Animals of Hawaii

In this lesson, we are going to read about different ANIMALS in HAWAII, which is a state of the United States located in the PACIFIC Ocean. There is a SPIDER in Hawaii called the HAPPY face spider. If you look at the picture on the left, you will understand why, because it looks like it has a happy FACE. Its body has bright YELLOW and RED colors. It lives in the rainforest on the underside of the leaves of plants. It is mostly found on the BIG ISLAND, which is the biggest of the HAWAIIAN Islands. This spider is TINY and has a body length of less than 5 MILLIMETERS. The photo on the right shows this spider on the tip of someone’s finger on a gardening glove.

Spell HAPPY Spell FACE Spell ANIMALS
What kind of animal are we talking about? SPIDER
This spider is not large, but what instead? TINY
Does the Happy-Face Spider live on the underside of the leaves? PLANTS
The Happy-Face Spider lives mostly on which island? BIG ISLAND
Name a color you see on the Happy-Face Spider. YELLOW RED
And what is another color you see? YELLOW RED
What is the name of another type of spider? DADDY LONG LEG TARANTULA
What is the fear of spiders called? ARACHNOPHOBIA
How do we write the abbreviation of the word “millimeter”? MM
The Happy-Face Spider is less than how many mm long? 5
How many legs do spiders have? 8
How do you react when you see a spider?
Get a paper, pencil, and a ruler, and draw a line segment of 5 millimeters long. This shows how small the Happy-Face Spider is.

The official state BIRD of Hawaii is the NENE (neh-nay), also known as the Hawaiian GOOSE because it only lives in Hawaii. These birds are mostly found on the islands of KAUAI, MAUI, and the Big Island. This goose is now an endangered SPECIES due to egg hunting in the past and the introduction of MONGOOSES, cats, dogs, pigs, and rats to Hawaii. The best place to see a Nene goose is at Hawaii Volcanoes National PARK. You are not allowed to touch or feed them or to harass or chase them. Females lay an average of 3 EGGS every year and an adult Nene can weigh up to 4 pounds. In 1952 the total population of Nene geese DWINDLED down to only 30 birds. Luckily their numbers grew again, and today there are about 2,500 Nene.

Spell NENE, Spell GOOSE, Spell EGGS
The Nene goose is Hawaii’s official state; what? BIRD
Nene geese can mostly be found on Kaua’i, the Big Island, and ___? MAUI
They are endangered, what? SPECIES
The best place to see a Nene goose is at Volcanoes National; what? PARK
What are you not allowed to do with a Nene goose? TOUCH FEED CHASE
What are some reasons the number of Nene geese decreased? EGG HUNTING / MONGOOSES / CATS / DOGS / PIGS / RATS
What is a famous fable about a goose? THE GOOSE AND THE GOLDEN EGG or THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGGS
How many eggs does female Nene lay on average a year? 3
How many pounds can an adult Nene weigh? 4
How many Nene geese were left in the wild in 1952? 30
About how many Nene geese are there today? 2500
Explain why a species like the Nene goose can become endangered by introducing other animals that don’t originally belong in their environment.

In 1985 the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (“humu – humu- nuku- nuku- apu- ah- ah”) was selected as the official state FISH of Hawaii. Ha ha, don’t worry; I won’t make you spell this name! The English name is the REEF TRIGGER fish, and as you may have guessed, it lives on the shallow reefs in the ocean. The Hawaiian name means “triggerfish with a SNOUT like a pig.” To the early Hawaiians, their behavior of poking through the sand or rocks with their nose for food and making grunting noises when handled represented pig-like habits. This fish can grow up to twelve INCHES in length. It has bright colors: yellow, BLUE, red, black, and white. You may spot one when you go SNORKELING, but you should not come near them. They can be quite TERRITORIAL and may BITE you with sharp teeth if you come close.

Spell REEF, Spell TRIGGER, Spell SNOUT
The animal we are talking about is Hawaii’s official state; what? FISH
The early Hawaiians thought this fish had a snout like a, what? PIG
What may these fish do if you come near them in the water? BITE
What color is at the top of the lips of a Triggerfish? BLUE
Name color of the Triggerfish. YELLOW, BLUE, RED BLACK, WHITE
The Reef Triggerfish pokes with its snout through what? SAND ROCKS
What other animals could you see if you go snorkeling?
What is another word for “snout”? NOSE
How many inches long can the Triggerfish grow? 12
In what year did the Triggerfish become Hawaii’s state fish? 1985
How many years ago is that? (Current year) – 1985 = _ _
Watch this video and learn how to draw a Humuhumunukunukuapua’a
Click here, https://bit.ly/3JauXuV, or search online for “How to draw a human”

The official MAMMAL of Hawaii is the Hawaiian MONK SEAL. The Hawaiian name for it is ‘ilio-holo-i-ka-ua-ua, which means “dog that runs in rough water.” Monk Seals are the most ENDANGERED mammal in Hawaii, and in 2010 it was estimated that only 1,100 Monk seals remained in the wild. They hunt for fish at NIGHT and often sleep on the beach during the day. Most seals make their home in colder waters, but the Hawaiian Monk seal prefers warm, SANDY beaches. They are the only tropical seal in the world, and they FREQUENTLY visit beaches where tourists like to swim and sunbathe as well. Lifeguards and VOLUNTEERS will mark off an AREA for the seal with a CHORD or with bright orange CONES to let PEOPLE know they cannot come near the seal and to let it sleep. You may not touch or harass a Monk seal and will be given a $1500 FINE if you do so. Adult Monk seals can weigh up to about 500 pounds and are about 7 feet in length. Monk seals live 25 to 30 years.

Spell MAMMAL, Spell MONK, Spell SEAL
The early Hawaiians compared the Monk seal to what other animal? DOG
Most seals make their homes in what kind of water? COLD
What do Monk seals like to do on the beach? SLEEP
What is marked off when a Monk seals visit the beach? An ___? AREA
If you touch or harass a Monk seal, you will be given a? FINE
What do lifeguards or volunteers use to mark off an area? CHORD CONES
What kind of beach does the Monk seal like to visit? WARM SANDY
Name one thing tourists like to do on these beaches. SWIM SUNBATHE
What is the state mammal of your state?
What are some other endangered animals?
How many Hawaiian Monk Seals were counted in 2010? 1,100
How many pounds can an adult Monk seal weigh? 500
How many feet long can an adult Monk seal be? 7
Monk seals can live between ___ and ___ years. 25 30
Why is it important that people leave endangered animals like the Monk seal alone?

Hawaii is one of a few states with a SECOND official state mammal: the HUMPBACK WHALE. They feed in polar waters in ALASKA and migrate 3000 miles to tropical waters like Hawai’i to give birth. Newborn CALVES are 12 to 15 feet long and need 100 gallons of milk a day! Adults grow to about 50 feet long. Humpback whales were almost HUNTED to the brink of EXTINCTION. In the 1960s, there were only about 5,000 Humpback whales left in the world. To prevent extinction, the International Whaling Commission banned COMMERCIAL Humpback whaling in 1966. Since that time, numbers have increased to around 135,000 words wide. New England and Hawaii established the first whale-watching TOURS in 1975. Humpback whales are perfect for whale watching because they are very active and come up to the surface often so people can see them. Between November and March, the island of MAUI is a popular place for whale watching.

Spell HUMPBACK Spell WHALE Spell SECOND
Which Hawaiian island is a good place for whale watching? MAUI
In Maui, you can go on whale watching, what? TOUR
What other state besides Hawaii was mentioned where you could find Humpback whales? ALASKA
Name a month of the year in which you could spot Humpback whales in Maui. NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY MARCH
What’s the title of a famous book about a white whale? MOBY DICK
A baby Humpback whale can be from 12 to how many feet long? 15
How many gallons of milk does a baby Humpback whale need a day? 100
In what year did the first whale-watching tours start in Hawaii? 1975
How long ago was the commercial hunting of Humpback whales banned?
(current year) – 1966 = _ _
Why do you think some countries continue to hunt for whales?
Listen to this whale song for a minute or so, and then copy the sound and sing like a whale. https://bit.ly/3uSRCH4

The Green Sea TURTLE is called a HONU in Hawaiian. You may see a Honu resting on the BEACH or swimming in the ocean. They are the largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world, and adults can grow to a length of 4 feet and weigh over 300 pounds. Most of these turtles don’t look green, so why are they called that? Adult Honu eats mainly ALGAE and SEAGRASSES, which turn the fat inside their body GREEN, and this gives them their name. The Honu can live up to 100 years old! If you see a Honu BASKING (or resting) in the sun, it is important that you keep at least 15 feet distance. The Honu is an endangered animal, and you cannot touch, catch, or harass them, or you will be fined up to $100,000. One popular place to watch the Honu and take pictures is at the black sand beach of PUNALU’U on the Big Island.

Spell GREEN Spell TURTLE Spell HONU
A Honu likes to rest on the, what? BEACH
Which other word for basking did I mention? RESTING
The part of the Green Sea Turtle that is actually green is their ____? FAT
What color is the beach sand at Punalu’u? BLACK
Besides sleeping, what is another reason turtles may visit a beach? LAYING EGGS
What is something you may see a Honu do? SWIMMING RESTING
Name something a Honu eats. ALGAE SEAGRASSES
What can you not do to a Honu? TOUCH CATCH HARASS
An adult Honu can grow up to how many feet long? 4
A Honu can live up to how many years old? 100
How many pounds can an adult Honu weigh? 300

What are those long furry creatures you can see running down the road in Hawaii? They are not a type of FERRET, rat, or squirrel, but a MONGOOSE. They are not native to the Hawaiian islands but are invasive SPECIES. So how did they get there? In 1883 Hawaiian SUGAR plantation owners imported 72 mongooses from JAMAICA. They had read an article that Carribean sugar growers had success controlling their rat problem by introducing mongooses into their sugar cane FIELDS. But the mongoose is active during the day and sleeps at night, and rats have the opposite schedule. They sleep during the day and are active at night. So this was an EPIC fail! Since then, the Mongoose population has severely impacted native species. They go after the eggs and HATCHLINGS of ground NESTING birds, like the Nene goose, and the eggs of the Green Sea Turtle.

Spell MONGOOSE, Spell EPIC, Spell FIELDS
Mongooses are an invasive what to Hawaii? SPECIES
What kind of food is mentioned in this passage? SUGAR
What animals did sugar plantation owners think they could control by introducing the mongoose? RATS
What kinds of animals are affected by the mongoose? BIRDS NENE GREEN SEA TURTLE
Name a type of animal that mongooses are not. FERRET CAT RAT
What is it called when an animal is awake and lives at night? NOCTURNAL
What’s a synonym for the word “epic”? GRAND HEROIC
In what year was the mongoose introduced to Hawaii? 1883
How many Mongooses did they import to Hawaii in 1883? 72
What could be the reasons why the plantation owners in the late 1800s did not know that mongooses would not be a good match to address their rat problem?

A tiny FROG with a loud SHRIEK has invaded the Big Island of Hawaii and is now spreading to other islands. The COQUI (ko-kee) frog is another invasive species. It was accidentally introduced into Hawaii from PUERTO RICO in 1988 when it hitched a ride aboard a SHIP with tropical plants. They are called after their high-sounding “ko-KEE, ko-KEE” shrieks all night, from DUSK to DAWN. Their noise can keep some people up at night, while others actually like their sound. In size, they are slightly larger than 1 inch, with colors varying from light yellow to dark brown. The Coqui frog lives on the ground and in bushes and trees. Their population has exploded in the last 15 years because of a lack of predators like snakes, TARANTULAS, and SCORPIONS that could keep their numbers in check.

Spell FROG, Spell COQUI, Spell HUGE
Coqui frogs came to Hawaii on a? SHIP
Does the Coqui frog sing from dusk to? DAWN
The Coqui frog arrived in Hawaii from where? PUERTO RICO
What colors can a Coqui frog be? YELLOW-BROWN
Name a natural predator of the Coqui frog. SNAKES TARANTULAS SCORPIONS
Another word for dusk time is? SUNSET
Another word for dawn time is? SUNRISE
In what year did the Coqui frog arrive in Hawaii? 1988
An adult Coqui frog is slightly larger than how many inches? 1
What do all invasive species in Hawaii have in common?
Listen to this recording of Coqui frogs. https://bit.ly/3r7J6Tx Then squat down on the floor and jump around pretending you are a little Coqui frog.

The last “animal” of this lesson is the “PARTY animal” that is often spotted in Hawaii. Every year more than 10 million people arrive on these islands by AIRPLANE. Most of them are TOURISTS who come to spend a week on vacation and to have a great time. The biggest tourist area is called WAIKIKI, where the streets are lined with many high-rise HOTELS, restaurants, and SHOPS, and the beach is usually packed with people. In March 2020, the state went on LOCKDOWN due to COVID, and most hotels closed. Hardly any tourists visited Hawaii for more than a year. Some residents preferred this peace because the roads were not crowded with RENTAL cars, and the beaches were empty. Some much-visited areas, like HANAUMA Bay, saw marine life return due to the lack of tourists. The state is now rethinking the type of tourism it wants to attract.

Spell PARTY, Spell AIRPLANE, Spell RENTAL
People who travel to a place for a vacation are called? TOURISTS
Since March 2020, tourists didn’t visit Hawaii for more than a? YEAR
Hawaii went on lockdown in March 2020 due to? COVID
What can you see on the streets in Waikiki? HOTELS SHOPS RESTAURANTS
Name one reason the residents liked not having tourists for a year. ROADS ARE NOT CROWDED NO RENTAL CARS EMPTY BEACHES
What is meant by “party animal”? PEOPLE or TOURISTS
What sport is Hawaii famous for and tried out by many tourists? SURFING
Every year more than how many million people visit Hawaii? 10
In what year did Hawaii go on lockdowns due to Covid? 2020
What would your dream vacation look like, and what would you do?
Let’s stand up and dance the hula! To start, put your feet flat, bend slightly through your knees, and stay like this throughout your dance. Listen to the music and copy the dancer in this video: https://bit.ly/3NMJ90V.

Creative Writing:
Imagine you are in charge of educating residents and visitors to Hawaii about protecting their endangered animals. How would you educate them? What would you do?

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theridion_grallator

https://www.hawaii-forest.com/june_2008_happy_face_spider/

https://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/hawaiian-nene-goose

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nene_(bird)

https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/7-fun-facts-about-the-nene-or-hawaiian-goose/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_triggerfish

https://www.waikikiaquarium.org/experience/animal-guide/fishes/triggerfishes/reef-riggerfish/

https://molokinicrater.com/humuhumunukunukuapuaa-fish/

https://bit.ly/3JauXuV

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/106648379/do-not-disturb-the-monk-seals-warn-hawaiian-signs-one-tourist-learns-they-mean-it

https://www.sealndanger.org/fun-facts.html