Live animal and nature observation

[Ohdanigirl]

Hello everyone. I am looking for ideas on some live animals and even plants we can add to our home and when are the best seasons to introduce them. I have two boys that are very interested in science (all) with a special interest in living things. My oldest, although not a science guy, really enjoyed Biology and loves animals.

 

Some things to keep in mind.

 

My dc are ages 4-15 We want to include them all whenever possible. (Albeit at different levels)

San Diego weather

I am not looking for goats, pigs, or any large animals just yet. Thanks.

No invasive species.

Open to reptiles, but would only like to choose one or two quality ones.

Dh and ds are handy, so ideas for habitats we can build are welcome.

 

 

We have an ant farm I will be filling up shortly. Also the kids want to do butterflies (which ones, where from, when?), praying manitises (spring), antlion larvae, tad poles (spring, self caught?), pill bugs, silk worms (will this keep their interest?).

 

What other ideas are their? If you have experience with anything in particular, please share. How did your dc enjoy it? What did they learn? Advise.

 

I do understand the time, care and possible smells involved and plan to do plenty of research first. I have no idea for plant studies but we will be hiking, as well. I would still lime sonething we could incorporate in the classroom.

 

Thanks!

[Plink]

African Dwarf Frogs are much easier to take care of than most other frogs/tadpoles.  They don't need live food, and they are aquatic so they can easily live in a fish bowl.

 

Earthworms are another pet that is really interesting to watch.  Fill up a container with layers of different colored sand & soil, and watch to see how they change the barren sand into plantable material.  You can also set up a second container with the same materials but no worms and discuss how they help decompose vegetation.

 

Live coral and coral eating fish (like the Parrot fish) could be fun too, but I haven't tried them yet.

 

 

[MotherGoose]

Chickens are great! Also my dd has a cage of snails. She found one in the garden at about age 4 and said, "can I keep him? ' I hoped shed forget and said yes. She didn't. they don't smell, and are interesting as they move about and eat. If they are

happy enough they will have babies. You keep them moist, in an aquarium filled with native soil, some leaves andstones.

Give them leaves of whatever snails eat in your area: tomato slices, lettuces, hosta,

etc. If you get tired of them you can return them to the wild! (Away from the garden!)

Some of my dd had babies. She saw the adults stuck together, and a while later found eggs, whihc

hatched into baby snails. The snails are the closest thing to a free pet I've ever had.

[PeterPan]

African Dwarf Frogs are much easier to take care of than most other frogs/tadpoles.  They don't need live food, and they are aquatic so they can easily live in a fish bowl.

 

Earthworms are another pet that is really interesting to watch.  Fill up a container with layers of different colored sand & soil, and watch to see how they change the barren sand into plantable material.  You can also set up a second container with the same materials but no worms and discuss how they help decompose vegetation.

 

Live coral and coral eating fish (like the Parrot fish) could be fun too, but I haven't tried them yet.

So a 1 gallon fish bowl plus 1 or 2 dwarf frogs would work?  Add gravel?  Plants and decorations?  

 

I can't believe I've been so lame on this!  I had fish tanks, did tadpoles, butterflies, the whole nine yards when dd was little, and I haven't done any of that with ds!  I see a science table of coolness in our future!  :D

[Ohdanigirl]

Earthworms are another pet that is really interesting to watch.  Fill up a container with layers of different colored sand & soil, and watch to see how they change the barren sand into plantable material.  You can also set up a second container with the same materials but no worms and discuss how they help decompose vegetation. .

  

 

This is a great idea! I was actually thinking about making a compost bin with my 4 y/o so i am loving this idea. Have you dobe this before? Ill definately google the coral eating fish, as well.

 

 

Chickens are great! Also my dd has a cage of snails. She found one in the garden at about age 4 and said, "can I keep him? ' I hoped shed forget and said yes. She didn't. they don't smell, and are interesting as they move about and eat. If they are

happy enough they will have babies. You keep them moist, in an aquarium filled with native soil, some leaves andstones.

Give them leaves of whatever snails eat in your area: tomato slices, lettuces, hosta,

etc. If you get tired of them you can return them to the wild! (Away from the garden!)

Some of my dd had babies. She saw the adults stuck together, and a while later found eggs, whihc

hatched into baby snails. The snails are the closest thing to a free pet I've ever had.

You are a genius!

[Coco_Clark]

We have red eared sliders ( turtles) and enjoy them. They require a large tank to swim in, and a sunning area but its a great building project. They have very funny personalities.

[violamama]

Saltwater aquariums are really expensive, take about a year to set up properly and should probably be explored after successfully keeping a freshwater community tank or two. I like www.fishlore.com for aquarium advice. They're what WTM forums are to the home fish tank world.

 

That worm idea is really cool!

 

We've had hermit crabs for a while now. They're cheap and relatively easy, but a little boring.

 

My biggest piece of advice is to start with a trip to a pet store, but follow up (before buying) with research online. There are forums and communities for almost any pet and the enthusiasts are much better at what they do than most shops. 

[HelenNotOfTroy]

As for plants, do you have any gardening groups in your area? Where I live there is a program that trains people in growing local plants and then they go out into the community to teach others. Looks like a national program, here is a link to the San Diego group http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/

[MotherGoose]

 

 

This is a great idea! I was actually thinking about making a compost bin with my 4 y/o so i am loving this idea. Have you dobe this before? Ill definately google the coral eating fish, as well.

 

 

 

You are a genius!

I wouldn't go that far...it was out of desperation! How to I avoid killing 4 year old's best friend for life? She named the first one 6 and bun, because he looked like a 6 and a bun. When he died she cried for an hour. She's not as attached to them now, at 8, and now they live on my kitchen counter where I toss them scraps. I actually find them pretty interesting. And she learned about reproduction...Mama, why are the snails stuck together like that? and Mama what are those little white balls? and mama look at the baby snails? We learned that snails are hermaphrodites. I tried to talk her into turning the snail cage into a breeding operation for chicken food, but she didn't go for that. We did let some go way down in the woods far from my garden.

 

Another thing I'd recommend is planting a butterfly garden, or planting things like fennel, parsley, and butterfly weed in the garden next spring. Just let the plants grow, and see if butterflies decide to lay eggs on the plants. Again, no trouble at all. Here are photos from our experience.

http://maryannscountrygarden.blogspot.com/2014/10/welcome-to-world-new-butterflies.html

[Plink]

  

 

This is a great idea! I was actually thinking about making a compost bin with my 4 y/o so i am loving this idea. Have you dobe this before? 

We have!  It was extremely easy.  I used 2 large canning jars and set them up side-by-side for a week.  We put native soil on the bottom, rich dark planting soil in the middle, play sand above that, and pieces of lettuce at the very top.  Be sure not to use potting soil; the chemicals/fertilizers can burn your worms and they will die.  We then tossed 3 worms in one jar, and left the 2nd jar worm-less (yup, just made up that word. I'm sure it will catch on quickly and I will be famous.)  Make sure to keep it fairly moist, and dark, or if you are okay with dead worms, maybe create a few additional experiments to determine what happens when there isn't enough water or darkness.

 

The soil changes happen very quickly.  You can watch them for a week, and then put them in your compost bin where they will be much happier.  

 

Oh, 1 more idea - do you have birdfeeders yet?  They are always fun.  We love our window mounted feeder for close-up observation.  We have a feeder like this one that allowed us to put out two kinds of seed at once and determine which one the birds preferred.

[Plink]

So a 1 gallon fish bowl plus 1 or 2 dwarf frogs would work?  Add gravel?  Plants and decorations?  

 

I can't believe I've been so lame on this!  I had fish tanks, did tadpoles, butterflies, the whole nine yards when dd was little, and I haven't done any of that with ds!  I see a science table of coolness in our future!   :D

 

We needed to add a $10 heater and frog food, but other than that, the set-up is the same as for a goldfish.

[Dmmetler]

One thing on herps-including dwarf frogs and Red eared sliders-they live a LONG time. We have a 40 yr old frog in our family from a "grow a frog kit" that my uncle got as a child. And definitely check invasives. Both African Clawed frogs and Red-eared sliders are invasives and are already causing trouble in CA, too.

 

If possible, I suggest looking for animals you can observe without necessarily bringing them inside. A small wading pool outside a window can provide a lot of observation (you can treat with mosquito dunks (which contain a bacteria that feeds on mosquito larvae). In San Diego, I expect you'd get frogs, toads, lots of birds, small mammals, and possibly even turtles and garter snakes quite readily, without actually having to feed or care for said animals short or long-term, especially if you add some bird feeders, houses, tree frog tubes, and other shelters.  Unless you're crazy about a specific animal and willing to make a long-term commitment, that's usually going to be a better way to go. I'm in a pretty urban area (a Memphis suburb) and I've been pretty amazed at what we've been able to attract in our backyard with really minor changes.

 

We did this: http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Create-a-Habitat.aspx

and it's a great project for kids.

[Plink]

One thing on herps-including dwarf frogs and Red eared sliders-they live a LONG time. We have a 40 yr old frog in our family from a "grow a frog kit" that my uncle got as a child. And definitely check invasives. Both African Clawed frogs and Red-eared sliders are invasives and are already causing trouble in CA, too.

 

Dmmetler is right.  To make sure that you are buying an African dwarf frog (good) rather than an African clawed frog (invasive) check the front feet.  Dwarfies have webbing between the toes.  You can also check the eyes.  If they are on the sides it is a Dwarfie, but if they bulge out on the top it is a clawed frog.

 

Don't let the word clawed confuse you.  Both species have black toenails, but they come and go as the frog moves among the gravel in your tank, so don't be alarmed if one appears to be missing.

[Soror]

I had planned on making a compost bin but I've never finished it. I had seen some basic tutorials that used plastic totes. Otherwise I bought a glass tank and the book Pets in a Jar by Seymour Simon and if we happen to see something interesting we take care of it for awhile, his book has info about how to take care of some small animals using a 1 gallon glass jar. We live near forests and have some acreage so there is always something around. Mostly we just explore various areas outside, we have some butterfly bushes and various flowers that attract different bugs.

[Chris in VA]

In the newest edition of WTM, there is a book recommendation for observations of animals and plants. I can't recall the name, but it is really good.

[duckens]

Blue Death-Feigning Beetles  When you pick them up, they fall over, pretending to be dead.  This is because in the wild, when a spider catches them, the spider wants to eat live food.  The spider loses interest in the "dead" beetle.  Once the spider is gone, the beetle rolls over and wanders off.

 

We started with 3 bdfb.  Dd7 has noticed that they have different personalities.  The big one plays dead every time he is picked up.  One of the smaller ones is not nearly so timid, and he will crawl all over her hand.

We have now added Black Death-Feigning Beetles and Darkling Beetles to our aquarium.  This made a nice display for dd3 to take for "Show-and-Tell" at preschool. 
--The Black Death-Feigning Beetles are dumb.  They keep trying to climb the walls of the critter keeper.  When they fall over, they need help to be put upright (~ once/day).  The bdfb (that we have) don't have that problem.
--The darkling beetles were sooooo hungry when they were unpackaged after shipping, they fell upon the beetle jelly like teenage boys on pizza.  I think they ate for 4 days straight!

Advantages:
--They are happy within a critter keeper.
--But if you take them out, they don't bite.
--They don't bite.  Our 3yo handles them regularly.
--They don't even smell.
--I have never had to clean out the cage (other than the occasional dead bug).  Do these guys even poop?
--Feed them beetle jelly.  You can feed them little scraps of fruit (I put little bites on a jar lid), but it is not necessary.  As long as they have the beetle jelly, they are fine for a few weeks.
--No vet bills.
--If they die, you don't have to dig a big hole in the back yard.  You can dissect them and discuss the parts of an insect with your boys.
--Comparably less expensive than a cat or dog.
--Much less of a time commitment (in care and in duration) than a mammal, bird, reptile, or amphibian.
--More Information in this Pet Bug Philosophy

Disadvantages:
--You have to pay $23 for overnight shipping.  They are, after all, live animals.
--They are most active at night, so your kids may not see them being very active.

If you have any other questions, Peter Clausen of the Bugs in Cyberspace has been very prompt and very helpful in answering my questions and giving our family the guidance we need in exploring bugs as pets.

[Ohdanigirl]

Thought I would share.

 

http://www.two-daloo.com/worm-observation-tower/

 

http://www.aneverydaystory.com/2012/09/11/reggio-science-activities-observing-snails/

 

My 15 y/o is already excited. Yay!

[Ohdanigirl]

In the newest edition of WTM, there is a book recommendation for observations of animals and plants. I can't recall the name, but it is really good.

Creepy Crawlies?

[Raining Pineapples]

Great topic!

 

One I didn't see mentioned is the mealworm. They are the larval stage of the Darkling beetle. It is a great one for metamorphosis.

 

We purchased them from the pet store and raised them in a critter keeper in a bed of oatmeal with slices of apples as their water source. After 8 weeks with no change,  I found a site that said they needed some darkness to encourage transformation. So I put them in the closet. ( We live in AK and do not get much darkness during the summer).  Somehow we forgot about them and discovered the container a month later. I thought I had killed them. We didn't get around to cleaning the cage out, and 2 weeks later, there were beetles crawling around! Kids loved it and were super excited. We turned the beetles loose in the forest on some rotting trees.

 

[jnaj]

This thread is great. Following. Great ideas here!

[Incognito]

Don't underestimate a simple aquarium with a few fish in it - guppies give lots of life cycle fun.  You could have guppies and your properly uninvasive African underwater frog.

[MotherGoose]

Great topic!

 

One I didn't see mentioned is the mealworm. They are the larval stage of the Darkling beetle. It is a great one for metamorphosis.

 

We purchased them from the pet store and raised them in a critter keeper in a bed of oatmeal with slices of apples as their water source. After 8 weeks with no change, I found a site that said they needed some darkness to encourage transformation. So I put them in the closet. ( We live in AK and do not get much darkness during the summer). Somehow we forgot about them and discovered the container a month later. I thought I had killed them. We didn't get around to cleaning the cage out, and 2 weeks later, there were beetles crawling around! Kids loved it and were super excited. We turned the beetles loose in the forest on some rotting trees.

Been looking into this as feed for chickens! They love meal worms. So you could have an entire little ecosystem going on!

[fdrinca]

We just did mealworms! Super easy and very cheap. They eat our apple cores and sleep in stale Cheerios! No biting, no flying, no climbing, and no smelling - unless I forget to change the apple in time. 

 

We're going to raise a few generations of mealworms/beetles, then sacrifice them to our neighbor's chickens. 

 

I'm inspired to get a tank and some frogs now, though.

 

Another thought is to check Craigslist. I frequently see interesting pets for free or a nominal fee. They often include all of the gear, too, as the owners are forced to get rid of a beloved ball python/turtle/established saltwater tank/etc but want to make sure that the animals are in good care.

[PagesandFields]

I don't have any other specific examples... but I always recommend going out into nature, a national forest nearby, the most "wild" place you can find and look for critters there.  There's nothing like waiting and waiting only to find a glimpse of something in its natural habitat.  It's a very different experience.  

[Innisfree]

Just wanted to add Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch as an idea. My kids loved this.