2015 New Hampshire Envirothon - Wildlife Section
Middle School Students
The information below is designed to assist you in preparing for the wildlife section of this year’s New
Hampshire Envirothon. The wildlife section will evaluate your knowledge of general wildlife biology
and basic wildlife management. You will also need to understand basic ecology and habitat
management concepts and principles. In addition, you should become familiar with this year’s theme,
Urban and Community Forests, as it relates to wildlife.
The wildlife section test is composed of three sections. Section I is the wildlife identification section
in which teams will be asked to identify common wildlife found in New Hampshire through the use of
pictures, pelts or mounts. Section II is the vocabulary section in which teams are asked to identify
basic ecological concepts and principles. Section III is the synthesis section in which teams are asked
to put their knowledge of species habitat needs and wildlife biology/management techniques together
and apply that knowledge to make decisions regarding real world scenarios. The test will be based
upon the objectives listed below.
Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Identify common New Hampshire wildlife including fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and
mammals. Be able to identify wildlife through pictures, pelts or mounts.
Describe food chains and food webs (including predator-prey relationships).
Describe ways that habitat can be improved for specific species by knowing their habitat
requirements.
Define and explain basic ecological concepts and terminology.
Describe physical and behavioral adaptations of wildlife to their habitats and be able to cite
examples. (i.e. migration, hibernation, etc.)
Understand some of the basic "tools" of wildlife managers (hunting, habitat improvement,
people management, etc.)
Describe how human activity in urban environments is changing the world we live in and what
impact this has on different wildlife species and the habitats that support them.
References:
The following references will help you prepare for the test that will be given by the Wildlife Section.
The books listed below are just suggested texts. We encourage you to utilize these and/or other books
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regarding wildlife and ecology that may be available at your school library or your town’s public
library.
Peterson Field Guide Series, Audubon Society Field Guide Series, or Stokes Field Guide Series:
Mammals, Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians.
Freshwater Fishes of New Hampshire, Scarola, John F. (available from NH Fish and Game Dept.).
New England Wildlife: Habitat, Natural History and Distribution - Northeastern Forest Experiment
Station Report NE-108. 2001.
A very useful Youth Activity Guide for middle school-aged students is put out by 4-H and it’s called
“Exploring Your Environment – Eco Wonders” and can be ordered at
http://www.4-hmall.org/Product/educationalresources/exploring-your-environment-ecowonders/07704.aspx
Some good links from the NH Fish and Game website include:
Wildlife Fact Sheets: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/wildlife_profiles.htm
Fish Species Profiles: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/fish_species_profiles.htm
CK-12 Foundation Chapter 12: Ecology introduces ecological concepts and can be found at:
http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Life-Science-Concepts-For-Middle-School/r15/section/12.0/
Wildlife Identification List:
Below are the lists of fish and wildlife species that you will be expected to know for the 2013 New
Hampshire Envirothon test. In addition to being able to correctly identify a species in Section I, it will
be important that you are familiar with the habitat requirements and natural histories of the species
listed in order to answer some of the questions in Section III. (Note: You will not be expected to know
scientific names).
Fish:
With the use of a dichotomous key, be able to identify the following fishes of New Hampshire from
pictures or drawings:
Sunfish Family (Centrarchidae)
Lepomis: Redbreast (auritus), Pumpkinseed (gibbosus) and Bluegill (macrochirus) Sunfish
Perch Family (Percidae)
Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) and Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum)
Catfish Family (Ictaluridae)
Ictalurus: Brown (nebulosus) Bullhead and Yellow (natalis) Bullhead
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Amphibians and Reptiles:
Without the use of a key, be able to correctly identify the following species of amphibians/reptiles
from shells, pictures, or vocalizations:
Salamanders
Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus v.viridescens)
Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Turtles
Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Birds:
Without the use of a key, be able to correctly identify the following species of birds from pictures, or
mounts (Note: birds will be males in breeding plumage):
Game Species
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
Canada Goose (Branta Canadensis)
Passerines
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottus)
House Sparrow (Passer donesticus)
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
American Crow (Corvus brachryhynchos)
Raptors
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Barred Owl (Strix varia)
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Mammals:
Without the use of a key, be able to correctly identify the following species of mammals from study
skins, pelts, mounts or pictures:
Eastern Coyote (Canis latrans)
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Woodchuck (Marmota monax)
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Virginia Oppossum (Didelphis virginiana)
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Red Squirrel (Tamiascirus hudsonicus)
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
If advisors have any questions regarding the above information, feel free to contact a representative of
the wildlife section, Mary Goodyear at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in Concord,
271-6649 or at mary.goodyear@wildlife.nh.gov.
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