CritterTrack

Tag: high-school

For Explorations that are part of the high school track!

  • Map yourself: technologies to track people

    Create a visualization map that tracks your activities at regular times throughout the day or week. When designing a wildlife tracking program, researchers need to determine several things. For example, the tracking collars on the coyotes in the Visualizer send signals at the same specific times each day to mark the animals’ locations. Why do you think those times were selected? How many times and at what specific time(s) of day will you document your location? Why? 

    Share your map with others and see what they can infer about your travels and locations.

    Technologies exist that enable us to track people or vehicles remotely. Can you find examples? Why would people want information on the location of other people or vehicles?

  • What else can be learned from trapping coyotes?

    In addition to learning about the habits and movements of coyotes, wildlife biologists often gather other data on animals they trap and release.

    Click on the information icon (i) for each coyote in the Visualizer. What data was collected? What samples were taken? Why do you think this data is important to wildlife biologists? How might the data assist the Department of Natural Resources in establishing rules and regulations for hunting or trapping coyotes?

    Create a chart or graph using data gathered on the coyotes when they were trapped. 

    If you were tracking coyotes, what would you want to learn?

  • Establishing coyote territories and the effects of human impact

    Examine the territories of the coyotes in the Visualizer. Do you think there are physical boundaries that define their territory? Do you think there are social boundaries (interactions with other coyotes or humans) that define the territories? Why might a coyote use a smaller or larger territory than a coyote in a different area? How do coyotes identify their territories or recognize territories of other coyotes? Do coyotes defend their territory?

    If a new road is planned that will bisect one of the coyote territories, how do you think this will impact the coyotes? 

  • Create a coyote management and coexistence plan for your community

    The Humane Society and many communities have written plans to prevent and solve conflicts among coyotes, people, and pets. Research various management plans. How are they similar? Different? Write a coyote management plan for your community.

  • Do coyotes impact other wildlife?

    Do coyotes feed on other animals or insects that homeowners consider to be favorable or unfavorable in their neighborhood? If coyotes establish a new territory, how might they impact the population of prey species? What role do you think regulated hunting and trapping of coyotes could play in maintaining prey populations? How do you think wildlife biologists confirm what coyotes are consuming?

  • Describe a day in the life of a coyote

    What do you think a coyote is doing at different locations or at different times of the day? Select a coyote and a day within the tracking period. Write a narrative that describes that day in the life of the coyote.

  • Within each territory, are there areas coyotes use more frequently than others?

    Look at the characteristics of the land the coyotes utilize. Are there areas they tend to avoid or use more frequently? Why do you think that is? Can you identify “travel corridors” through which the coyotes frequently move?  For a given week, what percentage of coyote locations are in the open as comparied to those in wooded or sheltered areas?

  • What can you learn from the charts on the Critter Track Visualizer?

    What can you learn from each of the charts on the Visualization Tool? Write a summary based on the data represented in the charts. Create your own chart of something you observe about coyotes on the Visualization Tool or gather from the available data download. How are charts helpful to scientists and non-scientists?

  • When are coyotes most active?

    What times of the day or night are coyotes most active?

    Why do you think this is?

  • Analyze coyote travel patterns between individuals, seasonally and more

    Study the travel patterns of the coyotes in the Visualizer. Do travel patterns and distances traveled differ:

    • Between males and females?
    • During day or night? When there is a full or new moon?
    • Seasonally?
    • In different territories?
    • In different parts of the country?
    • In different weather conditions?

    What can be inferred from these differences or similarities? What other travel patterns can you explore or compare?