CritterTrack

Tag: HS-LS2-2

  • 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?

  • Design a coyote territory and habitat

    Using art materials or computer generated graphics, design a scale representation of what you think an ideal habitat and territory would be for a coyote. Incorporate the elements a coyote needs to survive. Using the data obtained from the Visualizer, what would be the size of your created territory?

  • Have coyote populations in Illinois changed over time?

    How has the estimated population of coyotes in Illinois (or your state) changed over time? How do wildlife biologists estimate wildlife populations? What factors influence the population numbers? Does regulated hunting or trapping affect the overall population of coyotes in Illinois? Why or why not?

  • What are the limiting factors for coyote populations?

    What potential dangers to the coyotes are present in each territory? Do coyotes have predators? What keeps their population under control? What role does the Illinois Department of Natural Resources play in population management? What specific hunting and trapping rules protect coyotes from over-harvest?

    Within each territory in the Visualizer, where would coyote–vehicle collisions occur? How have urban coyotes adapted to navigating along and across streets? What design solutions could reduce coyote–vehicle collisions?

  • 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?