Bird of the Week

The bird I have chosen for this week is one we see almost every day if we look up along the highway. Its the turkey vulture. Vultures are often seen as vile and disgusting but in truth, they are remarkable. Turkey vultures can smell a carcass from miles away. They actually have on of the largest olfactory lobes in the animal kingdom. And, they are large. If, like me, you have ever had one swoop low as it passed over you, you "feel" this bird passing over you.

Mammal of the Week

The mammal I chose this week is not native to West Virginia. I was, however, inspired by a picture sent to me through email. For this week I chose the moose. The moose is the largest member of the deer family. Moose live in the northern and western mountain ranges of the United States as well as Canada. Their antlers are palmate, which make them very different from the branch-like antlers or other members of the deer family.

Below are the two email pictures I received that inspired its selection. And, yes, it is a normal size, single lane dirt road.

Mammal of the Week

I thought I would devote some webspace to one of the mammals we have all been seeing splattered on the road this fall, the Eastern Gray Squirrel. I just wanted everyone to get a chance to see one that is still relatively three-dimensional. Eastern gray squirrels are native to most of the east coast. They can live anywhere from 12 years in the wild to upwards of 20 in captivity. They communicate between each other using vocal sounds, postures, and flicks of their bushy tails.

Students Blogging for Bellringers

Global biology students should begin blogging in place of journaling this week. Please be sure to discuss what you have been learning in the previous lessons.

Mr. D.

Welcome to Global Biology!

Hello Students!

Now that we are starting our second digital project and getting our blogs going, I wanted to welcome you to my Global Biology Blog. Please make sure to add it and your classmates blogs t your blogroll. You can add a blog roll by clicking Customize and choosing Add a Gadget. The gadget you want to add is the blog list. You can then enter the address for this and all the other blogs so that you ca follow and comment on your fellow students thoughts, successes, and struggls in this class.

You guys have really done great work on the first project, your safety posters. We need to make sure we get each and every one of them up on your wiki so everyone can see them.

Thanks for being part of this class,
Mr. D.

Bird of the Week

This week, I have chosen the Eastern Screech Owl. This small owl can be found throughout the east coast of the U.S. and Canada. Pairs mate for life, though the male may actually mate with a second female and double the clutch size in the nest. They eat small rodents, songbirds, crayfish, insects, and reptiles. This species is not endangered but can sometimes be displaced from its nests by the ever-annoying starling.
photo courtesy auburnxc on flickr

Mammal of the Week

I decided to choose an animal that is commonly seen by the roadside in WV, the groundhog. Groundhogs (aka woodchucks) are one of several species of marmots that stuff themselves over the spring, summer, and fall then hibernate during the winter. This has also helped bring them into our pantheon of holiday characters as heralds of winter's end. The most famous of these is Punxsutawney Phil.