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: World Elephant Day is next week, so to celebrate we’re profiling one of the world’s three

elephant species. In addition to the Asian elephant, did you know there are two different African

elephants? There’s the forest elephant and the more commonly known bush elephant, the August

Species of the Month.

African bush elephant (Wikipedia)

 

Scientific name: Loxodonta africana

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Proboscidea (elephants)

Range: Central and southern Africa

Habitat: Savannah, forest, deserts

Lifespan: 60-70 years

Diet: Grasses, herbs, fruit, tree leaves, and tree twigs, roots, and bark

Predators: Lions, African wild dogs, hyenas, crocodiles, humans

Mother and calf (Wikimedia Commons)

Conservation Status: Elephants are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list. They are threatened under

the US Endangered Species Act.

Other Information: The African bush elephant is the largest land mammal in the world. An adult male

can weigh over six tons with a shoulder height of ten feet. Adult males live alone or in small groups,

while females and calves will form a larger herd led by a matriarch. Calves are raised communally

and are totally dependent on maternal care for several months. They reach full independence around

eight years old. Elephants don’t grow their tusks until after they’re a year old and the baby teeth fall

out. They also have a conveyor belt of six molars that wear out and fall out, allowing the next in line

to move forward. After losing the last molars, they can no longer eat properly. The large ears are great

for hearing, but also dissipate heat. Elephants are very mobile with a large range because of the

massive amount of food they need to eat. They can drink up to 50 gallons of water a day. Mud and

dust baths help them keep cool. Predators mainly go after small calves that fall behind the rest of the

herd. The greatest challenges facing elephants are caused by humans. Development has caused habitat

loss, and keep in mind these giants need a lot of room to roam. Poaching is also a serious threat. Most

elephants are confined to protected areas, limiting their population sizes. However, even at a protected

reserve elephants aren’t safe from poachers.

Young elephants at the watering hole (Sierra Club)

This week’s information comes from Animal Diversity Web.

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

This week we're taking a break from understanding energy sources and trying to understand a species. When you think about lizards, you probably imagine them basking under the hot desert sun or on a tropical island. If that's the case, then June's Species of the Month will surprise you by showing up in some unexpected locations. Say hello to the eastern fence lizard.

Eastern fence lizard (University of Georgia)

Scientific name: Sceloporus undulatus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Reptilia (reptiles)

Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)

Range: New York south to Florida, west to the Rockies

Habitat: Grasslands and forest edges

Lifespan: Unknown, thought to be four years average

Diet: Insects, some plant matter

Predators: Birds, snakes, other larger lizards, domestic dogs and cats

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: The eastern fence lizard is a widespread reptile. They live under rocks and logs
where they have protection overnight. Cold-blooded, they bask in sunlight during the day to raise their
body temperatures. Normally, they bask close to where they call home. They are little guys. Adults
only grow as long as 19 centimeters. Color varies, but they are usually gray or brown. Males have a
blue patch on the throat and belly. A male will display the throat patch to attract a mate or warn other
males away from his territory. He will also do head bobs and push ups if threatened.
Fence lizard eggs grow after hatching. Mating season begins in April, with hatching taking place from
June to September. The eggs doubles in size between laying and hatching, and babies are half the size
of adults when they emerge. There is no parental care.

Male lizard showing blue throat and belly (University of California, Berkeley)

This week's information is courtesy of the Animal Diversity Web at University of Michigan. Next week
we return to our energy series with a look at wind power.

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

Introduction: This month we celebrate the Easter season with a wild variety of one of the holiday's
decorative flowers, lilies. April's Species of the Month is the Columbia tiger lily, native to the Pacific
Northwest where I first encountered it.

My first Columbia tiger lily sighting

 Scientific name: Lilium columbianum

Kingdom: Plantae (plants)

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Liliales (lilies)

Columbia tiger lily with neighbors in its community

Range: California to British Columbia, northern Idaho and northwestern Montana

Habitat: Open woods or fields with well-drained soils and partial shade

Diet: Sunlight and water

Conservation Status: No special protection

Like the others before, this lily is growing on a mountainside

Other Information: Bright and cheery flowers adorn this lily, which can grow to six feet tall with a
dozen blossoms, although it is typically only three feet tall. The stems droop so the flower faces
downward. Depending on elevation, flowers bloom from June to September. I discovered the tiger lily
in the Cascades, in a forest clearing along the trail. For a good portion of the year, those few plants I
saw are buried under deep snow. Alternate names include Columbia lily, Oregon lily, and tiger lily. I
prefer not to use "tiger lily", as I associate that name with the larger, decorative plant.
This week's information comes from USDA and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. All photos are
my own.

Species of the Month

Introduction: One of the surest signs of spring is the return of the American robin, March’s Species of
the Month. From their cheerful morning song to the way they hop about your lawn, what’s not to love
about this little harbinger of better weather?

American robin (Missouri Department of Conservation)

Scientific name: Turdus migratorius

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Aves (birds)

Order: Passeriformes (perching birds)

Range: Southern Canada to southern Mexico

Habitat: Open grassy areas and open woodlands with dense shrubs

Lifespan: Average age 2 years

Diet: Berries, worms, insects

Predators: Snakes, squirrels, blue jays, crows, ravens: eggs only; snakes, hawks, house cats: adults only 

Conservation Status: Not listed as threatened or endangered, but protected under the Migratory Bird
Act.

Other Information: The gregarious, ubiquitous American robin is one of the first birds to begin nesting
in the spring. They start shortly after arrival, and may lay as many as three clutches of eggs. Each
clutch gets its own nest. The parents won’t start a new family until the old one has fledged the nest,
about two weeks after hatching. The young won’t become expert fliers for another two weeks after and
will be somewhat reliant on the parents until then.

American robin nest with eggs (Missouri Department of Conservation)

Male robins are slightly larger than females. Unlike many other birds, male and female robins look
nearly identical. Females are slightly lighter in color. Juveniles have a speckled breast, rather than the
familiar reddish coloring.

Juvenile American robin (Hal and Kirsten Snyder)

Outside of breeding and nesting season, American robins typically feed and roost in large flocks. They
roost overnight in trees in dense woods or secluded areas. During spring and summer they are more
solitary. Watch them in your yard. When grounded, their motion is hop hop hop hop or run run run run
run stop run run run run run stop. When stopped they frequently cock their heads. They do this because
they are looking for worms or any danger. They must move the entire head because their eyes don’t
move like ours.

American robin wrestling a worm (Cornell University)

This week's information comes from the Animal Diversity Web at University if Michigan again.

Species of the Month

Just because we're past Valentine's Day doesn't mean our Species of the Month isn't still lovey-dovey. This month we're taking a look at the mourning dove, one of the most common birds in my area.

Scientific name: Zenaida macroura

Mourning dove with baby

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Aves (birds)

Order: Columbiformes (pigeons and doves)

Range: Southern Canada south to Panama

Habitat: Open woods and forest edges near open areas

Lifespan: Average is 1 1/2 years

Diet: Seeds, grains, fruit, insects

Two mourning doves that hatched from the
nest in my flower basket

Predators: Raptors, raccoons, snakes, domestic dogs and cats

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: Mourning doves form monogamous pairs for mating season, with both parents
caring for the young. The male selects the nesting site and brings material to female. He stands on her
back while she builds. I'm not exactly sure how that helps her, but I saw it happen with my own eyes.
Doves in northern areas may migrate to warmer areas in the winter. They make a whistling noise when
flying, and also audible flapping sometimes. Mourning doves get their name from their mournful
sounding call. When I was a kid, I thought it was an owl. You probably see them sitting on a wire by
the side of the road. They have a pointy tail and call out "Who ah who, who who." I noticed the ones in
Washington sound a little different from those in Pennsylvania. Even birds have a Philly accent.

Check out those pointy tails (eBird)

This week's information comes from the Animal Diversity Web again.

Species of the Month

This month we are looking at one of the largest mammals in North America, the moose. Since they are
found in the northern areas, I decided the dead of winter is a great time to profile this great beast. If you
are ever lucky enough to see one, they are best viewed from a distance. Size may be deceiving. They
move quickly and won't hesitate to mess you up!

Moose in Alaska (NPS)

Scientific name: Alces alces

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed mammals)

Range: Northern North America

Habitat: Forested areas near freshwater

Lifespan: 8-12 years on average

Moose shedding his antler velvet (NPS)

Diet: Twigs, bark, and roots of trees- especially aspen, willow, and conifers; aquatic plants during
summer months

Predators: Wolves, bears (black and grizzly), humans

Conservation Status: Species of Special Concern in Michigan; no special protection in other areas

Other Information: The moose is so cool! Or at least it strives to be. Body size, coupled with an
inability to sweat, means they have to seek shade and water in or to avoid overheating during summer
months. Just how big is a moose? They can grow to be 7 feet tall at the shoulder! Males grow antlers
for mating season and shed them afterwards. Those antlers, largest in the animal world, can span 6 feet.
Calf mortality is high- 50%. Due to their size, calves are more likely than adults to suffer predation by
wolves or bears. Adults are armed with sharp hooves, in addition to those huge antlers on males. Moose
disease is a fatal brainworm parasitic infection, also seen in deer. Ticks also present a problem. They
can weaken a moose to the point of death from blood loss.

Mama moose with calf in Michigan (NPS)

Our moose information comes from University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web.