‘Crash: a tale of Two Species’ What is a red knot?

1. What is a red knot?

2. Are horseshoe crabs really crabs? What is their closest living relative?

3. How long have horseshoe crabs existed on Earth?

4. How many eyes do horseshoe crabs have?

5. What is the most significant part of a horseshoe crab’s diet?

6. Specifically, where do red knots migrate to and from on a yearly basis?

7. How long is this migration?

8. How do scientists track and study the birds?

9. What is a ‘moon bird?’

10. Where do horseshoe crabs breed in the Atlantic?

11. What time of year to horseshoe crabs lay their eggs?

12. What is the relationship between horseshoe crabs and red knots?

13. Why is an abundance of horseshoe crabs important for the knots?

14. How have the numbers of red knots changed over the past 20-30 years?

15. What is causing this reduction?

16. What effect do humans have on horseshoe crab populations?

17. Why are horseshoe crabs harvested in the United States?

18. How much is a pint of horseshoe crab blood worth in the United States?

19. Why is the horseshoe crab important for our health and economy?

20. What measures have we taken regarding horseshoe crabs?

21. Do you think that putting the red knot on the endangered species list would save the species from extinction? Why or why not?