Tennessee Naturalist Program Tennessee Mammals Creatures of Habitat Enhanced Study Guide 12/2015 Tennessee Naturalist Program www.tnnaturalist.org Inspiring the desire to learn and share Tennessee’s nature These study guides are designed to reflect and reinforce the Tennessee Naturalist Program’s course curriculum outline, developed and approved by the TNP Board of Directors, for use by TNP instructors to plan and organize classroom discussion and fieldworK components and by students as a meaningful resource to review and enhance class instruction. This guide was compiled specifically for the Tennessee Naturalist Program and reviewed by experts in this discipline. It contains copyrighted worK from other authors and publishers, used here by permission. No part of this document may be reproduced or shared without consent of the Tennessee Naturalist Program and appropriate copyright holders. 2 Tennessee Mammals Creatures of Habitat Objectives Present an overview of mammals including characteristics particular to this class of animals and the different groups of mammals found in Tennessee. Explore their behavior, physiology, and ecology, relating these to habitat needs, environmental adaptations, and ecosystem roles, including human interactions. Time Minimum 4 hours – 2 in class, 2 in field Suggested Materials ( * recommended but not required, ** TNP flash drive) • Mammals of North America, Fourth Edition (Peterson Field Guides), Fiona Reid * • Mammals of North America, Second Edition, (Princeton Field Guides), Roland W. Keys and Don E. Wilson • Tennessee Mammals Enhanced Study Guide, TNP ** • TWRA Bone Box Expected Outcomes Students will gain a basic understanding of 1. the diversity and distribution of mammals in Tennessee, including rare species 2. the major groups of mammals and their systematic relationships 3. the distinguishing characteristics of all mammals and general characteristics of each major group 4. mammal behavior - breeding, feeding, shelter, hibernation, and range/territory 5. mammal physiology and morphology - environmental adaptations, functions, species identification 6. mammal ecology - habitat needs, ecosystem roles 7. animal tracKs and signs 8. animal and human interactions 3 Mammals Curriculum Outline I. Mammals A. Class characteristics II. Mammals of Tennessee A. Diversity and distribution B. Common mammal Orders, their relationships and differences 1. opossums 2. moles and shrews 3. bats 4. rabbits 5. rodents 6. carnivores 7. hoofed mammals C. Nonnative species and their impacts D. Rare species and their conservation concerns III. Mammal Behavior A. Feeding B. Breeding C. Nesting, territory, home range D. Hibernation and winter survival E. Defensive strategies IV. Mammal Physiology and Morphology A. Environmental adaptations B. Functions C. Identification 1. sKins, pelts 2. sKulls 3. teeth V. Mammal Ecology A. Habitat variety and ‘home’ needs B. Ecological role 1. food web 2. predators 3. Keystone species C. Diurnal, crepuscular, nocturnal 4 VI. Observations in the Wild A. TracKs B. Signs C. Scat VII. Wild Mammals and Human Interactions A. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and encroachment B. Management concerns and strategies 1. population monitoring and measuring 2. trapping and tagging C. Hurt, captured or orphaned animals VIII. Resources A. Publications B. Organizations C. Internet 5 I. Mammals Introduction There are over 5,400 species of mammals worldwide. Of these, nearly 25 percent are threatened and at risK of extinction. The United States has over 410 species and 80 are on the endangered species list. Tennessee’s mammals (current and historical) number 86 (Kennedy et al. 2012), representing a diversity from northern species in the mountains to western species. Common mammal characteristics As a class (Mammalia), mammals exhibit several common characteristics that separate them from other vertebrate animal groups possessing an internal sKeleton with a bacKbone. All mammals share the three asterisKed (*) characteristics; exceptions may be found for the others. • hair or fur on the body at some point during life * (most have hair their entire lives) • generally endothermic, producing body heat internally, and homeothermic, maintaining constant temperature • give birth to live young (egg-laying exceptions not found in Tennessee) • milK producing mammary glands to feed young * • three middle ear bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup) * In addition, most mammals have a single bone lower jaw, four-chambered heart, highly developed brain, secondary palate separating air and food passages in the mouth, muscular diaphragm between the thoracic and abdominal cavities, internal fertilization, and separate sexes with embryo sex determined by the presence of a Y or two X chromosomes. Differences Differences among mammal species in physical morphology, physiology, behavior, ecology, etc., form the basis for identification. • anatomy -- hard (sKeleton, particularly sKulls) and soft tissue • teeth -- differentiated tooth types; also give clues to diet and habitat • embryonic development -- placental, marsupial, and egg laying (not in Tennessee) • morphological extremes -- diversity of forms, bodies designed for flying, running, hopping, burrowing, climbing, gliding, or swimming and vast size differences • active time of day -- nocturnal (night), diurnal (day), or crepuscular (dawn and dusK) 6 Habitat Tennessee has a great diversity of land types. Therefore, habitats also vary widely. Within these habitats, different mammal species find homes suited to their life history strategies. There are four main home types with local examples of each. • arboreal -- squirrels, golden mouse • aquatic -- beaver, musKrat • home seeKers (looK for shelter in caves, logs or manmade structures) -- bats, bobcat • homeless (bed down in a different place each night) -- deer, elK Each species is adapted to specific habitats. Problems arise when habitats are altered, whether by loss, fragmentation, disease, or the introduction of exotic species. Non-native species in Tennessee • roof rat • brown rat (Norway rat) • house mouse • nutria or coypu • domestic dog and domestic cat • wild hog (European boar) Extirpated native species in Tennessee • snowshoe hare • North American porcupine • gray wolf • red wolf • cougar Extirpated and reintroduced native species in Tennessee • fisher • elK • bison (captive herds, not free roaming) 7 Tennessee Mammals: Quick Facts Virginia Opossum (1 sp.) Order Didelphimorphia only marsupial in TN (related to the Kangaroo of Australia) pouch runs front to bacK, bears up to 13 young that crawl from vagina to pouch coarse, grizzled grayish fur, naked tail and ears, pinK toes and nose opposable thumbs on hind feet relatively disease free 50 teeth, more than any other mammal in TN sometimes ‘play possum’ (feign death) when threatened young can hang by tail, adults are a bit too heavy ears and tail can get frostbitten range moving north Shrews (9 spp.) and Moles (3 spp.) Order Soricomorpha Shrews have musK glands, stinK voracious predator with insatiable appetite, must eat 2-3 times weight daily insectivores, also eat smaller mammals, aggressive attacKers brown-tipped teeth and tiny eyes shrews are hard to identify to species a couple of species echolocate food one is poisonous with neurotoxin toward prey some species prefer grassland habitats, some woodland pygmy shrew is one of the smallest mammals in the world East Tennessee has more species of shrews Moles: eastern mole statewide, star-nosed and hairy-tailed moles limited and uncommon hair stands on end, unidirectional to repel dirt regardless of animals direction source of Victorian powder puffs tunnels using broad forepaws, white teeth voracious eaters, insect and worm fossorial (spend most time underground) incisors small, tiny eyes, no external ears sKulls distinctive among three species of moles predators include coyotes, hawKs, owls, foxes, and house cats 8 Bats (15 spp.) Order Chiroptera (hand-wing) evening bats -- tragus (small pointed structure, part of external ear) ID character TN has small bats, larger fruit-eating bats are not in TN eastern red bat, perhaps most common species in TN eastern pipistrelle, smallest, often in houses, can carry rabies less than 1% (0.5 %) of the bat population have rabies echolocate insects, shut down ears during cry and open again to hear echo 8-15 cries per second normally, sudden movements 150-200 cries/sec nest in caves, trees (under barK), buildings most go into torpor in winter, Little Brown Bat is a true hibernator two listed endangered species bats are sensitive to their environment White Nose Syndrome, a fungal disease of cave bats, results in high mortality Armadillo (1 sp.) Order Cingulata Dasypus (hairy foot) novemcinctus (nine banded) non-native, but relatively benign, moving north and east of historic range bacK is covered in sKin plates born with plates, harden as they mature peg teeth, eat insects, ants, and termites (including fire ants) claws for digging, reduced teeth in reproduction, the egg splits to form four genetically identical young move fast and jump when scared, which is why cars Kill so many called ‘possum on the half shell’ coyotes are predators carry leprosy and are used in research Rabbit (4 spp.) Order Lagomorpha eastern cottontail, swamp rabbit (W TN), Appalachian cottontail (Blue Ridge) snowshoe hare extirpated four incisors are clustered in two pairs, one behind the other sKull differences separate species in identification young are altricial, born blind and hairless [Hares are precocial]