RIC-6277 I can dance the Barramundi

DUGITE
Preparation
• Collect pictures of dugites.
• If possible, an old snake skin could be brought in to show the students during the discussion.
Presentation
• Share and discuss the dugite pictures with
the students.
• Say the rhyme with the actions for the
students.
• Discuss facts about snakes. Stimulus
questions may include the following:
– Why does a snake shed its skin? (A
snake’s skin does not grow with its body
so as the snake grows bigger, it has to
keep shedding its skin. Also, when a
snake has grown up and glides on its
belly, the skin underneath begins to wear
out, so it regularly sheds its skin and
grows a new one.)
– How does a snake shed its skin? (The
snake rubs its nose on a rock or branch
and sheds its skin head first, like peeling
a banana.)
Additional activities/information
• A dugite has a small head and a slender
body and grows up to 1.85 metres. On top,
it is greenish-brown speckled with black
scales. Underneath, it is a creamish-grey
colour. Dugites are found in south-western
Australia in sandy places where house mice
are plentiful. House mice are the dugite’s
favourite tucker. Dugites also eat birds,
reptiles, small mammals and amphibians.
In spring, the female lays up to 20 eggs in a
hole in the ground. The young hatch in late
summer and are left by their mother to fend
for themselves. Dugites are alert, quickmoving
snakes and are very aggressive if
approached. The dugite is one of Australia’s
deadliest snakes.
– Where does a snake shed its skin? (The
snake sheds its skin in secret places
around tree branches and in shrubs.)
– What does an old snake skin look like?
(It looks like a long, thin, empty sausage
made from tissue paper. It is very pale,
but the pattern of the scales can be
seen.)
– What do you know about dugites?
– Do you know the names of other
Australian snakes?
• Say the rhyme with the actions again for the
students.
• The students clap the beat while saying the
rhyme.
• The students say the rhyme with the actions.
• Share the following rhyme about dugites
with the students. The students can listen for
the rhyming words.
©R.I.C. Publications
Low Resolution Images
Display Copy
LITTLE DUGITE
My dugite life in the bush all day
Is far from a happy one.
Slithering around on the ground I fi nd
Is terribly rough on my tum.
And I’m always alone without any friends
And it isn’t a lot of fun.
What I really want is to be with my mum
On a lovely hot rock in the sun.
I can dance the barramundi 12
R.I.C. Publications ® www.ricgroup.com.au
ISBN 978-1-74126-424-1