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Welcome class. Online wildlife class. Grizzly bear.
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Welcome class Online wildlife class
Grizzly bear • The grizzly bear is, by nature, a long-living animal. The average lifespan for a male is estimated at 22 years, with that of a female being slightly longer at 26.[36] Females live longer than males due to their less dangerous life; avoiding the seasonal breeding fights in which males engage. The oldest wild inland grizzly was 34 years old in Alaska; the oldest coastal bear was 39,[37] but most grizzlies die in their first few years of life from predation or hunting.[38] Captive grizzlies have lived as long as 44 years. • grizzly bears hibernate for 5–7 months each year[39] except where the climate is warm, as the California grizzly did not hibernate.[2] During this time, female grizzly bears give birth to their offspring, who then consume milk from their mother and gain strength for the remainder of the hibernation period.[40] To prepare for hibernation, grizzlies must prepare a den, and consume an immense amount of food as they do not eat during hibernation. Grizzly bears do not defecate or urinate throughout the entire hibernation period. The male grizzly bear's hibernation ends in early to mid-March, while females emerge in April or early May.[41]
Mule Deer • The most noticeable differences between white-tailed and mule deer are the size of their ears, the color of their tails, and the configuration of their antlers. In many cases, body size is also a key difference. The mule deer's tail is black-tipped whereas the whitetail's is not. Mule deer antlers are bifurcated; they "fork" as they grow, rather than branching from a single main beam, as is the case with white-tails. • Each spring, a buck's antlers start to regrow almost immediately after the old antlers are shed. Shedding typically takes place in mid February, with variations occurring by locale. • Although capable of running, mule deer are often seen stotting (also called pronking), with all four feet coming down together.
Mountain Lion • A successful generalist predator, the cougar will eat any animal it can catch, from insects to large ungulates (over 500 kg). Like all cats, it is an obligate carnivore, meaning it needs to feed exclusively on meat to survive. The mean weight of vertebrate prey (MWVP) that pumas attack increases with the puma's body weight; in general, MWVP is lower in areas closer to the equator.[3] Its most important prey species are various deer species, particularly in North America; mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and even bull moose are taken. Other species such as the bighorn and Dall's sheep, horse, fallow deer, caribou, mountain goat, coyote, pronghorn, and domestic livestock such as cattle and sheep are also primary food bases in many areas.[57] A survey of North America research found 68% of prey items were ungulates, especially deer. Only the Florida panther showed variation, often preferring feral hogs and armadillos.[3]
More facts about mountain lions • Like almost all cats, the cougar is a solitary animal. Only mothers and kittens live in groups, with adults meeting rarely. While generally loners, cougars will reciprocally share kills with one another and seem to organize themselves into small communities defined by the territories of dominant males. Cats within these areas socialize more frequently with each other than with outsiders.[72] Estimates of territory sizes for cougars vary greatly. Canadian Geographic reports large male territories of 150 to 1000 km2 (58 to 386 sq mi) with female ranges half the size.[64] Other research suggests a much smaller lower limit of 25 km2 (10 sq mi), but an even greater upper limit of 1300 km2 (500 sq mi) for males.[63] In the United States, very large ranges have been reported in Texas and the Black Hills of the northern Great Plains, in excess of 775 km2 (300 sq mi).[73] Male ranges may include or overlap with those of females but, at least where studied, not with those of other males, which serves to reduce conflict between cougars. Ranges of females may overlap slightly with each other. Scrape marks, urine, and feces are used to mark territory and attract mates. Males may scrape together a small pile of leaves and grasses and then urinate on it as a way of marking territory.[56] • Home range sizes and overall cougar abundance depend on terrain, vegetation, and prey abundance.[63] One female adjacent to the San Andres Mountains, for instance, was found with a large range of 215 km2 (83 sq mi), necessitated by poor prey abundance.[69] Research has shown cougar abundances from 0.5 animals to as much as 7 (in one study in South America) per 100 km2 (38 sq mi).[44]
American badger • The American badger has most of the general characteristics common to badgers; with stocky and low-slung bodies with short, powerful legs, they are identifiable by their huge foreclaws (measuring up to 5 cm in length) and distinctive head markings. Measuring generally between 60 and 75 cm (23.5 and 29.5 in) in length, males of the species are slightly larger than females (with an average weight of roughly 7 kg (15 lb) for females and up to almost 9 kg (20 lb) for males). Northern subspecies such as T. t. jeffersonii are heavier than the southern subspecies. In the fall, when food is plentiful, adult male badgers can exceed 11.5 kg (25 lb).[8] • American badger • Except for the head, the American badger is covered with a grizzled, brown, black and white coat of coarse hair or fur, giving almost a mixed brown-tan appearance. The coat aids in camouflage in grassland habitat. Its triangular face shows a distinctive black and white pattern, with brown or blackish "badges" marking the cheeks and a white stripe extending from the nose to the base of the head. In the subspecies T. t. berlandieri, the white head stripe extends the full length of the body, to the base of the tail.
Muskrat • Their populations naturally cycle; in areas where they become abundant, they are capable of removing much of the vegetation in wetlands.[16] They are thought to play a major role in determining the vegetation of prairie wetlands in particular.[17] They also selectively remove preferred plant species, thereby changing the abundance of plant species in many kinds of wetlands.[2] Species commonly eaten include cattail and yellow water lily. Alligators are thought to be an important natural predator, and the absence of muskrats from Florida may in part be the result of alligator predation.[18] • While much wetland habitat has been eliminated due to human activity, new muskrat habitat has been created by the construction of canals or irrigation channels, and the muskrat remains common and widespread. They are able to live alongside streams which contain the sulfurous water that drains away from coal mines. Fish and frogs perish in such streams, yet muskrats may thrive and occupy the wetlands. Muskrats also benefit from human persecution of some of their predators.[6] • The muskrat is classed as a "prohibited new organism" under New Zealand's Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, preventing it from being imported into the country.[19] • Trematode Metorchis conjunctus can also infect muskrats.[20]
More info on Muskrat • Muskrats normally live in groups consisting of a male and female pair and their young. During the spring, they often fight with other muskrats over territory and potential mates. Many are injured or killed in these fights. Muskrat families build nests to protect themselves and their young from cold and predators. In streams, ponds, or lakes, muskrats burrow into the bank with an underwater entrance. These entrances are 6–8 in (15–20 cm) wide. In marshes, push-ups are constructed from vegetation and mud. These push-ups are up to 3 ft (91 cm) in height. In snowy areas, they keep the openings to their push-ups closed by plugging them with vegetation, which they replace every day. Some muskrat push-ups are swept away in spring floods and have to be replaced each year. Muskrats also build feeding platforms in wetlands. They help maintain open areas in marshes, which helps to provide habitat for aquatic birds.
Swamp rabbit • Swamp rabbits are herbivorous; they eat a variety of foraged plants, including grasses, sedges, shrubs, tree bark seedlings, and twigs.[5] They feed mainly at night but rain showers will often cause them to feed during daytime as well.[4] A study has found that the preferred foods of S. aquaticus are savannah panicgrass (Phanopyrum gymnocarpon), false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), dewberry (Rubus sieboldii) and greenbrier (Smilax bona-nox).[5] • Like other lagomorphs, they have a double digestion. Food passes through their gut twice, first producing soft, green feces (cecotropes) which still contain nutrients. These are eaten by the animal (coprophagy), and after further digestion the remains form drier, dark brown or black hard pellets, which are not eaten.[5]
Alligator snapping turtle • The alligator snapping turtle is characterized by a large, heavy head, and a long, thick shell with three dorsal ridges of large scales (osteoderms), giving it a primitive appearance reminiscent of some of the plated dinosaurs. They can be immediately distinguished from the common snapping turtle by the three distinct rows of spikes and raised plates on the carapace, whereas the common snapping turtle has a smoother carapace. They are a solid gray, brown, black, or olive-green in color, and often covered with algae. They have radiating yellow patterns around their eyes, serving to break up the outline of the eyes to keep the turtle camouflaged. Their eyes are also surrounded by a star-shaped arrangement of fleshy, filamentous "eyelashes". • Though not verified, a 183 kg (403 lb) alligator snapping turtle was found in Kansas in 1937,[11] but the largest verifiable one is debatable. One weighed at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago was a 16-year resident giant alligator snapper weighing 113 kg (249 lb), sent to the Tennessee Aquarium as part of a breeding loan in 1999, where it subsequently died. Another weighing 107 kg (236 lb) was housed at the Brookfield Zoo in suburban Chicago. Another large turtle reportedly weighed 135 kg (298 lb).[12] They generally do not grow quite that large. Breeding maturity is attained around 8 kg (18 lb), when the length is around 33 cm (13 in), but then they continue to grow throughout life.[13] Excluding exceptionally large specimens, adult alligator snapping turtles generally range in carapace length from 35 to 80.8 cm (13.8 to 31.8 in) and weigh from 8.4 to 80 kg (19 to 176 lb).[11][14][15][16] Males are typically larger than females.[17] 88 adult alligator snapping turtles averaged 21.05 kg (46.4 lb), 92 averaged 19.72 kg (43.5 lb), and 249 averaged 13.5 kg (30 lb). Usually very old males comprise the specimens that weigh in excess of 45 kg (99 lb) per most population studies.[15][16][18] Among extant freshwater turtles, only the little-known giant softshell turtles of the genera Chitra, Rafetus, and Pelochelys, native to Asia, reach comparable sizes.
coal skink • It grows to 13–18 cm (5.1–7.1 in) in total length with a maximum snout to vent length (SVL) of 7 cm (2.8 in). It is a four-lined skink whose light stripes extend onto the tail. The broad dark lateral stripe is 4-4.5 scales wide and there are no light lines on top of the head. The dorsolateral light stripe is on the edges of the 3rd and 4th scale rows, counting from midline of back. One postmental scale is present. The sides of the head of the male are reddish during spring breeding season, at least in some parts of the range. The coal skink mates in spring or early summer, laying a clutch of 8 or 9 eggs. The young hatch after four to five weeks and are about 5 cm (2.0 in) long. The hatchlings have a blue tail; those of the northern coal skink are striped like the adults, but young southern coal skinks have black bodies with at the utmost faint traces of stripes.
American Bison • The term buffalo is sometimes considered to be a misnomer for this animal, and could be confused with "true" buffalos, the Asian water buffalo and the African buffalo. However, bison is a Greek word meaning ox-like animal, while buffalo originated with the French fur trappers who called these massive beasts bœufs, meaning ox or bullock—so both names, bison and buffalo, have a similar meaning. The name buffalo is listed in many dictionaries as an acceptable name for American buffalo or bison. In reference to this animal, the term buffalo dates to 1625 in North American usage when the term was first recorded for the American mammal.[11] It thus has a much longer history than the term bison, which was first recorded in 1774.[citation needed] The American bison is very closely related to the wisent or European bison. • In Plains Indian languages in general, male and female buffaloes are distinguished, with each having a different designation rather than there being a single generic word covering both sexes. Thus: • in Arapaho: bii (buffalo cow), henéécee (buffalo bull) • in Lakota: pté (buffalo cow), tȟatȟáŋka (buffalo bull) • Such a distinction is not a general feature of the language (for example, Arapaho possesses gender-neutral terms for other large mammals such as elk, mule deer, etc.), and so presumably is due to the special significance of the buffalo in Plains Indian life and culture.
Additional info on bison • A bison has a shaggy, long, dark-brown winter coat, and a lighter-weight, lighter-brown summer coat. As is typical in ungulates, the male bison is slightly larger than the female and, in some cases, can be considerably heavier. Plains bison are often in the smaller range of sizes, and wood bison in the larger range. Head-and-body lengths range from 2 to 3.5 m (6.6 to 11.5 ft) long, the tail adding 30 to 91 cm (12 to 36 in). Shoulder heights in the species can range from 152 to 186 cm (60 to 73 in). Weights can range from 318 to 1,000 kg (701 to 2,205 lb)[12][13][14] Typical weight ranges in the species were reported as 460 to 988 kg (1,014 to 2,178 lb) in males and 360 to 544 kg (794 to 1,199 lb) in females, the lowest weights probably representing typical weight around the age of sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years of age.[15] Mature bulls tend to be considerably larger than cows. Cow weights have had reported medians of 450 to 495 kg (992 to 1,091 lb), with one small sample averaging 479 kg (1,056 lb), whereas bulls may reportedly weigh a median of 730 kg (1,610 lb) with an average from a small sample of 765 kg (1,687 lb).[16][17][18][19] The heaviest wild bull ever recorded weighed 1,270 kg (2,800 lb).[20] When raised in captivity and farmed for meat, the bison can grow unnaturally heavy and the largest semidomestic bison weighed 1,724 kg (3,801 lb).[12] The heads and forequarters are massive, and both sexes have short, curved horns that can grow up to 2 ft (61 cm) long, which they use in fighting for status within the herd and for defense. • Bison are herbivores, grazing on the grasses and sedges of the North American prairies. Their daily schedule involves two-hour periods of grazing, resting, and cud chewing, then moving to a new location to graze again. Bison bulls of that age may try to mate with cows, but if more mature bulls are present, they may not be able to compete until they reach five years of age. • For the first two months of life, calves are lighter in color than mature bison. One very rare condition is the white buffalo, in which the calf turns entirely white.
Pronghorn • Each "horn" of the pronghorn is composed of a slender, laterally flattened blade of bone that grows from the frontal bones of the skull, forming a permanent core. As in the Giraffidae, skin covers the bony cores, but in the pronghorn, it develops into a keratinous sheath which is shed and regrown annually. Unlike the horns of the family Bovidae, the horn sheaths of the pronghorn are branched, each sheath having a forward-pointing tine (hence the name pronghorn). Males have a horn sheath about 12.5–43 cm (4.9–16.9 in) (average 25 cm (9.8 in)) long with a prong. Females have smaller horns that range from 2.5–15.2 cm (1–6 in) (average 12 centimetres (4.7 in)) and sometimes barely visible; they are straight and very rarely pronged.[17] Males are further differentiated from females in having a small patch of black hair at the angle of the mandible. Pronghorns have a distinct, musky odor. Males mark territory with a preorbital scent gland which is on the sides of the head.[7] They also have very large eyes with a 320° field of vision. Unlike deer, pronghorns possess a gallbladder.
More info on pronghorn • The pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere, being built for maximum predator evasion through running. The top speed is very hard to measure accurately and varies between individuals; it can run 35 mph for 4 mi (56 km/h for 6 km), 42 mph for 1 mi (67 km/h for 1.6 km), and 55 mph for 0.5 mi (88.5 km/h for 0.8 km).[16][20] It is often cited as the second-fastest land animal, second only to the cheetah.[21] It can, however, sustain high speeds longer than cheetahs.[6] University of Idaho zoologist John Byers has suggested the pronghorn evolved its running ability to escape from extinct predators such as the American cheetah, since its speed greatly exceeds that of extant North American predators.[6][22] Compared to its body size, the pronghorn has a large windpipe, heart, and lungs to allow it to take in large amounts of air when running. Additionally, pronghorn hooves have two long, cushioned, pointed toes which help absorb shock when running at high speeds.[23] They also have an extremely light bone structure and hollow hair. Pronghorns are built for speed, not for jumping. Their ranges are sometimes affected by sheep ranchers' fences. However, they can be seen going under fences, sometimes at high speed. For this reason, the Arizona Antelope Foundation and others are in the process of removing the bottom barbed wire from the fences, and/or installing a barbless bottom wire.[24] • The pronghorn has been observed to have at least 13 distinct gaits, including one reaching nearly 7.3 m (8.0 yd) per stride.[6]
Bobcat • The bobcat is crepuscular, and is active mostly during twilight. It keeps on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight, and then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. Each night, it moves from 2 to 7 mi (3.2 to 11.3 km) along its habitual route.[16] This behavior may vary seasonally, as bobcats become more diurnal during fall and winter in response to the activity of their prey, which are more active during the day in colder weather.[15] • Bobcat activities are confined to well-defined territories, which vary in size depending on the sex and the distribution of prey. The home range is marked with feces, urine scent, and by clawing prominent trees in the area. In its territory, the bobcat has numerous places of shelter, usually a main den, and several auxiliary shelters on the outer extent of its range, such as hollow logs, brush piles, thickets, or under rock ledges. Its den smells strongly of the bobcat.[30] • The sizes of bobcats' home ranges vary significantly; a World Conservation Union (IUCN) summary of research suggests ranges from 0.23 to 126 sq mi (0.60 to 326.34 km2).[28] One study in Kansas found resident males to have ranges of roughly 8 sq mi (21 km2), and females less than half that area. Transient bobcats were found to have both larger (roughly 22 sq mi (57 km2)) and less well-defined home ranges. Kittens had the smallest range at about 3 sq mi (7.8 km2).[31] Dispersal from the natal range is most pronounced with males.[
Harbor seals • Individual harbor seals possess a unique pattern of spots, either dark on a light background or light on a dark. They vary in color from brownish black to tan or grey; underparts are generally lighter. The body and flippers are short, heads are rounded. Nostrils appear distinctively V-shaped. As with other true seals, there is no pinna (ear flap). An ear canal may be visible behind the eye. Including the head and flippers, they may reach an adult length of 1.85 meters (6.1 ft) and a weight of 55 to 168 kg (120 to 370 lb).[3] Females are generally smaller than males.
White-footed mouse • White-footed mice are omnivorous, and eat seeds and insects. It is timid and generally avoids humans, but they occasionally take up residence in ground-floor walls of homes and apartments, where they build nests and store food.[4] • The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is a rodent native to North America from Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, and the Maritime Provinces (excluding the island of Newfoundland) to the southwest United States and Mexico.[1] In the Maritimes, its only location is a disjunct population in southern Nova Scotia.[2] It is also known as the woodmouse, particularly in Texas.
short-tailed weasel • The stoat is entirely similar to the least weasel in general proportions, manner of posture, and movement, though the tail is relatively longer, always exceeding a third of the body length,[21] though it is shorter than that of the long-tailed weasel. The stoat has an elongated neck, the head being set exceptionally far in front of the shoulders. The trunk is nearly cylindrical, and does not bulge at the abdomen. The greatest circumference of body is little more than half its length.[22] The skull, although very similar to that of the least weasel, is relatively longer, with a narrower braincase. The projections of the skull and teeth are weakly developed, but stronger than those of the least weasel.[23] The eyes are round, black and protrude slightly. The whiskers are brown or white in colour, and very long. The ears are short, rounded and lie almost flattened against the skull. The claws are not retractable, and are large in proportion to the digits. Each foot has five toes. The male stoat has a curved baculum with a proximal knob that increases in weight as it ages.[24] Fat is deposited primarily along the spine and kidneys, then on gut mesenteries, under the limbs and around the shoulders. The stoat has four pairs of nipples, though they are visible only in females.[24] • The dimensions of the stoat are variable, but not as significantly as the least weasel's.[25] Unusual among the Carnivora, the size of stoats tends to decrease proportionally with latitude, in contradiction to Bergmann's rule.[7] Sexual dimorphism in size is pronounced, with males being roughly 25% larger than females and 1.5-2.0 times their weight.[17] On average, males measure 187–325 mm (7.4–12.8 in) in body length, while females measure 170–270 mm (6.7–10.6 in). The tail measures 75–120 mm (3.0–4.7 in) in males and 65–106 mm (2.6–4.2 in) in females. In males, the hind foot measures 40.0–48.2 mm (1.57–1.90 in), while in females it is 37.0–47.6 mm (1.46–1.87 in). The height of the ear measures 18.0–23.2 mm (0.71–0.91 in) in males and 14.0–23.3 mm (0.55–0.92 in). The skulls of males measure 39.3–52.2 mm (1.55–2.06 in) in length, while those of females measure 35.7–45.8 mm (1.41–1.80 in). Males weigh 258 grams (9.1 oz), while females weigh less than 180 grams (6.3 oz).[25] • The stoat has large anal scent glands measuring 8.5 mm × 5 mm (0.33 in × 0.20 in) in males and smaller in females. Scent glands are also present on the cheeks, belly and flanks.[24] Epidermal secretions, which are deposited during body rubbing, are chemically distinct from the products of the anal scent glands, which contain a higher proportion of volatile chemicals. When attacked or being aggressive, the stoat secretes the contents of its anal glands, giving rise to a strong, musky odour produced by several sulphuric compounds. The odour is distinct from that of least weasels.[26]
Great Gray Owl • Although the Great Gray Owl is one of the tallest owls in the U.S., it’s just a ball of feathers. Both the Great Horned Owl and Snowy Owl weigh more than a Great Gray Owl and they have larger feet and talons. • Imagine what it would be like if you could hear even the slightest noise and knew exactly where the noise was coming from. Well, that is exactly what Great Gray Owls can do. Like the Barn Owl and Long-eared Owl they have asymmetrical ear openings that help them find prey by sound alone. The left ear opening is higher on the head than the right ear opening which enables precise directional hearing and lets them nab invisible prey.
Greater Prairie-Chicken • The extinct Heath Hen was a distinct subspecies of the Greater Prairie-Chicken that was found in the scrub oakland and fire-created blueberry barrens of the East Coast. The last Heath Hens were confined to the island of Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts, where they went extinct in 1932.
Wild Turkey • The Wild Turkey and the Muscovy Duck are the only two domesticated birds native to the New World. • In the early 1500s, European explorers brought home Wild Turkeys from Mexico, where native people had domesticated the birds centuries earlier. Turkeys quickly became popular on European menus thanks to their large size and rich taste from their diet of wild nuts. Later, when English colonists settled on the Atlantic Coast, they brought domesticated turkeys with them.
Bald Eagle • Sometimes even the national bird has to cut loose. Bald Eagles have been known to play with plastic bottles and other objects pressed into service as toys. One observer witnessed six Bald Eagles passing sticks to each other in midair. • The largest Bald Eagle nest on record, in St. Petersburg, Florida, was 2.9 meters in diameter and 6.1 meters tall. Another famous nest—in Vermilion, Ohio—was shaped like a wine glass and weighed almost two metric tons. It was used for 34 years until the tree blew down.
Courtship display • A courtship display is a set of display behaviors in which an animal attempts to attract a mate and exhibit their desire to copulate. These behaviors often include ritualized movement ("dances"), vocalizations, mechanical sound production, or displays of beauty, strength, or agonistic ability.
Whitetail Deer • The mating ritual is very demanding on buck deer. Prior to the doe coming into estrus, the bucks will have developed a full set of antlers covered by velvet. The velvet carries the blood supply to the antlers as they are formed. As mating season (known as the rut) approaches, the velvet will be shed as the bucks rub their antlers on shrubs and small trees. These rubs on trees appear like trail blazes and marks a buck territory. Other bucks will see these signs and check them. The rubs will have scent from the pre-orbital glands near the eyes. In addition, the bucks will begin to make scrapes. They will paw the earth, removing grass and leaves and urinate in the bare spot. As they urinate, they will bend their back legs together to allow urine to run over their tarsal and metatarsal glands to place the scent in the scrapes.
Rest of info • Actforlibraries.org • HomeEarth SciencePhysical ScienceBiologySocial ScienceMedical ScienceMathematicsPaleontologyHealthOther • Whitetail Deer Mating Habits Deer Mating Whitetail Deer Deer • Biology • Whitetail deer are interesting mammals and their breeding habits are unique. Deer breed in relation to the average climatic conditions in an area. In most regions, deer will breed in the fall to take advantage of spring and summer weather to allow the fawn to be old enough to withstand the rigors of the following winter season. Does normally do not mate the first year of their life, but if nutrition is excellent, there may be exceptions. The gestation period is approximately seven months. • The mating ritual is very demanding on buck deer. Prior to the doe coming into estrus, the bucks will have developed a full set of antlers covered by velvet. The velvet carries the blood supply to the antlers as they are formed. As mating season (known as the rut) approaches, the velvet will be shed as the bucks rub their antlers on shrubs and small trees. These rubs on trees appear like trail blazes and marks a buck territory. Other bucks will see these signs and check them. The rubs will have scent from the pre-orbital glands near the eyes. In addition, the bucks will begin to make scrapes. They will paw the earth, removing grass and leaves and urinate in the bare spot. As they urinate, they will bend their back legs together to allow urine to run over their tarsal and metatarsal glands to place the scent in the scrapes. • Scrapes will often be place strategically where an overhanging branch can be licked and rubbed with the pre-robital gland to leave additional scent. Tracks in the scrapes leave visual evidence of their presence. Interdigital glands between the hooves will leave additional scent in the scrapes and on the trail where they walk. • As the mating season draws nearer, bucks will spar and some battles become serious enough that bucks can break antlers or even be gored. These injuries can result in death. On rare occasions, bucks can lock antlers and eventually both will die. • Once the does enter estrus, the bucks will chase them and the dominate bucks will breed the does. Subordinate bucks will hang around, hoping for a chance to breed a doe while the dominant buck is occupied with a conflict with another buck. The buck will stay with the doe as long as she is in estrus. When she is past estrus, he will leave to seek another doe.
Behavior of Whitetail deer • White-tailed deer have superior senses and can detect the slightest danger. A long nose gives them a long olfactory system, sixty times as many olfactory sensors than humans; in return they can smell the slightest of smells (. Eyes on the side of their head give them a wide range of vision, up to 310 degrees, to pick up the slightest movements (Moyer 2009). Large cupped ears that can be turned in almost any direction allow them to detect the smallest of sounds. When combined the whitetail is a well equipped animal and can pinpoint predators rather easily. When alerted, a deer will run away with its tail up. The bright white underside is very visible. This is called flagging and could be used to confuse predators and/or to warn other deer in the area. Other danger warnings consist of stomping their feet and snorting loudly. Since whitetails are polyandrous there is a high amount of competition for does. Bucks will fight vigorously with their antlers, sometimes even to the death, to show dominance and claim territory and does. Bucks throughout the breeding season, also called rut, make rubs on trees and scrapes. Rubs consist of rubbing antlers on trees to leave scent behind to let other bucks know that they’re in the area. Scrapes consist of removing leaves from under a tree and urinating on the fresh dirt. Along with this, but not always the case, the buck will have a licking branch which it will use to leave more scent behind.
Caribou • Male caribou compete with each other for females and will sometimes fight using their antlers. They will chase after a female and thrash their antlers in bushes. A male caribou may have a harem of 5-15 females. Mating season runs from October-November
Behavior of Caribou • Caribou are nomadic, they are constantly moving in search of food. When they are migrating in the spring, they can travel in huge herds of thousands of animals. Caribou can travel thousands of miles every year. • Cardinal Caribou can run at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. In the summer, their foot pads are soft to help them walk on soggy summer tundra. In the winter, their foot pads shrink, harden and are covered with fur to help them move on the snow and ice. The caribou is a good swimmer and can swim at speeds of up to 6 miles per hour.
American Flying Squirrels • Flying squirrels lead secretive existences in trees, so little is known about their courtship and mating habits. They are believed to use vocalization and chasing behaviors as they begin their courtship and mating period in late winter and early spring. They make calls resembling chirps as part of their social behaviors, and make louder squeals and other sounds during courtship. As in other types of squirrels, flying squirrels also use chasing behaviors to secure receptive mates. • Mating • Once courtship has resulted in a mating pair, the pair remains monogamous through mating season. Flying squirrels are believed to be nonmonogamous outside of the mating season and do not remain with their mates or breed with them again, though a second mating season between the pair may occur in summer. Pregnancy lasts for approximately 40 days, and the breeding female may display signs of aggression.
Behvaior of flying Squirrel • Southern flying squirrels are highly social mammals and have been observed flying and foraging together in large groups.[8] Additionally, they often aggregate together in dens, especially as seasonal temperatures decline[18][19] in order to conserve energy.[20][21] Compared to individuals who nest alone in winter, squirrels in aggregates can save 30 percent more energy.[20] Although southern flying squirrels do show a preference for relatedness, they are tolerant of nonrelated but familiar individuals, possibly because in addition to providing heat energy for the aggregation, outsiders will promote outbreeding.[22] • Mull[23] stated that communal nesting may actually be detrimental during warm weather and is unnecessary in the southern parts of the species range. However, Layne and Raymond[18] observed nest boxes in Florida and discovered that the southern populations also nest in large groups (up to 25 individuals) and that, compared to northern populations, the period of elevated communal nesting extended later in the spring. In this study, nest temperatures occasionally exceeded 38°C [18] while the normal body temperature of southern flying squirrels varies between 36.3 and 38.9°C.[21] Since southern populations breed later in the spring than northern populations,[19][24] these findings suggests that communal nesting serves more than a thermoregulatory function and may actually play a role in the social organization of populations.[18] Proposed advantages of aggregation include increased likelihood of mating, increased defense against predators, or increased foraging success.[18] • Populations which nest together were found to be more highly related than expected by chance and it is believed this could be a form of kin selection since an individual's stored food may be beneficial for the survival of its relatives in the event of death.[22][25] • Winterrowd and Weigl[26] performed experiments in controlled conditions to determine whether memory, smell, random searching, or problem solving played the major role in retrieving hidden food. When burying dry nuts in dry substrate, no odors are present and spatial memory is the most effective retrieval mechanism, suggesting that there is no inclusive fitness involved in the hoarding behavior.[26] However, once placed in a wet environment, smell becomes an effective means to retrieve the food and decreases the individuals advantage over the other members of the group.[26] Experiments to determine whether a squirrel would steal from others in the group revealed that no particular pattern exists and that the hidden food is recovered according to its availability.[26]
Western Diamondback Rattle Snake • Courtship in rattlesnakes is much more subtle than the combat display you witnessed. When a male encounters a female he will usually position himself close to the female - sometimes the snakes are coiled and sometimes not. The interested male will generally lay his head on the female, often twitching or jerking his head in a behavior termed "chin rubbing." Females may be receptive and copulate or may be unreceptive and try to hide their head.
