We all know dogs are man’s best friend. But who is your dog’s best friend? Join us in a new Zoo Science series: Pet Detectives to learn more about your dog’s preferences and how they think from the zoo’s biologists. Each episode we’ll provide a fun and simple experiment that you can try at home with your own dog. Use your dog’s sense of smell to test his/her preferences amongst your family members.

We have created some helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
1.L.1 Understanding Animal Behavior (30 sec): https://youtu.be/2mkreNeoLUE?t=8
4.L.1 Sense of Smell (1 min 20 sec): https://youtu.be/2mkreNeoLUE?t=112

Your dog might see more than you think! Join us for the third episode of Pet Detectives and learn how your dog’s evolutionary history shaped his color vision and how you can test it at home! It’ll be paws-itively fun!

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Human Vision vs. Dog Vision (1 min): https://youtu.be/MjuZyfIKmNU?t=21
4.L.1 Colors that dogs can see (25 sec): https://youtu.be/MjuZyfIKmNU?t=170

How can you enrich your dog’s life? Join us in this episode of Pet Detective to learn more about some simple enrichment you can use at home and how to evaluate it. Let us know what enrichment your dog likes best.

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
1.L.1 What is enrichment/why it's important (1 min 14 sec): https://youtu.be/M3qm0y55FR8?t=7

How do we keep our animals mentally and physically fit? Join us for this week’s Pet Detectives to learn how to challenge your dog, just like how we do at the Zoo, with a puzzle feeder! Puzzles can be challenging but a lot of fun!

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Dogs are descendants of wolves (6 sec): https://youtu.be/iyPHYi0ImVM?t=28
1.L.1 Benefits of foraging (45 sec): https://youtu.be/iyPHYi0ImVM?t=4

What can your dogs motor coordination tell you about their personality? Join us for this week’s Pet Detectives to learn how to identify whether your dog is a righty or lefty and what this might reveal about their daily emotional state!

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Right Paw vs. Left Paw dominance and what that means (30 sec): https://youtu.be/emw9T4tuL5A?t=145

Your dog might understand more than you think! Join us for this week’s Pet Detectives to learn how dogs are so in tune with humans that they pay attention to and understand the slightest gestures! Do you get the point?

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Dogs vs. Chimpanzees understanding pointing (54 sec): https://youtu.be/CZ3w-QNOowA?t=6

Join Donna as she shows how large birds use the warm air (thermals) to ride air waves and conserve energy.

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.P.1 How large birds use thermals to fly (1 min 20 sec): https://youtu.be/8bPHujnNfK8?t=12

Did you hear that? Listen in as we try some experiments with our hearing! Hopefully after these fun experiments in our series Science in the Dark you will have a greater appreciation for the night.

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.P.2 Comparing Sounds (1 minute): https://youtu.be/ymhddf8yrXI?t=124
2.P.1 Rotating ears and sound (1.5 min): https://youtu.be/ymhddf8yrXI?t=46
4.L.1 Big ears and rotating ears (1+ min): https://youtu.be/ymhddf8yrXI?t=33

Afraid of the dark? Hopefully after these fun experiments in our series Science in the Dark you will have a greater appreciation for the night. Using our sense of touch, we will get “hands-on” with our first set of experiments!

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.P.2 Sense of Touch (15 sec): https://youtu.be/qmhrbAD0Lz8?t=134

Did you see that? Hopefully after these fun experiments in our series Science in the Dark you will have a greater appreciation for the night. Now let’s “see” how our eyes are affected by the dark!

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Owl vs Human Eyesight (1.5 min): https://youtu.be/Yk4OyNUTXWw?t=29
4.L.1 Owl Eyesight (45 sec): https://youtu.be/Yk4OyNUTXWw?t=25
4.L.1 Human Eyesight (45 sec): https://youtu.be/Yk4OyNUTXWw?t=79

Hopefully after these fun experiments in our series Science in the Dark you will have a greater appreciation for the night. Be nosy and find out some fun ways to use our sense of smell!

We have created some helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.P.2 Sense of smell with a wet nose (30 sec): https://youtu.be/N4G0HM39nUA?t=100
4.L.1 Sense of Smell (35 sec): https://youtu.be/N4G0HM39nUA?t=20

Ever wanted to get into birding but don’t know where to start? Use the scientific method to collect data with these tips to figure out what feathered friends you might see.
Audubon Society's Helpful Tips https://www.audubon.org/birding/identifying-birds
Merlin Bird App https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/​

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Identify birds based on differences (2 min 40 sec): https://youtu.be/E2rlxgrYRiQ?t=102

Try out your skills with identifying birds at our feeder as well as where you can practice while helping scientists learn more about birds in the United States and Canada. To learn more about the Great Backyard Bird, going on now, visit https://www.birdcount.org/​

Helpful tools for beginning birds:
Audubon Society's Helpful Tips - https://www.audubon.org/birding/identifying-birds
Merlin Bird App - https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

We have created a helpful clip if you are unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Using field marks to ID birds (1 min 15 sec): https://youtu.be/rwiAVM0U9F0?t=111

Join Nikki as she explores the science behind how amphibians can breathe and "drink" through their skin. Try her experiment at home to learn more!

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.L.1 Reptile vs. Amphibian Skin (22 sec): https://youtu.be/Fht34qp1uO0?t=130
3.L.1 Amphibian Skin (1 min 5 sec): https://youtu.be/Fht34qp1uO0?t=17

Come learn about the science behind making your old dull pennies look shiny and new again, and vice- versa!

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
4.P.2 Deoxidization and reoxidization (1 min 48 sec): https://youtu.be/boQGFrhh5bI?t=70

Did you ever wonder what caused that *Zap* when you touch a door knob? Join Nikki as you explore the science (and fun!) behind static electricity! The entire video covers Science Standards 3.P.3 and 6.P.3.

We have created some helpful clips if you are unable to watch the full video:
3.P.3 - Rubbing balloon on hair (3.5 min): https://youtu.be/7E8NxEyhCYQ?t=266
6.P.2 - Explanation of Atoms (3 min): https://youtu.be/7E8NxEyhCYQ?t=55

Explore how blubber or fat helps arctic animals stay warm.

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
4.L.1 The purpose of Blubber (3.5 min): https://youtu.be/a-vK0G9OM_U?t=58

Join Cynthia as she explores the world of surface tension and how animals like water striders use it to walk on water!

We have created some helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
3.P.2 Surface Tension Broken Chemically (1 min 15 sec): https://youtu.be/7DVMa_Dijjw?t=159
4.L.1 How water striders stay on the water's surface (2 min): https://youtu.be/7DVMa_Dijjw?t=254

I Scream We All Scream for the Science of Ice Cream. Let’s eat some science!!! Join us as we learn the science behind making ice cream.

We have created some helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
3.P.2 How Salt Melts (2 min): https://youtu.be/zmap4xna5_o?t=112
3.P.2 How sugar keeps from freezing ice cream solid (42 sec): https://youtu.be/zmap4xna5_o?t=318

Explore how trees help keep our streams clean and protect the Hellbender!

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
1.E.2 Why water is important to Eastern Hellbenders (30 sec): https://youtu.be/DESHpZNcWwQ?t=244
1.L.1 Why trees and rocks are important to Eastern Hellbenders (1 min 6 sec): https://youtu.be/DESHpZNcWwQ?t=153