About this project
Watercolors by Erin McKenney
The shape, or morphology, of the gut makes a huge difference in what an animal can eat and digest. But gut diagrams are only available for a handful of species – and we have no idea how much one individual varies from another. By taking pictures of the guts of each animal you harvest, you can help map the unknown guts of wildlife.
Use one-click registration to sign up for Got Guts? below:
If you prefer to sign up with a pre-existing social media account, visit our Got Guts? page on SciStarter.com.
Materials List
- Knife
- Scale object (e.g. ruler, coin, shotgun shell, or any other object of known length)
- Camera / phone
How to participate
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Step 1: Go hunting or fishing as usual. |
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Step 2: Take a picture of the whole body, with a coin or other scale object of known length.
LEFT: For deer and other large animals, photograph the hind limb from the toes (hoof) to tarsus. |
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Step 3: Remove the entire digestive tract from the animal, and locate the cecum.
LEFT: In mammals and birds, the cecum is a pouch between the small and large intestines. RIGHT: In fish, the cecum is a collection of “finger-like” pouches, just after the stomach. |
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Step 4: Lay the cecum out to its full length, and take a picture with the same coin or other scale object.
RIGHT: for fish, make sure that the full length of each “finger” is visible.
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Images by Erin McKenney
Downloads
Questions?
Contact us at gutsyscience@gmail.com