Animals have developed an amazing variety of body plans, behaviors, and strategies
in order to succeed in the struggle for survival. Whether you are interested in regeneration, camouflage, animal migration, or how to attract hummingbirds we have the perfect animal project for you in our collection.
During metabolism, organisms experience physical and chemical changes. All animals need some way to exchange chemical waste generated during metabolism for fresh nutrients. One way that these metabolic chemicals are exchanged is during respiration, the process by which used carbon dioxide gas is exchanged with fresh oxygen and circulated throughout the body. How do organisms living underwater respirate? They use gills, which filter oxygen from the water and pass the oxygen into the…
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If you had to choose between having your favorite dessert, going to a movie, or spending the night at a friend's house, which would you choose? This science project shows you how you can "ask" a sowbug (or pillbug) a similar question in order to learn about their preferences. Give it a try to find out what types of microenvironments these tiny crustaceans prefer.
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Zoo_p021
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
If you do not have sowbugs or pillbugs available locally, they will need to be specially ordered. See the Materials and Equipment section for details.
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Adult supervision is recommended for using the utility knife.
Do you know what is living in your backyard? How about at the playground, or in your compost pile? Nematodes, also called roundworms, are the most abundant animal on Earth and they might be living in any of these places. In this science project you'll isolate nematodes from several soil samples to discover the best nematode habitats.
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Zoo_p045
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Time Required
Long (2-4 weeks)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
The E. coli culture and the agar plates are specialty items. They can be ordered online (see Materials and Equipment for more details), but you will need to plan ahead.
Cost
Low ($20 - $50)
Safety
This science project involves the use of the bacterium E. coli. Standard microbiology and bacterial safety guidelines should be followed.
Antlion larvae are known for their predatory ways. In sandy areas, they dig pits to trap ants or other crawling insects that happen to stumble in. This project shows you how to create a mini-environment for antlion larvae to test their preferences for pit-building sites.
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You are coming into the house after a game of flashlight tag with your friends, but the front porch light is not on for you to see the doorknob! What is going on? Maybe your parents know that turning a light on means moths will gather there, and they do not want you letting moths inside when you open the door. You have probably noticed how moths are attracted to lights at night. They will even fly dangerously close to flames in their journey toward light. In this project, you will learn a…
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Zoo_p059
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Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
You will need access to an area with moths. See the Experimental Procedure for details.
If you have a garden, you probably know about snails (or their shell-less relatives, slugs). You may even be looking for a good way to keep them from getting into your garden and eating up the results of all your hard work. In this science project, you will take a scientific look at one method of discouraging this garden pest.
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Zoo_p019
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Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
You should only do this science project if you live in an area where you routinely see land snails or slugs. Land snails and slugs are most likely to be out and active when it is damp out (such as in the early morning or after it has rained), or you may find them hiding under plant leaves.
Why do birds migrate? Do all birds have the same reasons for migrating? Where do they go when they migrate? These are questions scientists have asked for centuries. The more species for which they gather data, the more specific the answers become. In this science project, you will choose a species to investigate, then access and evaluate real data collected by scientists to start answering those questions yourself!
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Zoo_p062
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None.
Material Availability
This science project requires a computer onto which you can download and save data sets, and install Google Earth Pro, a free mapping program. You will also need a spreadsheet program, like Microsoft® Excel®. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.
Milkweed bugs, as their name suggests, have a close relationship with the milkweed plant. The plant produces an irritating, milky sap, and toxic compounds, but somehow the milkweed bug is unaffected by them. Instead, it concentrates chemicals from the sap in its body, acquiring an unsavory taste that, along with its bright coloration, protects it from predators. Given this close relationship, will the milkweed bug exhibit a color preference for egg-laying sites? This project is designed to find…
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This is an interesting experiment if you are 1) curious about insect metamorphosis and 2) patient! You will need to set up different controlled environments for the chrysalides, and then check on them regularly as you wait for them to hatch.
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