For the Love of... Reptiles?

In fact, I hate that term because of the negative association people have of it, such as calling a murderer a "cold-blooded" killer. Reptiles are "ectothermic" - ecto meaning "outside" and thermic meaning "hot". Reptiles control their body temperature using outside sources, such as the sun to warm up and water and shade to cool down. Being ectothermic (cold-blooded) has nothing to do with their temperament or lifestyle. There are many benefits to this type of adaptation, one of the most important being that it requires much less food to survive. This is how many reptiles can go long amounts of time, even in extreme climates, without eating. Put a mammal in the same situation and the results will be tragic for sure!

Another name confusion issue I have is the word "poisonous". Snakes and lizards are NOT poisonous! Poison is something that is effective when it has contact with the skin or is swallowed. This makes them more dangerous as the chance of random contact is much higher. An example of this is poison ivy. I have an allergy to poison ivy and have to be extremely careful to not come in contact with it. There are, however, some snakes and a few lizards that are "venomous". The difference is that to be effective, it has to be injected... it must have immediate contact with blood and internal tissues. Once you recognize the difference, and start to learn which reptiles are venomous and which are not, the panic-factor in a reptile encounter drops dramatically! Ignorance breeds fear and panic; education and enlightenment breed respect.

I am starting a series of children's books that will cover some of nature's most hated and feared creatures. My first book is currently with the illustrator and I hope to have published very soon. It is about a baby alligator discovering her new world under the watchful eye of her mother. Most people do not know that alligators are excellent mothers, and one of the most caring mothers in the animal kingdom. My hope is to change the perspective that people have and learn to at least respect them.