Mammal Master Badge

Insect Eater Investigator

Lesson 7.5 · Insect EatersOutdoor Mission

Kitimu says…Some of the coolest mammals live on insects — aardvarks slurp ants, bats snatch moths from the sky, and pangolins raid termite mounds! Today you’ll find the insect eaters near you and the bug buffet that feeds them. Let’s go, Cub!

Download the printable workbook (PDF)

Print it, grab a pencil, and take it outside!

🎒 What you need

🌳Garden or nature area

🔍Magnifying glass

📝Notebook & pencil

🔦Torch (for dusk)

🧾Your worksheet

📷Camera (optional)

📌 Your mission

Find the bug buffet first. Insect eaters go where the insects are. Search for ant trails, termite mounds, beehives, spider webs and buzzing flowers. Mark the busiest ‘insect hotspots’ near you.
Look for insect-eater clues. Hunt for signs: neat holes poked into an ant nest (birds), scattered termite mounds broken open (aardvark, in the wild), bat droppings under a roof, or a gecko waiting near a light.
Watch at dusk. Many insect eaters come out as the sun sets. With an adult, watch for bats swooping after moths near a streetlight, or geckos hunting insects on a wall. Count how many you see in 5 minutes.
Meet the specialists. In your worksheet, match these insect-eating mammals to their trick: aardvark (digs for ants & termites), bat (catches insects flying), pangolin (long sticky tongue), hedgehog/shrew (snuffles for bugs).
Map the menu. Draw one insect eater you found (or know), and around it draw or list the insects it eats. How many bugs do you think it needs in a day? (A single bat can eat hundreds of mosquitoes a night!)

Ranger TipNo luck spotting the eater? The evidence still counts! A broken termite mound or an emptied ant nest tells you an insect eater has been busy.

Did You Know?One aardvark can slurp up to 50,000 ants and termites in a single night with its long, sticky tongue!

Download the printable workbook (PDF)

Print it, grab a pencil, and take it outside!

Bringing Nature Home
Junior Rangers · Module 7: Mighty Mammals · Mission 7.5