Species of the Month

The elk rut is upon us, so to that end the Species of the Month for September is the elk. In North America there are four surviving subspecies and two that are extinct. In Eurasia, where it is known as red deer, there are eight subspecies. 

Female elk herd

Scientific name: Cervus elaphus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals) 

Class: Mammalia (mammals) 

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Bull elk

Range: Western North America, northern Europe, northern Asia, isolated reintroduced populations in eastern US, introduced populations in Ireland, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile

Habitat: Open woodlands

Lifespan: Average 20 years, but difficult to gauge due to hunting

Diet: Grasses, sedges, forbs; woody growth in winter

Predators: Gray wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, bears

Conservation Status: No special protection 

Elk calf nursing

Other Information: The elk is known for the haunting bugle call of the male during the rut. Bugling is used for attracting a mate and advertising territory. Like other horned or antlered mammals, male elk will spar to establish dominance. Dominant males form a harem of females. On occasion, a lesser male will sneak in to mate with one or more of the harem. Elk are social and form segregated herds. Females and calves are dominated by a single alpha female. Males form a bachelor herd. The sexes mingle during the late summer/early fall migration and mating season. Following the birth of calves, mothers and their babies form a separate nursery herd away from the rest of their normal herd. Aside from being larger than deer, elk can also be distinguished by a larger head, dark mane, and large white rump patch. Like deer, elk are most active in early morning and late evening. Coming around a bend on the way to work and seeing the big white butt in the road is a great way to start the day, if given enough stopping distance. Elk browse on grasses and forbs in spring, summer, and fall. Their winter diet may include green woody growth. As ungulates, they have a multi-chambered stomach and chew their cud. Only male elk grow antlers, which they shed annually. Eastern populations of elk were extirpated in the 19th century. Several successful reintroductions of Rocky Mountain elk have since occurred, notably in Elk County, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.

Bull elk showing off his rump patch

This week's information comes from University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web. Stay tuned for a recap of the 2020 firefly season next week.

Species of the Month

Introduction: Summer is road trip season, and many people do a road trip through any of
the western national parks. Most folks have a goal of seeing some wildlife, and one of the
iconic animals of the west is the bighorn sheep. They can be seen picking their way along
sheer cliffs in an amazing feat of agility, but I think more people are impressed by rams
crashing into each other head first as they battle for mating rights.

Scientific name: Ovis canadensis

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Bighorn ewe enjoying the view

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada south to Mexico, as far east as Texas

Habitat: Mountain meadows, rocky cliffs, deserts

Bighorn rams

Lifespan: 6-15 years, depending on population status

Diet: Grasses, sedges, forbs

Predators: Mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, bears, lynx

Conservation Status: California bighorn sheep subspecies is listed as endangered.

Bighorn lamb taking a break from frolicking

Other Information: There are three subspecies of bighorn sheep: Rocky Mountain, the most numerous
and widespread; California, which is endangered and can be found in the Sierras; and desert bighorn,
which live in the deserts of the US Southwest and Mexico.

Bighorns use rocky slopes and cliffs to avoid and evade predators. Specially built toes allow them to
navigate along ledges that are only inches wide, and excellent depth perception allows them to
accurately leap from one to another.

Bighorns have a shorter lifespan in dynamic populations with a high birth rate, on average 6 or 7 years.
Those in a more stable population with a lower birth rate tend to live longer, to longer than 10 years.

Ewes lounging at the top of a slope

Bighorns live in segregated herds, males in a smaller herd, while females and lambs (male and female)
form larger herds. The herds mingle during the rut, which takes place in fall and early winter. Lambing
occurs in spring, and newborns are able to keep pace with mom almost immediately.

Sparring for mating rights involves males ramming head first into each other at speeds of up to 20
miles per hour. Horns can weigh up to 30 pounds. The force generated is enough to kill a human. Ram
skulls are made of several plates, like human skulls, but the rams' do not fuse into a single solid piece
of bone. That design lets the plates shift to absorb the shock of the repeated blows. The curl of the
horns might also deflect some of the shock away from the head, while a large tendon connecting the
head and neck helps the head recoil.

Rams battling for a mate (Smithsonian)

This week's information comes from University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web and
Indiana Public Media. Next week wraps up the energy series with a look at the elephant in the room,
nuclear.

Species of the Month

Introduction: This month we take a look at the badger, a tough little critter that's rarely seen.
Living underground and working mostly at night keeps the American badger off the radar for
most of us. More than just Wisconsin's mascot, they can be found all over the west.

American badger (NPS)

Scientific name: Taxidea taxus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Carnivora (carnivores)

Notice the large claws on the forefoot (Fort Hayes State University)

Range: Great Lakes region and Central Canada south to Mexico and west to the Pacific

Habitat: Grasslands- fields, meadows, prairies, or pastures

Lifespan: 4-10 years, oldest in the wild was 14

Diet: Fosorial rodents- gophers, moles, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, mice, rats, voles;
snakes; insects; ground nesting birds

Predators: Humans, golden eagles, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, bears, wolves

Conservation Status: No special status, but protected from hunting in British Columbia,
Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Other Information: The American badger is a member of the weasel family. A flat body,
stubby legs, and long claws for digging make them an ideal underground predator. They
are one of the few predators that will chase their prey underground, either through
existing tunnels or by making their own as they go. Badgers use several burrows in their
territory, so the unused ones often have other animals living in them.

Mother badger with baby (USFWS)

The American badger mates in late summer or early fall, but embryos don't implant in the
uterus until winter. During winter, badgers are typically inactive in a state of torpor, so the
delayed implantation is likely an adaptation to prevent the females from burning through
fat stores while pregnant. Although coyotes are known to prey on badgers, sometimes they
will hunt cooperatively. Coyotes are more successful catching rodents on the surface, and
badgers are more successful catching them in burrows. Working together, they make more
prey available to each other.

Coyote and badger taking a break (USFWS)

This month's information comes from the Animal Diversity Web at University of Michigan.

Species of the Month

This month’s species of the month celebrates independence with America’s newest national symbol, the bison, which became the national mammal in 2016. For the Plains Indians, the bison meant life. To me, it represents strength, power, and resilience as it was hunted nearly to extinction but has since recovered to an estimated population of 31,000 wild bison. While it’s a far cry from the tens of millions roaming the prairies and woods in the 19^th century, it is much better than the thousand or so that remained in 1889. 

Bull bison at Yellowstone

Scientific name: Bison bison

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class:   Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Cetartiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Grazing bison

Range: Historic range runs from Alaska and northern Canada west of Hudson Bay south to northern Mexico, Intermountain West east to the Appalachians. Current range is limited to national parks and preserves, private wildlife conservation areas, and private ranches scattered about the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Habitat: Forest and/or prairie habitat; can be found in tallgrass, shortgrass, or mixed grass prairies

Lifespan: 15-20 years

Diet: grasses, sagebrush

Bison herd at Custer State Park in South Dakota.
The orange colored calf is known as a "red dog".

Predators: wolves, mountain lions, humans

Conservation Status: Listed as near-threatened due to reliance on conservation for survival by IUCN. Listed as endangered under ESA.

Other Information: Bison were long a source of sustenance for the Plains Indians, who used every part of the body for food, clothing, shelter, and tools. They were hunted nearly to extinction in an effort to subdue the tribes that depended on them. Of the roughly 31,000 wild bison, only a small percentage are purebred. The rest are hybridized with domestic cattle. Wild bison herds are scattered throughout the West. Notable herds are found in Yellowstone, Wind Cave, and Wood Buffalo National Parks. There are two subspecies of bison: the familiar plains bison and wood bison, which lives in northern forests of Alaska and Canada. Bison grazing influenced plant communities, which in turn affected what other animals lived in the ecosystem. Bison form segregated herds based on age and sex. Male herds are smaller than female herds, although more males will join as the rut approaches. The rut happens in late summer/early fall. A dominant bull controls a female harem, and younger bulls will challenge him. A bison’s shoulder hump is a mass of muscle that helps support the large head. The giant head works as a snow plow in the winter, clearing snow off the grasses. Despite their docile appearance, bison are capable of inflicting serious damage. They are fast- they can run up to over 30 miles per hour and have no problem using their horns. Keep your distance.

Resting captive bison in Washington

Lamar Valley bison at Yellowstone

Lamar Valley bison at Yellowstone

This week's information comes from University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web, The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Environment News Service. 

Species of the Month

November’s Species of the Month is another animal that is related to Thanksgiving. Last year, we covered the turkey, which is the traditional centerpiece in many a holiday feast. But recall that Massasoit’s braves also arrived at Plymouth with five deer. There are several species of deer in the world, and even in the US there are more than one. But the species found in Massachusetts and much of the country is the white-tailed deer.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada to Bolivia in South America

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, swamp, and urban areas. Wooded cover and open browse are ideal.

Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild, on average with a maximum of 20 years.

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, succulents, twigs and shoots of trees

Predators: Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, jaguars, bears, humans

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: The white-tailed deer is one of America’s most popular game animals. Hunted nearly to extinction, due to better game management and habitat enhancement (often incidental to loss of habitat for other species) it is believed that there are more deer now than in pre-Columbian times. White-tailed deer are a nuisance in some areas, destroying crops and ornamental plants, striking vehicles, and overconsuming forest resources due to overpopulation. They are also disease vectors, hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease. White-tailed deer also played an important role historically in the US. Native Americans and European settlers alike used the deer as a source of food, clothing, and tools. White-tailed deer mate in the fall, usually in their second year. Births are usually single or double. Fawns can walk immediately and have no scent. Lack of scent, coupled with camouflage pattern that makes them resemble the forest floor, is an adaptation to protect against predators. When startled, the mother will bolt and leave the fawn(s) behind, triggering a predator’s chase instinct. Bucks grow antlers annually prior to mating season. They will spar with other males, using antlers as a weapon and to impress females. Antlers, which are made of bone, grow covered in velvet, which supplies blood to the growing bone tissue. After the velvet is shed, the antlers stop growing and eventually weaken and break off after mating season ends. Summer and winter coats differ in color, ranging from brown to grayish. The underside of the tail is white and is flicked as a warning signal to others, giving the white-tailed deer its name. White-tailed deer is an ungulate and as such, has a multi-chambered stomach like cows. Food is partially broken down, regurgitated, and digested more completely. This allows the deer to break down tough cellulose in plant material to more efficiently gain energy from it.

November’s Species of the Month is another animal that is related to Thanksgiving. Last year, we covered the turkey, which is the traditional centerpiece in many a holiday feast. But recall that Massasoit’s braves also arrived at Plymouth with five deer. There are several species of deer in the world, and even in the US there are more than one. But the species found in Massachusetts and much of the country is the white-tailed deer.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada to Bolivia in South America

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, swamp, and urban areas. Wooded cover and open browse are ideal.

Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild, on average with a maximum of 20 years.

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, succulents, twigs and shoots of trees

Predators: Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, jaguars, bears, humans

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: The white-tailed deer is one of America’s most popular game animals. Hunted nearly to extinction, due to better game management and habitat enhancement (often incidental to loss of habitat for other species) it is believed that there are more deer now than in pre-Columbian times. White-tailed deer are a nuisance in some areas, destroying crops and ornamental plants, striking vehicles, and overconsuming forest resources due to overpopulation. They are also disease vectors, hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease. White-tailed deer also played an important role historically in the US. Native Americans and European settlers alike used the deer as a source of food, clothing, and tools. White-tailed deer mate in the fall, usually in their second year. Births are usually single or double. Fawns can walk immediately and have no scent. Lack of scent, coupled with camouflage pattern that makes them resemble the forest floor, is an adaptation to protect against predators. When startled, the mother will bolt and leave the fawn(s) behind, triggering a predator’s chase instinct. Bucks grow antlers annually prior to mating season. They will spar with other males, using antlers as a weapon and to impress females. Antlers, which are made of bone, grow covered in velvet, which supplies blood to the growing bone tissue. After the velvet is shed, the antlers stop growing and eventually weaken and break off after mating season ends. Summer and winter coats differ in color, ranging from brown to grayish. The underside of the tail is white and is flicked as a warning signal to others, giving the white-tailed deer its name. White-tailed deer is an ungulate and as such, has a multi-chambered stomach like cows. Food is partially broken down, regurgitated, and digested more completely. This allows the deer to break down tough cellulose in plant material to more efficiently gain energy from it.November’s Species of the Month is another animal that is related to Thanksgiving. Last year, we covered the turkey, which is the traditional centerpiece in many a holiday feast. But recall that Massasoit’s braves also arrived at Plymouth with five deer. There are several species of deer in the world, and even in the US there are more than one. But the species found in Massachusetts and much of the country is the white-tailed deer.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada to Bolivia in South America

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, swamp, and urban areas. Wooded cover and open browse are ideal.

Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild, on average with a maximum of 20 years.

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, succulents, twigs and shoots of trees

Predators: Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, jaguars, bears, humans

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: The white-tailed deer is one of America’s most popular game animals. Hunted nearly to extinction, due to better game management and habitat enhancement (often incidental to loss of habitat for other species) it is believed that there are more deer now than in pre-Columbian times. White-tailed deer are a nuisance in some areas, destroying crops and ornamental plants, striking vehicles, and overconsuming forest resources due to overpopulation. They are also disease vectors, hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease. White-tailed deer also played an important role historically in the US. Native Americans and European settlers alike used the deer as a source of food, clothing, and tools. White-tailed deer mate in the fall, usually in their second year. Births are usually single or double. Fawns can walk immediately and have no scent. Lack of scent, coupled with camouflage pattern that makes them resemble the forest floor, is an adaptation to protect against predators. When startled, the mother will bolt and leave the fawn(s) behind, triggering a predator’s chase instinct. Bucks grow antlers annually prior to mating season. They will spar with other males, using antlers as a weapon and to impress females. Antlers, which are made of bone, grow covered in velvet, which supplies blood to the growing bone tissue. After the velvet is shed, the antlers stop growing and eventually weaken and break off after mating season ends. Summer and winter coats differ in color, ranging from brown to grayish. The underside of the tail is white and is flicked as a warning signal to others, giving the white-tailed deer its name. White-tailed deer is an ungulate and as such, has a multi-chambered stomach like cows. Food is partially broken down, regurgitated, and digested more completely. This allows the deer to break down tough cellulose in plant material to more efficiently gain energy from it.

November’s Species of the Month is another animal that is related to Thanksgiving. Last year, we covered the turkey, which is the traditional centerpiece in many a holiday feast. But recall that Massasoit’s braves also arrived at Plymouth with five deer. There are several species of deer in the world, and even in the US there are more than one. But the species found in Massachusetts and much of the country is the white-tailed deer.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Range: Southern Canada to Bolivia in South America

Habitat: Nearly universal in their range: forest, grassland, swamp, and urban areas. Wooded cover and open browse are ideal.

Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild, on average with a maximum of 20 years.

Diet: Grasses, forbs, shrubs, succulents, twigs and shoots of trees

Predators: Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, jaguars, bears, humans

Conservation Status: No special protection

White-tailed doe resting in the cover of a forest

Other Information: The white-tailed deer is one of America’s most popular game animals. Hunted nearly to extinction, due to better game management and habitat enhancement (often incidental to loss of habitat for other species) it is believed that there are more deer now than in pre-Columbian times. White-tailed deer are a nuisance in some areas, destroying crops and ornamental plants, striking vehicles, and overconsuming forest resources due to overpopulation. They are also disease vectors, hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease. White-tailed deer also played an important role historically in the US. Native Americans and European settlers alike used the deer as a source of food, clothing, and tools. White-tailed deer mate in the fall, usually in their second year. Births are usually single or double. Fawns can walk immediately and have no scent. Lack of scent, coupled with camouflage pattern that makes them resemble the forest floor, is an adaptation to protect against predators. When startled, the mother will bolt and leave the fawn(s) behind, triggering a predator’s chase instinct. Bucks grow antlers annually prior to mating season. They will spar with other males, using antlers as a weapon and to impress females. Antlers, which are made of bone, grow covered in velvet, which supplies blood to the growing bone tissue. After the velvet is shed, the antlers stop growing and eventually weaken and break off after mating season ends. Summer and winter coats differ in color, ranging from brown to grayish. The underside of the tail is white and is flicked as a warning signal to others, giving the white-tailed deer its name. White-tailed deer is an ungulate and as such, has a multi-chambered stomach like cows. Food is partially broken down, regurgitated, and digested more completely. This allows the deer to break down tough cellulose in plant material to more efficiently gain energy from it.

Information this month comes once again from University of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web. 

A mother and two fawns browse in edge habitat.
A buck is behind and uphill.

White-tailed buck (Pennsylvania Game Commission)

Road Trip Adventure- Black Hills

One of my favorite areas in the US is the Black Hills of South Dakota. I first visited the area in 1990 en route to Alaska. Passing through, we stopped at Mount Rushmore. I always wanted to return, and I did in 2007 when moving from Pennsylvania to Washington. However, we were short on time and money so all we got to do was cruise through with another stop at Mount Rushmore. While living in Washington, I always hoped for a vacation that would give me at least a week in the Black Hills. This summer, as part of the Nature Minute road trip, I was able to return for a few days. Enjoy another story from the road.

What makes the Black Hills, or Paha Sapa as the Sioux call it, such a special place? To the Sioux, Paha Sapa is sacred as the heart of the world, and from space it actually looks like a human heart (from Native Americans Online). To me, it’s just this wonderful mix of pine trees and granite rising above the Great Plains. I felt like I was on top of the world. It’s also melting pot of sorts, as the northern and eastern forests converge with the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.

Black Hills from space (from Four Winds 10)

The Black Hills were originally part of the Sioux reservation until gold was discovered there. The land was stolen and Custer was involved, but that’s another story for another blog. We’re here to focus on nature, and there are a few natural areas protected within the Black Hills. I didn’t get to spend my week there and I didn’t hike at all, but the three areas I got to see from the car were Black Hills National Forest, Wind Cave National Park, and Custer State Park.

The Needles, granite spires in the Black Hills

Black Hills NF is the largest of the three, covering most of the Black Hills. It’s a working, mixed use forest, meaning it is shared by loggers, wildlife, campers, and other recreational users. Ponderosa pine, spruce, birch, and aspen are common trees. Wildlife includes elk, mule and white-tailed deer, coyotes, mountain lions, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep. Birds of prey such as bald eagles and many songbirds are also present.

White-tailed deer right outside our campground

Coyote

Mountain lion

Wind Cave NP is on the fringes of the Black Hills. Eastern tallgrass prairie mixes with western shortgrass prairie topside, while the largest cave in America sits largely unexplored beneath the surface. Mammals there include bison, prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets. More on this location will follow in another Nature Minute.

Prairie dogs

Custer State Park hosts bison and pronghorn herds, along with majestic vistas of rolling hills, vast prairies, and interesting rock formations. It also sits on the fringes, just north of Wind Cave NP.

Bison herd

Pronghorn

Black Hills scenery

Black Hills scenery

How did the Black Hills magically rise above the rest of the prairie? The mountains formed as a result of volcanic activity and uplift in the Tertian period. The central portion is made of granite, pegamite, and sedimentary rock, ringed by increasingly younger layers of sedimentary rock. In most cases, when viewing layers of rock, the older layers are on the bottom. However, there are some areas in the Black Hills where due to uplifting and folding, the older layers are actually on top.

The Black Hills have something to offer, no matter what your interests. History, wildlife, scenery, culture, geology- this place has it all! If you are ever trying to decide where to go for vacation, consider South Dakota.

This week's information comes from Native Americans Online, Black Hills National Forest, and Carleton College.