Friday, May 15, 2015

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!


1 comment:

  1. That is very interesting I didn't know that! 😃
    I will keep checking the science blog!😃

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