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cells
    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.
    laboratory: a room or building equipped for scientific work
    mammal: any animal of which the female gives birth to live young and can feed them with her own milk
    pigment: a substance that colors something
    prosecute: to prosecute someone is to make them go to a court of law to be tried for a crime
    reptile: a cold-blooded animal that creeps or crawls. Lizards and snakes are reptiles.
    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
    setae: small hairlike pads responsible for the animal’s ability to cling to vertical surfaces
    snout: the front part sticking out from an animal’s head, with its nose and mouth
    territorial: an animal that guards and is defensive of an area of land it believes to be its own
    transparent: something you can see through

BOOKS
    Want to brush up on your reptile and amphibian knowledge? Here’s a list of books dedicated to slithering and hopping creatures.
    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.