Don't Touch That!: The Book of Gross, Poisonous, and Downright Icky Plants and Critters
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Don't Touch That!: The Book of Gross, Poisonous, and Downright Icky Plants and Critters
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Overview
Offering helpful, humor-laced advice on how to avoid getting stung, bit, poked, jabbed, or poisoned—and what to do if it happens—this guide explains everything from rashes to anaphylaxis, tetanus to spider bites, and cat-scratch fever to rabies, all in kid-friendly language. A strong foundation in biology grounds the discussion, which explains how certain plants and animals can be dangerous and reveals medical information on the physical reactions they can produce. The topical trivia and goofy puns make learning fun both in the classroom and at home.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781556529726 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Chicago Review Press, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 06/01/2008 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 112 |
| File size: | 17 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
| Age Range: | 7 - 9 Years |
About the Author
Jeff Day, MD, is a pediatrician, cartoonist, and museum docent. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Read an Excerpt
Don't Touch That!
The Book of Gross, Poisonous, and Downright Icky Plants and Critters
By Jeff Day
Chicago Review Press Incorporated
Copyright © 2008 Jeff DayAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-55652-972-6
CHAPTER 1
Poison Ivy
How many times has someone told you, "Don't touch that! It could be poison ivy!"? Well, now you can know the truth about poison ivy!
Who Gets Poison Ivy?
Yeah, that's right: you!
(Not you.)
Oddly enough, only humans and some other primates-monkeys and apes-get itchy when they touch poison ivy.
Other animals can touch the stuff all the time and nothing will happen. Many animals even enjoy eating poison ivy!
One Leaf, Three Leaflets
So how can you tell what poison ivy looks like? There's a handy phrase: "Leaves of three, leave it be." That's a good rule of thumb. Actually, more accurately, the phrase should say, "Leaflets of three." Each poison ivy leaf is composed of three leaflets. All three leaflets share one stem. Together they form one leaf.
Leaves can grow many different ways. Some are called simple leaves and others are called compound leaves. Simple leaves are attached directly to branches.
Compound leaves are leaves composed of leaflets. Leaflets look like leaves, but they combine to form one big leaf. Leaflets are attached to stems that are usually green and soft, just like the stems on simple leaves. These green stems are different from branches, which are hard and woody. You will see a nice, clean scar on a branch where a whole leaf has been plucked off, for either a compound or a simple leaf.
Poison ivy leaves are compound leaves, which means they have several leaflets per leaf.
Looking at Leaves
Here are some simple leaf shapes. Can you find any of these leaf shapes and features on the plants outside?
This leaf is shaped like an oval. Its edges are smooth. Poison ivy leaflets have this shape and have mostly smooth edges.
This leaf has teeth along the edges.
This leaf has big gaps along its edges. The gaps are called sinuses, and the parts that stick out are called lobes. Poison ivy leaflets may have some tooth-like lobes.
This leaf is shaped like a heart.
This leaf is shaped like a hand. It also has lobes and sinuses.
This leaf is shaped like Abe Lincoln. Not too common.
The Many Faces of Poison Ivy
Poison ivy can be tough to identify because it can grow as a vine on a tree, as a little plant on the ground, or even as a shrub.
Some harmless plants may look like poison ivy growing on the tree. However, if you're not sure, just play it safe!
Poison Oak and Poison Sumac
Poison oak and poison sumac give people reactions very similar to the one you get from poison ivy, but poison ivy, the most common of the three, is still the king of rashes!
Like poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac secrete the same oil that makes us itchy. Poison ivy can be found throughout most of the continental United States. Poison oak is also found throughout the United States, but is more common in the West. Poison sumac is found in the East, mostly in the southeastern United States.
Poison oak leaves look like poison ivy leaves, but they have more wavy edges, called lobes and sinuses.
Poison sumac is a small shrub that grows around swampy areas. Poison sumac has compound leaves with more than three leaflets. Often the middle stem that all the leaflets grow on is reddish in color.
The leaves of these plants can look a lot like the leaves of many other safe plants. However, if you are not in a swamp, you probably are not looking at a poison sumac. If you are not sure and want to play it safe, just remember: "Leaves of three, leave it be."
Itchy, Itchy Oil
The part of poison ivy that makes people itch is the oil that grows inside the plant. The oil comes out of the plant only when the plant is broken or injured. You can actually touch poison ivy without getting the itch, as long as you do not touch the oil.
Poison ivy oil is clear, but when it touches oxygen, it turns black. Some Native Americans even used the black oil as a dye.
Sometimes you can still see the old black oil on the stems of poison ivy in the wintertime, after the leaves have fallen off. Leftover oil can make you itch even years after it oozed out of the * plant, so if you think it is poison ivy, don't touch it!
Actually, you should not touch any part of poison ivy. There may be tiny breaks in the plant that you cannot see where oil has come out. It only takes a little bit of oil to give you a large bit of itching!
So why does poison ivy even make the oil? Just to drive humans crazy? Actually, the oil helps protect the plant when it gets hurt. It oozes out and seals the injury like glue. In other words, poison ivy makes its own Band-Aids! Humans are just unlucky that they are allergic to the oil.
You may have heard that burning poison ivy can give people itchy reactions. This is true! Oil particles can be carried with the dust and ashes that float through the air, and those particles might get on your skin if you are standing in the area.
The Rash
What happens in a reaction to poison ivy oil? Luckily, we have a brave (and very itchy) teddy bear volunteer to demonstrate.
Depending on the severity of the reaction, poison ivy rashes can take different lengths of time to heal. On average, they take about two weeks to completely heal.
Is poison ivy contagious? Nope. After you wash the poison ivy oil from your skin, you can't transfer it to other people. Some people get little blisters that may weep fluid, but touching this fluid will not give you a poison ivy rash. The fluid in the blisters is part of the allergic reaction and is different from the poison ivy oil.
Poison ivy is a type of contact dermatitis —-basically a rash from touching stuff. Some people cannot touch latex (rubber) gloves. Some people cannot touch nickel, which is used to make belt buckles and watches, in addition to five-cent coins. Poison ivy is one of the most common things that can give you a rash when you touch it.
Contact dermatitis is a type of allergy. For more on how allergies work, see Anaphylaxis on page 36. Contact dermatitis is a different type of allergy than the type of allergy people get from bee stings or eating peanuts. Contact dermatitis does not give you anaphylaxis, but it sure can be uncomfortable!
Like other types of allergies, people first have to be sensitized to whatever they are allergic to. That is, their bodies have to "see" the allergen at least once before becoming allergic to it. In the case of poison ivy, the first time your body touches the plant, maybe nothing will happen. Nothing will happen until the second time, or maybe even the hundredth time you touch the plant. The more you touch the plant, the more likely it is that you may develop an allergic reaction in the future.
Not everyone gets itchy when they touch poison ivy though. Some experts guess that about seven out of ten people are sensitive to poison ivy.
What Should I Do If I Get Poison Ivy?
The best thing to do is not to touch poison ivy in the first place. PREVENTION! Learn what poison ivy looks like, and avoid it. If you are hiking in the woods, you also might want to wear long pants and a long shirt.
But if you do touch poison ivy, follow these steps.
STEP 1 Do not scratch or touch the area where you touched the plant.
Scratching spreads the oil, which can give you more rashes.
STEP 2 Wash the area with soap and cold water.
If you think you have touched poison ivy, it is important to wash your hands and clothes with soap as soon as possible. Soap breaks down the poison ivy oils. If you wash off the oils quickly enough (within a few hours of touching the plant), it is possible that you will not have a reaction. Washing also helps to prevent you from spreading the oil to other parts of your body or to other people. Using cold water helps to keep your pores closed so that less oil can get into them. After you have washed, it is safe to touch all areas of your body.
STEP 3 Use stuff for comfort as needed, like calamine lotion.
Some people find comfort in an oatmeal bath. Calamine lotion can be quite soothing. Calamine lotion is also much easier than oatmeal bathing.
STEP 4 See a doctor if your rash is really bad, or if you have questions.
A doctor might be able to give you a little something extra if you get it bad.
Jewelweed
Jewelweed is a popular folk treatment for poison ivy. This plant can be found growing outside, sometimes (conveniently) next to poison ivy plants. It is sometimes called a "spotted touch-me-not" because if you touch the seedpod the right way, it explodes! Don't worry, it won't hurt you.
Jewelweed is easy to recognize because of its unique orange or yellow flowers. People rub the juices from the stem on skin that has touched the poison ivy. Though it is not scientifically proven to help, it probably doesn't hurt — plus it's a cool plant to find!
Other Plants to Watch Out For
Many other plants can cause skin problems, but in North America the most common is poison ivy. Here are a few more plants that you should watch out for.
Thorny Plants
Some plants have thorns, so it is pretty obvious that they could hurt you. Sometimes plants may have tiny thorns, or even hairs that are difficult to see, and these plants can cause rashes in a sensitive person. Unlike poison ivy oil, these thorns or hairs are actually meant to protect the plant from hungry animals. Some plants that grow in the United States and have these tiny hairs or thorns are thistles, prickly pears, tulip bulbs, and some grasses.
Trumpet Creeper
Also called cow itch vine, this plant is commonly planted in yards. It has pretty, trumpet-like flowers. Its leaves and flowers may cause an itchy reaction. Not everyone is affected — it is just one of many plants that can give people an itchy reaction.
Giant Hogweed
This giant plant was introduced into American gardens from Europe. It produces a clear sap that causes Photodermatitis, which means the skin it touches is extra sensitive to the sun and gets burned easily, causing rashes and blisters.
Stinging Nettle
One plant that is particularly painful to touch is the stinging nettle. It is kind of hard to identify by sight. The easiest way to identify it is to walk into it — and feel its stinging wrath!
Stinging nettles have lots of tiny hairs that stick to our bodies and release chemicals that sting and itch. Washing with cool water is always a good idea, but mixing baking soda into the water may provide more relief. Jewelweed has also been said to help (see page 17). If you run into stinging nettle, try not to scratch, because that can make the stinging worse. The stinging can be quite painful and may last anywhere from an hour to a day.
Stinging nettle is found throughout most of North America. Interestingly, the leaves of stinging nettle can actually be eaten (when cooked) or made into tea!
Carnivorous Plants
Yes, plants that eat animals really do exist!
Venus Flytrap
The most famous carnivorous plant is the Venus flytrap because of its mouthlike leaves. Sorry to disappoint you, but they do not eat people. However, what if you stuck your finger in one? Would that be dangerous?
Not likely. You are much stronger than a Venus flytrap and could easily pull your finger back out. When the plant eats a bug, digestion usually takes about ten days. You probably wouldn't sit with your finger being digested in a plant for ten days.
Unfortunately, Venus flytraps are becoming rare, and they only grow in North and South Carolina. They grow in wet, boggy soil that does not have many nutrients and make up for it by eating insects. The plants secrete nectar and have special coloring to attract insects. Hairs on the plant can sense when an insect enters, triggering a superfast closure of the plant lids.
There were once myths of giant man-eating plants, but the Venus flytrap is actually quite small. Like most plants, it gets most of its energy from the sun. In a lifetime, these plants may only catch three or four insects.
Venus flytraps are the fastest moving plant. When you think of a plant, you might imagine a boring green thing that sits still, but plants actually do move. Some plants will move toward sunlight, and their roots can "feel" gravity, growing downward rather than from side to side. Some plants will curl up when touched, some have tendrils that look for things to grab onto, and some have exploding seedpods. Plants may not be able to run or jump, but they are a lot more active than you might think.
Pitcher Plants and More
There are other plants that also feed on insects, such as pitcher plants and bladderworts. These plants, like the Venus flytrap, grow in environments that are not rich in nutrients.
Fungi
What is a fungus? Some people think fungi (the plural of fungus) are kind of like plants. One big difference is that plants can produce their own food from the sun, whereas fungi need to "eat" things. Fungi are very important for helping to decompose things, or break them down. Fungi help turn dead plants and animals into the soil on the ground.
Mushrooms are probably the most famous fungi, but other examples of fungi include molds and yeasts. Some fungi can cause diseases like ringworm or athlete's foot.
What is a mushroom? A mushroom is a fruiting body of a larger organism. Most of a mushroom fungus grows underground and looks like threads or hairs. When the time is right, a mushroom — the fruiting body — will pop up out of the ground. The fruiting body releases spores so that new mushrooms can grow in other places.
Can you find these parts on a wild mushroom?
Some mushrooms are super poisonous — so poisonous that you could die if you ate enough of them. Other mushrooms may not kill you, but they could make you very sick. Of course, store-bought mushrooms are all safe to eat.
Because mushrooms are pretty hard to tell apart, you should never try tasting any wild mushroom by yourself. For the most part, mushrooms are safe to touch, even the most dangerous ones such as the "destroying angel." But always remember: NEVER EAT WILD MUSHROOMS!
Interestingly, rabbits can eat the deadly destroying angel mushroom without any harm. Note to yourself: don't let a rabbit make you a mushroom pizza!
CHAPTER 2INSECTS
Arthropods (Bugs)
Arthropods are commonly referred to as "bugs." This group encompasses a wide range of animals, some of which include:
Insects have six legs and three body segments. They include ants, butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, and much more.
Centipedes and Millipedes have lots of body segments and lots of legs.
Crustaceans have hard exoskeletons. They include crabs and lobsters.
Arachnids have eight legs and two body segments. They include spiders, scorpions, and ticks.
Bugs: What's in a Name?
When people say the word "bug," they are usually talking about anything that is a creepy crawly. However, scientists use the term bug for a specific group of insects. True bugs have strawlike mouths for sucking, and two pairs of flat wings behind a triangular shield on their backs. Instead of the word "bug," this book will say "buggeroos" when referring to creepy crawlies.
Here are several types of true bugs:
Wheel Bug — these critters bite! (Notice the slurpy strawmouth.)
Water boatman — an aquatic bug. (Can you find the triangular shield and flat wings?)
Stinkbug — it's stinky when crushed.
Ladybug — FAKE OUT! Ladybugs are actually types of beetles, not bugs. They have mouths that chew rather than suck, and they have a pair of hard, thick wings on their backs that true bugs don't have.
Biting Buggeroos
Many buggeroos bite, including mosquitoes, biting flies, true bugs, and fleas. Usually these bites only result in itchy bumps or mild pain. Occasionally, some of these little guys can spread disease, especially the mosquitoes. In this section, you will read about bites and stings that may be a little more worrisome to people.
Bees and Wasps
The guy on the right is about to bash this bee-home to smithereens. Good idea or bad idea? BAD IDEA! You don't need to be a fortune teller to know that pain is in his future.
But wait! Although you know the guy here is in for a world of hurt, do you know what dangerous critters actually live in that "bee-home"? Bees? Wasps? Fairies with really sharp teeth? You can see the answer below.* There are many insects that people commonly call "bees" or "wasps." Some of them sting and some of them don't. In general, bees are nicer and wasps are more likely to sting. There are also wasps that do not sting. And even more confusing, there are some harmless insects that just try to look like bees and wasps for protection.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Don't Touch That! by Jeff Day. Copyright © 2008 Jeff Day. Excerpted by permission of Chicago Review Press Incorporated.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Has This Ever Happened to You? —,1. Plants,
2. Insects,
3. Spiders,
4. Amphibiansand Reptiles,
5. Mammals,
... And That's It!,
Index,