Animal fact sheet

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this assignment must be done individually

 

Due:  5/12 for Tues Lab Group, 5/14 for Thurs Lab Group

 

Construct a two page Animal Fact Sheet of your favorite animal.  Please read all of the directions very carefully!  (*this assignment can be done in a “pamphlet” format, if you like)

 

For full credit, the Animal Fact Sheet must include all of the following:

 

1:  Name and picture of your favorite animal.  Your favorite animal needs to be a specific species, not an animal grouping, such as dogs or cats.  It cannot also be your pet or a human.  The name should include both common and scientific names.  The picture may be a photograph or hand-drawn, and must be in color.  If possible, you should avoid animals that may be too common and chosen too frequently (ex. panda, lion, bottlenose dolphin), etc (unless you absolutely have to do one of these animals).  If you are not sure your choice is a good one, feel free to email me and ask.

 

  1. A detailed physical description of the animal. For example, color, size (adult vs. juvenile, male vs. female), any unusual or particular features, any similarities to more common animals, any regional differences, etc.  Also, include typical lifespan of the species here.

 

  1. Name and describe specific adaptive traits that this species possesses. These traits can be anatomical, physiological (biochemical), or behavioral traits.  Make sure to explain why these traits are considered to be adaptive.

 

  1. Name and briefly describe an extinct ancestor of this species. The ancestor you name and describe can be a single species, or a group of organisms.  How long has this species been in existence?

 

  1. Preferred habitat of the species, and description of the habitat. In your description, include the ecological role that this species plays in its habitat.  For example, what ecological niche does it fill?

 

  1. Types of preferred food eaten by the species. Also include in your description the types of food it consumes when/if preferred food is scarce.  Is the preferred food currently in high abundance, or is the species presently having a harder time finding food?

 

  1. Typical behavior of the species. Also, any special migration patterns?  Any odd habits?  Include in this section, feeding behavior, social behavior, reproductive behavior, etc.

 

  1. Population status and distribution (range), including worldwide numbers and global distribution. Where is this species most abundantly found?

 

  1. Current status of the species and any threats to the population of the species. Is it a protected species?  Endangered?  Threatened?  In this section, include what can be done to protect and preserve this species.

 

Some tips for this assignment:

 

1)  You can do this assignment as a short paper, or you can answer all the questions in bullet point form.  Either format you choose, make sure to be detailed and explanatory, be concise and specific.

 

2)  Make the Animal Fact Sheet organized and neat.  Cluttered fact sheets are often difficult to understand.  Section headings are recommended.

 

3)  Usage of color in pictures and fonts would be a plus.  Creativity counts for this activity.  Make sure to make good usage of space in the two pages.  Make sure to limit the assignment to two pages!

 

4)  The goal of the project is to construct a fact sheet that would inform others about your favorite animal species.  Feel free to include other information not stated above, that you think is important to the species.  You final version should make people want to read and learn more about that animal.

 

If you have any questions regarding this assignment, please don’t hesitate to ask!

 

*Technical specs, like font size and type, margin, I will leave that up to you.  How well you make use of the two pages will be part of your assessment!