Let’s find out some species of plants and animals of the Oak savanna-like woodland in Portugal!

Pay attention to the next clues!

Welcome to the Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência in Lisbon

Museum

Gar

den Lake

Go to the Botanic Garden and use the map below to guide you.

The nameplates of the plants show the species’ family, its scientific name, common name (in Portuguese) and the place of origin.

Clue 1:

Sit on the bench. Look behind you for a tree, with green jagged leaves. It’s the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)!

Still haven’t found it? The trunk is thick at the base due to the accumulation of reserve substances: a way to survive the fires in the summer! Did you find it? Very good!

You can pick one leaf from the floor (be careful, you must not take any part from the plants) and paste or draw it in the box below!

Go to the lake marked on the map!

Near the lake you will find a wooden bench.

Walk towards the yellow building behind the strawberry tree and find on your left the aromatic flowerbed. There you can find the rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)!

Clue 2: The rosemary have thin leaves and purple flowers. The flower has a “landing place” for insects to facilitate the search for nectar. In the meanwhile

the insects carry the pollen from flower to flower allowing the plantreproduction.

Observe the rosemary flower. Can you draw it by imagining the landing place for insects?

To the left of the Rosemary flowerbed, you can find a wooden house. Before reaching it, look for a big tree from the oak family , called the Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia).

Clue 3: The Holm oak trunk is rough and thick (to resist fires). The persistent leaves are dark green, longer than the strawberry tree’s

and with spiny margins, as a defense against predators.

The Holm oak fruit is much appreciated by the Iberian black-pig. What’s the name of the oak trees fruit? It rhymes with “corn”... Can you draw it?

If you want you can take a walk in the Arboretum of the Botanic Garden: follow to your right and go down the stairs. When you finish your tour go to the Museum, to the exhibition " Coleções de Naturalista”.

Clue 4: It seems like a dog with harsh brown hair, but in the Tundra has white hair to camouflage in the snow. The ears are pointed up. It eats rabbits or

whatever shows up!Did you find it? Well done! Draw it and write its name.

All the animals included in this exhibition can be found in Portugal. You already now some plant species from the Oak savanna-like woodland, now you can meet some animals.

Go up the stairs and turn left. Find out a mammal that is from the dog family but is not a wolf!

In this area you can find a mammal with black spots and listed tail, can you guess:

Clue 5: Lives at the Oak savanna-like woodland White tail and black stripesFortunately not a threatened speciesAlso with black spots, the name is _________________

Continue observing the mammals and try to discover one endangered species that exists only in the Iberian Peninsula, living in the Oak savanna-like woodland.

Clue 6: Similar to a common mouse But with a very short tail It’s the ___________ mouseIts protection must not fail

Still on the first floor of the exhibition discover the birds. Try to identify a big bird of prey which seems to have the boots on…

Clue 7: Identify the strong beak and talons to easily capture and eat

their prey. The feathers of the legs have a different color from the

body making the impression of white boots.

Did you find it? Well done! Write its name _____________________________________

Some of these birds are endangered because humans are destroying the forests. Ask for help to your family and friends and write three reasons why not to do it. And two ways to help preserving the forest.3 reasons why not to destroy the forests: 2 ways of preserving

forests:

To finish, find the Reptiles!

Find out the biggest lizard of Portugal.

Clue 8: It’s green and have blue spots in the neck, to show that is a male and already grown up. Write its name: _____________________________________

What do the lizards eat? If they disappear what do you think would happen?

Answer these questions and draw the lizard in the box below!

Draw a picture of an habitat, gathering some of the plants and animals you saw. We call to this whole the Oak savanna-like woodland ecosystem.