MAMMAL STUDY MERIT BADGE

Created by James Schultz

WHAT WE WILL COVER TODAY

• We will cover requirements: • 1. Basic Taxonomy and Terms • 2. How to Classify Mammals • 3. Requirements and how to record

data and verify that you have done the requirements for 3a, 3b

• 3. Requirements and expectations for requirement 3c

• 4. Requirements and expectations for 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f

• 4. How mammals fit into the circle of life, how to write a proper food chain and the terms involved in a food chain, what food chains are.

• 5. Project ideas and selection. How to carry out a project and how to verify that you have done a project.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO GET THE MERIT BADGE SIGNED OFF

TODAY? All written material in your packet FINISHED with quality. Projects in requirements: 3,4,5 Prove to your councilor that you KNOW your stuff!! Coming today does NOT guarantee you will get the badge. You must do your work. I do not do it for you!!

Requirement 1 and 2 1. Explain the meaning of "animal," "invertebrate," "vertebrate," and "mammal." Name three characteristic that distinguish mammals from all other animals. 2. Explain how the animal kingdom is classified. Explain where mammals fit in the classification of animals. Classify three mammals from phylum through species.

HOW DO WE CLASSIFY LIFE? (TAXONOMY)

Carl Linneaus: Wrote our classification system back in the 1700s. Organisms are classified according to characteristics they have in common. (structures, behaviors, embryonic development, chemicals in body, DNA, etc.)

What do these two mammals have in common with each other? What is different between them?

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

HOW DO WE CLASSIFY MAMMALS? Kingdom: Plantae, Fungi, Animalia, Protista, Bacteria (two kingdoms)

Vertebrates Invertebrates (has a backbone) (no backbone, but may have an exoskeleton

or shell or spicules/spongin or nothing)

Shed exoskeleton of a dragonfly nymph. Exoskeletons are made of chitin and are shed as the insect grows or changes.

Sponge is made of spicules/spongin

Snails have a shell

Worms use hydrostatic pressure

PHYLUM

(Vertebrates) Phylum: Chordata

(Invertebrates) Phylum: • Porifera…sponges • Cnidaria…corals • Platyhelminthes…flat worms (planaria, tapeworm) • Nematoda…round worms (heart worm) • Annelida…segmented worms (night crawler) • Mollusca…molluscs (clam, snail, octopus) • Brachiopoda…lampshells (lingula) • Arthropoda…arthropods (spider, insect, millipede) • Echinodermata…echinoderms (starfish, sand dollar)

Phylum Chordata Class

Cephalaspidomorphi, Chondrichthyes, Osteichthyes, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, Mammalia

Class Mammalia Characteristics: • Four chambered heart • Fur or hair at some time in their life • Give live birth (most) • Paired Appendages • Mammary glands • Bi-lateral symmetry

Bi-lateral symmetry Four chambered heart Fur or Hair

Mammary glands

Paired appendages

Live birth

How to Classify the Minnesota Timber Wolf

Kingdom: Animalia wolf, frog, fish, shark, sponge, worm, coral, octopus Phylum: Chordata wolf, frog, fish, shark, bat, bird, snake, turtle, hagfish Class: Mammalia wolf, bat, deer, opossum, shrew, mole, bison, rabbit Order: Carnivora wolf, fox, lynx, skunk, mink, weasel, coyote, badger Family: Canidae wolf, fox, coyote Genus: Canis wolf, coyote Species: Lupis wolf Scientific Name = combination of the genus and the species Human: Homo sapiens Wolf: Canis lupis Black bear: Ursus americanus

Requirement 3 Do ONE of the following: a. Spend three hours in each of two different kinds of natural habitats or at different elevations. List the different mammal species and individual members that you identified by sight or sign. Tell why all mammals do not live in the same kind of habitat. b. Spend three hours on each of five days on at least a 25-acre area (about the size of 3 1/2 football fields). List the mammal species you identified by sight or sign. c. From study and reading, write a simple life history of one nongame mammal that lives in your area. Tell how this mammal lived before its habitat was affected in any way by man. Tell how it reproduces, what it eats, what eats it, and its natural habitat. Describe its dependency upon plants, upon other animals (including man), and how they depend upon it. Tell how it is helpful or harmful to man.

Mammal Habitat

FOOD SHELTER WATER

Plants, seeds, flowers fruit, insects, meat, etc.

Den sites, nesting sites, trees, long grass, under ground, lodges, in water, in homes, etc.

Lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, swamps, rain, snow, dew, etc.

Prairies and wetlands • Tall grass • Short grass • Mixed grass • Wet, medium, dry

Woodlands • Maple basswood forest • Oak savannas • Different succession stages • Flood plain forests • Hardwood forests • Coniferous forests • Etc.

Requirement 4 Do ONE of the following: a. Under the guidance of a nature center or natural history museum, make two study skins of rats or mice. Tell the uses of study skins and mounted specimens respectively. b. Take good pictures of two kinds of mammals in the wild. Record the date(s), time of day, weather conditions, approximate distance from the animal, habitat conditions, and any other factors you feel may have influenced the animal's activity and behavior. c. Write a life history of a native game mammal that lives in your area, covering the points outlined in requirement 3c. List sources for this information. d. Make and bait a tracking pit. Report what mammals and other animals came to the bait. e. Visit a natural history museum. Report on how specimens are prepared and cataloged. Explain the purposes of museums. f. Write a report of 500 words on a book about a mammal species. g. Trace two possible food chains of carnivorous mammals from the soil through four stages to the mammal.

How to Write a Food Chain “ALL THINGS, LIVING AND NON-LIVING ARE INTERCONNECTED.”

Mass and Energy Transfer

Plant Insect Bird Fox Bear Vulture

100% 10% 1% .1% .01% .001%

Soil Bacteria and Worms

Producer Herbivore Carnivore Carnivore Omnivore Scavenger

Soil Decomposers and Detritivores

Biotic Factors = living (animals, plants, bacteria) Abiotic Factors = non-living (soil, sun, energy)

Energy is not recycled but mass is recycled

Sun

Primary source of energy

Requirement 5 Working with your counselor, select and carry out one project that will influence the numbers of one or more mammals • Brainstorm ideas: must be well thought out, doable, done by you • What is a quality project? Amount of time? • How do I document my project? TAKE PICTURES!!!

BRAINSTORM IDEAS FOR PROJECTS

Following is an outline of the class to help you prepare. Note that Scouts will be signed off only on those requirements that the Merit Badge Counselor determines meets the requirements; no more no less This Merit Badge should not be expected to be earned without preparation and work. 1. Explain the meaning of "animal," "invertebrate," "vertebrate," and "mammal." Name three characteristics that distinguish mammals from all other animals. Scouts should use the Mammal Study Merit Badge pamphlet or other sources to prepare their notes for explanation of the meanings of the specified terms. Scouts should also have in mind how they will answer when asked to name three characteristics that distinguish mammals from all other animals. The counselor will facilitate class discussion to complete this requirement. Only Scouts who are prepared and actively participate in the discussion will be signed off on this requirement. 2. Explain how the animal kingdom is classified. Explain where mammals fit in the classification of animals. Classify three mammals from phylum through species. Scouts should utilize the Mammal Study Merit Badge pamphlet to review and prepare for explanation during the class to the counselor the parts of this requirement as stated above. It is highly recommended that Scouts utilize a notebook of Merit Badge Workbook to make notes and prepare for their explanation and classification of the three mammals. 3. Do ONE of the following: a. Spend three hours in each of two different kinds of natural habitats or at different elevations. List the different mammal species and individual members that you identified by sight or sign. Tell why all mammals do not live in the same kind of habitat. b. Spend three hours on each of five days on at least a 25-acre area (about the size of 3 1/2 football fields). List the mammal species you identified by sight or sign. c. From study and reading, write a simple life history of one nongame mammal that lives in your area. Tell how this mammal lived before its habitat was affected in any way by humans. Tell how it reproduces, what it eats, and its natural habitat. Describe its dependency upon plants and other animals (including humans), and how they depend upon it. Tell how it is helpful or harmful to humankind. This requirement will NOT be completed as a part of the class, however Scouts having prepared and done this requirement will have an opportunity to review this requirement with the counselor during the class for consideration of completion. Bring your work, just saying you did it is not enough. Scouts should be prepared to share their work with the class. 4. Do ONE of the following: a. Under the guidance of a nature center or natural history museum, make two study skins of rats or mice. Tell the uses of study skins and mounted specimens respectively. b. Take good pictures of two kinds of mammals in the wild. Record the date(s), time of day, weather conditions, approximate distance from the animal, habitat conditions, and any other factors you feel may have influenced the animal's activity and behavior.

Requirements as given by Scoutmaster Bucky

c. Write a life history of a native game mammal that lives in your area, covering the points outlined in requirement 3c. List sources for this information. d. Make and bait a tracking pit. Report what mammals and other animals came to the bait.

e. Visit a natural history museum. Report on how specimens are prepared and cataloged. Explain the purposes of museums. f. Write a report of 500 words on a book about a mammal species. g. Trace two possible food chains of carnivorous mammals from soil through four stages to the mammal. The counselor will work with Scouts during the class to complete one of the components. Scouts are encouraged to be proactive and choose one of these components of the requirement ahead of time to work on. Scouts already having started or done one of these components should bring their work and supporting information to the class to share and for review and guidance by the counselor. Time will be allotted during the class for Scouts to share any work they have done prior to the class for this requirement. 5. Working with your counselor, select and carry out one project that will influence the numbers of one or more mammals. The counselor for this class will provide guidance during the class (and after if needed) for Scouts to complete this requirement

Requirements as given by Scoutmaster Bucky