Animal Behavior - Episode 103 Otters Animal lovers, Michelle and Josue, wanted to learn more about the behavior of some amazing otters. Question Where do otters groom more... in the wild or in captlvity? Investigation Michelle and Josue chose six behaviors to observe: resting, playing, feeding, diving, grooming and traveling. At three different times in the day, they recorded the number of minutes the otters spent in each activity. They compiled their results into a pie chart. They repeated the observation for otters in the wild. Results Conclusion Michelle and Josue’s charts indicate that the captive otters spend more time grooming than wild otters do. They speculate that this is because wild otters have to fend for themselves, and divide their time equally among the different behaviors. Dog Intelligence Laura and Anna wanted to explore the brain power of their dogs, Lucy and Fischer. Question Which dog solves problems more quickly… Lucy, a golden retriever or Fischer, a terrier? Investigation The girls have their dogs try to solve four simple tests and recorded the time each dog needed to complete the test. Conclusion The girls found that Lucy’s size and strength gave her an advantage in certain tests, while Fischer’s curiosity and small size helped him in others.

the show | games | try this! | be on dftv | dftv boards | show times | science fair about dftv | dftv zine | educator's guide | contact dftv ©2003 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc.