Name: __________________________
ASI: Animal Skull Investigation - Junior Investigator Worksheet
Plant Eater
________________________________
Meat Eater
________________________________
Eats Both
________________________________
Eyes to the Front = ________________
Eyes to the Side = ________________
Skull #1
What size is this animal? (circle one)
Small
Medium
What direction do the eyes face? (circle one)
Side
This means the animal is a ________. (circle one)
What kind of teeth do you see? (circle one)
This animal eats ________. (circle one)
Large
Front
Predator
Canines
Plants
Prey
Molars
Meat
Both
Both
What do you think it is? _________________ Skull #1 is a: _________________
Skull #2
What size is this animal? (circle one)
Small
Medium
What direction do the eyes face? (circle one)
Side
This means the animal is a ________. (circle one)
What kind of teeth do you see? (circle one)
This animal eats ________. (circle one)
Large
Front
Predator
Canines
Plants
Prey
Molars
Meat
Both
Both
What do you think it is? _________________ Skull #2 is a: _________________
Skull #3
What size is this animal? (circle one)
Small
Medium
What direction do the eyes face? (circle one)
Side
This means the animal is a ________. (circle one)
What kind of teeth do you see? (circle one)
This animal eats ________. (circle one)
Front
Predator
Canines
Plants
Large
Prey
Molars
Meat
Both
Both
What do you think it is? _________________ Skull #3 is a: _________________
Name: _ANSWER KEY_______________
ASI: Animal Skull Investigation - Junior Investigator Worksheet
Plant Eater
__HERBIVORE___________________
Meat Eater
__CARNIVORE___________________
Eats Both
__OMNIVORE____________________
Eyes to the Front = __HUNT__________
Eyes to the Side = __HIDE___________
Skull #1
What size is this animal? (circle one)
Small
Medium
What direction do the eyes face? (circle one)
Side
This means the animal is a ________. (circle one)
What kind of teeth do you see? (circle one)
This animal eats ________. (circle one)
Large
Front
Predator
Canines
Plants
Prey
Molars
Meat
Both
Both
What do you think it is? _________________ Skull #1 is a: __COYOTE ______
Skull #2
What size is this animal? (circle one)
Small
Medium
What direction do the eyes face? (circle one)
Side
This means the animal is a ________. (circle one)
What kind of teeth do you see? (circle one)
This animal eats ________. (circle one)
Large
Front
Predator
Canines
Plants
Prey
Molars
Meat
Both
Both
What do you think it is? _________________ Skull #2 is a: __RACCOON _____
Skull #3
What size is this animal? (circle one)
Small
Medium
What direction do the eyes face? (circle one)
Side
This means the animal is a ________. (circle one)
What kind of teeth do you see? (circle one)
This animal eats ________. (circle one)
Front
Predator
Canines
Plants
Large
Prey
Molars
Meat
Both
Both
What do you think it is? _________________ Skull #3 is a: __PORCUPINE____
Name: _______________________
Animal Skull Investigation
CASE # 123
Wrap-up for Junior Investigators
Herbivore:
An animal that eats mostly plants
Carnivore:
An animal that eats mostly meat
Omnivore:
An animal that eats both plants and meat
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Read the list of Texas wildlife suspects below and think about
what each animal might eat.
Write “H” next to animals that are Herbivores
Write “C” next to animals that are Carnivores
Write “O” next to animals that are Omnivores
______ Coyote
______ Badger
______ Rattlesnake
______ Porcupine
______ Pronghorn Antelope
______ Opossum
______ Skunk
______ Mountain Lion
______ Bobcat
______ Raccoon
______ White-tailed Deer
© Texas Wildlife Association
Name: _______________________
Animal Skull Investigation
CASE # 123
Wrap-up for Junior Investigators
Herbivore:
An animal that eats mostly plants
Carnivore:
An animal that eats mostly meat
Omnivore:
An animal that eats both plants and meat
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Read the list of Texas wildlife suspects below and think about
what each animal might eat.
Write
Write
Write
Write
“H”
“C”
“O”
“I”
next
next
next
next
to
to
to
to
animals
animals
animals
animals
that
that
that
that
are
are
are
are
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Insectivores
C
______
Coyote
O
______
Badger
C
______
Rattlesnake
H
______
Porcupine
H
______
Pronghorn Antelope
O
______
Opossum
O
______
Skunk
C
______
Mountain Lion
C
______
Bobcat
O
______
Raccoon
H
______
White-tailed Deer
© Texas Wildlife Association
Name: __________________________
Let’s Talk Turkey – Student Worksheet
How many calls do you think a Wild Turkey can make? (Circle one):
1 to 10
10 to 20
20 to 30
They make __________ different calls.
A female turkey is called a _____________________.
A young male turkey is called a _____________________.
An adult male turkey is called a _____________________.
Where does a turkey build her nest? (Circle one):
Tree
Ground
Bush
How many feathers do you think a Wild Turkey has? (Circle one):
100 to 500
5,000 to 6,000
15,000 to 20,000
A Wild Turkey has _________________ feathers.
Feathers are used for three main functions. They are:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
A Wild Turkey is a(n) (Circle one): Carnivore
Herbivore
Omnivore
Label Tom the Turkey:
Beard
Caruncles
Snood
Spur
Tail feathers
Wing feathers
Name: __________________________
Let’s Talk Turkey – Student Worksheet
How many calls do you think a Wild Turkey can make? (Circle one):
1 to 10
10 to 20
20 to 30
They make __________
28
different calls.
A female turkey is called a _____________________.
hen
jake
A young male turkey is called a _____________________.
An adult male turkey is called a _____________________.
gobbler or tom
Where does a turkey build her nest? (Circle one):
Tree
Ground
Bush
How many feathers do you think a Wild Turkey has? (Circle one):
100 to 500
5,000 to 6,000
15,000 to 20,000
A Wild Turkey has _________________
feathers.
5,000 to 6,000
Feathers are used for three main functions. They are:
flight
_____________________________________
thermoregulation
_____________________________________
camouflage
_____________________________________
A Wild Turkey is a(n) (Circle one): Carnivore
Herbivore
Omnivore
tail feathers
snood
caruncles
wing feathers
beard
spur
Label Tom the Turkey:
Beard
Caruncles
Snood
Spur
Tail feathers
Wing feathers
LET’S TALK TURKEY
Objective
For students to create a turkey call which mimics the sound of a female turkey (hen).
Materials
Not Provided
Plastic drinking straw
Leather lace
Plastic pony beads
Masking tape
Scissors
Feathers from a craft store
Photo © Tony Northrup (http://www.northrup.org/)
Background
Turkeys are wary and hard to fool. Generations of turkey hunters will all agree. By using a call, a person is
imitating, not the male turkey, but the turkey hen. The male turkey gobbles to let the hens know where he is.
The hens then come to the male to breed. A hunter uses the call of the hen to broadcast to the toms that “she” is
out there. He in turn gobbles to let “her” know where he is. Young turkeys, also known as poults, inherit the
ability to make calls from their parents.
To use your turkey call, place the uncut end in your mouth, halfway between the front of your lips and the
corner of your mouth. Cup you hands over the end of the call to create a kind of echo chamber for the sound.
Now suck on it in little short breaths, much like making a “kissing” noise. You should be making the sound of
a hen turkey. It gets easier with practice.
Procedure
1. Cut a 13 centimeter piece of the plastic drinking straw.
Discard the rest.
2. On one end, cut out a scoop on one side only. It should be
about 1.5 centimeters long.
3. Take the leather lace, hold both ends together, and slide on
two (2) of the plastic pony beads. Slide them up until they
are about five (5) centimeters from the loose ends.
4. Slip the length of plastic straw between the two (2) beads.
Push them together to hold it in place.
5. Slide three (3) pony beads on each of the two loose ends of
the leather lace. Leave about 1.5 centimeters beneath the
lowest bead.
6. Attach the feathers by sliding each one up under the three
beads on the end of each lace.
7. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the uncut end of the
straw to form a mouthpiece. Be careful not to cover up the
end of the straw.