KEY TO THE FARSIDE SPECIES

KEY TO THE FARSIDE SPECIES

By Ida Swenson, Palmyra, Virginia

 

Using the Farside cartoons as the source of your ‘specimens’, identify their scientific names using the following key.  Write the numbers you use to get to your answer.

 

1.         If in the animal kingdom, go to 2.

            If a protist, Amoeba proteus.

2.         If warm-blooded, go to 3.

            If cold-blooded, go to 5.

3.         If covered with feathers, Cathartes aura.

            If covered with fur, go to 4.

4.         If found near water in North America, Castor canadensis.

            If found on dry plains in Africa, Camelo pardalis.

5.         If it has an exoskeleton, go to 6.

            If it is a vertebrate, go to 8.

6.         If it is an arachnid, Centurus sp.

            If it is an insect, go to 7.

7.         If it is a wingless social insect, Pheidole sp.

            If it has wings and likes the dump, Musca domestica.

            If it likes grapes especially well, Polychrosis viteana.

8.         If it has gills and lays eggs in water, Salmo salor.

            If it lays eggs on land and has scaly skin, go to 9.

9.         If it is legless and poisonous, Sistruras horridus.

            If it has legs and lives in Florida, Alligator mississippiensus.

 

a.  vulture _1, 2,3  Cathartes aura__________________

b.  “jellybug”  _________________________________

c.  giraffe _____________________________________

d.  amoeba ____________________________________

e.  scorpion ___________________________________

f.  beaver _____________________________________

g.  salmon ____________________________________

h.  alligator ____________________________________

i.  rattlesnake __________________________________

j. house fly ____________________________________

k. ants ________________________________________

Picture Farside cartoons here each with the appropriate animals.  Or maybe you wish to use other cartoons from the newspaper?   (Snoopy, Garfield, rat, pig, etc, etc )   Be sure to use various types of animals that even a novice could answer basic questions about them.  
Perhaps this activity is used as a summary after you have studied the animal kingdom.  Or modify it when you are studying taxonomy to give the students practise using a key.