secret language of reptiles and how to lick her own eyes.

At least, that's how Ali remembers it. Her family argues that she grew up in a house in Southampton, raised by her mom and dad, who taught her the not terribly secret language of English and wished she'd stop chewing her hair.

She once caught a slow worm. It flicked around like mad, and she was a bit scared and dropped it.

Ali still lives in Southampton, now with her husband and two sons. She likes to hang out in the nearby wildlife center spying on common lizards. The lizards are considering legal action . . .

Ross Collins's more than eighty picture books and books for young readers have appeared in print around the world. He lives in Scotland and, in his spare time, enjoys leaning backward precariously in his chair.