Written by Mrs. Yollis, Elie, Nolan, Rose, Brianna, Dylan B., and Josh
As part of our animal adaptation science unit, Beverly Critcher from Wildlife Experience
brought two wild animals to Mrs. Yollis' class for careful scientific observation. She brought a hedgehog and a gopher snake.
brought two wild animals to Mrs. Yollis' class for careful scientific observation. She brought a hedgehog and a gopher snake.
Wildlife Experience is a non-profit wildlife education organization that brings native and exotic animals to schools and teaches children about the importance of our natural world. Here is Ms. C., the owner of Wildlife Experiences.
Before we met the animals, we learned about a food chain.
What is a food chain?
What is a food chain?
A food chain is basically the circle of life. It always starts with a plant, which means herbivores (plant eaters) are on the bottom of the food chain. Then a predator comes and eats that herbivore and gets all the energy. Then another animal comes and eats that animal and gets all the energy. Soon, we have an animal that no other animal eats. That animal is the top of the food chain. An animal that eats another animal is called a carnivore. Animals that eat plants and meat are called omnivores.
When animals die, they decompose and make the soil nutritious, or better. That is the circle of life. A food chain can be formed in any habitat of the world. For instance, there are food chains in the oceans, savannas, and rainforests.
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Hedgehog
Here is a photo of some baby hedgehogs. Aren't they cute!
See this short video of Tucker!
Hedgehogs are mammals, but also considered as rodents. They are also insectivores. That means they eat a lot of bugs!
Hedgehogs have really cool adaptations. First of all, they use their quills (physical adaptation) to protect themselves. When the predator runs into the hedgehog, the predator gets the quills stuck into their face. The hedgehog backs up to make the quills go into the body even further. Ouch! But don't worry, the quills are made of the same thing as your hair and your nails, which is keratin. It grows back, just like you!
When a hedgehog sees a predator coming, it curls up into a ball. That is called a behavioral adaptation.
Can you guess which African animal is afraid of the porcupine? It is a big animal, a big type of cat. Do you know it yet? You might be surprised, but it is a lion! Can you believe that a big lion would be scared of such a tiny creature? When a lion gets quills in his face, they hurt. Look at this photo of Mr. Shareski's dog. How can you tell that Clementine was interested in a porcupine?
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| Photo by Mr. Shareski |
Are hedgehogs and porcupines born with quills? YES, they are. They are soft, but they turn hard and become stiff and dangerous.
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Gopher Snake
Next Miss C brought out a reptile. We know that reptiles are cold-blooded, are vertebrates, and hatch from eggs. The reptile she brought was a gopher snake. Like all snakes, it has lungs, no eyelids, and smelled through his tongue. Watch it flick its forked tongue.
Some snakes are venomous like the rattlesnake, cobra, or black mamba. When looking for a meal, they wait, strike, and wait some more. When the animal dies, the snake opens his mouth and swallows the prey whole.
Constrictors are snakes that do not have poison. Some examples are king snakes, boas, and corn snakes. Constrictors squeeze their prey until it dies and then consume it.
Ms. C showed us a gopher snake. A gopher snake looks just like rattlesnakes, especially from a distance. It has a body pattern that looks like a rattlesnake's, and it hopes that confusion will keep you away! It will shake the tail and the rustling will sound like a rattler. This behavioral adaptation might save its life. We got to touch the snake with two fingers. What did it feel like to you?
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| Photo by Mrs. Yollis |
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| Photo by Mrs. Yollis |
As snakes grow, they shed in one long piece.
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| Photo by Mrs. Yollis |
Lizards shed in pieces and then eat the skin. This behavioral adaptation helps get rid of evidence. Lizards don't want predators to know they are around.
Gopher snakes live up to 30 years in captivity. This snake is perhaps 24 years old.
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Why is the snake called a gopher snake?
What does a gopher snake eat?
Is it an herbivore, a carnivore, or an omnivore?
What does a snake feel like?
Why is the hedgehog born with soft quills?
Which animal was your favorite?
Research on Worldbook Online and share some new facts!
Give 3-6 animal food chain. Start with a plant.
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