Spike
By Tubbesing, Julie on September 02, 2014
Spike, the fancy bearded dragon, visited the fifth grade science classroom on Thursday, August 28. Matthew Jansen is Spike's owner. Spike's visit to school signaled the beginning of the life science unit.
The fifth graders learned that Spike was three inches long when Matthew's family brought him home four years ago. He is now about two feet (24 inches) long and his tail makes up nine of those inches. Spike ate mostly crickets when he was younger. Now he continues to eat crickets, but he also eats worms, mealworms, dandelion leaves, carrots and strawberries. Spike only needs to eat three times a week.
Since Spike is a reptile, he needs a special UV light to help with his digestion. He also needs a heat lamp. The heat lamp is white twelve hours a day and red for 12 night hours. Matthew's father stated Spike would die if he just had white light, because he would never sleep and without sleep he could not survive. In his aquarium, Spike has a heating pad against one wall to add in keeping him warm.
Spike is very docile and allowed each of the students to gently pet him. He really liked to be stroked on top of his head between his eyes. Matthew's family has owned Spike for almost all of his life, therefore he is very attached to Matthew. Spike would try to crawl up Matthew's shirt and snuggle into his neck for both warm and security.
All of the fifth graders want to say a special thank you to Matthew's father for taking time out of his busy schedule and bring Spike to school in his special traveling shoe box. Also, thank you Spike for being a very accommodating reptile!!