Naturally Kentucky
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Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission NATURALLY KENTUCKY Number 27. July/August/September 1998 actually prey on a great variety of labyrinth of narrow tunnels beneath Kentucky's invertebrates including centipedes, the leaf litter of the forest floor or the earthworms, spiders and snails. Most thick grass and weeds of edges and shrewd mammals species also will feed to some extent on fencerows. For this reason their eyes seeds, berries and other vegetable are tiny and of little use. Their sense — the Soricids material, especially in winter. The of smell is thought to be poor, as well. northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina But their sense of touch is well devel- By Brainard Palmer-Ball brevicauda), our largest species at oped using the tactile hairs on their about five inches in length, is a long, flexible snouts. The ears are The Bluegrass state is rich in wildlife. voracious predator for its size. It will typically hidden within the fur, but More than 450 species of terrestrial attack and eat other small mammals, their hearing seems to be acute and is vertebrates are known to occur as including some considerably larger likely used in locating prey. residents or regular transients within than itself. Such large prey is secured Shrews have scent glands that the state including about 100 amphib- in part utilizing a type of poison that release a musky secretion that serves in ians and reptiles, more than 300 birds, is administered with each bite. The communicating territorial boundaries and nearly 70 mammals. Among the poison is secreted from salivary glands and reproductive status, and may deter mammalian species, eight occur in a in the jaws and apparently slows the some predators. Most have grayish or family known as the Soricidae, or heart and breathing rate of prey and brownish, silky fur that is very soft to shrews. This little-known group is partially immobilizes them. the touch. Somewhere within their remarkable in several respects, making them among our most intriguing animals. Shrews are sort of like bumblebees, which — according to the laws of physics — apparently should not be able to fly. With shrews, it's the fact that they survive at all that is a miracle. The respiratory rate of shrews has been recorded to be 140 or more breaths per minute at rest and as high as 850 per minute when active! With a metabolism like the engine of a race car, shrews require so much fuel that they must continually forage while awake to survive. Indeed, shrews left in captivity without food often perish within a few hours. With such an Northern short-tailed shrew Photo by John MacGregor active life, these tiny mammals don't last long in the world; most probably Shrews are busy around the system of tunnels they construct a cozy live only about a year. clock, but they seem to be most active nest that lies at or just beneath ground Shrews are somewhat similar at night. Unlike many mammals they level in which they live year-round. to moles but they are smaller and do don't seem to hibernate, remaining Like other mammals, they give birth not have enlarged feet specialized for active and continuing to feed beneath to live young and nurse them as they digging. Together the two groups the ground throughout the winter. At grow. Up to three litters of 3-10 make up the taxonomic order most any time during the day or year young are raised each year. Insectivora. As the name implies shrews can be found somewhere in a shrews eat many insects, but they continued on page 3 th months of the year into full-time his help over the years, and look Highlights of the 96 positions. Consequently, we will be forward to his continuing advice and Meeting of the able to keep year-round four of our counsel in his capacity as one of our dedicated employees whom we have officially appointed “advisors”. Com- Kentucky State Nature previously had to “lay off” for one missioner Martin was instrumental in Preserves Commission month out of every year. helping KSNPC acquire the large tract Another important develop- of old-growth forest we own at Blanton by Barry Howard ment relating to our staffing level is the Forest, and he was a guiding force creation of a new full-time position for behind the creation of the Kentucky Commissioners and many staff a Pine Mountain Nature Preserves Heritage Land Conservation Fund. members traveled to Murray State Manager. This position was created by Both of these achievements continue to University on June 16 for the quarterly the General Assembly, and we are very be of enormous value to the preserva- meeting of the Kentucky State Nature grateful to our friends in the legislature tion of the biodiversity of Kentucky. Preserves Commission (KSNPC). All who have given us additional resources Hugh Archer is the incoming of us at the Commission are thankful to protect some very important places DNR Commissioner and is also a long- for the opportunity to hold one of our along Pine Mountain in southeastern time friend of KSNPC. Hugh’s com- meetings at such a fine University. We Kentucky. The Pine Mountain mitment to preserving Kentucky’s also appreciate the Murray faculty preserves are some of the most biologi- significant natural areas dates back members and students who were able cally and aesthetically significant places many years. Hugh was the first director to attend this meeting and participate in Kentucky. of the Kentucky Chapter of the Nature in our field trip to Terrapin Creek One sad note relating to our Conservancy, back in the days when State Nature Preserve the next day. employees is the pending departure of KSNPC and TNC actually worked out Among its many attributes, Teresa Prather and Sandy Vasenda. of the same building! He helped Murray State University is home to Teresa has served the Commission for preserve places such as Bad Branch and the Mid-America Remote Sensing almost three years as executive assistant in subsequent years served as chairman Center, and it owns and manages to the director and as special projects of our Commission. During Hugh’s Murphy’s Pond, one of Kentucky’s coordinator. One of the many things tenure as director of the Kentucky most significant natural areas. she does for us is organize, edit, and River Authority, the River Authority publish this newsletter! Teresa is purchased and KSNPC dedicated the Personnel leaving for a new challenge with the Kentucky River Authority Palisades As most of you know, the Commis- state Department of Agriculture. Sandy State Nature Preserve. We very much sion is currently in the process of Vasenda has been our data manager for look forward to working with Hugh in searching for and selecting a new over a year and has decided to follow his new capacity as Commissioner of executive director. The job announce- her heart to the Center for Institu- DNR. ment for this position was widely tions, Population, and Environmental distributed and the closing date for Change at Indiana University in Preserve Designs applications was June 10. The Com- Bloomington. Teresa and Sandy have Staff presented preserve designs to our missioners announced at the meeting been very devoted to the work of Commissioners for three sites, all of that they would now begin the process KSNPC and we already miss them. which represent updates or expansions of reviewing applications and selecting to existing state nature preserves. In the director. This should proceed Department for Natural Resources simplest terms, a “preserve design” is a swiftly, and we anticipate a new Commissioner package of information consisting of director coming on board by the next Dr. Bill Martin is leaving state govern- maps, data, and descriptive material Commission meeting. We should be ment to return to Eastern Kentucky which identifies and describes the able to report to you the name of this University. Dr. Martin served as biological significance of a natural area. individual in our next newsletter! Commissioner of the Department for This is the first step in identifying land The Commissioners were Natural Resources (DNR) for six years. that may one day become part of our notified that, as a result of legislation Although KSNPC is an independent state nature preserves system. passed during the recently concluded agency of state government, we are Preserve designs approved at this session of the Kentucky General “administratively attached” to the meeting were those for Axe Lake Assembly, KSNPC will soon have Department for Natural Resources Swamp (Ballard County), White Oak several additional full-time employees. within the Natural Resources and Creek (adjacent to KRA Palisades State This legislation converted seasonal Environmental Protection Cabinet. positions that were staffed for 11 We are grateful to Dr. Martin for all of continued on page 5 2 - NATURALLY KENTUCKY Kentucky's shrewd mammals - the the smoky shrew (Sorex fumeus) and the loss. The key to protecting our rare Soricids pygmy shrew (Sorex hoyi). The latter shrews is preserving large tracts of continued from page 1 species occurs primarily in eastern Ken- their preferred mature forest tucky, but a few inhabit the knobs and habitats. The Commission's Several Kentucky shrews are ravines west towards Land Between the extensive efforts at protecting quite common and widely distributed; Lakes. The pygmy shrew is the natural communities in the especially widespread are two closely continent's smallest mammal, typically Cumberland Mountains have been related species in the genus Blarina. measuring less than 70 mm in total length successful in preserving habitat for Apparently the Tennessee River has (of which about 25 mm is tail); the these unique creatures — and many served as a barrier to genetic flow average body size is the length of the others.