High School Track·Invertebrate choice-chamber behaviour test
Invertebrate choice-chamber behaviour test
Small invertebrates show measurable preferences (taxis/kinesis) for damp vs. dry, or light vs. dark conditions, a real, standard technique in behavioural ecology.
Where to buy & price
Just examples of where to look and roughly what to expect to pay, get everything from wherever works for you, at whatever price you find.
Free, invertebrates and containers are collected/reused; cotton wool ~KSh 50–100/pack.
Cold storage / timing
None.
A note before you start
Release the invertebrates back where you found them after the observation, they're not pets or specimens to keep.
Reagents & materials required
| Shallow container or tray | 1 |
| Dark paper or foil (divider) | 1 sheet, enough to cover half the container |
| Cotton wool | 2 pieces (one soaked in water, one left dry) |
| Invertebrates collected from the field (woodlice, millipedes, or similar) | 5-10 |
Procedure, step by step
- 1
Divide a shallow container (a large tray or shoebox lid) into two halves, using a physical divider or by covering half with dark paper or foil.
- 2
For a light/dark test: leave one half exposed to ambient light and make the other half fully dark. For a damp/dry test: place wet cotton wool in one half and dry cotton wool in the other.
- 3
Search under rocks, logs, leaf litter, or damp soil to collect 5–10 small invertebrates, woodlice, millipedes, or a similar local equivalent.
- 4
Gently place the invertebrates in the center of the chamber, equal distance from both sides.
- 5
Observe and record which side each invertebrate has moved to and settled in after 5, 10, and 15 minutes.
- 6
Repeat the trial 2–3 times, either with fresh invertebrates or by returning the same ones to the center, to check whether the pattern holds up consistently.
- 7
Tally your results and calculate what percentage chose each condition.
- 8
Release every invertebrate back exactly where you found it once you're done observing.
Sign in to submit your results
You can read the full protocol without an account, submitting your photos and answers needs a free Biodaraja account.