Master of Migration and Hibernation

Welcome Masters! Your role in this special Presidential mission is very important. To help your team figure out the characteristics of the mystery animal, you need to investigate the possible migration and hibernation habits that it may have developed over the past 1000 years.

Your first assignment is to investigate what makes animals migrate and the difference between long and short distance migration. To find out information about migration visit this site:

Nature Works: Migration
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep4.htm

Make sure you try the quiz once you've explored all parts of this exciting page!

 

There are several different types of Migration. Visit this site and learn more about all of the different kinds:

Migration Basics
http://www.nps.gov/akso/ParkWise/Students/ReferenceLibrary/general/MigrationBasics.htm

After studying these animals: Arctic Tern, Monarch Butterfly, Caribou, American Robin, Bighorn Sheep, Atlantic Salmon, crabs, sea turtles, frogs and toads on the last site, categorize them into the four major groups of migration that you just read about on your migration worksheet:

Seasonal Migration
Migration that corresponds with the change in seasons. Most migration fall within this category. Many altitudinal, longitudinal, latitudinal, and reproductive migrations take place when the seasons change.

Latitudinal Migration
The movement of animals north and south. By moving north and south, animals are changing their climate. In the northern hemisphere, the winters are colder as you move north and warmer as you move south. On the other hand, summers in the north can be rich in food, especially in the far north where summers are short, but the days are very long.

Altitudinal Migration
The movement of animals up and down major land features such as mountains. While food may be plentiful in alpine meadows in summer, the winters will be colder and have more snow as you move higher up. Many animals take advantage of the summers, and then move to lower more moderate elevations during the winter.

Reproductive Migration
The movement of animals to bear young. The area may be safer for the young because of fewer predators or more shelter from predators. In other cases, the area is safer because the animal requires a different type of habitat when it is young than when it is older.

 

Hibernation is another factor that you have to take into consideration that the mystery animal could have undergone over the past 1000 years. Visit these two sites and listen to the stories as you follow along with the text.

Hibernation
http://www.earthsky.com/shows/shows.php?t=20021231

Hibernators
http://www.earthsky.com/shows/edgeshow.php?t=20031203

Now that you have explored some of the things that help animals to hibernate and what different kinds of hibernation are, compare the ways in which true hibernators differ from deep sleepers on your hibernation worksheet. Be sure to give some examples of animals that fall under each category.