Predatory Mammals

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Predatory Mammals Junior Naturalist’s Guide to: Predatory Mammals Help, Protect, and Explore The Adirondacks! Adirondack Predators Mammals Carnivores* Omnivores* -American Mink -American Black Bear -Big Brown Bat -American Martin -Bobcat -Deer Mouse -Eastern Red Bat -Eastern Chipmunk -Eastern Small-footed bat -Eastern Coyote -Ermine -Fisher -Hairy-tailed Mole -Gray Fox -Little Brown Bat -Muskrat -Long-tailed Shrew -Raccoon -Long-tailed Weasel -Red Fox -North American River Otter -Red Squirrel -Silver-haired Bat -Striped Skunk -Star-nosed Mole -Virginia Opossum *Carnivore-An animal that only eats other animals *Omnivore-An animal that FEEDS ON BOTH PLANTS AND ANIMALS Bobcat-Lynx rufus -11-30 pounds -20-50 inches long -4-7 inch tail -Average lifespan: 7 years -Love to prey mainly on rodents, hares, and rabbits -Elusive and nocturnal -Most common wild cat in the United States Eastern Coyote Canis latrans -Will eat almost anything (opportunistic -20-50 pounds feeders) -4-5 feet nose to tail -Can run up to 40 mph -Average lifespan: 10 years -Listen for their howls all around at night! -Research shows that Eastern Coyotes are roughly 64% Western Coyote, 26% wolf ancestry, and 10% Domestic Dog! Predator, Prey Analysis In each scenario, who is the predator, and who is the prey? 1. The sly Red Fox dove into the snow to catch a Meadow Vole. Predator: _______________ Prey: ________________ 2. The Little Brown Bat uses echolocation to snack on the Deer Fly. Predator: _______________ Prey: ________________ 3. The River Otter snuck up on the Rainbow Trout and caught it in her big teeth! Predator: _______________ Prey: ________________ 4. The Coyote stalked the Snowshoe Hare. Predator: _______________ Prey: ________________ Pop quiz! 1. An example of a predator that is a carnivore is: a. American Black Bear b. Red Fox c. Ermine d. Eastern Cottontail 2. An example of a predator that is an omnivore is: a. American Mink b. Eastern Coyote c. Common Porcupine d. Big Brown Bat Topic:__________________________________ In your own words, describe 3 things you learned today: 1.___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2.__________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3.__________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ What’s one more question you have for a naturalist: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ T R A C K S .
Recommended publications
  • The Genetic Structure of American Black Bear Populations in the Southern Rocky Mountains
    THE GENETIC STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN BLACK BEAR POPULATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS Rachel C. Larson, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706 Rebecca Kirby, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706 Nick Kryshak, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706 Mathew Alldredge, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80525 David B. McDonald, Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 80721 Jonathan N. Pauli, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706 ABSTRACT: Large and wide-ranging carnivores typically display genetic connectivity across their distributional range. American black bears (Ursus americanus) are vagile carnivores and habitat generalists. However, they are strongly associated with forested habitats; consequently, habitat patchiness and fragmentation have the potential to drive connectivity and the resultant structure between black bear subpopulations. Our analysis of genetic structure of black bears in the southern Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and Colorado (n = 296) revealed two discrete populations: bears in northern Wyoming were distinct (FST = 0.217) from bears in southern Wyoming and Colorado, despite higher densities of anthropogenic development within Colorado. The differentiation we observed indicates that bears in Wyoming originated from two different clades with structure driven by the pattern of contiguous forest, rather than the simple distance between populations. We posit that forested habitat and competitive interactions with brown bears reinforced patterns of genetic structure resulting from historic colonization.
    [Show full text]
  • City of Boulder Urban Wildlife Management Plan Black Bear and Mountain Lion Component Prepared for City Council Consideration of Acceptance 10/18/2011
    Attachment A City of Boulder Urban Wildlife Management Plan Black Bear and Mountain Lion Component Prepared for City Council consideration of acceptance 10/18/2011 Executive Summary Chapter 1: Introduction Purpose, Problem Statement, and Objectives Issues Relationship to other City Policies and Plans The Urban Wildlife Management Plan Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Open Space and Mountain Parks Forest Ecosystem Management Plan Zero Waste Master Plan Community Input and the Planning Process Agency Roles Chapter 2: Black Bear Behavior, Biology and Importance Analysis Nature of conflicts in the city Bear activity monitoring Current Approaches to Bear Management Evaluating Boulder’s approach to waste management Discussion of options for managing attractants Adaptive Management Plan Chapter 3: Mountain Lion Behavior, Biology and Importance Analysis Nature of conflicts in the city Lion activity monitoring Current practices Mountain Lion Awareness Plan Chapter 4: Implementation Education and Communication Practices Interdepartmental and Intergovernmental Coordination City Procedure or Regulation Development Consent Item 3D Page 6 Appendices Appendix A: Planning Process Diagram Appendix B: Black Bear Sighting Map (2009 & 2010) Appendix C: Comparison to Other Community Approaches to Trash Storage Appendix D: Mountain Lion Sighting Map (2009 & 2010) Appendix E: Discussion of Mountain Lion Management Strategies Consent Item 3D Page 7 Executive Summary The City of Boulder has a rich history of natural land protection, beginning with the purchase of 171 acres of mountain backdrop in 1898. Today, the city is surrounded on all sides by 45,000 acres of Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) land with county, state and federally-owned natural lands nearby. All of these areas provide habitat for a number of native wildlife species, including black bear (Ursus americanus) and mountain lion (Puma concolor).
    [Show full text]
  • Giant Panda Facts (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca)
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Giant Panda Facts (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Giant panda. John J. Mosesso What animal is black and white Giant pandas are bears with one or two cubs weighing 3 to 5 and loved all over the world? If you striking black and white markings. ounces each is born in a sheltered guessed the giant panda, you’re The ears, eye patches, legs and den. Usually only one cub survives. right! shoulder band are black; the rest The eyes open at 1 1/2 to 2 months of the body is whitish. They have and the cub becomes mobile at The giant panda is also known as thick, woolly coats to insulate them approximately three months of the panda bear, bamboo bear, or in from the cold. Adults are four to six age. At 12 months the cub becomes Chinese as Daxiongmao, the “large feet long and may weigh up to 350 totally independent. While their bear cat.” In fact, its scientific pounds—about the same size as average life span in the wild is name means “black and white cat- the American black bear. However, about 15 years, giant pandas in footed animal.” unlike the black bear, giant pandas captivity have been known to live do not hibernate and cannot walk well into their twenties. Giant pandas are found only in on their hind legs. the mountains of central China— Scientists have debated for more in small isolated areas of the The giant panda has unique front than a century whether giant north and central portions of the paws—one of the wrist bones is pandas belong to the bear family, Sichuan Province, in the mountains enlarged and elongated and is used the raccoon family, or a separate bordering the southernmost part of like a thumb, enabling the giant family of their own.
    [Show full text]
  • Human-Black Bear Conflict a Review of the Most Common Management Practices
    HUMAN-BLACK BEAR CONFLICT A REVIEW OF THE MOST COMMON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES A black bear in Lake Tahoe, NV. Photo courtesy Urbanbearfootage.com 1 A black bear patrols downtown Carson City, NV. Photo courtesy Heiko De Groot 2 Authors Carl W. Lackey (Nevada Department of Wildlife) Stewart W. Breck (USDA-WS-National Wildlife Research Center) Brian Wakeling (Nevada Department of Wildlife; Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies) Bryant White (Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies) 3 Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgements Introduction . The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and human-bear conflicts . “I Hold the Smoking Gun” by Chris Parmeter Status of the American Black Bear . Historic and Current distribution . Population estimates and human-bear conflict data Status of Human-Black Bear Conflict . Quantifying Conflict . Definition of Terms Associated with Human-Bear Management Methods to Address Human-Bear Conflicts . Public Education . Law and Ordinance Enforcement . Exclusionary Methods . Capture and Release . Aversive Conditioning . Repellents . Damage Compensation Programs . Supplemental & Diversionary Feeding . Depredation (Kill) Permits . Management Bears (Agency Kill) . Privatized Conflict Management Population Management . Regulated Hunting and Trapping . Control of Non-Hunting Mortality . Fertility Control . Habitat Management . No Intervention Agency Policy Literature Cited 4 Abstract Most human-black bear (Ursus americanus) conflict occurs when people make anthropogenic foods (that is, foods of human origin like trash, dog food, domestic poultry, or fruit trees) available to bears. Bears change their behavior to take advantage of these resources and in the process may damage property or cause public safety concerns. Managers are often forced to focus efforts on reactive non-lethal and lethal bear management techniques to solve immediate problems, which do little to address root causes of human-bear conflict.
    [Show full text]
  • Spirit Bears Canada Travel Brochure with Itinerary and Photos
    Land of the Spirit Bears September 14 – 26, 2015 Cocver: Ignacio Yúfera Expedition Overview Known as Canada’s “forgotten coast,” British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest evokes a bygone time, with its ancient firs and Sitka Spruce towering 350 feet into the air, providing cover for its unique and mythical-seeming animal subspecies, like the white Kermode, or Spirit, Bear. All of the wildlife present when Captain Vancouver sailed here in 1793, still exists, and in abundance. Virtually roadless, it’s a land of densely forested islands and mist-shrouded fjords that reach back into the glacier-capped Coastal Mountain range. Our expedition will take you along BC’s central coast in search of the elusive Ker- © Tom Rivest © Tom mode, as well as Grizzly and black bears, wolves, eagles, and Hump- Photos: (Cover) Kermode, or Spirit, back Whales. Soak up the culture of the Tshimshian and Heiltsuk Bear, Island Odyssey, Grizzly Bears. First Nations people, who are working diligently to protect this, the largest remaining untouched coastal rainforest on the Pacific Coast. WWW.APEX- EXPEDITIONS.COM 800.861.6425 / 206.669.9272 © Ignacio Yúfera Itinerary Monday, September 14: Vancouver / Bella Bella Fly this morning from Vancouver to Bella Bella, a remote island village in central British Columbia, the traditional home of the Heiltsuk First Nation and the “Gateway to the Great Bear Rainforest”. A shuttle will meet you at the airport and take you to the marina where you board the water taxi for the Shearwater Resort, located on its own island just west of Bella Bella. Settle in for a welcome dinner and overnight.
    [Show full text]
  • American Black Bear Ecology in Southeastern Oklahoma: Population Status and Capture Methodology
    AMERICAN BLACK BEAR ECOLOGY IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA: POPULATION STATUS AND CAPTURE METHODOLOGY By MORGAN A. PFANDER Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Management University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 2011 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE May, 2016 AMERICAN BLACK BEAR ECOLOGY IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA: POPULATION STATUS AND CAPTURE METHODOLOGY Thesis Approved: Dr. W. Sue Fairbanks Thesis Adviser Dr. David M. Leslie, Jr. Dr. Barney Luttbeg ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to all of the people who have made this research project possible. It has been a wonderful experience working with all of the graduate students, faculty, and staff here at Oklahoma State University and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to spend a couple of years in the bear woods of Oklahoma. Thank you especially to my thesis advisor, Dr. W. Sue Fairbanks, for the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing project and for all of the encouragement and advice throughout the research process. I am also grateful to my committee members, Dr. Chip Leslie and Dr. Barney Luttbeg, for their invaluable contributions to the development and analysis of this study. Thank you to Sara Lyda for introducing me to the bear woods and for all of her help with training and project logistics. I would also like to thank all of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation officials, especially Jeff Ford and Joe Hemphill, and my summer technicians and volunteers for all of their help in the field.
    [Show full text]
  • Aversive Conditioning and Monk Seal–Human Interactions in the Main Hawaiian Islands Aversive Conditioning Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii November 10-11, 2009
    NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-25 July 2011 Aversive Conditioning and Monk Seal–Human Interactions in the Main Hawaiian Islands Aversive Conditioning Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii November 10-11, 2009 Elizabeth M. Jenkinson Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce About this document The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and predict changes in the Earth=s environment and to conserve and manage coastal and oceanic marine resources and habitats to help meet our Nation=s economic, social, and environmental needs. As a branch of NOAA, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducts or sponsors research and monitoring programs to improve the scientific basis for conservation and management decisions. NMFS strives to make information about the purpose, methods, and results of its scientific studies widely available. NMFS= Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) uses the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS series to achieve timely dissemination of scientific and technical information that is of high quality but inappropriate for publication in the formal peer- reviewed literature. The contents are of broad scope, including technical workshop proceedings, large data compilations, status reports and reviews, lengthy scientific or statistical monographs, and more. NOAA Technical Memoranda published by the PIFSC, although informal, are subjected to extensive review and editing and reflect sound professional work. Accordingly, they may be referenced in the formal scientific and technical literature. A NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS issued by the PIFSC may be cited using the following format: Jenkinson, E. M. 2010. Aversive conditioning and monk seal – human interactions in the main Hawaiian Islands: Aversive Conditioning Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii, November 10-11, 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Distribution of American Black Bear Occurrences and Human–Bear Incidents in Missouri
    Distribution of American black bear occurrences and human–bear incidents in Missouri Clay M. Wilton1,3, Jerrold L. Belant1,4, and Jeff Beringer2 1Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Box 9690, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA 2Missouri Department of Conservation, 3500 E Gans Rd., Columbia, MO 65202, USA Abstract: American black bears (Ursus americanus) were nearly extirpated from Missouri (USA) by the early 1900s and began re-colonizing apparent suitable habitat in southern Missouri following reintroduction efforts in Arkansas (USA) during the 1960s. We used anecdotal occurrence data from 1989 to 2010 and forest cover to describe broad patterns of black bear re-colonization, human–bear incidents, and bear mortality reports in Missouri. Overall, 1,114 black bear occurrences (including 118 with dependent young) were reported, with 95% occurring within the Ozark Highlands ecological region. We created evidentiary standards to increase reliability of reports, resulting in exclusion of 21% of all occurrences and 13% of dependent young. Human–bear incidents comprised 5% of total occurrences, with 86% involving bears eating anthropogenic foods. We found support for a northward trend in latitudinal extent of total occurrences over time, but not for reported incidents. We found a positive correlation between the distribution of bear occurrences and incidents. Twenty bear mortalities were reported, with 60% caused by vehicle collisions. Black bear occurrences have been reported throughout most of Missouri’s forested areas, although most reports of reproduction occur in the southern and eastern Ozark Highlands. Though occurrence data are often suspect, the distribution of reliable reports supports our understanding of black bear ecology in Missouri and reveals basic, but important, large-scale patterns important for establishing management and research plans.
    [Show full text]
  • An Evaluation of Black Bear Management Options
    _An_Evaluation_of Black_Bear _Management_Options Northeast Black Bear Technical Committee, August 2012 An_Evaluation_of_Black_ Bear_Management_Options _Table of Contents Acknowledgements______________________________________________________ 3 Northeast_Black_Bear_Technical_Committee_ _________________________________ 3 Introduction___________________________________________________________ 4 _ Brief History of Bear Management in the Northeast________________________________________ 5 The Changing Landscape of Bear Management & Human-Bear Conflicts_________________________ 7 Biological_Carrying_Capacity_vs_Cultural_Carrying_Capacity Black Bear Management Strategies_ . 8 Population_Management Human-Bear_Problem_Management Black_Bear_Population_Management_____________________________________ 9 Regulated Hunting & Trapping_______________________________________________________10 Control Non-Hunting Mortality_ . 12 Habitat Management_ . 14 Fertility Control_ . 16 Allow Nature to Take Its Course_ . 18 Human_Bear_Conflict_Management_ ____________________________________ 20 Public Education_ . 21 Exclusion Devices for Food & Waste Management_ . 23 Aversion Conditioning_ . 25 Repellents_ . 27 Kill Permits_ . 28 Capture & Kill_ . 30 Translocation_ . 31 Damage Compensation Programs or Reimbursement Fund_ . 33 Supplemental Feeding_ . 35 Conclusions____________________________________________________________ 37 Literature_Cited_________________________________________________________ 38 An Evaluation of Black Bear Management Options Acknowledgements
    [Show full text]
  • Arkansas Black Bears: Biology and Habits
    Agriculture and Natural Resources FSA9086 Arkansas Black Bears: Biology and Habits Don White, Jr. Description James M. White Professor of Wildlife Ecology The American black bear (Ursus University of Arkansas- americanus) is a bulky and husky mammal native to Arkansas (Figure 1). Monticello Adults are about 50 to 75 inches long from nose to rump and measure 35 to Rebecca McPeake 48 inches at the shoulder when stand­ Associate Professor ­ ing on all four feet. Black bears usually Extension Specialist ­ appear taller at the hips than at the Wildlife shoulders. They can reach over 6 feet tall when standing erect. Male black Rick Eastridge bears are known to exceed 600 pounds. Black Bear Biologist In Arkansas, adult males typically Arkansas Game and Fish range from 130 to 300 pounds and adult females from 90 to 150 pounds. Commission Their weights vary considerably within a single year and even between years, depending on food abundance. American black bears occur in a variety of colors ranging from black to almost white. The black color phase is Figure 1. The American black bear is the virtually the only one found in the most abundant bear in North America. eastern U.S. Black bears may Photo by Hal Korber, Pennsylvania Game Commission occasionally have a white patch or “blaze” on the chest. Brown and Adult black bears have a long cinnamon-colored black bears become muzzle with a straight facial profile. increasingly common in the more The ears are medium-sized, rounded variable, drier and mountainous and erect. They have short, incon ­ habitats in the western U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Report of the Presence of Wild Animals
    Report of the Presence of Wild Animals The information recorded here is essential to emergency services personnel so that they may protect themselves and your neighbors, provide for the safety of your animals, ensure the maximum protection and preservation of your property, and provide you with emergency services without unnecessary delay. Every person in New York State, who owns, possesses, or harbors a wild animal, as set forth in General Municipal Law §209-cc, must file this Report annually, on or before April 1, of each year, with the clerk of the city, village or town (if outside a village) where the animal is kept. A list of the common names of animals to be reported is enclosed with this form. Failure to file as required will subject you to penalties under law. A separate Report is required to be filed annually for each address where a wild animal is harbored. Exemptions: Pet dealers, as defined in section 752-a of the General Business Law, zoological facilities and other exhibitors licensed pursuant to U.S. Code Title 7 Chapter 54 Sections 2132, 2133 and 2134, and licensed veterinarians in temporary possession of dangerous dogs, are not required to file this report. Instructions for completing this form: 1. Please print or type all information, using blue or black ink. 2. Fill in the information requested on this page. 3. On the continuation sheets, fill in the information requested for each type of animal that you possess. 4. Return the completed forms to the city, town, or village clerk of each municipality where the animal or animals are owned, possessed or harbored.
    [Show full text]
  • KLMN Featured Creature American Black Bear
    National Park Service Featured Creature U.S. Department of the Interior July 2021 Klamath Network Inventory & Monitoring Division Natural Resource Stewardship & Science American Black Bear Ursus americanus Visitors, rangers, and bears, oh my! You on their sense of smell for finding food; it is can be sure to find park rangers and visitors thought that they can smell a food source on any trip to a national park, but did you from over two miles away. Most of their diet know that in many of this region’s parks, consists of berries, fruit, sedges, and insects. NPS/ERIC JOHNSTON you may also encounter black bears (Ursus They will also occasionally consume fish, What’s in a Name - This black bear standing on a log actually has cinnamon-colored fur! americanus)? honeycomb, and human food and garbage, so it is important to make sure to keep your a bear’s body temperature decreases and General Description items locked up with bear-proof equipment! metabolism slows, but to a lesser extent than Unlike its name suggests, a black bear’s fur In the spring, black bears may prey on young a true hibernating individual. In torpor, bears ranges from grey to blue-grey, black, cin- elk and deer. They even occasionally hijack do not need to wake to eat, drink, urinate, or namon and even white! Adults are between carcasses of these animals that were killed by defecate, although this state does allow bears 1.5 and 1.8 m (5–6 ft) long and can weigh another predator such as a mountain lion.
    [Show full text]