Use the links below to gather the following information about a wild animal of your choice:
Animal:
Classification: mammal, reptile, amphibian, bird, fish
Endangered Status:
Habitat: describe where they live. Be specific.
Diet: tell what they eat. Be specific.
Lifespan: on average, how long they live.
Size: how big (long, tall) they get.
Weight: how heavy they get.
Appearance: describe what they look like. Is there a difference between male and female?
Reproduction:
Do they birth young or lay eggs?
Gestation period: how long they carry their young or sit on the eggs.
How many young do they have at one time?
What are the young called?
How long do the young stay with the parent?
List at least 3 more facts about your animal:
National Geographic: Animal Pictures and Facts
A-Z Anmals - Animal Facts, Pictures, and Resources
Animal Corner - Animal Facts, Information, and Pictures
Animal Fact Guide - Animal Facts for Kids
Softschools - Animal Facts for Kids
Animals - Fun Science for Kids
Marine Mammals - MarineBio.org
Create a New Animal:
Congratulations! You are an Animal Biologist on the verge of the biggest discovery of your career. You and your team have been following the tracks of, what you are sure is, a new animal species. You have been running tests and have been observing the animal in its natural habitat. You are so excited since you have just captured the first image of this never before seen animal. You are now ready to share the news with the world! Since you are the first person to document this new species, you even get to name the animal.
Task: Use the Switch Zoo website to create a "New Animal" in its habitat. Your new animal should be a mix of at least 2-3 animals. After you create your new animal, save the picture or take a screen shot of the new animal and insert it into a Microsoft Word document. Write a story telling about your new animal.
*Don't forget to name your new animal.
Here are some examples of what you want to include in your story about your animal:
What animals is your animal a mix of?
Where was this new animal discovered?
Where does your animal live?
What do the different animal parts do for your animal?
What does your animal eat?
How big does your animal get?
Is your animal aggressive or friendly?
Be creative! The minimum length story requirement will be set by your classroom teacher.
To save a picture: Right click on the picture and choose "save picture/image as"
To take a screen shot of the picture: Press the "Fn" and "Print Screen" button on the keyboard and then paste the picture into the document.
Hybrid Animal Project:
You have created a fictional hybrid animal and told its story. Now you will research real hybrid animals (yes, there are real ones!) and tell its story.
One of the best known hybrid animals is the mule or hinny. Humans bred mules to serve a certain purpose. Mules cannot reproduce, we only get mules when we mix 2 different animals.
Task: Use the websites listed below or Google search to find a real hybrid animal. You will then identify certain characteristics and unique facts about the animal.
Mixing Things Up - 11 Amazing Hybrid Animals
Hybrid Animal Facts
Some things you will want to research:
What is the hybrid animal called?
What 2 animals are mixed to create the hybrid?
Did humans create the hybrid or is this a hybrid found in nature?
Was there a purpose to creating the hybrid?
Can the hybrid reproduce?
What is your opinion of mixing animals to create hybrids? If humans created the hybrid, should we? Why or why not?
You should write a 2 paragraph paper and include three images. The images should be: the hybrid animal and one of each of the animals that makes up the hybrid.