Animal Tracks

Hello Everybody,

I received a bunch of questions a while ago. There were so many good questions that I had a hard time picking where to start. We are going to start off with an easy, but interesting question. Then we will work our way through what scientists might be able to learn about your outdoor classroom and the techniques they might use.

Student Question: How do people gather animal tracks?

There are many different ways to gather information about animal tracks! Scientists can take images or make casts of tracks that they find, but they can also use print traps to collect animal tracks.

I have taken pictures of tracks that I have found when I’m out hiking or fishing. 

I took this picture when I was fishing at Mark Twain Lake, but can anybody point out what I did wrong? I didn’t take a very scientific photo.

If you haven’t already guessed, I left out a scale! I don’t have anything in the photo that would tell me or anybody looking at it – just how big are these tracks? These tracks could be GIANT or really small. So remember, when you take pictures of stuff like tracks or scat, make sure to include a ruler or some other type of scale! Thankfully, I remember that these tracks were about 6-9cm long.  If we zoom in, maybe we can figure out what kind of animal had been walking along the lake.

Let’s look at some of these prints and compare. If you visit the Missouri Department of Conservation website, they have examples of many different animal tracks that you might find out on a hike.

Step 1: What kind of animals do you think you might find alongside a lake in Missouri? Most of the animals listed by the MDC would probably go to a lake to drink, so that doesn’t narrow it down a lot, but we can probably cross animals like polar bears and koalas off the list.

Step 2: What kinds of animals, in Missouri, are going to have feet that are around 6-9cm long with more than two toes? Deer have hooves and not more than two toes. Rabbits and squirrels will be too small. It sounds like opossums, foxes, skunks, and raccoons might be the right size!

Step 3: Compare your short list of animals.

Figure 1 Track Images from Missouri Department of Conservation Website

Now, which animal do you think made the tracks in my picture? Here is a video that might help!

Did you say “Raccoon!”? If so, then Congratulations! You are correct!

You have done the same thing that scientists do when they are trying to identify tracks. Sometimes the scientists will want to find out what animals are living in an area. They can use things like sand track traps. The scientists use bait (an interesting smell) to attract animals to a smooth area of sand. Then they take pictures of the tracks in the sand. Students at another school have used this method in the past to research animals in their outdoor classroom. Click here to read their science poster that talks about what they did.

Have you ever seen a scientist make a plaster cast of an animal track? Even more detailed than a picture, a plaster cast of a track lets a scientist take the track with them back to the lab. Here is a great video that describes how to make a plaster cast! This is a neat technique that works for both scientists and people that want to make a nature collection.

Another method that scientists might use is a track plate. These use some type of pigment or ink on an animal’s foot to mark a piece of paper. They use bait, like chicken or fish, to lure the animals into walking over soot or graphite and then onto paper. The paper records the animal’s tracks.

Figures 2 and 3 Images taken from http://www.hrcllc.com/archives/tracking-rare-mammals-on-mrc-lands/

Using these methods, scientists know what types of animals are present in the habitats that they study. The techniques tend to use easy to make and use equipment, provide good results, and are safe for animals who encounter them. Unfortunately, they don’t work for all animals. Many larger animals are difficult to entice over small track plates. Using track plates, along with other methods like human observation and wildlife cameras, will still give you the best results.

Sources:

http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/common-plants-and-animals/mammals/mammal-tracks

http://www.hrcllc.com/archives/tracking-rare-mammals-on-mrc-lands/

Two Very Different Kinds of Dog.

Hello Friends,

I had someone ask "How do dogs talk/speak?" This is a very difficult question because dogs communicate, but they are not able to speak a language like humans. Instead, dogs use their bodies to give signals about how they are feeling. This is very important for other dogs and humans too! People that know what a nervous dog or a happy dog looks like can really learn how to have a good relationship with their own dog. Dogs will change how they hold their ears, open their mouth, or stand based on how they are feeling. Dogs even use yawning as a method of communication. If a dog yawns, he can either be tired or just uncomfortable or a little stressed out. Take a look at the picture below to see some ways that dogs communicate with their bodies.

Picture taken from http://animalfoundation.com/speak-how-to-read-a-dogs-body-language/

What are some important safety rules you should follow when you are around a dog?

We are all pretty familiar with Canis lupus familiaris or the domestic dog. What about prairie dogs? Did you know that prairie dogs aren't related to dogs at all? They are a rodent. Here is some information that students have collected about prairie dogs and a video I took during a recent visit to the St. Louis Zoo!

The video isn't the best quality, but you get to see some prairie dogs moving about and enjoying their afternoon. You can also see their volcano-shaped hole entrances.  Unfortunately, you will also see Ms. Gibb's finger slightly covering the lens. Whoops!

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments!

It's cold outside. How do you stay warm?

Today we had a question come up about how animals have to deal with cold temperatures outside. How animals stay warm is actually pretty complicated. I'm going to explain the difference between a couple of ways that animals stay warm and then I'm going to see if you can match animals to their strategy.

Warm-blooded animals maintain or keep their body temperature around a certain temperature by making their own body heat. Think about yourself, what does your body do when you get cold? Did you say "shiver"?  Shivering muscles produce heat. What do dogs do when they get overheated? They start panting to cool their body off!

Cold-blooded animals use the environment around them to maintain their body temperature. When a reptile, like a crocodile, needs to warm up, they don't shiver. Instead, they head to some sunshine to bask and warm their bodies up. Then they are ready to go be active. If they get over heated, then they have to do something to cool off, like find some shade.

Scientists use other terms to describe how an organism or animal maintains their body temperature. These terms are a little more complicated because sometimes cold blooded animals can have surprisingly high body temperatures. For example, imagine a snake that is sitting on a rock in the sun on a warm day. I bet that snake is going to be pretty "warm-blooded" or have a higher body temperature. Scientists will use the term ectotherms for animals who can't maintain their own body temperature like fish, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Endotherms are animals that maintain their own body temperature, like birds and mammals. I remember the meaning of endotherms because they produce heat or cool down in (en) side their own body.

Use whichever term that you like, but just remember that just because an organism is cold-blooded, doesn't mean that it is always cold.

Think about where you expect warm-blooded (endotherms) and cold-blooded (ectotherms) to live.  Do you think there are many cold-blooded animals in the Arctic? Why or why not?

What would be good about being warm-blooded or cold-blooded? Give me some answers in the comment section below!

Now, for the real fun. These are some of the pets that I have around my house. You let me know if whether I have a warm-blooded (endotherm) or cold-blooded (ectotherm) pet. Put your answers in the comments.

A - Caterpillar

B - Butterfly

C - Dog (Tattoo)

D - Chicken (Dumpling)

E - Cat (Miss Piggy)

To learn more about warm and cold blooded animals, check out the links below. One of them even has infrared pictures that let you "see" an animal's body heat.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/classification/kc_classification_blood.htm

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/ir_zoo/coldwarm.html

Little Brown Bat: Animal Guide Example

 

Animal Trails – Tell Us About Your Animal!

By Ms. Gibb

Which animal did you pick?

Common Name - Little Brown Bat

Scientific Name - Myotis lucifugus

Circle one – MAMMAL – BIRD – REPTILE – AMPHIBIAN – FISHY

What does this animal look like?

The little brown bat is really little. Little brown bats are 3-3 3/4 in. long and weight only ¼ ounce. Their fur is a dark brown color, but their wings are covered by a glossy brown skin. Their ears are also a glossy brown.  There are several species of brown bat in Missouri and you have to look close to tell them apart.

Where can you find this animal? What is its habitat?

When little brown bats are out and flying, they like the edge between open areas (good for flying) and denser areas (good for insects). When winter comes, the bats head for caves and mines in the Ozarks.  The males and females spend the rest of the year roosting apart. They can be found in any protected crack or cranny, from rock walls and trees to attics or shingles of a house!   

What does this animal eat?

Flying insects, they will eat up to half their weight in insects, which makes them good to have around. That is a lot of mosquitos!

What predators does your animal have to avoid?

The little brown bat has many predators. Owls, snakes, bullfrogs, mink, raccoon and rodents, just to name a few.

About how long does your animal live in the wild?

They can live up to 34 years, but very few do.

What things could your animal leave behind for a hiker to find? (Tracks, nest, scat, etc.)

Bats leave behind guano, which is the term used for their scat.  The guano brings nutrients from the outside into caves. Humans even use it as fertilizer!

I got my information from the Missouri Department of Conservation website and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry website

Science Cat

I would like to introduce everybody to my new cat, Miss Piggy.

 

   Miss Piggy is an Oriental Shorthair. If you click on this link, you can watch a video about the breed. She is 5 years old and weighs 14lbs. If you notice, she also has a shaved area on her back, but that will grow back in time.  We had talked about Miss Piggy in class and I know you were excited to meet her because she is a science cat. She lived in a research lab. The research lab used her in a breeding colony for studies about genetics. She has a coat color that they are interested in; she has a silver coat. Researchers want to know which genes make certain coat colors. Do you have any questions about Miss Piggy?

3D Printing

Hi Everybody,

The science article read in class was all about 3D printing, but I know that it left you with questions.  Here is a video that explains 3D printing:

Printing Cartoon

This next video shows a 3D printer in action and explains a little bit more about it.

Mashable 3D Printing

Ask any more questions you have in the comments and I'll answer whatever I can!

Thanks,
Ms. G

Lungs and Muscles

Hi Everybody,

I had several questions about lungs, muscles, and more. Next time, Science Box is going to focus on BRAIINNNS!

Question 1: Are the lungs and muscles connected?

Your lungs could not work without the help of the muscles surrounding the lungs.  The muscles around the lungs are the diaphragm, intercostal muscles, abdominal muscles, and muscles in the neck and collarbone area.  The intercostal muscles (what a hard science word!) are found between your ribs.  They help you spread or tighten your ribcage which gives or takes away room for your lungs to fill up in your chest.  You can also use your abdominal or stomach muscles to force air out of your lungs, this happens when you are breathing fast, like when you are doing some physical activity.  Muscles are contracting and expanding all over your upper body to help your lungs breathe in air. 

Try this out!  Take a few deep breathes.  See if you can feel movement in your ribcage or in your stomach muscles that are helping you breathe.  

Question 2: Is there anything else in the lungs?

There are small sacs that are called alveoli.  The alveoli are where air is found in the lungs and where the oxygen and carbon dioxide move from the lungs to the blood and back again.

Question 3: What are tendons and ligaments?

Tendons and ligaments are both connective tissue in the human body.  What does all that mean?  That means that tendons and ligaments help connect the parts of a body together.  They are made of Tendons connect muscle to bone or other parts of the body.  So, tendons connect your bicep (upper arm muscle) to your humerus (upper arm bone).  Tendons also connect muscles to other body parts, like the muscles that help move your eye! Ligaments connect bone to bone. Ligaments help connect the bones in your hands and fingers together. 

Question 4: Why can my fingers bend weird?

The ability of fingers to bend funny is called joint hypermobility by doctors.  This phenomena not only happens with your fingers.  Other joints in the human body can also be more flexible than average.

Sources:

http://www.sciences360.com/index.php/tendons-and-ligaments-11440/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19089.htm

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/bones_muscles_joints.html