Snakes can be found in fields, woods, and near creeks. Caution: Some snakes are poisonous, so be sure they are properly identified before handling. Snake-hunting should be done with your teacher or somebody who knows about snakes.

Nonpoisonous snakes are easily caught by hand. Those easiest to handle are the garter, ringnecked, and hognosed snakes. A snake can be gently but firmly held just behind the head with one hand while the rest of its body is supported by the other hand.

Snakes can be temporarily placed in a pillow case with the top tied securely. Don't plan to use the pillow case again!

After handling snakes, or any other animal, be sure to wash your hands in hot, soapy water.

Nonpoisonous snakes can be kept in large aquariums covered with weighted wire mesh that folds over the sides. Put a 2 inch layer of sand or gravel on the bottom, and embed a pan of water in the sand. Add some rocks and a sturdy branch on which the snake can climb. Place the container where the snake can receive some sunshine, but do not let it get too hot. Be sure to clean the snake-house frequently, because they, like any other animal enclosure, become unpleasant.

Most snakes will eat live insects, worms, grubs, or frogs. If you want, you can buy baby mice from the reptile store, or you can raise mice for them, by buying a pair of mice and an enclosure for them to live and breed. Snakes will not feed regularly, and some will not eat at all in captivity. If a snake does not eat for several weeks, release it in the area where it was found.

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Lizards can be found under logs or among rocks. They like to bask in the warm sun, but do not lie in the sun when it is very hot. They are fast runners and a net is helpful in catching them. You can place them in a pillowcase until you get them to a permanent enclosure.

I kept my gecko in a terrarium, with two inches of gravel in the bottom, a little dish of water, and some rocks and twigs. The enclosure needs to have a lid, to protect against either the lizard or its' food from escaping. Lizards eat live bugs; you can buy crickets, and maybe other bugs, at the pet store. You can catch bugs for them, but try to avoid bugs that live in people's houses, because they may have come in contact with a pesticide that could kill your lizard. I had a tiny tree toad in the same terrarium with my gecko. The gecko was diurnal (it ate during the daytime) and the toad was nocturnal (it cruised around and ate at night.) The frog liked flies and daddy long-legs; the two animals didn't interfere with each other. They didn't talk much, so we don't know whether they liked each other or not.

Be sure your lizard enclosure contains rocks, twigs, and living plants to climb on, and embed a small container of water in the soil. Keep the enclosure clean of uneaten food, and set it so that it receives sunlight or artificial light during part of the day and maintains a temperature range of 70 to 80 degrees F. If you live in a cool climate, you may want to get a little heater from the reptile store.

Lizards feed on living flies, moths, spiders, and mealworms. Some lizards will not drink from a dish, but they will take water from the leaves of plants. You can spray the leaves of growing plants in the terrarium with warm water each day. The lizard likes to have a little spray on his skin, too. Remember to perform careful hand-washing after handling your lizards and their stuff.

If they do not eat after a few days in captivity, or if you get tired of them, please return them to the place where you found them.