Zoology

"Zoology"

1. Marine
2. Transvaal Museum
3. Basic Sampling Methods
4. Mole rats
5. Tracking
6. Venomous snakes/reptiles
7. Work on Project
8. Bird catching and ringing
9. Pretoria Zoo Excursion

1. Marine (20 February 2010)

Mini-project: Satellite Tracking of Seals
Summary of the day:
Since this will be the learners’ first day at UP with Science, the aims of the day will be relatively broad. We aim to provide learners with an overview of how biological research functions (i.e. hypothesis generation, data gathering, data publishing etc.), present them with a short background on seal research and provide them with the opportunity to manipulate and present actual data obtained from satellite-tracking studies. The format of the day will consist of a series of short, informal presentations providing the students with the overviews mentioned. Thereafter, learners will be given the opportunity to manipulate and present some elephant seal tracking data.

Itinerary:

• Presentation/Informal discussion
  “Why do we do biological research and how does it work?”
• Presentation/Informal discussion
  “Short overview of seal ecology and behaviour”
• Presentation/Informal discussion
  “Satellite tracking of seals. How? Some examples…”
• Presentation/Informal discussion
  “A biologist’s life – what do they do and how do you get there?”
• Practical session
  During this session learners will be provided with small datasets. We will demonstrate how we can access different datasets, filter data, and do some basic presentations of data. Learners will use specially-designed visualisation software to get a feel for the types of data we can obtain from seal-borne instrumentation and to present their individual results with.

Coordinated by Prof. Marthan Bester

2. Transvaal Museum - Excursion (13 March 2010)

Short information session about ants followed by an excursion to Museum with guided tour and ‘treasure hunt’.

Coordinated by Chantal Strumpher and Wilna Jansen

3. Basic sampling methods (29 March 2010)

Understanding the sampling techniques and the sorting of traps is a vital to any upcoming entomologist and zoologist. We will explore a few sample techniques, how to place traps, bates to use and the most important labeling them.

Coordinated by Chantal Strumpher and Wilna Jansen

4. Mole rats (30 March 2010)

General information session about mole rats - their social structures and how their sociality range make them a good model to study. Their skeletal structures and how they're designed to live underground. There are projects being done on their temperature rhythms and how they adapt to changing external temperatures. And also how their tunnels are designed. Short talk about the parasite work and how sociality affects parasite transmission. Tour of the mole rat lab, showing them the different species and the babies and if possible feeding time. Show them how the activity room works with the movement sensors and the light/dark cycle.

Coordinated by Kemba Butler

5. Tracking (31 March 2010)

Tracking with satellite collars around Campus and general information session.

Coordinated by Louw de Vries and Andrew Davies

6. Venomous snakes/reptiles (01 April 2010)

Talk on Venomous snakes and reptiles.

Coordinated by Louw de Vries and Andrew Davies

7. Work on Project (17 April 2010)

Students allowed to work on presentation – There is currently not anyone able to present present on this day.

Coordinated by ???

8. Bird Catching and ringing (15 May 2010) – Open day session 09h00 – 11H00

Research techniques in bird studies
The students will partake in two activities during the course of the day that will provide valuable experience with ornithological research. During the morning of 29 March 2010 a number of mistnets and spring traps will be set on the University of Pretoria campus (close to the Zoology Building) to trap birds. During the course of trapping and ringing birds, I will discuss the value of ringing birds to research studies, for instance, why are birds ringed and what information can be attained from this practice. There are various resident birds on the campus that have been ringed in the past four years, and the possibility of re-trapping these individuals will further illustrate the value of bird ringing, when a bird’s ring number can be linked to the time and location it was first ringed.
After lunch-time, the students will have the opportunity to watch and analyze video footage taken during summer at a waterhole in the Kalahari Desert, to gain hands-on experience on obtaining research data. By watching short clips of footage taken at different times on a hot day, I will help the students quantify if the diversity of birds drinking at the waterhole changes at different times of the day. After the students have established the major drinking patterns of the Kalahari birds we will undertake an interactive discussion to briefly explain their results.

Coordinated by Ben Smit

9. PretoriaZoological Garden (05 June 2010)

Brief introduction on classification, followed by excursion to Pretoria Zoo for a day of treasure hunt.

Coordinated by Chantal Strumpher and Wilna Jansen

Participants

• Prof. Marthan Bester
• Kemba Butler
• Mr Andrew Davies
• Prof Louw de Vries
• Wilna Jansen
• Ben Smit
• Ms Chantal Strumpher