1 / 63

Large Mammals

Large Mammals. Conservation Class Miss Joni Fields. Objectives. Identify common large mammals found in the US Describe characteristics of each of the mammals found in US Identify types of habitats where you might find each of these species List at least one major food source for each

weylin
Download Presentation

Large Mammals

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Large Mammals Conservation Class Miss Joni Fields

  2. Objectives • Identify common large mammals found in the US • Describe characteristics of each of the mammals found in US • Identify types of habitats where you might find each of these species • List at least one major food source for each • Describe some of the behavioral traits of each species

  3. Which Track Belongs to Which Animal??

  4. Terms to Know • Adaptable • Attributes • Aquatic • Browse • Canid • Carnivore • Carnivorous • Catapulater • Coulees • Detection • Distributed • Dominant • Draws • Elevations • Elusive • Fungi

  5. Terms to Know • Gangling • Gestation • Hardiest • Herbivores • Inaccessible • Inhospitable • Lichens • Omnivorous • Opportunistic • Palmate • Subsistence • Territory • Tundra • Vigorously

  6. WHITE TAILED DEER

  7. White Tailed Deer • General Physical Characteristics • 4’-6’ long body • Reddish brown color to gray • Underside of tail is white • The white tail serves as an “alarm” when the deer is spooked or alarmed • Vary greatly from state to state

  8. White Tailed Deer (cont.) Buck Doe Females No antlers Weigh from 60-150lbs • Male • Have antlers • Main beam with tines or points that branch off • Antlers shed typically in late winter each year • Weigh from 80-300lbs

  9. White Tailed Deer (cont.) • Habitat • Very adaptable creatures • Swamps • Forested areas • River bottoms • Close proximity of settled areas • Feeding Habits • Herbivores eat: • Browse—tender shoots or shrubs of trees • Shrubs • Acorns • Fungi • Grass • Browse is important during the fall & winter; grass is important during the spring & summer

  10. White Tailed Deer (cont.) • Life Cycle • Whitetail rut—breeding season • October-November • Dominant bucks mate with several does • Bucks establish territory & defend it vigorously • Often fights will break out between bucks • Gestation period is 7 months • Give birth usually in May or June • 1 or 2 offspring • Fawns are spotted with virtually no smell to help them avoid detection by predators

  11. White Tailed Deer (cont.) • Extraordinary sense of hearing and smell and see movement well • Usually spend their lives in a 1 square mile area • Bucks will wander more during rut • Average life expectancy is 8-10 years but have been known to live up to 16 • Mortality is the highest during the first 6 months of life. • Coyotes are the deer most common predator

  12. MULE DEER

  13. Mule Deer • General Physical Characteristics • Medium to Large Hoof Mammal • Large Ears • Blacked tipped ear • Body length 4.5 ft.- 6.5 ft. • 5-9” tail • 3 to 3.5 ft. tall • Reddish brown and grayer in the winter

  14. Mule Deer (cont.) Bucks Does 150-200 lbs. Carry their fawns 210 days • 200-300 lbs. • Antlers that fork into nearly equal branches (unlike white tail deer) • Shed antlers during late winter and re-grow during spring and summer

  15. Mule Deer (cont.) • Habitat • Somewhat less adaptable than White tailed • Prefer mountain areas, brushy desert areas, wooded hills • More restricted now than it was when European settlers first arrived • Feeding Habits • Herbivores like White tailed • Browse • Shrubs • Grasses • Migrate from higher to lower elevations during the winter for better food access

  16. Mule Deer (cont.) • Life Cycle • Mule Deer Rut—breeding season (similar to White tail) • Typically begins a little earlier than White tail • Bucks are polygamous—breed as many does as possible • Fawns are spotted at birth with little scent • Coyotes & Black Bears are their biggest predators • Generally roam over a much larger territory than White tail

  17. ELK

  18. Elk • General Physical Characteristics • Large hoofed mammals • Reddish brown body, dark brown on their neck& cream colored rump area • Body length: 7.5-9.5 ft. • 4-8” tail

  19. Elk (cont.) Bull Cow Considerably smaller than bulls 8.5 month gestation cycle • Can weigh more than 700 lbs. • Average wt. 500 lbs. • Antlers with often times 6 or more points on each side • Shed antlers in late winter to early spring

  20. Elk (cont.) • Habitat • Semi-open forested area in mountains • Mountain meadows & foothills • Found at higher elevations in summer • Migrate to lower elevations with the first heavy snowfall • Quite elusive animals—difficult to see or secretive • Feeding Habits • Herbivores • Grasses • Forbs • Brush • Bark • Graze more than White tail or Mule Deer • Cows & Calves form herds & graze together in the summer

  21. Elk (cont.) • Life Cycle • Elk rutting period begins in September • Bulls have a “bugle” or call to attract cows & to advertise their presence • Polygamous males that gather a herd or “harem” of cows • The bull will protect this harem from all other bulls • Single calf birth normally occurs in May or June; twins are rare • Calves remain hidden unless nursing for first 2 weeks • Cow & calf rejoin herd after this

  22. Elk (cont.) • Life Cycle (cont.) • Coyotes, grizzly bears & cougars prey on young elk, sick, weak wounded or unwary adults • Known to live to age 14 but 8-10 years old is average

  23. MOOSE

  24. Moose • General Physical Characteristics • Very large hoofed mammal • Medium brown, with upper lip overhanging lower lip • Long legged, massive animals • 8-10’ body length • 3-4” tail length • Height: 5-6.5 ft

  25. Moose (cont.) Bulls Cows Don’t normally have antlers Very common to have twin calves • Huge palmate antlers —shaped like hands with fingers spread wide • Weigh in excess of 1,000 lbs. in the fall • Very aggressive during rut

  26. Moose (cont.) • Habitat • Prefer • Bogs • Swamps • River bottoms • Other areas along water courses • Around fresh water lakes • Herbivores • Feed on many kinds of aquatic plants in the water • Bark • Twigs • Browse

  27. Moose (cont.) • Breeding period in early fall • Bulls mate as many females as possible • Combat between bulls in very common • Calves are very gangling and week at birth • Wolves & bears prey on young moose as well adult moose • Adults are particularly vulnerable during winter (deep snow can limit mobility)

  28. Elk Moose Which Track Belongs to Which Animal?? White Tail Deer Mule Deer

  29. Musk Ox

  30. Musk Ox • General Physical Characteristics • Similar to a Bison • Much smaller • Much longer hair • 6” long hair on back • 2’to 3’ long hair on flank, neck & chest • 7-8’ long bodies • Height at shoulder—4.5-5.5 ft.

  31. Musk Ox (cont.) Bulls Cows 20-30% smaller than male Horns same as male Glands under each eye that give off a strong musky odor when disturbed • 500-900 lbs. • Horns that curl down, up then out • Glands under each eye that give off a strong musky odor when disturbed

  32. Musk Ox (cont.) • Habitat • Artic tundra of northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland & a few Artic Islands • Bleek, treeless & barren • Very inhospitable—very difficult to live in • Rarely gets above freezing even in summer • Feeding Habits • Sedge • Birch & Willow Trees • Grasses

  33. Musk Ox (cont.) • Life Cycle • Breeding season—July & August • Dominant bulls within a group protecting from intruders • Bull fights can be very vicious • Single births in April or May • Mortality is quiet high because of the weather…many times calves will die before they dry and get to their feet • May only raise a calf every other year because of such harsh weather conditions

  34. Musk Ox (cont.) • Primary predator is the wolf • Calves are very vulnerable, • Adults are rarely successfully attacked • Unique defense system • Form a circle with calves on the inside, cows & bulls facing outward presenting a formidable array of horns • Wolves are often very patience and often are successful at snatching a calf or two

  35. Bison

  36. Bison • General Physical Characteristics • Very large hooved animal • Chocolate brown in color, with longer darker main from behind the shoulders forward • Distinct hump over front shoulder • Up to 10’ in length

  37. Bison (cont.) Bulls Cows Up to 5’ tall at shoulder 700-900 lbs. Upturned black horns • Up to 10’ long • Up to 6’ tall at shoulder • 2,000-3,000 lbs. • Black upturned horns that are larger than the cows

  38. Bison (cont.) • Habitat • Used to be most of North America • Now days • Private ranches • Various national parks out west • Feeding Habits • Herbivores • Primarily grazers • Variety of grasses • Bluestem • Gramma • Buffulo

  39. Bison (cont.) • Breeding season—July & August • Bulls fight furiously to breed as many cows as possible • Single birth usually in May • Follows mother for 3-4 days • Weaned at 6-7 months • 10-20 year life span in wild, 30 in captivity • Predators are Grizzly Bears & Wolves

  40. Black Bear

  41. Black Bear (cont.) • General Physical Characteristics • Not necessarily black on color • Can range from jet black to cinnamon or blonde in color and most shades in between • Often white blaze or spot on chest • No hump over shoulder • 5-6’ in body length • 2-3’ tall at shoulders

  42. Black Bear (cont.) Male Female Weights very depending on location, time of year, etc. Sows weigh much less than a male • Weights very depending on location, time of year, etc. • Average is 300-600 • Not uncommon for a male to weigh 800

  43. Black Bear (cont.) • Habitat • Swamps • Bogs • Forested areas • Mountains • Seldom seen in the open • Used to be widespread in US • Feeding Habits • Omnivorous & very opportunistic—adaptable, take advantage of every opportunity • Eat anything from insects to large mammals, berries to green grass • Predator of Mule Deer Fawns & Elk Calves

  44. Black Bear (cont.) • Life Cycle • Generally solitary animals except when females are in estrus • Not true hibernators during winter like people once thought • Their body temperatures don’t drop dramatically, therefore waking and wandering occasionally

  45. Black Bear (cont.) • Young generally born in January when the sow is still in her den • Weigh about 8 oz. when born • One to 3 cubs is normal • Stay with mother for 2 years • A boar will sometimes kill & eat young cubs • Lifespan in the wild is about 12-15 yrs

  46. Grizzly Bear

  47. Grizzly Bear • General Physical Characteristics • Massive bear w/ pronounced hump over its front shoulders • Generally brown color • Fast or faster than a horse for a short distance • 6-9’ in body length • 3-4’ tall at shoulders • 500-1000 lbs.

  48. Grizzly Bear (cont.) • Habitat • Mountains of MT, WY & ID • Yellowstone National Park • Feeding Habits • Omnivorous • Eat Elk & Moose at times

  49. Grizzly Bear (cont.) • Life Cycle • Very solitary animals • Except during estrus when a female can withstand a male • Big bears fight over females • Usually ferocious affairs—much roaring & noise but rarely fatal • Tiny at birth • Stay with mothers for 2 years • Other grizzly bears are predators

  50. Grizzly Bear (cont.) • Boars will eat and kill cubs, even their own • Sows will fight hard to protect their cubs • Usually successful in protecting them • Rarely boar will kill sow & cubs & eat them • 20 year lifespan in wild

More Related