Cited: Hass C, Valenzuela D. 2002. Anti-predator benefits of group living in white-nosed coatis (Nausa narica). Behav Ecol Sociobiol. 51:570-578…
Chapter 9 begins by describing the views of Roosevelt and a hunter. The theories by these two individuals illustrated that not all answers are black and white. It is obvious that coloration plays an important role in animal interaction and evolution. Chapter 9 focuses on the evolution of one color: black. This Chapter highlights the evolution of black coloration in jaguars, birds, pocket mice, fruit flies, and a handful of domestic species.…
The adaptations of both predators and prey tend to be refined through natural selection; Some prey gain protection through camouflage and mimicry…
In order to help assess the impact of the challenging conservation work associated with red squirrels, grey squirrel management is being backed up by scientific monitoring and research. Other efforts are concentrating on the habitat of the red squirrel and attempts at designing and managing forests which would deter grey squirrels and encourage red squirrels. Buffer zones are being set-up around areas where red squirrels exist and there is continued monitoring and education. Another animal the pine martin has turned up and it has been observed that in the areas where this animal now roams there are fewer grey squirrels. This has led to the speculation that pine martens could act as a natural biological control and red squirrels will return and begin to flourish once again in these…
Sowbugs live in wet locations. They are found under damp objects or in organic garbage. If they enter a building, they will often dry out and die. The purpose of this experiment was to observe the trend of sowbug preference. Our hypothesis was that sowbugs prefer grass to sand as a ground covering because grass is more suitable to them due to its moisture level and that it contains decaying matter. In this experiment, we put 20 sowbugs into a container filled half with sand, and half with grass and documented their preference. The results of this experiment show that sowbugs prefer sand to grass. There are many factors that can affect the preference of the bug. Some factors including the following: species, diurnal rhythms, time of the experiment, and oxygen concentration.…
Introduction: The broader context of this lab was aimed at observing animals and documenting specific animal behavior patterns. Specifically, we were trying to determine if squirrels applied snakeskin randomly to certain areas of their body or if there was a specific technique to it in relation to escaping their predators. After an animal has determined that a predator is nearby, it must then take action to avoid encountering this threat. Encounters are most easily avoided by preventing predators from detecting prey in the first instance (Rosier & Langklide, 2011), for squirrels this type of behavior is known as SSA, “snake scent application”. In this lab we wanted to study two different species of squirrels, S. beecheyi and S. variegatus, in order to evaluate if SSA can be deemed as a species specific type of behavior. My hypothesis was that squirrels applied the snake skin scent to specific parts of their body in an organized manner. The null hypothesis is that squirrels apply the snake skin scent randomly to parts of their body. My prediction of my hypothesis was that squirrels apply the snake skin scent to body parts that they find prove to be advantageous when trying to escape their predators.…
Also, the color of their fur helps hide them away from…
This lab’s purpose is to help differentiate kinesis and taxis movements. These movements are seen throughout all animals and they help us learn how animals react to a stimulus. In order to see how animals react to certain environments, we set up four tests and used pillbugs as our specimen. Through these four experiments, we were able to conclude that the pillbugs liked dark, damp, sheltered and hot spaces as oppose to light, dry, open and cold areas. This was concluded because, as shown in Tables/Figures 1, 2, 3, 4; the bugs seemed to congregate in the dark, damp, sheltered and hot chambers mostly. However, for a few minutes in each of the experiment, the bugs did not respond in the way we had hypothesized. This…
The sand shark is very important to my tribe, and I shall tell you why. Once, a very long time ago, a group of hunters were looking for animals for food and supplies. The eldest, and wisest, said “We must continue hunting! Do not lose hope!” Suddenly a squirrel scampered across a cedar branch. The youngest was quick, he raised his bow, arrow drawn, and shot. The squirrel was too quick, the arrow missed. Several days later, hunger spread throughout the village. The three hunters had failed to collect enough food for the winter. Many died, some went mad with starvation. One day in winter, the hunters had no choice but to hunt. After several hours, they noticed that one spot of water had not frozen. The hunters made the decision to go fishing.…
In my opinion, the essay provided good compelling evidence showing how rodents, when face with multiple predators their activity seem to reduce in numbers…
The Farallon Islands aviary wildlife is under attack and something needs to be done about it. The Farallon Islands are a chain of islands about 28 miles west off the coast of San Francisco. They are used by by hundreds of seabirds for feeding, nesting, and breeding. In fact these islands have a greater variety of bird species than almost any other place in the world. The problem is that mice have overrun the island eating the bird eggs and killing the young birds. Some areas are so densely populated with mice that the biologists on the island say that sometimes the ground seems to move (Frimrite, Peter 1). There are three suggested solutions to the problem so far. One solution would be to do nothing. Another would be to use a less potent poison such as Diphacinone but distribute it often and for a long period of time. The final option would be to use an extremely potent poison such as Brodifacoum and distribute it for a shorter period of time and less often. In this paper we will look at the second option of using a less potent poison and try and determine whether this would be the best approach.…
To listen to the music of the wilderness, is to listen to the howl of the wolf. Man may never fully understand the composer, nor his passion behind each note, but the aura of mystery that surrounds him will forever fill our dreams with wonder and adventure. For centuries, wolves have carried their melodies on a small island in northern Lake Superior, known as Isle Royale. Completely cut off from the mainland, Isle Royale is extremely isolated, with only a handful of human structures and trails. The wolves who reside on the island are not alone, however, accompanied by a native of the cervidae family, the moose (Peterson). Together, these two species, combined with the remote nature of Isle Royale, produce one of the most incredible ecological relationships in the world. Their lives deeply intertwined, the moose and wolves share a unique predator-prey relationship. The moose consume the raw flora of the island, and the wolves feed on the moose without competition from other predators. The distribution of both species is limited to the islands shores, which creates a highly controlled setting. Such an incredible scenario has drawn the attention of biologists and ecologists from around the world. Beginning in 1958 and continuing to present day, the Isle Royale Research Project has intensively researched, documented, and monitored the interaction between the wolf and moose free of human presence (Peterson). The island is the perfect location for a study. In essence the island itself acts as a controlled laboratory, and the researchers can observe the interaction between the species away from human impact.…
Isle Royale National Park would become a natural laboratory to study the predator prey relationship between wolves and moose. The park is free of roads, development and hunting. These conditions created a rare opportunity to research the moose and wolves inhabiting the island, in a nearly untouched environment.…
If either the deer or mice populations were reduced, then the whole environment would be affected. If the mice population were reduced then the predators that feed mainly on mice like birds of prey would drop, and grains that mice feed on would increase. If the deer population decreased then the predators of deer, like wolves, would decrease as well.…
Each and every day there is an animal that walks within the shadows of humans. It often goes unnoticed by most humans, but their population is growing at alarming rates. Many wildlife biologists have said that this animal is the new top predator in the United States. That animal would be the Coy-wolf - a new four-legged hybrid cross between the Western Coyote and the Eastern wolf. With adaptive instincts from the early generations of the Western Coyote and the large skeletal and frame size of the Eastern Wolf, the Coy-wolf is a very new and dangerous species. Rather than preying on smaller animals like a coyote would do, the coy-wolf has the ability to target animals like deer, young moose, and other mid sized animals. With the ability to learn…