Nature Note #127: Common Animal Misconceptions

After working with 5th and 6th grade kids, you definitely have a different perspective on the world. You realize how hard it is for kids in school these days with deluges of exams, the new Common Core standards, parental expectations, lack of recess and adequate physical education, and much more. But more than that, most kids and by extension, most adults, know little about the natural world around them. Through my years in the environmental education field and musings while on my own travels through nature, I always wonder how much other people are noticing about what's around them. As such, there are a lot of misconceptions about the wild creatures that we are increasingly coming in contact with as habitat fragmentation, housing developments, and other human-wildlife conflicts become more common. No more is the occasional raccoon raiding the bins or bear steal seed from the feeders, the wilderness is here and we better learn to live with it.

That being said, I found with teaching these kids they always seem to jump to conclusions before hearing why that is, what it is, or how it is. A great example of this is when I teach the stream lesson. I go over what a benthic macro-invertebrate is before starting to look for signs of invertebrate life in the Pennypack Creek. I work backwards from the seemingly most familiar word to the least and ask the group before me for a few examples of invertebrates. After some coaxing and reminding that a vertebrate is a creature with a spinal cord and backbone, therefore an invertebrate is the opposite, it almost never fails that snakes or fish are mentioned. I'm not sure whether it's because they lack legs or it's because of their fluid movements, but they certainly seem like they might not have bones. They do however as the photo shows below.

Another common misconception about not only snakes, but a lot of toxic creatures is in what way they are dangerous. When we take the corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) out to show the kids during option time or an animal lesson, without fail one of the first questions asked is whether it is poisonous or not. I usually jokingly reply,

"Then you better not eat it if it's poisonous."

The kids don't get it, but it still illustrates the confusion about the difference between poisonous and venomous animals. Put simply, if you bite or consume a poisonous creature like a Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexxipus) or American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus), you will have a severe internal reaction or even die. However, if you are bitten by a venomous creature like a rattlesnake, Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum), or Black Widow (Latrodectus spp.), while the potential for death is increased, damage to the musculature, neural pathways, and dermal structures are all but assured without proper medical attention. Despite these apparent horrors, it is important to remember that the main goal of these creatures is survival and that they would rather escape with their lives than try to fight back. That's where a rattlesnake's threat display or a Monarch's bright colors come in. They are a warning to other creatures to stay away or risk the consequences.

Speaking of colors, look at the picture below and try to answer the following question: "Which one of these eggs are healthier?"

Apologies for the near crotch shot

Everyone seems to have their own opinion about egg color and health. Some say brown is better, while others claim it's white. As you probably guessed though, egg color is by no means an indicator of egg health content and is a result of the breed that laid it. Breeds like Leghorns and Minorcas will lay white eggs, while Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, and Wyandottes will lay brown eggs. There are even layers like Ameracauna and Araucana lay blueish or even light green eggs. All this has nothing to do with egg healthiness or even content. A more common question is about what we do with all the chicks in the spring time. Even after explaining that we don't have any roosters, it still takes a few beats before they get that without a certain connection, there aren't going to be any chicks. To be fair, while I have a strong grasp of most concepts of biology, I feel less comfortable explaining the reproductive aspects to 10 and 11 year old kids. They'll learn soon enough hopefully.

Finally, I had the opportunity this past weekend to see something I had certainly seen many photos of, but never witnessed myself in the wild. While visiting Pennypack Trust in Huntington Valley, PA, I was returning from a walk in search of some Purple Finches (Haemorhous purpureus) and Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus) that had been reported to eBird. Having found one Pine Siskin, I hiked past a house whose backyard bordered the open fields of the trust. Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) frequented their yard as well as White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), but one of them caught my eye. At first, I thought I was seeing a cow due to its dappled pelage, but it turned out to be a leucistic or piebald deer.

Pretty striking right?

A side by side comparison with a normally colored individual.

Noticeable even from a distance.

Many people would probably spot this animal and assume that it was albino. However, the main difference between the two is that leucistic animals have all pigments types reduced in their bodies rather than just melanin as with albinos. That is what gives albinos their trademark red eyes and often yellow-cream or bright white appearance. The piebald patterning on this animal simply means that the majority of the cells producing color are only on certain sections of the body and the rest lack the pigments necessary to make up the full pelage that is typical of their species. As I left, I thought about how lucky I was to have seen this creature and gotten photos. I also thought about writing this post back then but only just got to it this evening. What's important is that you all are a little bit more informed than when you started reading and that you enjoyed reading this. If I can think of more misconceptions I will post about them (or if you feel like commenting below, because you know, you can totally do that...), I would love to write about that.