WILDLIFE DISEASES: There are many diseases of wildlife, but I am only going to cover a few that are especially important to people. They are not strictly diseases of wildlife as domestic animals can become infected too; and both can infect people. Some of them can be deadly if not treated, but you really don’t want to get any of... READ MORE >
In my column on migration, I pointed out that birds (including young of the year) were innately equipped with bearing and distance navigation capability as well as knowing when to migrate. They were able to maintain a straight course by sun-compass orientation/navigation by day and star orientation/ navigation at night. However, non-migratory flights often require additional and sometimes greater navigational... READ MORE >
Animal migrations may become established in response to avoiding undesirable environmental conditions (deep snow, excessively hot or cold temperatures, drought, etc.), following forage quality and quantity availability through the year, or seeking seasonally available high-quality foods. Or, the drive to migrate and how to get to the appropriate location is so programmed into them that they have no choice in... READ MORE >
ANTLER STRUCTURE: Most species have one basic antler design that varies little except by number of points. In my columns on antlers, I deliberately refrained from bringing up that moose have 3 distinct antler structures. See picture. The cervicorn structure is the earliest and most primitive design and is the only antler design in the Manchurian moose of northeast China.... READ MORE >
When people speak of their interest in wildlife, they are nearly always referring to species (or groups of species) which are of special interest to them. Typical examples are songbirds, birds of prey, big game, small game, waterfowl, and predators. It is refreshing that occasionally someone will express an interest in snakes. It is extremely rare that small mammals are... READ MORE >
I would have preferred to use a different title for this because this one suggests that all the blame lies with bears. Usually, but not always, people share some of the blame by ignoring information released every year on how to avoid/reduce problems with bears; this was in the April 2 issue of this paper. Sometimes people deserve all the... READ MORE >
Monitoring fat reserves of wildlife (especially mammals) has been done for decades to assess the physical condition of animals and, if a sufficient number are involved, make inferences regarding that of the population. Usually, the main emphasis in such examinations has been in late winter to evaluate how well the fat reserves are holding up. This has a bearing on... READ MORE >
Woodland caribou, tundra caribou, and reindeer are all the same species, but there are distinct physical and behavioral differences. Historically woodland caribou inhabited much of northern Minnesota and were the most abundant big game animal in, at least, northeast Minnesota. Their abundance decreased rapidly with logging and settlement of the northern forest. Logging converted the mature forest to young deciduous... READ MORE >
Often, one of the first things a person is told about cattle is that they have four stomachs. That is both yes and no. There are four chambers: rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum; but the reticulum can be considered as a pouch on the side of the rumen as they are not well separated. Ruminant is the term applied to... READ MORE >
Sometimes one will encounter something so unusual or so different than expected that it really sticks in your mind. As time goes by, more cases of the same thing either occur or are mentioned by others. It may still be unusual, but perhaps not as rare as suspected. DEER, MOOSE, and CATTLE: While in college back in the 1960’s, I... READ MORE >
