I hope to use this space to keep track of my online resources.
To begin with, here is a great introductory resource about Mammals, and this is a fun matching game to reinforce the orders and families we'll be learning about. Finally, I will be visiting this website often to find ideas, though I hope to do most of my own research first (mainly because I learn better when I am actively gathering information). Under each mammal, I will list a few of the observations made by my daughter.
Out of all the online information I've been able to find, by far my most valuable resource is my Kaufman's Field Guide to Mammals of North America. Before reading the field guide, I honestly couldn't distinguish between rabbits and hares. Though both come from the order Lagomorpha and the family Leporidae, they are pretty different.
Rabbits, which make up the genus, Sylvilagus, are smaller, carefully build nests in hollows, and birth naked and helpless "kittens" whose eyes are closed.
Hares, which make up the genus Lepus, are larger with bigger ears and legs, and birth well-haired "leverets" whose eyes are fully opened. In fact, little leverets can run shortly after birth, and the form (the word we use for a hare's nest) is only occupied for a very short time. It gets confusing because Jackrabbits are really hares, even though we still call them rabbits. No wonder it's so hard to keep them straight!
I have one other helpful note. In my field Guide the Eastern Cottontail, Marsh Rabbit, and Swamp Rabbit are all classified as Cottontails.
The Black-Tailed and Antelope Jackrabbits are classified as Jackrabbits.
The Snowshoe Hare, White-Tailed Jackrabbit, and Arctic Hare are all classified as Variable Hares (b/c their fur changes from colored in Summer to white in Winter).
Chapters 1: Jenny Wren and Peter and 2: Peter and Jumper
Peter Rabbit
1. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
1. He builds his nest in a carefully hidden spot with grass and fur.
2. He likes the bushy countryside.
3. He eats grass, clover and other green things.
2. Marsh Rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris)
1. He doesn't have hair on his toes.
2. He is fond of swimming and escapes from enemies in water.
3. He has a brownish tail with smaller ears and legs (smaller than the swamp rabbit).
Jumper
3. Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus)
1. Long legs and feet for running in the snow
2. Babies born with hair and open eyes
3. Escapes from enemies by running fast
Wild America has two great series that we've been using to learn about mammals of America. This comes from the Small Game of America series.
Rabbits and Hares of Georgia (since we live in Georgia right now)...
This is a very detailed list of all the different types of rabbits and hares found all over the world, and various links to multiple websites for every type:
Chapter 3: Long-Legged Cousins
1. Swamp Rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus)
Amy Griffin Ouchley even wrote a book called Swamper which includes 12 letters from a Louisiana swamp rabbit. Don't think I'll buy it, but it's a great idea!
1. He is the largest cottontail.
2. He loves to swim, but can also run fast.
3. He has long toes.
2. Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus)
1. If he lives far enough south where the snow melts, then he changes his fur in the Summer.
2. He digs for moss and other green plants under the snow.
3. He lives in the arctic, far north.
White-tailed Jack
3. White-Tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)
1. He has a long tail.
2. He can jump up to 20 feet in one leap.
3. He is the largest rabbit of the family.
4. Black-Tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)
1. He jumps higher every 10th jump in order to look around and scan for predators.
2. His ears are very large.
3. He looks a lot like the antelope jackrabbit.
Antelope Jack
5. Antelope Jackrabbit (Lepus alleni)
I found this beautiful American Museum of Natural History coloring book. It features seven different mammals, but one page is dedicated to the black-tailed and antelope jackrabbits. We'll use this as one of our coloring pages.
Chapter 4: Chatterer and Happy Jack Join
We are moving from the order Lagomorpha to the order Rodentia. Burgess actually clumps rabbits and hares in with the order Rodentia primarily due to their gnawing teeth, but they are no longer classified together in this way.
Chapter 4 introduces the new order Rodentia, and Chapter 5 starts introducing the Sciuridae family. The squirrel family is quite large and includes tree squirrels, chipmunks, ground squirrels, flying squirrels, marmots, and prairies dogs. My field guide divides the Sciuridae family into 2 main sections: tree squirrels and chipmunks and ground squirrels and marmots.
SCIURIDAE FAMILY (According to Kaufman's field guide)
Tree Squirrels and Chipmunks
1. Typical Tree Squirrels (genus Sciurus)
Tree squirrels are found in forests and are good climbers who either build their nests in the hollow of trees or build leafy nests in open branches up in the trees.
2. Reddish Squirrels (genus Tamiasciurus)
Reddish squirrels are small and noisy and mostly live in the coniferous forests. I have it listed as number 2 since Chatterer the red squirrel is introduced second in the chapter.
3. Flying Squirrels (genus Glaucomys)
Flying squirrels have a special membrane called the patagium along the sides of their bodies that, when fully extended, can allow them to glide through the air for over 200 feet at a time. They are different from other tree squirrels in that they are mainly nocturnal. There are 2 species - southern and northern.
4. Chipmunks (genus Tamias)
Chipmunks are fully capable of climbing, even though they spend most of their time on the ground. They are different from other tree squirrels in that they have pouches in their cheeks for storing nuts and such, and they have stripes on their faces. According to my Kaufman guide, there is only 1 chipmunk species in the eastern US, and 21 species in the West. This makes identification easy for us over here in Georgia -if you see a chipmunk, then it's an Eastern Chipmunk!
Ground Squirrels and Marmots
1. Antelope squirrels (genus Ammosphermophilus)
There are 4 distinct species of antelope squirrels which live in 4 distinct dessert areas in the Western US. They spend most of their time scurrying around on the ground with their tail tucked up on their backs, and they are unusual to other ground squirrels in that they don't hibernate.
2. Typical Ground Squirrels (genus Spermophilus)
There are 21 different North American species of typical ground squirrels, and they are mostly found in the Western US. They dig tunnels and holes and are extremely social.
3. Prairie Dogs (genus Cynomys)
Prairie dogs are also extremely social and live in colonies or towns in burrows underground in the grassland or US prairie.
4. Marmots (genus Marmota)
These are the largest and strongest members of the squirrel family. They are able to dig deep and lengthy tunnels even in rocky soil. The woodchuck or "groundhog" is the only marmot to be found in the eastern part of the USA.
Chapter 5: The Squirrels of the Trees
Happy Jack
1. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Gray Squirrel Coloring Page - Click on the link for Chapters 1-9 and you will see a downloadable file for Chapter 5. She has 3 tree squirrel coloring pages available in that file - the Gray, Red, and Abert's.
1. He has a big tail.
2. He burries his nuts in the ground.
3. He builds his nest in trees.
Chatterer
2. Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) *Also known as a Pine Squirrel
1. He is the smallest of the tree squirrels.
2. He loves pine trees and likes to eat corn when he can find it.
3. He is a good swimmer and can swim a long distance if necessary.
4. He likes to steal and eat bird's eggs.
Rusty
3. Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
1. He is the strongest and heaviest of the tree squirrels.
2. He loves to eat acorns, pine seeds, and mushrooms.
4. Abert's Squirrel (Sciurus aberti)
1. He lives near the Grand Canyon.
2. He has very large ears (that grow even taller in winter).
5. Kaibab Squirrel (Sciurus aberti kaibabensis) *Is actually a sub-species of Abert's Squirrel which lives north of the Grand Canyon
This is another short video from the Small Game of America series.
Chapter 6: Striped Chipmunk and His Cousins
Striped Chipmunk
1. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias minimus)
As I said before, there is only 1 chipmunk species in the eastern US, and 21 species in the West.
Chipmunk Coloring Page (Click on Ch. 1-9, then open the file for Chapter 6)
1. Smallest of the squirrels
2. He has pockets in his cheeks
3. He sleeps all winter long
Seek Seek
2. Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)
1. Likes to eat seeds
2. Eats worms and mice
3. Eats baby bird eggs
3. California Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi)
We are going to free-hand this one. I found this simple tutorial from wedrawanimals.com on how to draw an antelope ground squirrel. The face and body look close enough, so we're going to use this and just change up the tail so that it lays flat on the ground behind him (instead of tucked up over his back like this one).
Timmy
4. Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Flying Squirrel Coloring Page (Also under file for Chapter 6)
1. He glides from tree to tree
2. He builds his nest in the trees
3. He's nocturnal
Chapter 7: Johnny Chuck joins the Class
We are moving away from the squirrel family and into lots of different families that include small and medium-sized mammals from the order Rodentia. Aside from the Pika mentioned in chapter 9, we'll continue to stay in the order Rodentia for a good many chapters, which is fitting since it's the largest order of Mammals.
Johnny Chuck
Woodchuck (Marmota monax)
Woodchuck Coloring Page (Click on Ch. 1-9, then open the file for Chapter 7)
1. He has good claws for digging.
2. He digs a new hole for his home every Spring
3. They have 6 or 8 babies at a time.
4. They like to eat green grass and clover.
5. He hibernates in winter.
Chapter 8: Whistler and Yap-Yap
Whistler
1. Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata)
1. He is the biggest of the Marmot family.
2. He has a sharp whistle which he uses as a warning signal.
3. He digs his hole down beneath the rocks.
4. His biggest enemy is the grizzly bear.
5. He hibernates in winter.
Yap-Yap
2. Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
1. He is the most social in his family.
2. Hundreds and hundreds of homes can be found together to make a town.
3. He doesn't have to drink water - he gets all the water he needs form the plants he eats.
Chapter 9: Two Queer Little Haymakers
Little Chief
1. American Pika (Ochotona princeps)
American Pika Coloring Page (Plate 12) We have this delightful coloring book given us by my mother-n-law that we will be using for several of our mammals along the way).
*According to Kaufman, Pikas are related to rabbits and hares and belong in the order of Lagomorphs, but they are much more vocal, have smaller ears, and are active by day. They also store away food for the winter. Burgess lumps them in with the Rodents (which isn't surprising b/c he lumps rabbits and hares in this order as well).
1. He lives up in the mountains above where the trees grow.
2. He makes his home and storehouses under rocks.
3. He makes hay and stores it away for the winter.
Stub-tail
2. Sewellel or Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa)
Sewellel Coloring Page (Click on Ch. 1-9, then open the file for Chapter 9)
*According to Kaufman, he is considered the world's most primitive rodent.
1. He is found in the same mountains of the west where Whistler and Little Cheif live.
2. He is very social.
3. He loves to build tunnels under the ground.
Chapter 10: Prickly Porky and Grubby Gopher
Grubby Gopher
Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius)
Plains Pocket Gopher Coloring Page (Plate 39)
1. He has pockets on the outsides of his cheeks.
2. He uses very long, strong claws to dig.
3. His enemies include: weasels, gopher snakes, owls, badgers, coyotes, and hawks.
Chapter 11: A Fellow with a Thousand Spears
Prickly Porky
North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
North American Porcupine Coloring Page (Plate 59)
1. He eats bark, twigs, and leaves.
2. He is nocturnal.
3. He likes to eat salt.
4. His enemies include the fisher, the panther, and the bear (animals who know to turn him over and eat him from his tummy).
5. He is a Plantigrade mammal - he puts his whole foot flat on the ground (like bears, coons, and men).
Chapter 12: A Lumberman and Engineer
Paddy
American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
How to Draw a Beaver Tutorial (We're free-handing this one)
*According to Kaufman, kits are born fully furred with their eyes open, and they are able to swim within an hour of birth! They are the largest rodents in North America.
1. He is the biggest and smartest of the rodents in this country.
2. He has webbed feet (but not webbed fingers).
3. He uses his tail to warn his friends of danger by slapping it flat on the water.
4. He eats mostly bark, but also mushrooms, grass, and leaves in the summer.
Chapter 13: A Worker and a Robber
Jerry
* According to Kaufman muskrats are in the same family as voles, mice, and lemmings.
1. Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
1. He eats apples, clams, vegetables, and even baby birds.
2. He can swim under ice.
3. He is social and sometime shares his home with a few other muskrats.
Robber
2. Brown Rat / Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Brown Rat Coloring Page (Plate 1)
1. He prefers dark places.
2. He has 10 or more babies at a time.
3. They carry terrible diseases.
Chapter 14: A Trader and a Handsome Fellow
The next several chapters are all devoted to the little rodents - rats, mice, and voles - which account for over 1/4 of all the mammal species in North America. According to Kaufman, the Brown Rat (Burgess Chapter 13), the House Rat, and the House Mouse are responsible for most of the damage and disease caused by small rodents. Interestingly, they are all three Old World rodents (a.k.a. they came over to our country with the European settlers).
Rats, mice, and voles are all in the family Muridae. There are a few exceptions to this. First, the Kangaroo rats and mice and pocket mice belong to the family Heteromyidae. Second, the jumping mice belong to their own special family Dipodidae. In our taxonomy I started including Subfamily names to help distinguish between groups. I don't expect the kids to learn all the different Subfamily names, but it is helpful for me to see the connections.
Burgess doesn't ever use the term vole, so to accommodate for this exemption I use the present day name for the heading. For example, in chapter 15 Burgess calls it a Meadow Mouse, but I use the name from my field guide, Meadow Vole. Voles belong to the subfamily Arvicolinae, and are generally fuzzier, and shorter-tailed than mice. Voles are known by the paths and runways they make through grasses and ground coverings. The Meadow Vole is known as being the most prolific Mammal on earth! This is hard to believe, but according to Kaufman female Meadow Voles can give birth to up to 10 young every 3 weeks.
Little Robber
Cotton Rat
* We didn't give individual attention to Little Robber since Burgess only briefly mentions him at the beginning of the chapter.
Trader
Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma floridian)
We used this image of an Eastern Woodrat for our coloring page.
1. He collects objects.
2. He never steals, but always trades.
3. When he is alarmed or disturbed he drums on the ground with his hind feet.
Longfoot
Ord's Kangaroo (Dipodomys ordii)
1. His tail is longer than his head and body together, and it helps him balance when in the air.
2. His hind legs and feet are big.
3. He gets along without drinking.
4. He has pockets on the outsides of his cheeks.
Chapter 15: Two Unlike Cousins
Whitefoot
North American Deermouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
North American Deermouse Coloring Page * Click on Chapter 15-19 and open chapter 15.
1. He is at home in the trees.
2. He is nocturnal.
3. He eats meat, seeds, nuts, and insects.
Danny
Meadow Vole or Field Mouse (Microtus pennsylvanicus)
Meadow Vole Coloring Page * Click on Chapter 15-19 and open chapter 15.
1. He loves the fields and the meadows.
2. There are more meadow mice than any other small rodent in the country.
3. He eats grass, clover, bulbs, seeds, and vegetables.
4. He cuts little pathways through the tall grasses.
Chapter 16: Danny's Northern Cousins and Nimbleheels
Northern Collard Lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus)
Bandy
* Burgess calls it a Banded Lemming*
1. He tail is so short it hardly shows.
2. His ears are so small they are hidden in his fur.
3. His coat is reddish brown and grey in summer and completely white in winter.
Lemming Coloring Page
Brown Lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus)
1. He is much like Bandy, save that he is all brown and does not change his coat in winter.
2. They burrow and tunnel to their underground nests.
3. In winter when food gets scares they migrate together like a great army.
Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius)
Nimbleheels
*According to Kaufman, the jumping mice make up their own special family within North American rodents - the family Dipodidae. The fact that they are distinguished from the Muridae family points to substantial differences in both habits and traits. The main difference, of course, is that they jump. Some have been seen jumping up to 10 feet, according to Kaufman!
1. He has small pockets in his cheeks and long hind legs for jumping.
2. Nimbleheels gets very fat as winter is approaching and then curls up in a ball and hibernates.
3. He uses his tail to balance.
4. He jumps about in times of danger, and runs about like other mice when he is safe.
I found this really cool Jumping Mouse Image to color on Wikipedia. It was drawn by Thomas Davies in 1797. It is official a Canada Jumping Mouse, but I love the mouse jumping in the foreground and balled up for hibernation in the background!
In this chapter we get to know the voles a bit better, though it can be very confusing switching back and forth between Burgess's terminology and modern terminology (remember that Burgess doesn't use the term vole). He calls all the animals in this chapter mice, though the first three are technically voles.
Also, I found a lot of discrepancy out there as to how to classify these animals. I chose to stick with Kaufman and keep them in the order Rodentia, family Muridae, sub-family Arvicolinae. I found a great article by Darren Naish published in this scientific american blog. He had an image of a drawing comparing the sizes of several species from the subfamily Arvicolinae. Our coloring page is based on this image.
Piney
Southern Red-Backed Vole (Clethrionomys gapperi)
1. He makes little tunnels just under the surface in the edge of the green forest.
2. He does damage in young orchards by cutting off roots and stripping bark.
Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum)
1. He is a thrifty burrower.
2. He lives far form the homes of men in the green forest.
Rufous
Red Tree Vole (Arborimus longicaudus)
1. He lives wholly in the tall trees of the West (such as Redwoods).
2. He eats the thick parts of needles and the bark of tender twigs.
Burgess briefly introduces Bigear the "Rock Mouse" along with the "Beach Mouse" at the end of the chapter, and the best I can figure is that they are both types of Deermice, a term used to describe those belonging to the genus Peromyscus (like Whitefoot from chapter 15). We didn't do separate pages for these two mice since I'm not entirely sure which ones they are :)
Burgess Animal Book Chapter 18
Midget
Silky Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavus)
1. He weighs less than an ounce.
2. He is a good jumper and has pockets on the outside of both of his cheeks.
3. He makes burrows in the ground and gets along without drinking water (which is a necessity living in the hot, dry country).
Northern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys leucogaster)
1. He eats may kinds of insects, but he especially loves grasshoppers and crickets.
2. In the evening he makes a shrill whistling call.
Western Harverst Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)
1. He is one of the smallest in the mouse family.
2. He loves grassy, weedy, or brushy places.
3. He builds his nest in a round ball of grass, and keeps the inside nice and neat.
Nibbler
House Mouse (Mus musculus)
1. He came to America in boats and is a great pest to man.
2. He lives in between walls of houses and often gnaws holes in them.
3. He eats all kinds of food.
4. Cats are his greatest enemies.
3. He eats all kinds of food.
4. Cats are his greatest enemies.
The Thorton Burgess Mother West Wind series were my favorite books in grammar school :-)
ReplyDeletethis is great! what a good idea...i may follow along and use your resources...shameless. i love burgess
ReplyDeleteWow. This is amazing! And so much fun!
ReplyDelete