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Background
Migration is a risky business. Animals face countless challenges and risk
their lives when they migrate. So why do they do it? Select one of the
Journey North species. Try to find the answer to each of the questions
below. Notice that all of the questions relate to survival, either of
the individual animal or its offspring. By carefully exploring what an
animal needs in order to stay alive — or in order to reproduce so
its young can live — you can discover how migration relates to survival.
You may also be able to predict when your animal will take its journey.
| Distribution/Range | |
| ___ | Where is your animal found in the winter months? In the summer months? |
| ___ | Describe its habitat on its wintering grounds. |
| ___ | Describe its habitat on its summering grounds. |
| ___ | If the habitat is different, in what ways is it different? |
| ___ | How much do temperatures change during the year on the animal?s wintering grounds? |
| ___ | How much do temperatures change during the year on the animals? summering grounds? |
| ___ | Are there large areas where each kind of habitat is available in the north? |
| ___ | Are there large areas where each kind of habitat is available south of the U.S.-Mexican border? |
| ___ | Compare the amount of habitat available north and south of the border |
| ___ | Does this animal follow the same migration patterns (timing and route) every year? |
| ___ | Do virtually all the individuals of this species migrate? |
| Food | |
| ___ | What does this animal eat? (What is its prey?) |
| ___ | How does this animal get its food? (What are its methods of feeding or hunting?) |
| ___ | What physical adaptations does this animal have for obtaining its food? |
| ___ | What behavioral adaptations does this animal have for obtaining its food? |
| ___ | How might cold weather affect this animal?s ability to obtain food? |
| ___ | What does its prey eat? If its prey is plants, what do these plants require? |
| ___ | What preys on it? |
| ___ | Draw a food chain showing your animal?s place(s) on it. |
| ___ | Which links on this food chain are affected by cold weather? Freezing temperatures? |
| ___ | What links on this food chain are affected by increasing photoperiod? |
| Physiology | |
| ___ | How would cold weather affect this animal? |
| ___ | How would freezing temperatures affect it? |
| ___ | How would hot temperatures affect it? |
| ___ | How would drought affect it? |
| ___ | How would temperatures affect the amount of food this animal needs? |
| Reproduction | |
| ___ | How does this animal select a mate? |
| ___ | When does this animal mate? |
| ___ | Where does this animal mate? |
| ___ | Does this animal need special habitat, food, or temperatures to mate? |
| ___ | When are its young born or hatched? |
| ___ | Where are its young born or hatched? |
| ___ | Do the young need special habitat or temperatures in order to survive? |
| ___ | What do the young eat? Is this different from their parents? diet? |
| ___ | What quantities of food do the parents need in order to feed their offspring? |
| ___ | How long does this animal live? |
| ___ | Do all age groups (young and old) migrate? |
Conclusion
- Why do you think your animal migrates?
- When do you predict it will migrate? Why?
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