Oooh — where’s that wascally wabbit??
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Hey early risers – have you noticed more animals on your morning run versus your afternoon walk? Do all the bunnies leave for afternoon tea time? Unlikely!
Kaitlyn Gaynor at U-C Berkeley wanted to find out what animals are up to all day! She studied critter activity by tracking their movements with satellites. She could tell how active the bunnies were by studying these pictures. What did she find?
Well, the answer depends on whether there are any “super predators” in the neighborhood. What’s a super predator? I’ll give you a hint: it usually runs slow, wears headphones, and brakes for Starbucks. You guessed it, it’s YOU!
Without any humans around, day-active animals are busiest in the middle of the day. Throw people into the mix, and wildlife change up their schedules! They become most active very early in the morning – before most of us are awake – and late at night.
Turns out these critters are really good at avoiding us. But if you’re one of those nuts who loves to run in the dark, you might get lucky!
Knowing how we humans affect animal activity could help us with conservation efforts.
Guess Elmer Fudd will have to get up with the chickens if he wants to catch that wabbit!