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The Open University

Studying mammals: The insect hunters

The Open University via OpenLearn

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Overview

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From pygmy shrews to armadillos, a wide range of mammals survive on a diet made up largely of insects. Many of these have fascinating adaptations suited to catching or rooting out their prey. In this free course, Studying mammals: The insect hunters, you will learn about these adaptations, along with survival strategies for when food is scarce. This is the second course in the Studying mammals series.

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 Meeting the insect eaters
  • 1 Meeting the insect eaters
  • 2 How insect eaters obtain their food
  • 2 How insect eaters obtain their food
  • 2.1 Mammalian dentition
  • 2.2 Feeding techniques
  • 3 Adaptations linked to feeding in insect eaters
  • 3 Adaptations linked to feeding in insect eaters
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 Shrews
  • 3.3 Moles
  • 3.4 Anteaters
  • 3.5 Bats
  • 4 Thinking about adaptation
  • 4 Thinking about adaptation
  • 5 Temperature regulation and the consequence of size
  • 5 Temperature regulation and the consequence of size
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Body size and metabolic rate
  • 5.3 Body size and surface area
  • 6 Strategies for coping with cold and food shortage
  • 6 Strategies for coping with cold and food shortage
  • 6.1 Toughing it out
  • 6.2 Opting out
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements

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