Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda)

I am a sophomore at GCE Lab School. This STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Population, we discussed binomial nomenclature which is a two part name for every animal in the world, usually in Latin language. We studied taxonomy, which is the science of categorizing into levels given to every animal in order to tell them apart and to organize animals in their similarities and differences. We usually find these traits in morphology which is the organism's physical traits. We were able to go onto an FE (field experience) to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago where we observed an animal. I chose a Fennec Fox and I have organized them into taxonomic levels.

 
Venn diagram of Grey Seal, Cinereous Vulture, and Fennec Fox:

In class, we were grouped up with two other students who had completely different animals than us in order to compare and contrast the taxonomy levels. I was paired up with WH who was observing the Grey Seal, and ALL who was working with the Cinereous Vulture. I learned that a Grey Seal is usually found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. They usually live along rocky coasts and aren’t very sociable with each other, despite living together in large colonies and gathering together in large groups just like how Fennec Foxes gather in groups of about 10. On the other hand, the Cinereous Vulture can be found in European Countries such as France, Italy, and Spain while the Fennec Fox is found in the Sahara. Cinereous Vultures also live in habitats that can give the higher ground advantage, which is usually in forested areas with hills. I found it interesting to discover how closely related two animals could be connected to one another even though they come from two totally different habitats.

                                                           Picture of Vulpes zerda:

Drew, Avery, File:Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda.jpg, 28 January 2010, 13:07:16

NB Hand Drawn Picture of Fennec Fox(2018)

                               
Fennec Foxes are usually found in North Africa or in the Sahara desert. The scientific name for a Fennec Fox is Vulpes zerda which translates to small fox. Because they live in the Arabian Peninsula, they have adapted to warmer climates like the Sahara desert by using their unusually large ears to cool down from the heat. The Fennec Fox would typically hunt for rodents, reptiles, and insects. They are social animals that like to live in packs with one another, hunt together, and play. A Fennec Fox may live 16 years. They may tend to use their feet for digging to build underground tunnels.

Taxonomic Levels:

                                     
I have drawn and labeled the different parts in a Fennec Foxes body which identifies their levels on my taxonomic chart visually.

                     

Set theory was a way to organize these groups into mathematical terms and to find the similarities in these animals to other ones. We use different symbols to mean different things. For example, “U“ means universe which is everything that may be inside of the brackets. From there we can use, Є, to mean it is an element to a specific group. “⋃” which is used to mean a union, or addition to, while ⋂ means an intersection. When we use the apostrophe after we label a specific group that means everything in the brackets are opposite of what we are trying to get to. Here are my examples:


U= { Fennec Fox, Grey Seal, Cinereous Vulture}
Fennec Foxes, Grey Seals, and Cinereous vultures are all a part of my universe.

Herbivores’= {Cinereous Vulture, Fennec Fox, Grey Seal}
Vultures, Fennec Foxes, and Grey Seals are not herbivores.

Feathery ⋃ Furry: { Fennec Fox, Vulture}
The set of animals that are either feathery or furry are the fennec fox and vulture.

Feathery ⋂ Furry: {Ø}
There is no animal in my universe that is both furry and feathery.

fennec fox Є Mammalia
The fennec fox is an element of the Mammalia group.

fennec fox Є carnivora
The fennec fox is an element of the Carnivora group.


Conclusion:
To conclude, I found my first AP to be quite interesting. I was able to learn more about how and why organisms are listed into taxonomic levels and I was able to find out how closely connected we are to the animals around us, even though we all come from different habitats. It's interesting to know that although morphology may show us our differences in physical traits, when we break these levels down, we can see the comparisons between organisms.

Citations:
Artist unknown, https://moniqueschoutenblog.wordpress.com, May 19, 2018.
Lincoln Park zoo, https://www.lpzoo.org/animal/cinereous-vulture#, September 15, 2018
Lincoln Park Zoo