Reflection paragraph on process

                     One of the hardest parts of this research was choosing the topic.  I had to choose between  a whole bunch of animals, I finally just chose the Moose!  The project itself wasn't hard, I actually enjoyed it.  I really enjoyed when I finish a part of my project, because that is when I got to add photos to them.  Adding photos is really fun because it adds something special and fun to your blog.  Whats a blog without pictures?  I disliked when we had to write those finding paragraphs on our research, they were kind of drawn out.  If I had to do this project over again I wouldn't do anything different, I like how my blog turned out and I wouldn't change it if I could.  If I ever had to do this again I would defiantly do it on another animal,  that is just the way I am.

Reflection paragraph on sources

            Considering that Moose is a animal, there were many successful sources that I could have used.  I tried to find somewhat reliable sites to get information from.  The most useful site that I connected with is called Animal Corner.  Animal Corner really gets into detail about its topics,  it has paragraphs and paragraphs about things even so small as antlers!  I believe I got a lot of use out of Animal Corner.  All of the sites that I used were pretty trustworthy, but there were some standouts.  Most trustworthy were National Geographic, Animal Planet, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game, mainly because they are BRAND NAMES.  I had no "Biased" websites, where they were against my topic, all my sites were completely informational. These sites were a huge part of my research blog.

Works cited

Moose." Animals, Animal, Wildlife Animals, Rainforests, Pets, Farm Animals and Insects. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. .

"Moose Reproduction." Animals, Animal, Wildlife Animals, Rainforests, Pets, Farm Animals and Insects. Web. 05 Nov. 2010.

"Moose - The Animals of British Columbia, Canada - Wildlife Moose of BC." British Columbia Travel. BC Tourism Information. British Columbia Vacations. Web. 05 Nov. 2010.

"Range." Hinterland Who's Who. Web. 09 Nov. 2010.

Summer Late. "Moose: Wildlife Notebook Series - Alaska Department of Fish and Game." Alaska Department of Fish and Game Home Page. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.

Wordle #2 based on topic key terms

Reflection paragraph on findings

                         Researching Moose has been a very interesting journey.  One of the most important facts I learned about Moose was about their predators and how they defend themselves.  It's very shocking that wolves are a very strong predator towards Moose considering their difference in size!  It's not that I still have more questions about the life of Moose, but I can always learn more about them, they ARE animals.  I am much more comfortable with my topic of research now.  I feel like I can actually have a conversation about them now and be somewhat knowledgeable!

Finding paragraph #3

                        All species of animals have different breeding seasons than others.  What is a Moose's?  According to Animal Corner,  the Moose breeding season occurs in the months of September and October,  so it isn't so warm!!  The Moose have a unique way of getting the male or female to notice them.  The male will produce a strong grunting sound that can be heard from up to five-hundred meters away,  while the female will produce a wailing sound.  During this process, they are trying to get each others attention.  The males will normally face-off in a fierce battle to win the female for breeding (mating) season.  The larger Moose will usually win,  the smaller Moose will retreat.  Therefore,  Moose breeding season has a very violent start!


                                        

                    

Finding paragraph #2

                       The habitat of Moose is often questioned by many, including me.  Reason being, is that they don't know exactly where the majority of them are known as "Residents".  According to the Alaskan Wildlife Federation, they are mainly found in Canada.  They have estimated around five-hundred thousand to one million Moose in Canadian regions.  Moose have also been rapidly populating areas that have literally never seen a Moose before.  Areas such as northern central Ontario and southern British Columbia.  The bottom line is,  Moose are undeniably spreading through the bare forest leading to the wide open tundra.

 

Finding paragraph #1

                         When I was preparing for my research I had a few questions that needed answering.  I have come to a conclusion on some of them!  I found out about the food chain from The Alaskan Department of Fish and Game, what they eat and what eats them.  Moose are gentle giants, they are big even-toed herbivores!  Such a big animal, you would think that they would be meat eaters! No, according to Animal Corner, they enjoy twigs, horsetail, sedges, roots, pond weeds and grasses.  They eat many other plants as well. You can spot a Moose dining in the day and night, but mainly at dusk and dawn.  They also eat under the water, that's why they are always in water in most photographs.  Moose also have predators, in which THEY are the prey.  These predators are wolves and black and brown bears.  As soon as the Moose leave their winter dens, the bears hunt and kill the calves along with some adults.  On the other hand, wolves just kill them ALL year long whenever they get the chance. This limits Moose population.  So therefore we know about Moose predators and prey.

Quote, paraphrase, and citation #5

Moose are found in Canadian forests from the Alaska boundary to the eastern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is estimated that there are between 500 000 and 1 million moose in Canada. Since the beginning of settlement in Canada there have been considerable shifts in the distribution of moose. They are found in many regions which had no moose in presettlement days. There are now large moose populations in north-central Ontario and in the southern part of British Columbia, where moose were previously unknown. They have only recently spread to the Quebec North Shore, north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The island of Newfoundland, which had never been occupied by moose, was "seeded" with a few pairs in the early 1900s and now has large populations. Moose are constantly spreading northwards through the sparse transition forest that extends to the open tundra.

Moose are mainly found in Canada.  It is approximated that there is roughly five-hundred thousand to one million Moose in Canadian regions.  Moose have been rapidly distributing as well, there are Moose in areas that have never even seen a Moose before.  Areas such as northern central Ontario and the southern part of British Columbia.  The main idea is that Moose are invariably spreading northwards through the sparse forest leading to the open tundra.

"Range." Hinterland Who's Who. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. <http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=93>.

Quote, paraphrase, and citation #4

Tracks - The moose track is slightly larger and more pointed than that of the elk and similar in shape to a deer's but twice as large. The track may be blunted if the ground is rocky and hard, making it more difficult to distinguish from the elks. A typical print is of two pointed pear shapes with the tips closer than the wider bottom.

           We know that the tracks of elk, deer, and moose are slightly similar, but they are indeed different.  Moose tracks are a little bit bigger and pointier than the elk's.  They are also twice the size of a deer's!  If the ground they are walking upon is hard and rocky, it may be a little difficult to tell the difference.  They look like pears with close tips and wider bottoms.

"Moose - The Animals of British Columbia, Canada - Wildlife Moose of BC." British Columbia Travel. BC Tourism Information. British Columbia Vacations. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/moose.htm.

 

 

Graph/chart/map and citation

This chart is showing the ratio of Moose and Wolf population over the years.  As we know, Wolves are Moose biggest predator. Right now in the 2000's the Moose have the leading population over the Wolves which is wonderful, maybe this means more CALVES!

http://www.smithlifescience.com/SciWolfMooseGraph.jpg

              

Quote, paraphrase, and citation #3

Moose breeding season occurs in September and October. During this time both male and female moose will call to each other. Males produce heavy grunting sounds that can be heard from up to 500 metres away while females produce a wail-like sound. Males will fight for access to females. The larger moose generally wins and the smaller moose retreats. They may engage in battles that can turn quite violent.

When breeding (reproduction) season for Moose comes around, it's not that pretty.  This season occurs in  September and October, so it's not that warm like other animals breeding months.  The male and female Moose begin to call each other with certain noises:  Male-Heavy grunting sounds that can be heard from about 500 meters away, and Female-A wailing sound.  The males will literally fight in a battle over the female Moose, the larger Moose usually will win the female.

"Moose Reproduction." Animals, Animal, Wildlife Animals, Rainforests, Pets, Farm Animals and Insects. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/wildlife/moose.html.

Photo, caption, and citation #3

You may look at this picture and giggle, huh?  Well, what this is, is a great example of the "Lipcurl". A lipcurl is what a bull (male) does when it picks up the scent of a receptive cow (female). What the bull is doing is smelling the air for the scent that indicates the cows' readiness for mating.  Funny, right? yeah, I thought so.

"Mooseworld: Photographing Moose in the Fall." Mooseworld: About Moose. About Nature. About Life. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http://www.mooseworld.com/fall.htm>.

Quote, paraphrase, and citation #2

Moose are large even-toed herbivorous mammals which feed up on birch and aspen twigs, horsetail, sedges, roots, pond weeds and grasses. Moose eat leaves, twigs, buds and the bark of some woody plants, as well as lichens, aquatic plants and some of the taller herbaceous land plants. Moose can be seen eating during the day and night, but they are usually out at dawn and dusk. Moose can actually feed under water.

Moose are huge herbivores! Moose generally feed on birch/aspen twigs, horestail, sedges, roots, pond weeds, and grasses. They also enjoy dining on leaves, twigs, budsm and the bark off of trees and woody plants, lichens, aquatic plant life, and some larger land plants.  In most photographs you will see the Moose out wading in the water, they are likely to be eating and not taking a "Chiller".  Moose mostly feed at both dusk and dawn. So, these gigantic mammals turned out to be gentle giants after all.

Moose." Animals, Animal, Wildlife Animals, Rainforests, Pets, Farm Animals and Insects. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/index.html>.

Photo, caption, and citation #2

In this photograph you will see that Wolves are a major threat to the Moose population.  In this case the mother Cow Moose is trying to protect her newborn calf from the Grant Creek wolf pack in Denali National Park. It turned out to be a loosing battle, the wolves did succeed at getting the mother's newborn calf.

Endres, Patrick J. 22032062. Photograph. Alaska Photos - Alaska Photography: Professional Alaska Stock Photography and Art Decor Pictures. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http://www.alaskaphotographics.com/cgi-bin/script.pl?op=viewpic&id=36857&oldop=http://www.alaskaphotographics.com/cgi-bin/script.pl?op=search;keywords=moose photos wildlife>.

Quote, paraphrase, and citation #1

Moose are killed by wolves, black and brown bears. Black bears take moose calves in May and June. Brown bears kill calves and adults the entire time the bears are out of their winter dens. Wolves kill moose throughout the year. Predation limits the growth of many moose populations in Alaska.

Alaskan Moose populations are being limited because of predators that are after them.  Mostly Moose are attacked and killed by wolves, black, and brown bears.  There is kind of a "Killing" cycle.  The black bears snatch Moose calves in May and June.  When Moose hibernation is over, brown bears kill calves while they are out of there winter dens.  Lastly, wolves kill Moose throughout the entire year!  It is the animals not the people that are affecting Moose population.

Summer Late. "Moose: Wildlife Notebook Series - Alaska Department of Fish and Game." Alaska Department of Fish and Game Home Page. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/biggame/moose.php.

 

 

 

Photo, caption, and citation #1

              You are looking at two Moose finishing their last meal of the day at Snake River, Wyoming.  This photo is beautiful in showing Moose eating habits, such as being at night and wading through water for food.  The information that I am picking up from this photograph is that Moose probably eat at dusk and dawn every day.

Hush, Glen. Moose, Snake River Photo, Animals Wallpaper – National Geographic Photo of the Day. 2010. Photograph. Photography, Pictures, Galleries, Wallpapers, Photo Tips - National Geographic. 08 Feb. 2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/moose-snake-river/>.

Wordle #1 based on one useful site

http://www.mooseworld.com/
This site contains information about the Habitiat, Diet, Ecology, and Behavior of Moose. I think this site is great for finding photos of Moose because it has a list of photographers with their individual photos on file. This way I  can see what their habitat really looks like.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/moose.html
This site has really neat information on it, it has maps, fast facts, and other things such as pictures. The company National Geographic are the creators of this informational website. The main thing I  will learn by using this site is the range in which a Moose lives.
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/biggame/moose.php
I believe that this site is going to turn out as the most beneficial. It has paragraphs and paragraphs of interesting in depth factual information on Moose. It talks about topics such as: General Description, Life History, Food Habits, Movements, Population Dynamics, and Economic and Future Status. The creators of this website are Robert A Rausch, Bill Gasaway, and Charles Schwartz.
http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/moose/
This site really doesnt have all THAT much information on it, but the things it does have are kinda sorta wacky! I like that about this website because you learn cool little "Out of the Box" facts youve never known a bout before. The creator of this site is Animal Planet, by Discovery.
http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/wildlife/moose.html
This site is BOUND to contain some really useful information. It explains various topics like:  Moose, General Description, Moose Antlers, Moose Habitiat, Moose Diet, Moose Behavior, Moose Reproduction, and Moose Conservation Status. This will mainly help me find out about Moose Reproduction. This website was created by Animal Corner.

Animoto based on search questions.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

What I want to know about my topic

When I was choosing my research topic in the beginning, I was choosing between quite a few animals. When I chose the Moose as my "Researchee" I knew what I wanted to know. My main question is, "Is the habitat of Moose endangered by development?". Well in order to reach this I need to know more about my topic, so I have some questions to ask!

• Where can we find a habitat of Moose?
• What does a Moose do in it's everyday life (schedule)?
• When do Moose reproduce?? Where??
• How does a Moose protect itself?
• What types of food do Moose eat?

What I already know about my topic

I know a little bit about Moose, because many years ago in elementery school I wrote a short paper on them, but I dont't remember much! When Moose are just born they have fuzzy velvety antlers. The reason for this "Velvet" on the antlers is because there is blood vessels inside of it that feeds nutrients into the antlers to help them continue to grow. When the antlers are about finished growing the "Velvet" begins to fall off.

Moose are mostly found in cold climates. A Moose habitat consists of mountainous regions, snow, cold climates, water, and a little warm in the summer time. This is why Alaska is a well known Moose habitiat, it has all the characteristics to support these giants.

I also know that Moose are extremely active animals. They enjoy activities such as swimming the most. They swim pretty fast too!! Moose have very poor eyesight which is really sad for them at times especially when people hunt for them and they can't see that good to escape from it. These are some things I previously know about the animal Moose.

The story behind my topic choice =D

I have known about Moose for my whole life. I've just never really looked into them before, so I am looking to find out a lot more about different species of Moose and all about their lives. I have always thought that Alaskan animals are really unique in the way that they survive in the freezing temperatures, and they look pretty awesome as well. I believe that Moose are a very rare animal in the U.S. besides in Alaska, I would love to see one in person, but it's way too far, so that's why I'm researching them. I don't really know THAT much about the species of Moose. I'm looking to learn a whole lot more than I do now during this research project. Did I mention that I LOVE animals!!!!!!!!!