In your Science Notebooks...

Did you get a chance to answer any of the journal questions in your science notebooks? Hopefully you did. First the question, “What makes a mammal a mammal?” Some of the characteristics that distinguish them are: mammary glands, sweat glands, a covering of hair, jaw articulation, ear anatomy, live birth, (or reproductive specialization), a diaphragm, and a soft palate for breathing and chewing. Some other important features are: specialized teeth for grinding and highly developed brains.

Now another important question…Why look for scat (poop)? There are many reasons it is important to locate and identify mammal droppings. The most obvious reason is that it tells us which animals reside, or at least “use” a certain area. Another reason is that it gives us an idea of population size, based on how many droppings (or piles of droppings in the case of deer) that we find. One more reason is that it can tell us about what an animal eats, and where it falls in the food chain. If scientists take a closer look at a scat sample they may also examine DNA or possibly parasite detection.

One interesting thing I learned about (white-tailed) deer is that they often contain a parasitic brain worm called a nematode. Although this parasite is not lethal to the deer, it is often lethal to the moose with which they compete. They way the moose contract the nematode is a bit complicated, but I would be happy to explain this further if anyone is interested.