Mammal Study

Mammal Study

Merit Badge Requirements

1) Explain the meaning of "animal," "invertebrate," "vertebrate," and "mammal." Name three characteristics that distinguish mammals form all other animals.

2) Explain how the animal kingdom is classified. Explain where mammals fit in the classification of animals. Classify three mammals from phylum through species.

3) Do ONE of the following:

A) Spend 3 hours in each of two different kinds of natural habitats or at different elevation. List the different mammal species and individual members that you identified by sight or sign. Tell why all mammals do not live in the same kind of habitat.

B) Spend 3 hours on each of 5 days on at least a 25-acre area. List the mammal species you identified by sight or sign.

C) From study and reading, write a simple history of one non-game mammal that lives in your area. Tell how this mammal lived before its habitat was affected in any way by man. Tell how it reproduces, what it eats, what eats it, and its natural habitat. Describe its dependency upon plants, upon other animals (including man), and how they depend upon it. Tell how it is helpful or harmful to man.

4) Do ONE of the following:

A) Under the guidance of a nature center or natural history museum, make two study skins of rats or mice. Tell the uses of study skins and mounted specimens respectively.

B) Take good pictures of two kinds of mammals in the wild. Record light conditions, film used, exposure, and other factors, including notes on the activities of the pictured animals.

C) Write a life history of a native game mammal that lives in your area, covering the points outlined in requirement 3C. List sources for this information.

D) Make a bait and tracking pit. Report what mammals and other animals came to the bait.

E) Visit a natural history museum. Report on how specimens are prepared and cataloged. Explain the purposes of museums.

F) Write a report of 500 words on a book about a mammal species.

G) Trace two possible food chains of carnivorous mammals from soil through four stages to the mammal.

5) Work with your counselor, select and carry out one project that will influence the numbers of one or more mammals.

Worksheet Created by: Rob Greenland – 245 East 925 South – Layton, Utah 84041 – robgreenland@juno.com

Requirement 1

Explain the meaning of the following terms:

Animal: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Invertebrate: _________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vertebrate: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mammal: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List 3 characteristics that distinguish mammals form all other animals:

1) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Requirement 2

Explain how the animal kingdom is classified: ______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where do mammals fit in the classification of animals? _______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Classify three mammals from phylum through species:

Mammal: _______________________ Classification: ___________________________________________________________

Requirement 3

You have been given three options for this requirement. Select and complete one of them.

If you selected Option A:

Spend 3 hours in each of two different kinds of natural habitats or at different elevation.

Describe each of the two areas or elevations that you spent 3 hours in:

Area/Elevation 1: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Area/Elevation 2: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List the different mammal species and individual members that you identified by sight or sign:

_________________________ _________________________ _________________________

Why don’t all mammals live in the same kind of habitat? _____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you selected Option B:

Spend 3 hours on each of 5 days on at least a 25-acre area.

Describe the 25-Acre area that you used for this requirement: __________________________________________________________

List the mammal species you identified by sight or sign.

_________________________ _________________________ _________________________

If you selected Option C:

From study and reading, write a simple history of one non-game mammal that lives in your area.

What mammal have you chosen to write your report about? _________________________________________________________

What is the natural habitat of this mammal? ________________________________________________________________________

What does this mammal eat? ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What eats this mammal? _______________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How does it reproduce? ________________________________________________________________________________________

How did this mammal live before man affected its habitat? ____________________________________________________________

How is it dependent upon plants, other animals and man? Also how are those things dependent upon this mammal? ______________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How is this mammal helpful or harmful to man? ____________________________________________________________________

Requirement 4

You have been given seven options for this requirement. Select and complete one of them.

If you selected Option A:

Under the guidance of a nature center or natural history museum, make two study skins of rats or mice. Give a brief summary of how you made each skin and a description of each:

Skin 1: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Skin 2: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tell the uses of study skins and mounted specimens respectively.

Study skin uses: ______________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mounted specimen uses: _______________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you selected Option B:

Take good pictures of two kinds of mammals in the wild. Record light conditions, film used, exposure, and other factors, including notes on the activities of the pictured animals:

Fill in the following for each photograph taken:

Mammal: ___________________________________ Mammal: ___________________________________

Light Conditions: _____________________________ Light Conditions: _____________________________

Film Used: __________________________________ Film Used: __________________________________

Exposure: ___________________________________ Exposure: ___________________________________

Other: ______________________________________ Other: ______________________________________

Activities of Mammal: _________________________ Activities of Mammal: _________________________

____________________________________________ ____________________________________________

If you selected Option C:

Write a life history of a native game mammal that lives in your area, covering the points outlined in requirement 3c. List your sources for this information.

Native Game Animal: ___________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sources: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you selected Option D:

Make a bait and tracking pit.

Tell how and where you made your bait-tracking pit: _________________________________________________________________

List the mammals and other animals that came to the bait:

_______________________________________ _______________________________________

If you selected Option E:

Visit a natural history museum. Museum Visited: _____________________________________________ Date: _________

Report on how specimens are prepared and cataloged: ________________________________________________________________

What are the purposes of museums? ______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you selected Option F:

Write a report of 500 words on a book about a mammal species.

Use the following area to take notes when reading your book, then on a separate piece of paper write a 500 word report about the mammal species you read about: _________________________________________________________________________________

If you selected Option G:

Trace two possible food chains of carnivorous mammals from soil through four stages to the mammal.

Mammal: _________________________________ Mammal: _________________________________

Possible Food Chain One Possible Food Chain Two

Stage 1: __________________________________ Stage 1: __________________________________

Stage 2: __________________________________ Stage 2: __________________________________

Stage 3: __________________________________ Stage 3: __________________________________

Stage 4: __________________________________ Stage 4: __________________________________

Requirement 5

Work with your counselor, select and carry out one project that will influence the numbers of one or more mammals.

What project did you and your counselor do? _______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What mammals did or will your project influence? ___________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe what types of influences your project had or will have on the mammals: __________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________