Last week I read an article about the moon. The article mentioned a few different things. One of them was that a fish called the grunion jumps as far as it can onto the beach to mate, but only under a full or a new moon. This is because the moon controls the tides. When the baby grunions hatch, they hatch when the tide is high enough to wash them out to sea. Another thing the article mentioned was that lions prefer the new moon because it’s easier to sneak up on prey in total darkness. The prey knows this, so they alter their night schedule according to the moon. Wildebeests stay in safer areas during the new moon, but as the moon gets brighter, they venture further out. Buffalo stay in big herds during the new moon, but form smaller and smaller groups as the moon gets brighter. Gazelles become more active after the moon rises. Lions know that their prey changes behavior according to the moon. The zebras know that the lions know, so they roam around when it’s dark to keep the lions guessing. The moon also affects birds, other types of fish, certain types of insects, plankton, and zooplankton.
I chose this article because I thought that the moon was just the moon and that it didn’t really affect that many animals. I wanted to know more about the effects of the moon. Also, a while ago, someone said that she was arguing with her granddaughter and that they were tense around each other. At first I thought that that was just normal behavior, but then she said that usually they get along great. Another funny thing was that my sister and I were also tense and arguing with each other. The person then said that every one was tense because of the full moon. At first I thought that she was just superstitious, until I saw this article. This article is important because it tells people that the full moon superstition isn’t just a superstition. It also informs people that the full moon doesn’t just affect humans, it also affects animals.
Does the full moon affect humans in any way? What way? How does it affect us?
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/does-moon-influence-people
Savannah – this is so cool! I had no idea that animals changed their behavior in such drastic ways when the moon was full. Isn’t it amazing how complex the world is? Just think about all we DON”T KNOW yet!!!!