Guide 7 Behaviors
Resources
Additional activities, a behind-the-scenes gallery, recommended books, and more.
About this Guide
Animals for Children
I was raised with ducks, for some reason they were all named “Ducky Blair,” and I have strong memories of their care especially being nipped repeatedly during feeding time. Pressure is always on parents to get pets for their kids, to teach responsibility, animal life stages, and more. After a lifetime with animals, I’m a firm believer that first pets like mealy worm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) or Triops teach skills and concepts, and once children find the smallest animals fascinating, they have a world of wonder ahead.
Lesley
Additional Activities
Build a Farm
Well, the ants will actually do most of the work. Ants can be purchased through the mail in many regions, and only the sterile worker females are shipped to avoid accidental introduction into the wild. Ants are not typically long-lived, but with care, primarily maintaining moisture while avoiding mold, you can extend their adult life span considerably.
Social Animals
Many of the tropical bird species kept as pets flock in large numbers in a wild. Even if they pair bond and separate from the large group for breeding, they often rejoin the group at other times. Most birds kept as pets retain many behavioral (and structural) traits as their wild ancestors. This leads to a conflict: bird owners want to keep their often long-lived pets as healthy and comfortable as possible, but birds are expensive, sometimes loud, and not always socialized with other birds prior to adoption. A bird can be a significant commitment and assistance from enthusiasts, clubs, and online communities may yield helpful information and support.
Pet Store Field Trip
If you are in a city or do not have time to head out into the field, pet stores offer amazing opportunities for observations and inferences related to animal structure and behaviors. Now that so many people have smart phones, few stores now limit photography or videos, although it may be polite to ask. Of course the issue develops, that you may want to adopt them all :).
New Vistas
Animals often live in areas that humans have difficulty accessing, like coastal birds nesting on rocky outcroppings. Investing is optical equipment like binoculars or a telephoto lens immerses you in the animal’s habitat safely, with minimal impact on the animals themselves. It is an investment, but equipment can last for many years.
Just for Fun
Birds exhibit some of the most elaborate structures and behaviors related to mating. Zoos are now including more aviaries and outdoor bird venues to attract visitors.
This macro video shows guppy iridescence and the strong variation of colors and patterns that female guppies can see but is more difficult for us to detect without magnification.
Behind-the-Scenes
Interpretive Centers
We are historically cheap when it comes to paying for outdoor experiences, but have changed our tune now that we are collecting media for this course and are benefiting from information at parks and refuges.
Park Excursions
Some of our favorite photos and videos have been coming from parks where people have been regularly feeding an/or sheltering the animals. The ability to get close to human habituated animals almost feels like cheating.
Recommended Books
A used animal behavior textbook is a good starting place if you want to learn more about animal behavior research.
Guppies are a great starter fish that are relatively easy to maintain and breed.
Birds bring animals behaviors directly to our parks and yards: find out what they are up to.
Build a Library
Whether its digital or print, collect resources that assist in exploring, describing, and explaining the natural world.
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7: Behaviors