For this week's preliminary research, I decided to focus on the migration of animals. Right away, I learned that not only mammals and birds migrate, which was what I previously thought.
| Table 1. Guinness records held by animal migrants | ||
| Smallest migrant | 1–2 mm long | Zooplankton (crab larvae, copepods, etc.) |
| Largest migrant | 24–27 m long | Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) |
| Longest mammal migration | Up to 8,500 km each way | Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) |
| Longest insect migration | Up to 4,750 km in the autumn | Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) |
| Longest recorded round-trip | 80,000 km | Artic tern (Sterna paradisaea) |
| Highest migration altitude | 9,000 asl | Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) |
| Source: Hoare 2009, Egevang et al. 2010 | ||
Some facts I learned about animal migration are:
- The longest insect migration is performed by the monarch butterfly
- Animals migrate for more food or breeding
- Some salmon go to the ocean for food then come back upstream for breeding
- Migrants either eat before or after the migration
- Animals' bodies change accordingly
- Humans have known of animal migration from the Stone Age
Do you have quizzes or discussion questions with your class?
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