Flighty Friends
Name this red bird known for its local sports team.
Northern Cardinal.
A MO native reptile best known for its hard shell and ability to close it completely into a 'box'.
Box turtle.
A mammal known for getting into trash.
Raccoon.
Often found on the sidewalk after it rains.
Worms.
Even though its a fish, its name is shared with another animal with whiskers.
Catfish.
Missouri's state bird.
Eastern bluebird.
Type of snake known for hanging around near gardens.
Garter snake.
This mammal is famous for its ability to play dead!
Opossum.
Many cartoons show this animal near picnics to find food leftovers.
Ants.
This popular sport fish is named after its big mouth.
Large mouth bass.
A bird commonly known for its blue appearance and angry call.
Blue jay.
Eastern American toad.
This animal will raise its tail and stomp its feet when it feels threatened!
Skunk.
This brown arachnid is known for being somewhat 'shy' and venomous.
Brown recluse.
A fish known for its long snout of spiny teeth.
Gar.
This shore bird has very long legs and a blue-gray body.
Great blue heron.
This venomous reptile shares its name with the metal found in pennies.
Copperhead snake.
This playful weasel species is often found in rivers around MO.
River otter.
Best known for its orange and black coloring, this butterfly traveling to Mexico every year.
Paddlefish.
The Northern Cardinal and the House Sparrow both eat the same seeds. If the Sparrow population triples, what 'Cause and Effect' might occur in the Cardinal population?
Cardinal populations might decrease because they have to share more resources with the sparrows
A Copperhead snake likes to eat mice. If a new neighborhood is built and all the mice disappear, will the Copperhead population grow or shrink? Why?
The population will shrink because no mice = no food.
The opossum is a "Generalists" that eat bugs, fruit, and trash. If a disease kills all the crickets in a field, why does the Opossum population stay stable while a "Specialist" (that only eats crickets) crashes?
Because they have access to multiple food resources, the loss of one doesn't limit their survival.
The Monarch Butterfly depends on nectar from flowers for 'fuel' during its migration. If a frost kills all the spring flowers, what is the cause, and what is the effect on the Monarchs?
Loss of food resources (Cause), the population cannot complete its migration/reproduction. (Effect)
Largemouth bass need underwater plants or logs to hide and hunt. If a lake is cleared of all plants and logs, what happens to the Bass population?
Decreases. A critical shelter resource has been removed, making them easy prey for other large fish and unable to hunt.