Background Information

Habitats

A habitat is a place where things live and grow naturally.  Discuss with your children where their habitat is - their home.  Talk about the different kinds of homes in which we live, including:

            wooden houses

            brick houses

            apartments

            townhouses

            mobile homes

            house boats

            igloos

            caves

            mud houses

Where are our houses located?

            in town

            in a city

            in the country

            what state?

            what country?

            by the sea?

            by the mountains?

All wildlife has four basic needs to survive in their habitat:

Space: a safe place to live and raise their babies

Shelter: a safe place to hide, sleep, and be warm and protected from the weather

Water:  for drinking and bathing

Food: to live and grow

Iowa has three major habitats: prairie, woods, and wetlands.  The next three programs in this booklet will introduce you and your children to the three major habitats found in Iowa.

Note:  For an excellent introductory article on habitats, read Welcome Wildlife from Copycat magazine, Mar/April 1997.

Pond Habitats

Amphibians

Most amphibians, frogs, toads, and salamanders spend some of their life cycle in and around ponds.  All amphibians must lay their eggs in water and, in their early life stage, are called tadpoles.  After they mature, toads and salamanders head for dry land, whereas many species of frogs live their adult lives in water.

Frogs vs. Toads

If you visit a pond on a warm spring evening, you may hear what sounds like sleigh bells jingling or the twang of a loose banjo string.  Your ears are not playing tricks on you; you are actually hearing the sounds of frogs.  The male frogs are the singers who hope to attract a female mate with their loud voices.  Male frogs have pouches of loose skin under their chins, called vocal sacs.  Air is forced out of their lungs, through the throat and into the vocal sac, which puffs out like a big bubble.  As the air passes through the throat, it vibrates the frogs' vocal chords and produces the sound.  Here are some common frogs of the pond and what their songs sound like: spring peeper -- sleigh bells, green frog -- twang of a loose banjo string, bullfrog -- a deep voice saying Achug-o-rum, chorus frog -- a fingernail running over the teeth of a comb, and cricket frog -- marbles being clacked together.

Although frogs and toads look much the same, it is easy to tell them apart when you know what to look for.

            Frogs have slender bodies with smooth, wet skin. 

            The long hind legs of frogs help them jump longer distances than the shorter legs of toads. 

            Most frogs lay their eggs in water in clumps of floating jelly. 

            Frogs are always found living in or near water. 

            Adult toads may be found a long way from water.

            Toads are covered with rough, dry skin. 

Frogs like fast food, not hamburgers, but food that actually moves.  Flies are a favorite frog food.  Unlike your tongue, a frog’s tongue is attached at the front of its mouth.  When a frog sees food, it flicks out its sticky tongue, grabs the prey, and pulls it back into its mouth.  Frogs also have tiny teeth to hold onto their food before they swallow it whole.

Tadpoles

Frogs lay hundreds of eggs at one time.  These eggs are held together and suspended in the water by a jelly-like coating.  The eggs usually hatch after two weeks of being laid, releasing hundreds of tiny, black tadpoles.  Tadpoles possess feathery gills, a tail, and a streamlined body resembling small fish.  Tadpoles spend much of their time feeding on algae and other plant matter.

One month after hatching, the tadpoles' lungs cease to work as they have developed lungs within their bodies.  Tadpoles must now come to the surface to breathe.   Four to five weeks after hatching, hind legs will appear, making the tadpole look like it is part fish and part frog.  At about six to seven weeks, front legs grow out of the slits where the gill used to be.  By the end of three months, all four legs will be fully developed.  As the tadpole increases in size, the tail begins to disappear.  The tail is reabsorbed by the tadpole as it uses the energy stored inside the tail to help the tadpole grow and develop into an adult frog.  When the tail is absorbed, the frog is ready to test out its new legs on dry land.

Turtles

Turtles are commonly found living in ponds, marshes, and lakes.  Turtles are unique members of the reptile family.  They have scales on their legs and neck and plates that cover their shells.  Like other reptiles, turtles must shed their skin (scales and plates) in order to grow larger.  The turtles’ designs are unique; their ribs are fused directly to their shells and their leg bones are tucked inside their body cavities.  The top and bottom shell are solidly fused on each side, called a bridge, making it impossible for turtles to leave their shell. 

Turtles have no visible ear openings, though some have a large, circular opening on both sides of the head, just behind the eyes.  These are tympanic membranes that cover the middle and inner ears.  Turtles have an adequate sense of smell.  Many species of turtles use their smell to scavenge for food at night.  Turtles have a good sense of sight but are unable to make sounds as they do not possess vocal cords.  The sound most often associated with turtles is a hissing as they pull themselves inside their shells and expel air from their lungs.

Turtles are commonly seen basking on logs in the hot summer sun.  Basking raises the turtles' body temperatures to a range where they can move more efficiently, digest food, and escape predators.  Basking also helps rid the turtles' shells of algae and the turtles' bodies of other parasites, such as leeches.

Herons

The great blue heron is the most commonly seen heron in the ponds, rivers, lakes, and marshes of Iowa.  They are gray-blue in color with white on the head.  These enormous birds may stand four feet tall.  They are characterized by a long beak, long neck, and a long, dagger-like bill.

Herons do not have webbed feet, and thus, are not swimmers.  They are, however, great wetland predators.  They quietly stalk their prey and will stand motionless for long periods of time waiting for food to swim by.  When a heron spies a tasty morsel swimming about its feet, it quickly extends its long neck into the water and grabs it with its sharp dagger-like beak.  Herons will eat fish, frogs, tadpoles, and crayfish.

Geese and Ducks

These birds are often seen on the ponds, lakes, and marshes of Iowa.  They have several adaptations that allow them to live in the wetlands.  Their webbed feet make them excellent swimmers.  Ducks and geese also have legs that are positioned farther back on their bodies.  This positioning is good for swimming, but poor for walking on land.  Most waterfowl are waterproof.  They have an oil coating on their feathers that repels water.  The oil comes from a gland near the base of the tail and is spread by the beak as they preen their feathers.  Most ducks and geese eat plants and insects found in the water.  Their beak is specialized to release water while keeping the plant material in their mouths.  Along the edge of their top beaks or bills are tiny holes or serrations that release the water.

Swallows

Swallows are birds found near water.  They fly silently and quickly over the water, scooping up insects in their large, gaping beaks.  At times, swallows can be seen just touching the surface of the water as they capture insects.  Swallows are a benefit as they eat many insects and help control the insect population.  Swallows will eat mosquitoes, dragon flies, mayflies, and many other insects that hatch out of the water.

Raccoons

There are many mammals that are found around water, but the raccoon is the most recognizable.  It is a medium-sized, stocky mammal with a prominently masked face and ringed tail.  Raccoons also leave behind recognizable tracks that look similar to human hands and feet because the prints contain five fingers and five toes.

Raccoons prefer to live in forests surrounding rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshes.  They will make dens in hollow trees, or on the banks of rivers or lakes.  They are nocturnal animals, heading to the water after dark to hunt for food.  Raccoons will eat a variety of animals found in the water--clams, fish, frogs, tadpoles, crayfish, turtles and their eggs, snails, muskrats, and the eggs of nesting birds.  Raccoons may not always be able to find their food using sight, so they use their sensitive front paws to turn over rocks and feel for food. 

Muskrats

The muskrat is a medium-sized animal with blackish-brown fur, a stocky body, short legs, and a flattened, hairless, scaly tail.  They are members of the rodent family and have large incisor teeth for gnawing on plants. 

Muskrats prefer still or slow moving water containing vegetation both in the water and along the shores.  They are commonly found in lakes, ponds and marshes.  The muskrat usually digs its home into the bank along the water; if banks are not available, it will build its home out of vegetation in the water.  The dome-shaped house is built of grass, roots and stems.  The muskrat's home may measure eight feet in diameter and four feet in height.  There is usually one nest chamber in the home, but sometimes there are two that are hooked to the water by tunnels.  The walls of the house are usually one foot thick and are sometimes cemented by mud.  The vegetation in the walls keeps the muskrat cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Muskrats eat primarily vegetation.  They eat the rootstocks and stems of cattails and bullrush.  Muskrats have been known to eat snails, crayfish, fish and frogs as well.  Muskrats are mostly nocturnal but will be seen out in the day during late spring and early summer.

Dragonflies

Dragonflies are an ancient order of insect; their ancestors have ruled the air for 300 million years.  Dragonflies are effective predators of the wetland both in the nymph and adult stages.  Dragonfly nymphs are found exclusively in ponds, marshes, and along lake shores.  They are equipped with huge compound eyes and have nearly a 360 degree view of the world around them.  Dragonfly nymphs are unlike their flying adult counterparts.  As nymphs, they are reduced to moving with their long spider-like legs; they use gills to breathe, and are drab.  Dragonfly nymphs use their dark brown color to help them camouflage to their surroundings as they hunt for insects, mollusks, worms, and sometimes small fish.  When a dragonfly nymph is ready to change into the adult form, it climbs out on a stable plant, splits its skin, and emerges as an adult.

Adult dragonflies are equally strong predators, catching their food on the wing.  Dragonflies commonly fly at about 25 miles per hour but are capable of spurts of speed of up to 75 miles per hour.  Dragonflies use their sharp eyesight and legs to catch their food.

Whirligig Beetles

The whirligig beetle spends most of its time on the surface of the water.  Whirligigs have two pairs of eyes.  One pair faces up to see prey on the surface, and the other pair faces down to see prey below.  The adult whirligig beetles protect themselves from predators with an odor.  Some emit a foul odor, and one type secretes a milky substance that smells like apples.  Although the smell of apples might not be offensive to humans, it fends off their predators.

Crayfish

There are invertebrates (animals without backbones) that live in ponds, marshes and lakes, yet they are not insects.  They are called crustaceans.  One big difference between insects and crustaceans is that insects have six legs, and crustaceans have eight or more.  Also, crustaceans never develop wings, so they are not able to fly. 

A common crustacean is the crayfish.  Crayfish that live in wetlands look more like small lobsters than insects.  Crayfish are decapods; they have 10 legs.  The legs vary in size and shape.  Crayfish live on the bottom of ponds and, during the day, stay hidden under rocks or in their burrows.  A crayfish moves quickly backwards if it is threatened, keeping large front pinchers available to defend itself. Crayfish eat dead vegetation as well as small insects.

Prairie Habitat

Areas of grassland may be found around the world, each with its distinctive regional name.  In North America, grasslands are known as prairie. In Africa, grasslands are known as Savannah. In South America, they are called the pampas; and in Asia, they are referred to as steppe.  This program mainly concentrates on the prairie regions of North America but could easily be adapted for older children using the other grassland regions of the world.

Rainfall and Prairies

American prairies are characterized by vast grasslands with no trees.  To the west of the prairie regions are the Rocky Mountains and to the east, the forests.  Weather patterns generally move from west to east across the country.  As these weather systems hit the mountains, they drop large quantities of moisture on the mountain region.  Consequently, rainfall is sparse across the prairie region, too little to support forests.  The grasses closest to the mountains receive the least amount of rain and tend to be short and tough types of grasses.  The grasses growing on the eastern part of the prairies receive more rain from the Gulf of Mexico and tend to be the taller varieties.  There is no dividing line between the tall grass and the short grass prairie, but an area of mixed grasses does appear.

The Lost Prairie

Less than 200 years ago, nearly twenty-five percent of North America was covered in grass.  Today that amount is significantly less.  Because it has been plowed under for cropland and housing and used for cattle grazing, very little of the original prairie exists.  Iowa has less than 1 percent of its original prairie.

Prairies of long ago were a rich mixture of grasses and wildflowers whose blossoms drew an abundance of butterflies and other insects to the area.  Grazing on the prairie grasses were bison, pronghorn antelope, elk, and deer.  Under the ground could be found large towns of prairie dogs, and a variety of moles, badgers, insects, and ferrets.  Predatory animals, including the wolf, also stalked the prairies of long ago. 

Animals and Plants of the Prairie

Prairie Dogs

Prairie dogs are common in the states to our west -- Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.  Most prairie dogs live in colonies and a can be found by their large earth mound homes.  Prairie dogs often sit erect on top of their homes; they are slightly smaller than a cat and yellowish in color.  Prairie dogs’ towns may number from 5 to 35 per town.  They are cautious little animals with one member on guard while the others feed.  Their warning call is a two-syllable bark and is issued at about 40 per minute.  Prairie dogs have hawks, coyotes, foxes, and other large mammals to fear.  Prairie dogs are territorial toward adjacent prairie dog towns.  They feed mostly on grass and forbs but will also eat grasshoppers and other insects.  Although they are burrowing animals, they are not true hibernators.  In the winter, prairie dogs may sleep for short periods of time in really cold weather.  Prairie dogs live in competition with ranchers and their cattle.  Because of this, many prairie dogs’ towns have been poisoned or drowned out to eliminate what ranchers feel are a nuisance.  Some prairie dog colonies are being preserved in Wind Cave National Park and Devil’s Tower National Monument.

Buffalo

Buffalo, or bison, were once common on the prairies of the Midwest.  They are large animals, six feet in height and weighing about 800-2,000 pounds.  Buffalo are unmistakable with their dark brown bodies, massive heads, huge humps on their shoulders and long, shaggy hair on their shoulders and front legs. 

Buffalo are active during the day feeding and migrating.  When the native prairies were common, buffalo would migrate north in the summer and south in the winter in search of available food. 

Buffalo are remembered for the huge wallows they created as they rolled in the dust to keep cool and rid themselves of pests.  Although buffalo were common during the time of the early settlers, there are few buffalo today.  Most buffalo seen today are confined to zoos, national and state parks, or raised by private ranchers.  There were several things that caused the demise of the buffalo: loss of prairie, competition from settler-introduced cows, and most importantly, hunting.  Buffalo were hunted by Native Americans, who followed the buffalo as they migrated.  The buffalo provided a primary source of food and hides.  Upon settlement of the Midwest, buffalo were hunted by white settlers for sport, with hundreds being killed at a time for no conventional use.  Today, buffalo can be found roaming at Yellowstone National Park, Wind Cave National Park and the Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City, Iowa.

Badgers

The badger is commonly found in open grasslands and prairies.  It is a primarily nocturnal animal but can also be active in the early mornings.  The badger is a heavy-bodied, short-legged, yellowish-gray mammal.  It has characteristic markings such as a white stripe that runs from the tip of its nose over the top of its head, white cheeks, and a black spot in front of each ear.  Badgers are most commonly known for their extremely long claws on their front paws, exceeding one inch in length, and their great ability to dig.  Badgers dig for their food which consists of small burrowing rodents.  Badgers also dig their own burrows.  A badger digs by loosening the soil with its front feet, passing the dirt under its body, and kicking dirt out of the hole with its back feet.  Sometimes dirt is removed so vigorously, it is thrown four to five feet high.  Badgers have to dig quickly to catch burrowing animals and to escape from enemies.  A badger can dig faster than a man with a shovel.  Badgers usually have three babies a year, and the mother takes good care of her young.  Badgers have few to no predators that harm them, although coyotes have been known to eat young badgers.  Badgers are aggressive animals and are well armed with those one-inch claws.  Their only enemies seem to be people and dogs.

 Pronghorn Antelope

A pronghorn antelope, primarily a North American mammal, is found on the open grasslands and prairies in the West.  It is medium-sized with pale, tan fur.  It can be distinguished from deer by its large white rump, white sides, two white bands across the throat, and its two slightly curved horns.  It gets its name from the single prong that projects forward from each horn.  The pronghorn antelope is active mainly during the day, early morning, and evening.  Pronghorns usually occur in small bands.  Pronghorns are chiefly browsing animals and eat grass, weeds, and sagebrush.  When frightened, they escape and can reach speeds up to 40 miles per hour.  They commonly live 14 years in the wild and usually have two young a year.

Monarch Butterflies

Monarch butterflies are one of the most common butterflies found on the prairie.  Their orange and black colors make them easy to spot.  Although monarchs are colorful, they don’t worry about being seen and eaten as they have a horrendous taste that wards off the hungriest of predators.  Monarchs are common to the prairie because of the abundance of milkweed plants.  The female monarch lays her small eggs on the undersides of milkweed leaves.  After about 10-16 days, small black, white, and yellow caterpillars hatch from the eggs.  They are ravenous creatures, eating on the milkweed plant day and night.  Over the course of this time, they will shed their skins four or five times.  After about a month, the caterpillars spin a silk pad on the underside of the leaf and attach their tails to them; here is where they shed their skin for the last time.  A soft chrysalis forms around the caterpillar and gradually hardens.  Fluids in the caterpillar break down and re-form to make the butterfly.  After 7-10 days, the chrysalis splits open and out struggles a beautiful monarch butterfly.  The butterfly hangs upside down for 20 minutes so its wings can dry and harden.  Then it flies away into the prairie.  Monarch butterflies that hatch early in the summer go on to lay more eggs.  Monarch butterflies that hatch late in the summer will migrate south into the mountains of Mexico for the winter.

 Snakes

Snakes are reptiles possessing an elongated, scaly body without legs, eyelids, or external ear openings.  Snakes are cold-blooded animals and need to warm their bodies by basking in the sun.  The prairie offers excellent habitat for snakes as prairies are frequently dry and hot.  All snakes are carnivores.  They are able to swallow their prey whole, because they have the ability to unhinge their jaw bones.

 Garter snakes are a common species of snake found in the prairies in Iowa.  Garter snakes bear live young during the summer.  They hibernate during the winter in large community dens.

Prairie Plants

Big bluestem is a common grass found on the tallgrass prairie.  This coarse, leafy grass occurs in large clumps and forms dense sod.  Its growth usually begins in April and continues throughout the summer.  The root system of this perennial grass is immense, with coarse branches throughout the top soil and some roots extending to depths of 12 feet.  The stems of big bluestem grow to heights of 8 feet and are bluish in color, giving rise to the name.  The plant produces a seed head at the top of the stem.  Many of the seed heads grow in three sections. When separated, these sections look like a bird’s foot, hence the nickname turkey’s foot.

Switchgrass is another common grass of the tallgrass prairie.  This grass also grows in dense colonies beginning in early spring and continuing through the summer.  Its stout, erect stem grows to between 3-6 feet tall and is green to purplish in color.  Large, loose seed heads tend to form at the top of the stem.  During pioneer times, a bundle of switch grass was commonly found in the school house and used on unruly students.

Compass Plant is a flowering plant that grows from a thick, deeply penetrating taproot. It can reach a height of 8 feet tall.  The leaves grow to 1 foot long and 6 inches wide.  The leaves are irregularly lobed and tend to orient themselves in a north-south direction, hence the common name.  The compass plant produces a showy, yellow flower head, much like those of the wild sunflower.  They bloom July through August.

 The Woods

What Are Woodlands?

Woodlands or forests are commonly defined as a biological community of plants and animals dominated by trees.  In Iowa, the trees are usually deciduous hardwoods.  As you move farther north, the coniferous forests dominate.

Plants and Animals of the Canopy

The canopy trees are large leafy trees that produce a variety of food for wildlife. 

The white oak and red oak are two of Iowa’s largest canopy trees.  Oak trees produce an abundance of acorns for wildlife.  Shagbark hickory and black walnuts are also common canopy trees found in Iowa, both producing edible nuts.

The high treetops of the canopy are home mainly to birds of prey.  Red-tailed hawks use the treetops for nesting.  Their large nests are made with sticks and lined with shreds of bark and bits of fresh green vegetation.  Hawks frequently use the treetops to perch and search for prey.  Their excellent eye sight can spot the slightest movement.  Their large talons and sharp beak hold and tear their prey.

Plants and Animals of the Understory

Understory plants grow under the canopy trees and are shade-tolerant.  They generally are smaller trees and produce an abundance of fruit and berries for wildlife.  Chokecherry, ironwood, white pine, and red cedar are all understory trees.

Squirrels are small mammals perfectly suited for life in the trees where they find food, shelter, and safety from their enemies.  Squirrels are quick, agile, and sure footed.  Their claws are good for climbing, and their tails make an excellent counter balance.

Squirrels have large chisel-like front teeth that are used for cracking nuts.  These front incisor teeth continue to grow, but are worn down by gnawing on hard objects and food.  Squirrels have an excellent sense of smell. This helps them locate buried food.  Their acute sense of sight and hearing also alerts them to danger. They are hunted by several predators, including snakes, large birds, weasels, and foxes.

Squirrels like to build nests inside the cavities of old trees. When a suitable cavity cannot be found, squirrels will build a nest called a drey out of twigs and leaves in the fork of two branches high up in the tree.

Squirrels do not hibernate during the winter, although they periodically spend long intervals in their nests during bad weather.  Since food is scarce during the winter, squirrels gather food during the fall and store it for winter use.  They use their sense of smell, not their memory, to locate the food.

Woodpeckers

There are 20 different species of woodpeckers that inhabit North America, the most common being the downy woodpecker.  Woodpeckers are characterized by their sharp, pointed beaks that tap into the trunks of trees seeking wood-boring insects.  To help extract these insects, the woodpecker also has a long, pointed tongue that is barbed on the end.  Most species of woodpeckers make their nests in holes in trees.

Woodpeckers have the ability to move vertically up and down trees.  Their specialized feet have two claws pointing forward and two pointing backward.  They also possess a compact body with a short, stiff tail that is used as a prop while they tap into trees.

Plants and Animals of the Woodland Floor

Spring is the best time to take young children out into the woods.  The woodland flowers are in bloom at this time.  Bloodroot gets its name from the red liquid in the plant’s root.  When broken, this oozes out and looks like blood.  This red sap is poisonous if swallowed, but has been used as both facial paint and a dye.  Dutchman’s breeches is another spring flowering plant, its white blossoms resemble a pair of breeches hanging upside down.

Many animals are found on the woodland floor and in the shrubs.  White-tailed deer are frequently found in Iowa woodlands, where the shrubs offer good camouflage and plenty of food.  The adults are tan or reddish brown in color with a white under-tail which the deer displays to communicate danger.  The young fawn’s back is covered with light-colored spots to help hide the animal on the woodland floor. 

Adult deer will frequently leave the fawn for extended periods to find food.  The fawn will remain silent and motionless, camouflaged by its spots and coloring. Fawns do not have any scent, making it difficult for predators to locate them.

Eastern chipmunks are a ground species inhabiting woodlands.  They feed on acorns and hickory nuts and will climb trees to retrieve them for winter storage in their underground homes.  They will also eat slugs, snails, and small invertebrates they find while tunneling underground.  Chipmunks sleep through the winter, although they will wake up and eat some of the stored food.

 Leaf litter, rotting logs, and the soil under the ground level provide numerous habitats for other woodland animals including sow bugs, centipedes, millipedes, beetles, and worms.  Their job as decomposers of the dead plant matter plays an essential role in the healthy woodland community.

From Nature Boxes for Early Childhood Educators, Debbi Williams, Story County Conservation Board

Story County Conservation
Linda R. F. Zaletel
56461 180th St.
Ames, IA 50010
www.storycounty.com  go to “Conservation and Parks”