Natural History Goat Notes
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Lecture 1Introduction Course Advice Photographs in textbook – know namesIncreased detailed – know wellBrief listing – not as importantMidterm – 110 questionsFinal – 180 questionsQuick FactsMoose go angry – ears go backBull moose antlers during mating season make it hear betterBeavers sleep on backAnimals included mammals, reptile, amphibians, birds, insects, etc. (included a broad spectrum)Harvester butterfly – only carnivorous caterpillar, otherwise eat leaves (caterpillars are young moths or butterflies)Hummingbird pollinator of cardinal flowersNatural history is the interaction between plants and animalsPollinationExploitation And interactions between animalsNatural history is the real worldNatural history is the observation of living plants and animals – flora (plants) and fauna (animals) – and their interactions. It is an observational science Someone with a general interest in natural history is a naturalistAnimal Defences – AppearancesCamouflage – is concealment, meaning the thing is hidden from the observer.- Background matching – is hiding by matching the surrounding area.- Sparrows have vertical lines on their body to help them blend into theirbackground, such as meadowlands.- American Bittern camouflages using Background Matching in grassy environments such as marches (have stripes on their bodies and put their beak up) – there response is to freeze, whether in background or out in the open- Crypsis – is hiding by not moving.- Female Spruce Grouse camouflages using cryptic AND backgroundmatching- Eastern Screech Owl uses Crypsis AND Background matching- Mimicry is copying the background of something. – Gray Tree Frog camouflage by changing their color to match their background,and is a Bark MimicSeasonal Color – is changing an animal’s color to match the appropriate season’sbackground.- Change Snowshoe Hares / Varying Hare change from brown to white forwinter, being pure white for winter, changing color to help them hide.Two names for plants and animals:Common nameScientific name – founded by Linnaeus Every naturalist has the same singular thought – what the heck is this?
Dictionary definition of a naturalist: one who mas a special study of animals or plants (a less prĂ©cis term than zoologist, biologist, etc.)Not required to know items in list belowHerpetologist: study amphibians and reptilesMammologist: study mammalsBotanist: study plantsEntomologist: study insectsDipterist: study fliesLepidopterist: study butterflies and mothsColeopterist: study beetlesOrnithologist: study birds (or birder)Malcaologist: study slugs and snailsNaturalist: general interest, look at everythingChapter 1: Staying AliveDefences: chemical, visual or physical, appearancesCamouflage = concealmentHabitat: special set of plants and fiscal area that the animal calls home, everyone has certain shapes associated that allow for certain concealment to take placeGrasslands (fields, meadows) have: vertical lines – a lot of sparrows (savannah, song, etc.) live in this kind of habitat as they have streaks of vertical lines on their body to help them blend in the background – this kind of camouflage is called background matching and only works if the animals stays still (needs to be cryptic)Crypsis: the avoidance of detection by combining motionless behavior with some form of camouflageCattail marsh – vertical lines galore; know the American Bittern – exemplifies background matchingSome habitats have vertical lines, and animals have matching lines to blend in; background matchingAnimals on the bottom of the forest floor – i.e. Ruffed Grouse – has a blotchy patterns and matches blotchy pattern of light on forest floor, important for ground nesting birds (i.e. stays near tree to look like tree root)Spruce grouse – male leaves, female carries on own – Female Spruce Grouse – a few meters away can hardly see sitting in nestFrom Jasper White-tailed Ptarmigan; male easier to see, however female has more grey and is more difficult (blends with rock) – patter of white and black on rock blendsBackground matching: matching the environment next to you and not moving when you employ you coloration to help blend inWhite tailed fawn deer– spots would be a good form of concealment in woodland forest Tree trunk  – Eastern Screech-Owl has the same pattern as the bark, hidden to not be attacked by blue jays or crowsGray-tree frog in tree cavity, common locally, night active, climb trees, they can change colours from grey to green to match tree, half their body water turns to ice in water, become frog ice cubes in winter – they also have blotchy patternThey have background matching and bark mimicResembling bark = MimicBackgrounds can change with the season Snowshoe hare (varying hare) change in late fall from brown to white, so pure white by winterSometimes patterns that can create concealment or whole appearance of the animal can become a certain color to come in