Intermediate Mammals - Part II

How 'bout Skunks? I remember going to some business event 30 miles east of Seattle. It was a BBQ party at one of the team member's home in the "country." We had turned on to a back road (no stripes or markings on the road) when just ahead of us came two adult skunks and 6(!) little ones. It was one of those "Kodak" moments passed by without a photo. I must say, though, I have been lucky since. The Hooded Skunk below is one of my favorite animal encounters as well as favorite photos. The Hooded Skunk ranges from Southwest US to Central America but is most abundant in Mexico. It is found in grasslands,  deserts, and in mountain canyons, avoiding high elevations. It tends to live near a water source, such as a river, stream, or wash. The diet of the Hooded Skunk consists mostly of vegetation, especially prickly pear, but it will readily eat insects and small rodents as well. The Skunk in the photo below was searching for insects. It shelters in a burrow or a nest of thick plant cover during the day and is active at night or under cloudy days. Its breeding season is in the late winter and the female bears an average litter of three young.

Hooded Skunk

photo taken in the Galiuro Mountains of Arizona

The Striped Skunk is omnivorous and found over most of the United States and Canada. The Striped Skunk has a black body with a white stripe along each side of its body; the two stripes join into a broader white area at thenape. Its forehead has a narrow white stripe. It is about the size of a house cat weighing up to 14 pounds although the average weight is 6-8 pounds. The bushy tail is 7 to 10 inches long. The presence of a Striped Skunk is often first made apparent by its odor. It has well-developed anal scent glands (characteristic of all skunks) that can emit a highly unpleasant odor when the skunk feels threatened by another animal. I must say that I often encounter the skunk smell while in the wilderness, however had never seen one that I smelled first. Whenever I have seen a skunk there is no smell. The Striped Skunk feeds on mice, eggs, carrion, insects, grubs, and berries. At sunrise, it retires to its den, which may be in a ground burrow or beneath a building, boulder, or rock pile. While the male dens by itself, several females may live together. The Striped Skunk does not hibernate but instead goes into a dormant or semi-active state.In February or March, mating occurs, and by early May a litter of about five or six young is born. The young are born blind, and follow their mother until late June or July.

Striped Skunk

photo taken in the Galiuro Mountains of Arizona

Intermediate Mammals or Something Like That

Intermediate Mammals, not a very scientific name, but I mean bigger that a rabbit, but smaller than a deer. Well, close enough. First up: The American Marten. The photo of the American Marten was taken in Canada, which is only fair since most of the Canada Geese I photograph, I have taken in America. Of course, it is an American Marten but not a Canadian Goose -- it is a Canada Goose. However, I think I am really digressing and probably loosing people by the word. The Marten lives in mature mixed or coniferous forests from the Sierra Nevada's, Colorado Rockies, Northcentral and Northeaster US up through Canada to Alaska.  Trapping and destruction of forest habitat have reduced its numbers, but it is still much more abundant than the larger fisher.  Like cats, its claws are semi-retractable to aid in climbing trees. It also has very large foot pads in relation to body weight allowing it to walk on hard snow. This provides the Marten with a distinct advantage in areas that receive heavy snows. I saw one in Northern Colorado while I was photographing a Bull Moose. The Marten was behind me an in the trees. The snow was about 18 inches deep which made it very difficult for me to get close enough, quickly enough to get the best photo. The Marten is omnivorous, preferring to catch and eat small mammals, especially squirrels as seen in the photo below. But it will also eat fish, frogs, insects, carrion, and fruit and other vegetation when available. It is most active at night, early morning, and late afternoon. It is usually solitary outside of the mating season. Males defend a territory of one to three square miles, and can be very aggressive toward other males. Mating occurs during the summer, but implantation of the fertilized egg is delayed. Up to five "kits" are born the following spring in a den in a hollow tree or rock cavity. The fur of the American Marten is shiny and luxuriant, resembling that of the closely related sable or mink. At the turn of the twentieth century, the American Marten population was depleted due to the fur trade. Numerous protection measures and reintroduction efforts have allowed the population to increase, but deforestation is still reducing its habitat.

American Marten

photo taken in British Columbia

The Coatimundi or Coati is one of my favorite animals to photograph in Arizona. Actually, it is a White Nosed Coati here in Arizona (as you can see from the photo). They are found in Southeastern Arizona and New Mexico south to Ecuador. They are omnivores, preferring small vertebrates, fruit, carrion, insects, and eggs. They can climb trees easily, where the tail is used for balance, but they are most often on the ground foraging. I have seen as many as fifteen in a single tree. Their predators include bobcats, mountain lions, raptors, and (in Central America) boas. They readily adapt to human presence; like Raccoons, they will raid campsites and trash receptacles. They can be domesticated easily. They are primarily diurnal, retiring during the night to a specific tree and descending at dawn to begin their daily search for food. However, their habits are adjustable, and in areas where they are hunted by humans for food, or where they raid human settlements for their own food, they become more nocturnal. Adult males are solitary, but females and sexually immature males form social groups (troops) of up to 40. They use many vocal signals to communicate with one another, and also spend time grooming themselves and each other with their teeth and claws. 

Coatimundi or Coati

photo taken in the Galiuro Mountains of Arizona

The Common Porcupine is next. Although the name "Common" doesn't seem very appropriate. Out of the countless hours I have spent in the wilderness I have come across maybe five. Their range is from the Arctic Tundra south through mixed and coniferous forests, through the deserts and shrublands to northern Mexico. The Porcupine makes its den in a hole in a tree or in a rocky area. Their upper parts are covered with thousands of sharp, barbed hollow spines or quills, which are used for defense. Porcupines do not throw their quills, but the quills detach easily and the barbs make them difficult to remove once lodged in an attacker. The quills are normally flattened against the body unless the animal is disturbed. The porcupine also swings its quilled tail towards a perceived threat. The porcupine is the only native North American mammal with antibiotics in its skin. Those antibiotics prevent infection when a porcupine falls out of a tree and is stuck with its own quills upon hitting the ground. Porcupines fall out of trees fairly often because they are highly tempted by the tender buds and twigs at the ends of the branches. Porcupines and Skunks are the only North American mammals that are black and white, because they are the only mammals that benefit from letting other animals know where and who they are in the dark of the night. Porcupines are mainly active at night; on summer days, they often rest in trees. During the summer, they eat twigs, roots, stems, berries and other vegetation. In the winter, they mainly eat conifer needles and tree bark. They do not hibernate but sleep a lot and stay close to their dens in winter. Natural predators include fishers, wolverines, coyotes, and mountain lions.  The porcupine, however, is much less an object of predation than other small mammals are. They move slowly and death is more often by vehicles than predators. 

Common Porcupine

photo taken at Dry Falls, Washington

Rabbits

On now to some of the rabbits found in the Southwest: We have two jackrabbits, the Antelope and the Black Tail. First, the Antelope Jackrabbit. The Antelope Jackrabbit is found in Arizona and Northern Mexico. It has a body length that ranges from 18 to 24 inches long. Its tail will grow to lengths of 1 to 4 inches long.  Its front legs grow 4 to 8 inches while their back legs grow from 8 to 12 inches long. The legs are where the Antelope Jackrabbit gets its name, after the fast, leaping antelopes of Africa. The Antelope Jackrabbit's ears grow to be 2 to 8 inches when fully grown. The ears of the Antelope Jackrabbit are not only used to hear but are also used to reduce and regulate body heat for survival in the hot conditions they live in. We don't see as many Antelope Jackrabbits as we do Black Tail Jackrabbits.

Antelope Jackrabbit

photo taken in the Galiuro Mountains

The Black Tail Jackrabbit, also known as the Desert Hare, is a common to the Western United States and Mexico. It has adapted to elevations from sea level to up to 10,000 feet. Like the Antelope Jackrabbit the Black Tail has distinctive long ears, and the long, powerful rear legs characteristic of hares. Reaching a length of about 2 feet, and a weight from 3 to 6 pounds, the Black Tail Jackrabbit is not quite as large as the Antelope Jackrabbit.  The ears are black-tipped on the outer surface, and unpigmented inside. The Black Tail Jackrabbit loves mesquite pods. (Well as do the Harris Antelope and Round Tailed Ground Squirrels). But, we can count on seeing the Black Tail when the pods drop in July/August.

Black Tail Jackrabbit

photo taken at The Azure Gate

The Desert Cottontail is found throughout the western United States and Mexico. It is found at elevations of up to 6000 feet. It likes the dry near-desert grasslands of the American southwest, though it is also found in less arid habitats such as pinyon-juniper forest. The Desert Cottontail is quite similar in appearance to the European Rabbit though its ears are larger and are more often carried erect. It is also much less of a social animal, and makes much less use of burrows. Like all the cottontail rabbits, the Desert Cottontail has a rounded tail with white fur on the underside which is visible as it runs away. Adults are 13 to 17 inches long and weigh up to 3.3 lb. The ears are 3.1 to 3.9 inches long. The hind feet while large (about 3.0 inches in length) aren't nearly as large as the Jackrabbits.  The females tend to be larger than the males. The female's "home range" is about one acre, while the males "home range" is about 20 acres. The Desert Cottontail is not usually active in the middle of the day, but it can be seen in the early morning or late afternoon. It eats grass, but will eat many other plants, even cacti. Although it rarely needs to drink, getting its water mostly from the plants it eats or from dew. However, in the hot summer days of Southern Arizona, it comes to our water bowls frequently. Many desert animals prey on cottontails, including hawks, bobcats, and coyotes. The cottontail's normal anti-predator behavior is running away in zig zag motion; it can reach speeds of 19 mph. Against small predators it will defend itself by kicking. The young are born in a shallow burrow or above ground, but they are helpless when born, and do not leave the nest until they are three weeks old. Where climate and food supply permit, females can produce several litters a year. Unlike the European Rabbit, they do not form social burrow systems.The Desert Cottontail is the rabbit that we see the most of. At any one time there may be as many as 50 on our property. Early morning or early evening there maybe 8 right outside my office eating from underneath a big mesquite tree. 

Desert Cottontail

photo taken at The Azure Gate

The Mountain Cottontail is a little larger than the Desert Cottontail. Hind legs are long; the feet are densely covered with long hair. Ears are rounded at the tips and relatively short; the inner surfaces are noticeably haired. It has pale brown fur on the back, a distinct pale brown nape on the back of the head, black-tipped ears, a white gray tail, and a white underside. The Mountain Cottontail is confined to the inter mountain area of North America. It ranges from just above the Canadian border south to Arizona and New Mexico, and from the foothills of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and west to the eastern slopes of the Cascade-Sierra Nevada RangeMountain.  Like the Desert Cottontail its diet is primarily grasses, but will eat other vegetation as well. As food source becomes more limited in the winter months the diet may turn to more woody plants, bark, and twigs. They are typically inactive during the day. They are not a social species and spend the largest quantity of time solitary. The most common social behavior seen is during reproductive actions or courting. 

Mountain Cottontail

photo taken in the Galiuro Mountains

A Few More Squirrels

The Columbian Ground Squirrel can be found in eastern British Columbia, western Alberta, eastern Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana. They like open alpine meadows, dry grasslands and brushy areas. The majority of the Columbian ground squirrel's diet is made up of grasses and plant parts like stems, leaves, bulbs, fruits and seeds. Occasionally it will eat birds, insects and other small animals. Columbian ground squirrels live in colonies. Females usually stay with the colony they were born into, males will leave their birth colony. The Columbian ground squirrel hibernates seven or eight months out of the year. It may begin hibernating as early as July. It has a special hibernation chamber in its burrow that is sealed off from the rest of the burrow with a plug of dirt. It puts on fat in the summer and stores seeds and bulbs in its hibernation chamber to eat when it wakes up in the spring:

Columbian Ground Squirrel

photo taken in eastern British Columbia

John Muir described the Chickeree (or Douglas) Squirrel as "by far the most interesting and influential of the (squirrels.)" It is a small, lively, bushy-tailed tree squirrel, enchanting to watch. Their appearance varies according to the season. In the summer, they are a grayish or almost greenish brown on their backs, and pale orange on the chest and belly, while legs and feet appear brown. In the winter, the coat is browner and the underside is grayer; also, the ears appear even tuftier than they do in summer. Like many squirrels, Douglas Squirrels have a white eye ring. ouglas Squirrels live in coniferous forests, from the Sierra Nevada mountains to coastal British Columbia. They prefer old-growth or mature second-growth forest, and some authors regard them as dependent on its presence. They are active by day, throughout the year, often chattering noisily at intruders. In summer nights, they sleep in ball-shaped nests that they make in the trees, but in the winter they use holes in trees as nests. They are territorial; in winter, each squirrel occupies a territory of about 10 000 square metres, but during the breeding season a mated pair will defend a single territory together. Groups of squirrels seen together during the summer are likely to be juveniles from a single litter:

Chickeree Squirrel

photo taken in Western Oregon

Rock squirrels are one of the largest squirrels, growing to nearly a foot in length, not including their long, bushy tails which are nearly as long as their bodies. When alarmed they whistle a short, sharp oscillating call. They are found in the Sonoran Desert, and from Southern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, and south through Arizona, New Mexico and into Mexico. Rock squirrels live in arid canyons, rocky cliff areas, and boulder piles, but have also been known to burrow in urban or suburban areas.  They avoid open flats and montain forest areas. Burrows dug with their sharp claws and muscular legs shelter them, providing safety, living space and food storage. Burrow systems can be complex and lengthy, enlarged over years. Entrances are usually hidden beneath rocks and can be greater than 3 inches in width. Rock squirrels in the northern reach of their habitat hibernate in their burrows during the colder months of the year. In southern areas, rock squirrels may not hibernate at all. They are active in the early morning and late afternoons when it is warm - when very hot, they may estivate. They are social, and live in colonies with several females and one dominant male that will fight other mature males to protect the group. There may be subordinate males at the outer boundaries of the group. Rock squirrels can climb nearly as well as tree squirrels. They have been seen at the tops of agaves, junipers and mesquites, feeding on flowers, buds and beans.

Rock Squirrel

photo taken in White Mountains, Arizona

The Western Gray Squirrel is found along the Pacific Coast of Canada and the United States. Compared to the Eastern Gray Squirrel these squirrels are shy, and will generally run up a tree and give a hoarse barking call when disturbed. They are forest dwellers, and can be found at elevations up to at 2,000 m or more. Time on the ground is spent foraging, but they prefer to travel distances from tree to tree. They are strictly diurnal and feed mainly on seeds and nuts, particularly pine seeds and acorns, though they will also take berries, fungus and insects. Pine nuts and acorns are considered critical foods because they are very high in oil and moderately high in carbohydrates, which help increase the development of body fat. They feed mostly in trees and on the ground. They generally forage in the morning and late afternoon for acorns, pine nuts, new tree buds, and fruits. When on alert, they will spread their tails lavishly, creating an umbrella effect that shields them and possibly provides cover from overhead predators:

Western Gray Squirrel

photo taken at Mercer Slough, Washington

Still Squirrels

So, first up today the Gold Mantled Ground Squirrel.  It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and underground fungi. It is preyed upon by hawks, jays, weasels, coyotes, and bobcats. The Golden-mantled ground squirrel can be identified by its chipmunk-like stripes and coloration, but unlike chipmunks, it lacks any facial stripes. 

The golden-mantled ground squirrel is similar to chipmunks in more than just its appearance. It is a traditional hibernator, building up its body fat so to survive the winter asleep, but it is also known to store some food in its burrow, like the chipmunk, for consumption upon waking in the spring.

Both the golden-mantled ground squirrel and the chipmunk have cheek pouches for carrying food. Cheek pouches allow them to transport food back to their nests and still run at full speed on all fours.

Golden-mantled ground squirrels dig shallow burrows up to 100 ft in length with the openings hidden in a hollow log or under tree roots or a boulder. The female gives birth to a single litter of 4–6 young each summer.

The golden-mantled ground squirrel is abundant throughout North America and is at home in a wide variety of forest habitats as well as rocky meadows, and sagebrush flats.

Gold Mantled Ground Squirrel

photo taken on Mount Elden, Arizona (north of Flagstaff)

The Least Chipmunk is the smallest and most widespread chipmunk in North America. It is found in a variety of habitats including mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, boreal forest, and sagebrush plains.

They have three dark lines with white in between along their face and five black stripes with brown edges and white in between along their back. They are grey and reddish-brown on the upperparts and greyish white on their underparts. Their tail is orange-brown.

These animals are active during the day and eat seeds, berries, nuts, fruits and insects. Predators include hawks owls and badgers, otters, weasels, and pine martens.

They breed in early spring. Females produce one litter usually of 5 or 6 young.

They store food in an underground burrow, where they spend the winter. These animals go into a state of torpor for extended periods of time, but do not hibernate.

Least Chipmuk

photo taken in Colorado National Forest

Finally, the Red Squirrel, the smallest of the tree squirrels. It is active all year. It stores food in large caches in the ground or in a hollowed out tree. The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp, curved claws to enable it to climb and descend broad tree trunks, thin branches and even house walls. Its strong hind legs enable it to leap gaps between trees.The red squirrel also has the ability to swim.

Red Squirrel

photo taken in British Columbia

Squirrels?

What's up next? I thought maybe squirrels for a couple of days. The Abert's Squirrel, also known as the "tassel-eared" tree squirrel is confined to the Ponderosa Pine forests on Colorado Plateau and the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico; its range extends south in the Sierra Madre Occidental to Chihuahua and Durango in Mexico. Abert's Squirrel also extends a short distance into Wyoming where ponderosa pine  is present. Abert's squirrels transplanted to the Graham and Catalina mountains of Southern Arizona have established stable populations. It feeds exclusively on the various parts of Ponderosa Pine trees:

Abert's Squirrel

photo taken in the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff

The Arizona Grey Squirrel found only in Arizona is found in deciduous and mixed forests of Arizona and New Mexico:

Arizona Grey Squirrel

photo taken in the Tucson Mountains

The Harris Antelope Ground Squirrel is a subspecies of Antelope Squirrels that is restricted to the Sonoran desert or scrub areas. It adapts to the hot desert sun by keeping its tail bent up over its back as an umbrella. It can also withstand body temperatures up to 104 degrees:

Harris Antelope Ground Squirrel

photo taken at The Azure Gate, Tucson

Then we get the Round Tail Ground Squirrel of the Southwestern deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. Like other "ground squirrels" it dig holes in the ground in which to escape predators -- or people. Usually these holes are under Prickly Pear Cactus, Creosote Bushes, or Mesquite Trees. These holes also serve as "dens" for the winter months and the hottest parts of summer days. They eat just about any vegetation, including berries, as well as any insects they can find. This one climbed a Creosote Bush to get at the berries:

Round Tail Ground Squirrel

photo take at The Azure Gate, Tucson

Hummingbird Identification

I thought I would end the hummingbird season with some helpful hints on identifying the different species. Obviously, the males are much easier to identify than the females because of their gorgets.

1. Color of the Bill: If the bill is red, then it can only be one of five species: Violet Crowned, Berylline, Buff Bellied, Broad Billed, and White Eared. In the US the Buff Bellied is the only one found in Texas; and the other four are only found in Southern Arizona.
2. Size: The Plain Capped Starthroat, Blue Throat, and Magnificent stand out because of their size: 5 to 5 1/4 inches. For all others, size is not use as useful. 
3. Shape of Bill: The Lucifer has a distinctly long and significantly curved bill. It is unmistakeable. For all others, the bill shape is only a help when you can clearly see the bill from the side. Even then it is not the best way to identify a species. 
4. White Stripes on the Head: Plain Capped Starthroat, White Eared, and Blue Throat are the only hummers with distinct white stripes below and/or above the eye. The Plain Capped Starthroat has a wide stripe below the eye and a thinner "lightning bolt" stripe above the ear; the White Eared has a wide stripe above the eye (the female has a very small stripe below the eye as well); and the Blue Throat has a long narrow white stripe above the eye and a small narrow white stripe below the eye.
5. Belly color: The Violet Crowned's chin, neck, and breast are all pure white. It is easily visible and easy distinguishable from all other hummers.  The Green Violet Eared (which I have never seen), the Berylline, Broad Billed, White Eared, and Magnificent all have very dark bellies. This is even true of the Green Eared, Beryline, Buff Bellied females. The Blue Throat's is completely grey. Lucifer, Broad Tail, and Calliope have buff color under the wings extending somewhat into the belly. Allen's and Rufous have orange bellies which make them easy to distinguish from all other hummers. Since Allen's and Rufous ranges overlap on the California coast distinguishing one from another is very difficult, though.
6. Wing Color: The Berylline has a rufous wings, as does the Rufous and Allen's to a lesser extent. Wing color on all other hummers is indistinguishable.
7. Gorget: Gorgets are a great help in identifying the males. Their colors can change with the light, so you must see them when the color is distinguishable. The magenta colored gorget on the Lucifer is the longest of any hummer (by far). The purple gorget on the Costa's is long and flared which makes it easily distinguishable from all others. Anna's not only has a red throat but a red crown as well making it easily distinguishable. The Calliope's gorget is rosy colored but streaked, not full. The Magnificent has a bright (light) green gorget and a clearly visible purple crown making it easy to identify. The Blue Throat has a blue gorget. Gorgets on the other hummers aren't as much help. 
8. Central Patch: Anna's females have a red central patch. Allen's and Rufous females have orange central spots (not nearly as large as in the Anna's). Those are the only real distinctive throats of females. 

Here then are the 15 hummers I have photographed:

Anna's

Berylline

Black Chin

Blue Throat

Broad Billed

Broad Tailed

Calliope

Costa's

Lucifer

Magnificent

Plain Capped Starthroat

Ruby Throated

Rufous

Violet Crowned

White Eared