Nature Net’s Pre- and Post-Field Trip Materials

Level: Elementary School

Introduction

North America is rich with different mammals living in many different habitats: forests, swamps, prairies, farms, deserts, oceans and mountains. Mammals are unique in a few ways. They have hair, they have a backbone, they are warm-blooded and they have a four-chambered heart. With the exception of three very unusual species, mammals give birth to fully-developed, live babies, and mothers have mammary glands to produce milk to nurse their young.

Vertebrate: an animal that has a backbone and a central nerve cord that runs through it. Vertebrates are a large group of animals that include sharks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Fur: A covering of hair on the skin that is unique to mammals. Hair serves to protect the skin and insulates the body. Fur can also serve as camouflage. For example, the fur of a newborn fawn is spotted, which helps to blend into the forest floor. Compare the fur of mammals with the scales of fish and reptiles and the feathers of birds.

Habitat: The location or environment in which an organism is commonly found. Habitat is described by topography, geography, climate and other species present. Some mammals are generalists and found in a wide range of habitats; others are specialists and can live in only a very narrow range of habitats. For instance the raccoon is a generalist that thrives in wooded areas, farms, and urban areas whereas the marten is found only in old growth forests.

Hibernation: some mammals, like the woodchuck, enter into hibernation when it gets cold. Hibernation is a time when a mammal lowers its rate of metabolism and lives in a state of stillness, like a long "sleep." Rather than going south, like many birds do, they find a safe, warm place to hole up and spend the winter months. Hibernation takes much preparation, and a lot of time is spent eating so that the mammal will have enough food stores to last most of the winter.

Predator: An animal that hunts another animal.

Prey: An animal that is being hunted.

Adaptation: A change in an animal's body or behavior that help it survive in its environment. An adaptation may be acquired during one’s lifetime through learning, or acquired through genetic changes called mutations. Mutations may be good (helping the animal to survive), neutral (no effect) or bad (decreasing its chance of survival). Adaptations are "good mutations" that enable the animal to survive better in its environment. One example is dogs’ and wolves’ keen sense of smell, which enables them to better notice and catch prey.

Camouflage: An adaptation that allows animals to blend into their environment so that it can hide from its predators.

Carnivore: An animal that eats meat. Wolves, martens and mountain lions are carnivores.

Herbivore: An animal that eats plants. Beavers, rabbits, and deer are herbivores.

Insectivore: An animal that eats insects. Shrews, moles and many bats are insectivores.

 Omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and animals. Bears, raccoons, and humans are examples of omnivores.

Concepts and Issues

Endothermy and Ecothermy: Mammals are endothermic, or "warm-blooded." They can maintain a constant body temperature over time through internal regulation. The fur of mammals helps them in this task by serving as insulation (as do the feathers of birds!) Reptiles, amphibians and fish are ectothermic or "cold-blooded," meaning they cannot internally regulate and maintain a constant body temperature. Their body temperature changes with that of the surrounding climate. Endothermic animals eat much more, and are able to be more active than ectothermic animals.

Classification (or Taxonomy): scientists divide all animals into categories or groups, based on certain features they have in common. This process is called "classification." All animals belong to the kingdom "Animalia." Mammals belong to the phylum "Chordata," because they have a spinal cord; the subphylum "Vertebrata" because they have a backbone; and the class "Mammalia" because they have all the characteristics listed above. ["King Phillip Called Out For Green Spaghetti"… Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species] A rule of thumb is that organisms grouped at one level share more characteristics than those at the next level above. Mammals are often placed into categories based on the type of food they eat, and the number and type of teeth they have.

Dentition: refers to the number, type and arrangement of teeth in an animal. Many mammals are identified according to the characteristics of their dentition. For example, carnivores (like the gray wolf) have incisors and sharp, pointed canine teeth necessary to tear flesh and muscle. Herbivores (like the white-tailed deer) have flat, smooth molars for grinding leaves, grass and such. Omnivores (like the black bear) have a combination of incisors, canines and molars to accommodate both plant and animal food.

Suggested Post-Visit Activities:

• Explore mammals further by playing Mammals on the Move, a fun game that can be found in Ranger Rick's Nature Scope, Amazing Mammals: Part I.
• Brainstorm with your class about mammal adaptations
• Make pictures or plaster casts of mammal tracks
• Have students create a collage of related animal species

Reference and reading

Project Learning Tree Environmental Education Activity Guide. American Forest Foundation, Washington, D.C. 1994.

Ranger Rick’s Nature Scope: Amazing Mammals, Part I. Braus, J., ed. National Wildlife Federation, Washington D.C., 1988.

Stellaluna. Cannon, J. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 1993.

Peterson First Guides: Mammals. Alden, P. and R. P. Grossenheider. Houghton Mifflin, NY, 1987.

Wildlife Forever: CD-Rom Curriculum for Elementary Grades. McCarthy, Ann. US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1998.

Handout: Mammals Game

Instructions: Read the description of a Wisconsin mammal and try to guess what the animal is! Drawings of the mammals are on the sides of the page, and one letter for each has been started for you.

1) I am often called the "Little Bandit" because I raid garbage cans and because it looks like I wear a mask. In addition to garbage, I eat fish, crayfish, insects and fruit. I am a mammal that comes out at night, which means that I am nocturnal. What mammal am I?

__ __ c __ __ __ __

2) I am a black animal with an large white stripe down my back. People tend to be afraid of me because I can spray them with a smelly liquid from under my tail. I am also nocturnal. What mammal am I ?

S __ __ __ __

3) I am a friendly mammal that lives in many areas in Wisconsin, even in cities. I prefer to eat nuts, but will also eat some garbage left behind by people. Sometimes I even raid the bird feeders in people's yards. I have a fluffy tail. What mammal am I ?

__ q __ __ __ __ __ __

4) I am a common Wisconsin mammal and many people hunt me in the fall. I have hooves and if I am a male, I have antlers on my head for part of the year. If I am a female, I give birth to 1-2 spotted fawns each spring. What mammal am I ?

__ e __ __