Animal Behavior

Lab Number One

I affirm that the work submitted on this lab is my own, completed
without the use of unauthorized help.
X________________________________________________












Samir El-Sawaf
AP Bio Sets 1/2
October 1, 2012
Brianna Klenkel
Justin Choi
Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to observe the pillbugs responses to various environmental
variables, and to design an experiment to investigate these responses.
Hypothesis: (a) If the pillbugs prefer the moist environment, they will move towards the moist
chamber when given the opportunity, as opposed to the dry environment. (b) The pillbugs will
likely prefer the cool environment, because it is more similar to their natural habitat.
Materials:
(10) Terrestrial Isopods (also known as pillbugs)
Pillbug bedding
Small paint brush (to transfer pillbugs)
Petri Dish
Choice chamber (two combined Petri dishes)
Moist filter paper
Dry filter paper
Ice
Stop watch/timer/clock
Procedure:
Procedure A: General Observation of Behaviors/Kinesis in Pillbugs
1. Obtain 10 pillbugs in a petri dish, along with some of their bedding. Cover the petri dish.
2. Observe the pillbugs for 10 minutes. Take note of how they move and interact with one
another. Also pay attention to the pattern of their movements. Be very careful not to
touch the pillbugs or disturb them in any way. You want their pattern of movement to be
natural.
3. Sketch a pillbug.





4. Create a choice chamber, or set up your already-made choice chamber. The chamber
should have two petri dishes, which are connected by a pathway between them. In one
chamber, put dry filter paper on the bottom of the petri dish. Make sure it is firmly
attached so bugs dont crawl under. In the other chamber, put moist filter paper.
5. Block the pathway between the two chambers, and put 5 pillbugs in each chamber, using
the paintbrush.
6. Remove what is blocking the pathway, allowing the pillbugs to move freely between the
chambers. For 10 minutes, count how many pillbugs are in each chamber every 30
seconds. Record this number on the data table.
7. Put the pillbugs back into the single petri dish (with the bedding.) Do this carefully with
the paintbrush.
8. Create a graph using the data you just took, showing the number of pillbugs in the wet
and dry chambers.
Procedure B: Student-Designed Experiment to Investigate Pillbugs Response to
Temperature
1. Develop a hypothesis about whether the pillbugs will prefer a cool environment or a
room temperature environment.
2. Set up your choice chamber as you did in Part A. However, this time put a bag of ice
beneath one of the chambers and nothing beneath the other. This way, one side of the
chamber should be cooled by the ice while the other remains at room temp.
3. Place 5 pillbugs in each side of the chamber. Use the paintbrush and be gentle. Block
the pathway with something so they must remain in their respective chambers until
you are ready to begin.
4. Remove the obstruction, allowing them to pass freely between the chambers. Watch
them for 10 minutes, counting the number in each chamber every 30 seconds.
5. Record this number in a data table.
6. After 10 minutes, return the pillbugs to the main petri dish using the paintbrush.
7. Graph the data you just recorded, showing how many pillbugs were in the cool
chamber versus the room temp one at any given time.
Data:
Table 11.1
Time
(Minutes)
Number
in Wet
Chamber
Number in
Dry
Chamber
Notes
0 5 5
0.5 5 5 moving fast, scurrying, random movement
1 8 2 moving into wet
1.5 7 3 still traveling between compartments
2 9 1 preferring wet chamber
2.5 8 2 movement slowing
3 7 3 bigger pillbugs bringing smaller ones across
3.5 6 4 evening out
4 7 3
4.5 6 4
5 6 4
5.5 5 5 some bugs playing dead in wet chamber
6 5 5
6.5 7 3
7 7 3 bugs in wet remaining relatively still
7.5 7 3 bugs in wet are clumped together
8 7 3
8.5 5 5 many bugs in wet environment moved to dry
9 6 4
9.5 7 3
10 8 2 most wound up in wet chamber at the end
Part B: Data Table (Number of Pillbugs in Each Chamber)
Time
(Minutes)
Number in
Room
Temp
Chamber
Number
in Cold
Chamber
Notes
0 5 5 rapid movement
0.5 5 5 stayed on sides
1 4 6
1.5 4 6
2 3 7 gathering on edges of cold container
2.5 2 8
3 3 7
3.5 3 7 slow movement
4 4 6
4.5 2 8
5 1 9
5.5 5 5 Evened out
6 4 6
6.5 3 7
7 3 7
7.5 2 8
8 0 10 all the pillbugs chose the cold chamber
8.5 2 8 pillbugs are clumped together over ice
9 2 8 the very small pillbugs prefer the room
temp
9.5 0 10
10 0 10 every pillbug wound up in cold at the end
GRAPH 11.1









0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Pillbugs' Response to Moisture
Wet Chamber
Dry Chamber
Number
of
Pillbugs
Time
(Minutes)
GRAPH PART 2



General Observations:
The pillbugs try to climb up the wall and clump together.
3 bugs are climbing on top of each other
A smaller bug is riding on top of a larger
The bugs tend to walk around the perimeter of the petri dish
Boost each other up, stacking one on top of the other, to try to get out.
Some play dead occasionally; stop moving.
Oblong shape with two long antenna, many legs
Dark gray/brown color, back appears to be segmented
They collectively either move or stop moving, all at the same time.
Answers to Questions
1. What conclusions do you draw from your data? Explain the physiological reasons for the
behavior observed in this activity.
a. In part A, the pillbugs strongly preferred the moist environments. This is because
the moist chamber was more similar to its natural environment. Pillbugs likely
utilize moist environments to help cool them and obtain moisture for biological
processes.
b. In part B, the pillbugs preferred the cool chamber. This is because pillbugs live
under rocks in nature or in other cool environments. This is probably another way
for the isopods to maintain a cool internal temperature.
2. Obtain results from all of the lab groups in your class. With respect to humidity, light,
temperature, and other environmental conditions, which types of environment do isopods
prefer? How do the data support these conclusions?
Number of
Pillbugs
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.510
Pillbugs' Response to Temperature
Room Temp
Cold Chamber
Time
(Minutes)
Number of
Pillbugs
a. Isopods prefer cool, dark, moist environments with neutral or slightly lower
(acidic) pH. Isopods also prefer environments similar to those of under-rock
environments in nature. In the experiment regarding light, pillbugs preferred the
dark environment. In the acidic test, the pillbugs preferred the slightly acidic
environment. This probably has to do with the acidity of soil in nature. With the
base experiment, the pillbugs stayed away from the basic environment.
3. How do isopods locate appropriate environments?
a. Isopods use their antennae to locate environments. As they walked, their antennae
move around, sensing their surroundings to decide if the environment is fit for
their survival.
4. If you suddenly turned a rock over and found isopods under it, what would you expect
them to be doing? If you watched the isopods for a few minutes, how would you expect
to see their behavior change?
a. I would expect the isopods to be startled by the new influx of light, and probably
be scurrying around. Since isopods prefer the dark, they would be quite alarmed
and frantic. They might try to dig through the soil to get them out of the sun. After
a while, I would expect the isopods to adjust to the environmental change, and
settle. They might even huddle close together again.
5. Is the isopods response to moisture best classified as kinesis or taxis? Explain.
a. The response would be best classified as taxis because they responded directly
away from the dry environment to the moist one. Although there was some, small
degree of random movement, there was an overall movement in a specific
direction, to the preferred environment.
Student-designed experiment to investigate pillbugs response to temperature, pH,
Background color, light, or another variable.
1. Select one of the variables listed above and develop a hypothesis concerning the pillbugs
response to the factor.
a. I believe the isopods will move towards the cool environment, because it is
reminiscent of their natural habitat.
2. Use the material available in your classroom to design an experiment.
a. The objective of my lab was to test an isopods response to temperature variation.
b. The materials used in this second experiment have been incorporated into the
materials section of this write up.
c. The procedure for my designed experiment is listed in the procedure section of
the lab write up.
3. Carry out your experiment. Write down all your observations and make a data chart
similar to the first. Also construct a graph in the same fashion.
4. Return your isopods and clean up your experiment.
Conclusion-
My hypotheses were both proved correct in the two experiments. I deducted my hypotheses
using my general knowledge of a isopods natural habitat. There were no sources of error in my
experiments, and results were found to be as expected. This experiment could be improved with
a light heat lamp to have a more effective means of testing temperature preference.