Fledging

May 06, 2025

When I let the kids out into the side yard yesterday afternoon for a constitutional Loki immediately ran to the fence. That was not a real surprise as he usually runs to the fence to see if the next-door dogs were outside. This time he instead started scrambling after something he found on the ground. Although I did not know what he had found, I was certain it was not something he needed to have in his mouth. I shooed him away and saw a fledgling bird lying on the ground. The frightened bird started scittering around as I tried to trap it in my hands. I finally grabbed the small bird. The bird was obviously frightened and distressed, but other than being wet from being in Loki’s mouth it appeared to be unharmed. I placed the bird on the top of the 6-foot (1.8 m) fence to keep it out of harms way and to give it a chance to gain some air before it hit the ground again trying to fly away. This was a fledgling blue jay that must have fallen from its nest trying to learn to fly.

When I went online, I found the blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), or the jaybird, is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae that is native to eastern North America. The blue jay lives in most of the eastern and central states of the US. Some US populations are migratory. Resident populations are also found in Newfoundland, Canada, while breeding populations are found across southern Canada. The blue jay measures 9 to 12 inches (22 to 30 cm) from bill to tail and weighs 2.5 to 3.5 ounces (70 to 100 g), with a wingspan of 13 to 17 inches (34 to 43 cm). The color is predominantly blue, with a white chest and underparts, a blue crest, and a black, U-shaped collar around its neck and a black border behind the crest. Males and females are similar in size and plumage. The blue jay feeds mainly on seeds and nuts, soft fruits, arthropods, and an occasional small vertebrate. It typically gleans food from trees, shrubs, and the ground, and will “hawk” insects from the air. Blue jays can be very aggressive to other birds and have been seen to raid nests and have even to kill other birds. The nest is an open cup in the branches of a tree built by both sexes. The clutch has from two to seven eggs, which are blueish or light brown with darker brown spots. Young are underdeveloped at birth (altricial) and are brooded by the female for 8 to 12 days after hatching. The fledgling will leave the nest between 17 to 21 days old

Blue jays are monogamous during nesting and do not typically abandon their young. Even after the fledgling leaves the nest the parents will care for and feed them for at least a month, and sometimes for up to two months. If a young jay wanders far from the nest, parents may still feed it if it can be restored to or near the nest. The rare cases where the young are abandoned are due to some disturbance or other unforeseen circumstances. If you find a young blue jay, it is best to leave it alone unless it is in immediate danger. It is likely the parents are likely to be nearby and will continue to care for the fledgling bird.

THOUGHTS: The fledgling blue jay I found appeared to be in imminent danger when I put it on the fence. Fledgling is a dangerous time of life, with an average mortality rate of 42% over a week or two, with most mortality just after they leave the nest. Humans are born altricial and take even longer to learn to be self-sufficient, typically around 30 years to become fully self-sufficient. This lengthy process is due to factors like the large human brain taking time to develop, premature birth, and the need to learn complex skills from caregivers. Self-sufficiency is a gradual progression and not an event and involves developing practical skills and emotional independence. Being labeled an adult at 18 has little to do with being self-sufficient. Care networks need to be extended rather than cut off when a child comes of age or decides to become a fledgling. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Indigo

May 05, 2025

My MSN browser carried an article about the annual reintroduction of a snake into Florida’s forests. The 41 snakes were released on April 30 at Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve (ABRP). The 21 males and 20 females are part of a long-term effort to restore a once-common species. This is the eighth year that The Nature Conservancy and its partners have conducted the release. “The snakes are native, non-venomous, and critical to this ecosystem,” said Catherine Ricketts, preserve manager at ABRP. This latest release brings the total number of snakes returned to the site to 167. In 2023, conservationists spotted two hatchlings born in the wild, the first natural offspring of previously released snakes. Each snake hatches at the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation (OCIC) and at one year are moved to the Welaka National Fish Hatchery. The Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve is the only site in Florida where Eastern Indigo snake reintroduction is happening.

When I went online, I found the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi), also called the indigo snake, blue indigo snake, black snake, blue gopher snake, and blue bull snake, is a species of large, non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southeastern US. The Eastern Indigo was first described by John Edwards Holbrook in 1842. Until the early 1990’s the genus Drymarchon was considered monotypic with one species (Drymarchon corais) and 12 subspecies. Drymarchon corais couperi was then elevated to full species status according to the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. The generic name (Drymarchon) is from the Greek words drymos (“forest”) and archon (“lord” or “ruler”), roughly translating to “lord of the forest”. The eastern indigo has uniform blue-black dorsal scales, with some specimens having a reddish orange to tan color on the throat, cheeks, and chin. This smooth-scaled snake is considered e the longest native snake species in the US. The longest recorded specimen measured 9.2 feet (2.8 m) long and the mature male are slightly larger than females. A typical mature male measures 3.0 to 7.7 feet (1.2 to 2.36 m) and weighs 1.6 to 9.9 pounds (0.72 to 4.5 kg). Specimens over 8,5 feet (2.6 m) can weigh up to 11pounds (5 kg).

The eastern indigo snake is listed as a federally threatened species in Georgia and Florida due to habitat loss. In 2012 the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources had listed the species as possibly extirpated within the state, but a reintroduction program has shown signs of success. The eastern indigo was largely eliminated from northern Florida due to habitat loss and fragmentation. A restoration program is currently underway at Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve (ABRP) in northern Florida. The eastern indigo snake was last observed at ABRP in 1982, until 2017 when 12 snakes were released as part of the program. Twenty more snakes were released in 2018, and another 15 (10 female and 5 male) in 2019. The 10-year program is a collaborative effort between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and private partners. The snakes are also dealing with infections due to the snake fungal disease (Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola) which infects the dermal layer of skin, causing a variety of lesions that commonly manifest on the head and near the vent. NatureServe considers the species to be Vulnerable.

THOUGHTS: The docile nature and appearance can make the eastern indigo snake to be a desirable pet but owning one may be illegal without a permit. While only a few states require permits, a federal permit is required to buy one from out of state anywhere in the US. Most states allow unrestricted in-state sales. The snake requires a larger enclosure than most species and preferably with something to climb on. As a vulnerable species, it is perhaps best to leave them to the Nature Conservancy. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Coexistence

April 20, 2025

Earlier this week the NY Times carried an article by Jack Nicas about an invasion occurring in Argentina. Since the pandemic, “carpinchos,” as they are known, have proliferated in Nordelta, a ritzy gated community of 45,000 people north of Buenos Aires. Over the past two years, biologists estimate the capybara population has tripled to nearly 1,000 in this gated community, posing a test case for the urban coexistence of humans and wildlife. While most residents find them cute, they also cause traffic accidents, chomp their way through gardens, and have occasionally attacked some of the community’s smallest dogs. These actions have led to an effort to place controls on the animals. Veronica Esposito is one of a small group of neighbors leading a rebellion against the controls. They have protested in the streets, taken legal action against developers, and gathered 25,000 signatures for an online petition to protect the animals. “I believe their adorableness is a strategy of the species itself to survive.” said Silvia Soto, the most vocal neighbor. In February, the Nordelta organization told residents in an email that it was moving ahead with a “contraceptive vaccination program,” to sterilize 250 adult capybaras. It seems some do not want coexistence.

When I looked online, I found the future of wildlife depends on the willingness and capacity of human coexistence. To coexist means to live in a dynamic state where the needs and interests of both humans and wildlife living in proximity to each other are generally met. This coexistence may not be entirely free of negative interactions and may still contain some level of impact on both people and wildlife. Living together is especially dependent on a level of tolerance on the human side. Humans have lived alongside wildlife for thousands of years, but conflict arises when the presence or behavior of wildlife poses a direct or perceived threat to people’s needs, interests, and safety. As our planet becomes increasingly crowded, livable space is decreased by accelerated climate change, habitat loss, and competition for resources. What it means to share space with wildlife differs drastically from place to place and from species to species, which often makes moving toward coexistence a complex and ever-evolving target.

Thirty years ago, Nordelta was an untouched wetland where capybaras roamed free, hunted by pumas, jaguars, caiman, and sport hunters. Eduardo Constantini, the real estate developer who controls the Nordelta organization, began transforming the area in the late 1990’s, building housing, infrastructure, a shopping center, and a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. Construction has been nearly nonstop. Ms. Soto argued that the capybara population is only increasing because developers destroyed the animals’ wild habitat, forcing them out of the forest and into the suburbs. As capybara grazed on a playground, a married couple walking by held different views of the plight of the animals. Felipo Contigiani said he used to hunt capybara as a child and had little sympathy, “It’s a wild animal that came to live in the city.” His wife Lidia Schmidt corrected him, “No, the city came to settle where the wild animal was.” Coexistence seems a long way off.

THOUGHTS: To achieve some level of coexistence between people and wildlife, various stakeholders must partner together to address the challenges and devise solutions that focus on the benefits of living alongside wildlife. This is especially true for the local communities who are often directly negatively impacted by living with wildlife. The town of Churchill in northern Manitoba, Canada is most famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn, leading to the nickname “Polar Bear Capital of the World”. Coexistence often means a willingness to think outside the box. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Partula

March 28, 2025

This morning’s MSN browser caught my eye with an article on a creature that has managed to return from extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has reclassified a peanut sized snail as critically endangered after being previously declared extinct in the wild, according to a release from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The snail’s comeback is credited to a decades-long conservation program led by ZSL and its global partners. Paul Pearce-Kelly, leader of the conservation program, said in a news release, “This is a landmark moment for Partula tohiveana and for decades of international conservation work. Seeing a species return from the brink after years of collaborative effort is exactly why we do what we do.” The press release states that the reclassification follows the discovery of adult Partula snails born in the wild.

When I looked online, I found Partula tohiveana is one of several species with the common name Moorean viviparous tree snail. The species is an air-breathing tropical land snail in the family Partulidae endemic to highlands on Moorea, French Polynesia. The species was reintroduced into the wild in 2024 and by September “born in the wild” snails were observed for the first time in 40 years, meaning the species is officially considered re-established. While the snail is still critically endangered, it had been extinct in the wild since the 1980’s. The snail is the first invertebrate species to be successfully re-established following an Extinct in the Wild IUCN status. ZSL started breeding these snails in the 1980’s after the invasive carnivorous rosy wolf snail (Euglandina rosea) began to threaten the Partula tohiveana’s wild population. The snails were bred and cared for under carefully controlled conditions and were then marked with UV reflective paint prior to their release back into their forest habitats. The 2024 reintroduction saw the release of about 6,000 snails from 10 species and sub-species of Partula snails raised at zoos worldwide.

Ali Reynolds, Senior Keeper, Lower Vertebrates & Invertebrates at the Marwell Wildlife Zoo, said: “It was so heartening when I heard the news of tohiveana being downlisted, it makes all our efforts worthwhile, and shows what a difference zoos can make.” Reynolds has a tattoo on her arm with a picture of a snail along with words, “never give up”. She went on to say the more you learn about Partula, the more fascinating they become. The snails show a high level of speciation, and a single species can evolve in very small specific areas, at times even living in only one valley. They are unusual amongst snails, as they do not lay eggs, but give birth to a single live young. Their name comes from Partula, the Roman goddess of birth. “Given the cause of their decline is entirely manmade, we have a responsibly to try to make things right, and this shows that is possible!”

THOUGHTS: One of the global partners that aided the reintroduction of Partula was the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. My parents lived there and always had a season pass to the zoo, so when we held reunions, we would all go. This was usually in August and turned out to be the hottest day of the year (100+F/37.7+C). Zoos have always been a subject of interest and debate. Some say they play a crucial role in conserving endangered species and educating the public. Others say they represent captivity for profit and do more harm than good. Zoos do support conservation through breeding and donations that are critical for groups working in areas trying to preserve wildlife. A critical argument for zoos is that people need to see animals to care about their protection and most urban populations will likely never get the opportunity to experience these animals in the wild. Direct encounters with animals encourage people to adopt more eco-friendly behaviors and feel more invested in conservation efforts. Longer life (with ethical treatment) is a tradeoff for freedom. As with humans, not all feel the cost is worth it. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Python

March 21, 2025

This morning’s local newspaper carried a USA Today article on the adaptability of the Burmese python in Florida. The snakes have been established in the Everglades since the 1990’s but recent studies and sightings indicate the cold-blooded reptiles have adapted to cooler temperatures and different habitats. One reason for the adaptation is crossbreeding with the Indian rock python (Python molurus) which has also been introduced into the habitat. Genetic evidence by the USGS shows at least 13 out of 400 pythons studied were crossbred. Climate change could expand their range by 2100 to include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, and parts of Washington State. Southern states with climates like the native range of the Burmese python include all of Florida, most of California, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.

When I looked online, I found the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is one of the largest species of snakes in the world. The species is a dark-colored non-venomous snake with many brown blotches bordered by black down the back. Burmese pythons typically grow to 16 feet (5 m) but unconfirmed specimens of over 23 feet (7 m) have been reported. The species is sexually dimorphic with females slightly longer but considerably heavier and bulkier than males. Length-weight comparisons in captive Burmese pythons for females have shown at 11 feet 5 inches (3.47 m) length, a specimen weighed 64 pounds (29 kg) and a specimen of 16 feet (5 m) weighed 165 pounds (75 kg). Length-weight comparisons for males found a specimen of 9 feet 2 inches (2.8 m) weighed 26 pounds (12 kg) and a specimen of 10 feet (3.05 m) weighed 41 pounds (18.5 kg). Individuals over 16 feet (5 m) are rare for either sex. The Burmese is native to a large area of Southeast Asia where it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is an invasive species in Florida because of the pet trade.

Importing Burmese pythons was banned in the US in January 2012 by the US Department of the Interior. A 2012 report stated, “in areas where the snakes are well established, foxes and rabbits have disappeared. Sightings of raccoons are down by 99.3%, opossums by 98.9%, and white-tailed deer by 94.1%.” Road surveys between 2003 and 2011 indicated an 87.3% decrease in bobcat (Lynx rufus) populations, and in some areas, rabbits (Sylvilagus palustris) have disappeared. Bird and coyote (Canis latrans) populations may be threatened, as well as the rare Florida panther (Puma concolor couguar). Burmese pythons compete with the native American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), and numerous instances of alligators and pythons attacking, and even preying on, each other. By 2011, researchers identified up to 25 species of birds from nine avian orders in the digestive tract remains of 85 Burmese pythons found in Everglades National Park. Native bird populations are suffering a negative impact from the introduction of the Burmese python in Florida and the wood stork (Mycteria americana) is now listed as federally endangered.

THOUGHTS: A Burmese python named “Baby” was the heaviest snake recorded in the world in 1999 at 403 pounds (182.8 kg), much heavier than any wild snake ever measured. Her length was measured at 18 feet (5.74 m). Efforts in Florida have removed over 23,000 pythons since 2000, but trappers have caught less than 1% of the estimated population of tens of thousands. Lisa Thompson of the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission said, “Every python removed from the Florida landscape is one less invasive snake impacting our native wildlife and ecosystems.” While importing exotic wildlife may be chic, bringing them (and allowing them to escape) into compatible ecosystems is never a good idea. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Holla Bend

January 27, 2025

The intense cold (highs below freezing) that has stricken most of the south began to lessen over the weekend and Melissa thought it a good time to get out of the house with the kids for a drive. While the motivation was to “just go”, we also wanted to see a birding site. The Sequoya Wildlife Refuge is only about 90 minutes west, but we have not had much luck finding birds in the winter. Lake Fort Smith is an hour north and has good fishing in the cove, but we have never caught much from the shore. I put in a little work while Melissa searched for a new birding site. What she found was about 2 hours away near where she spent her college years. This sounded like a possibility (and promised a trip to her favorite burger joint). We packed up the kids, got gas and aired up the tires that had been deflated by the cold, and took off for Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge.

When I looked online, I found Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge is a 7,055-acre (28.6 km²) site located 5 miles (8 km) south-east of Dardanelle, Arkansas. The refuge is bounded on one side by the Arkansas River and on its others by an oxbow lake that was formed in 1954 by the Army Corps of Engineers during efforts to straighten the river navigation channel. The resulting island was transferred to the US Department of the Interior in 1957 for a wildlife refuge. The refuge provides habitat for migratory waterfowl, indigenous endangered species, other resident wildlife, and offers interpretation and recreation to the public. The area is a year-round sanctuary for the 236 species of birds, tree frogs, and the American alligator. Migratory fowl following the Central and Mississippi flyways stay in the refuge during the winter months, including 14 species of ducks and 4 kinds of geese, with as many as 100,000 there at once. Winter migratory neotropical songbirds use the refuge as a rest stop during their long journey to and from Central and South America and during the spring and summer migratory birds use the refuge for breeding and nesting. I anticipated birds.

Last year I purchased an Interagency Lifetime Pass from the US National Park Service so we cruised past the Holla Bend information center without stopping. We turned around realizing we did not know where we were going without a flyer. As we got into the refuge, we saw large flocks of American Robin (Turdus migratorius) on the road between the trees and European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) passing among the harvested grain fields. Along the oxbow we found a flock of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and a flock of ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) along the river. The best find however, was totally unexpected. We stopped to admire a herd of 20 does and fawns racing across the far end of a harvested field. Then I noticed what I thought was a group of black vultures (Coragyps atratus) about 300 yards (274 m) out. When I focused my camera, I realized this was a flock of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) feeding in the field. It turned out to be a great day. And we topped it with a great burger.

Thoughts: When we stopped at the Holla Bend information office a sign listed the daily hours along with the caveat of “Closed when we are not here”. They were not there. The Wildlife Refuge System is the US’s largest network of lands and waters dedicated to wildlife conservation, but it is facing a staffing crisis. The Refuge System has lost over 800 permanent positions since fiscal year 2011, resulting in a 27% loss in capacity. No national wildlife refuge is fully staffed, and more than half have zero staff on-site. Much of the system is unprotected due to the lack of law enforcement officers. This shortage impacts critical volunteers by a lack of staff supervision or infrastructure. We need to invest in this system and prioritize staffing to ensure the future of this network and the wildlife it protects. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Birds 2024

January 04, 2025

I am a little later than usual, but it is again time to recap my annual birder list. Once more I saw a number of red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) on the power lines going to and from town but this year I was unable to actually get a picture, so they were not added to my count. I was unable to take my usual trip to the wildlife area this year and so missed out on any of the birds I might have seen there. The end of year presence on my feeders was good as the cold weather brought the small Passerines (sparrows and finches), although the larger birds (cardinals and jays) were mostly absent. I cleaned out the bluebird (Sialia sialis) house last week. One of the squirrels who frequent the feeders has taken to gnawing on the entrance, so I opened it to check if everything was ok. It was fine but I cleaned the nest and debris in preparation for the next nesting season. BTW: for those who read last week’s blog (Gaggle) a group of squirrels is called a “dray” or a “scurry”.

All that said leads up to the “great reveal” concerning my birder totals for 2024. You may recall I recorded 26 species in my first year (2020). I got off to a great start in 2021 with 29 species by the end of January and a total of 52 species for the year. During 2022 the sightings were slower, with 44 different species, not counting the six European sightings (50 total?). During 2023 I recorded my lowest number of sightings since my first year, with only 30 species. During 2024 the numbers rose slightly to 39 documented species. Building a fence in the side yard helped as the kids no longer play near the feeders and the birds feel free to come and go more frequently. Still, early morning and early evening are the best times to watch. We also added three new feeders that attach to the glass on the bay window next to where Melissa works. This allows her to watch as the American gold finch (Spinus tristis) and Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) as they battle for feeding rights.

As I pulled onto the entrance road to the lake to take the kids for a walk yesterday, I caught sight of a large bird perched in the trees. I drove by as the bird turned and flashed the unmistakable white head of a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). I slowed and then pulled over as soon as I (no shoulders). I walked back the 1/4 mile (400m) scanning the trees and hoping to be able to get a photo for my birding list. Unfortunately, the eagle had moved on and was now out of sight. When we began our walk out onto the first spit of land, I heard the call of a red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). I scanned the trees along the road and caught sight of the bird high among the branches. I pulled out my phone to take a photo but again, by that time the bird was gone. That made two birds I usually only see a couple of times a year and I had missed documenting them both. These were part of the many birds I have seen but not photographed over my last five years of birding. The official Cornell Lab of Ornithology bird list guide does not require documentation with a photo to count as a sighting, although that has been my criteria. Perhaps I should rethink.

THOUGHTS: I acquired several new feeders (now 13, plus 9 hummingbird feeders) during 2024. Melissa asked about the cost as she watched me buying seeds and filling the feeders on a daily basis. I tend to buy seeds in bulk, and I only have to restock two or three times a year. Watching the birds (and squirrels) gives us both pleasure. Like my garden and Melissa’s succulents, the expense to feed the birds is well spent. Be sure to mark your calendars for the Great Backyard Bird Count 2025 (February 14 to February 17, 2025). As I mentioned last year, birds are the (literal) canary in the mine shaft (earth) when it comes to gauging the health of our ecosystems. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Cute

December 26, 2024

It is the end of the year and that means the internet is barraging us with stories of “The Best” and “The Worst” of everything from sports (Pommel Horse Guy) to music (Gabriela Ortiz, “Kauyumari”) to food (Sour Patch Oreos) . . . (ad nauseum). One story that caught my attention was about the animals that filled 2024 with sadness, intrigue, and delight. Sadness came with the tragic end of Flaco, the escaped Eurasian eagle owl who appeared to die in a building collision in February. Our intriguing was piqued by the Governor boasting of killing her misbehaving dog and a presidential nominee who deposited a dead bear cub in Central Park and cut the head off a dead whale found of the beach. The delight was the previously mentioned slippery potato named after a pork meatball (Moo Deng) who rocked the internet and drove cosmetic influencers for several months. Then there was Terrance the octopus who had been identified as male until “he” laid 50 fertilized eggs. The online audience watched the heroic efforts to keep the fragile hatchlings alive, even as there is only about 1% chance of survival for the hatchling to grow to .4 inches (10 mm) in the wild. It seemed what held media interest best was stories of cute baby animals learning to survive in the world.

When I looked online, I found there are two ways (of course) to answer why we find baby animals so cute. The proximate answer requires you to single out the features of animals that make them cute versus ugly, and often merge them into a general explanation. Why are baby ducks cute and baby parrots ugly? A proximate answer might involve fur, size of the head or the eyes, length of the limbs, all of which help us define cute. The ultimate answer is perhaps an evolutionary one. Is there an evolutionary reason why we find some features attractive and others repugnant? Answering these sorts of questions is the foundation of evolutionary psychology, and while the answers may be elusive (or even beyond our grasp), we still like to think about them. The reasons we find animals cute or ugly come from criteria that have evolved to help us evaluate members of our own species. Baby animals are cute because natural selection has given babies of some species traits that remind us of a human infant.

Some of these ideas could be tested to determine whether there is a commonality between features we see as ugly or cute in animals and compare them with similar features in humans. Regardless, it is important to remember things are not innately ugly or cute. Features humans find ugly may be exactly what attracts the female to the male of another species. As Darwin recognized, our tastes may be no less evolved than our brains or our bodies. For humans, there is no reason for why the signs of age make someone innately less attractive than the freshness of youth. It may be that our standards of beauty have evolved to reflect candidates for mates and older people are seen as less attractive because they are near or past the age of reproduction. This is a preference that could have been instilled in our ancestors by natural selection. Still, beauty in nature is not innate but evolved and our biology co-evolves with our tastes. Only in animal breeding is this reversed, where human desires allow us to sculpt the features and appearance regardless of the environment.

THOUGHTS: There are some babies (animals and humans) that are so ugly that they are cute. In Planet of the Apes, astronaut George Taylor is preparing to leave and thanks the chimpanzees who help him escape. He overcomes his repulsion and turns to Doctor Zira (female) saying, “Doctor, I’d like to kiss you goodbye.” Zira responds, “All right, but you’re so damned ugly.” Humans need to look beyond the traits that make one superficially cute and find the inner beauty that is only revealed when we get to know each other. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Chipmunk

December 20, 2024

One of the casualties of building my raised beds was the wood pile located along the back fence. This wood had been stacked when Melissa and her parents used the raised fire pit that sits adjacent. We have not used the fire pit (or wood) in the six years we have been back, and it was beginning to deteriorate. This was the perfect wood for the bottom layer of the raised beds. As I transferred the wood to the beds I encountered a variety of critters. There was a small Texas Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi texana) hiding in the pile and toward the bottom I encountered several of the invasive earth worms (Lumbricus terrestris) that repopulated North America along with the European colonists. As I continued to work a small furry critter darted out of the wood pile and into the refuge in the next yard. had noticed the chipmunk on several previous occasions as it foraged beneath the bird feeders.

When I looked online, I found the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is a species endemic to eastern North America and the only living member of the genus Tamias. The name probably comes from the Ojibwe word “ajidamoo”, translating as “one who descends trees headlong.” The species was first described by Mark Catesby in 1743 and was eventually classified as Sciurus striatus by Linnaeus (Latin, “striped squirrel”). The scientific name was changed to Tamias striatus (“striped steward”) by Johann Illiger in 1811. The chipmunk reaches about 12 inches (30 cm) long including its tail and weighs 2.3 to 5.3 ounces (66 to 150g). It has reddish-brown fur on its upper body and five dark brown stripes contrasting with light brown stripes along its back. The fur of its lower body is lighter with a tawny stripe running from its whiskers to below its ears and light stripes over its eyes. The eastern chipmunk has two fewer teeth than other chipmunks, four toes on each front leg, and five toes on the hind legs. There is no external difference in appearance between the sexes except for genitalia. The eastern chipmunk lives in deciduous wooded areas and urban parks throughout the eastern US and southern Canada, preferring rocky areas, brush, log piles, and shrubs for cover.

I had not seen the chipmunk since removing the wood pile and forgot about it. Over the last month Loki has been going crazy every time we have let him out back. From the frantic way he was acting I figured there was some critter living under the ramp off our back door. When I mentioned this to Melissa, she said she thought she had seen a rat (Rattus norvegicus) scurry under the porch when she let the kids out in the morning. I poked around with a stick to see if I could scare the rat out, but it never budged. Last week the mystery was solved. I was up early and let the kids out and saw a flash as something tried to speed from beneath the feeder back under the ramp. I recognized the animal as a chipmunk and tried to keep Loke from grabbing it. It finally reached safety as Loki scratched, sniffed, and whined around the ramp. Melissa now makes a point of making noise before she lets the kids into the yard, giving the chipmunk time to scurry back to safety.

THOUGHTS: I was relieved when I found out we had a chipmunk rather than a rat. I have liked chipmunks since I encountered them as a boy around the picnic sites in the Rocky Mountains. Even though rats and chipmunks are both rodents, these smaller cousins seem cute and innocuous while rats seem menacing. Perhaps it is a throwback to the Black Plague that ravaged Europe and was blamed on the fleas carried by rats. I read an article last week suggesting it was more likely it was the human fleas that spread the disease rather than the rats (Europe was not very sanitary). Humans tend to have similar reactions when encountering other cultures. If they are welcoming or meek they are deemed ok, even if often taken advantage of. If they stand up or hold their ground, they are deemed a threat and often eliminated. Whether it is rats, chipmunks, or other humans, perspective changes how we treat them. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Beards

November 27, 2024

As we approach Turkey Day, also known as Thanksgiving in the US, there have been a rash of stories on my browser about these interesting birds. These include the recent tradition of the Presidential Pardon. The first official presidential turkey pardon was given by George H.W. Bush in 1989, but reports credit many presidents with the tradition. Abraham Lincoln’s son took a liking to the turkey destined for Christmas dinner and the bird was spared. Harry Truman liked his bird so much he had the first presidential photo op, but that bird was not so lucky and was later served as a meal. Two days ago, President Biden pardoned Peach and Blossom. These domesticated turkeys weighed an impressive 40 and 41 pounds (18.1 and 18.6 kg) respectively. Another story was offered by the National Audubon Society and provided 10 Fun Facts About the Wild Turkey. The most interesting of these facts concerned the bundle of feathers sprouting from their chest is known as turkey beards, and it gets longer as the bird ages.

When I looked online, Audubon also offered an in-depth discussion on turkey beards. Turkey beards are plumes of dark brown or black feathers, more hair-like than a typical feather, that protrude from the bird’s chest. “If you had it in your hand, it has the consistency of a miniature horsetail,” says Gary Norman, a retired gamebird biologist at Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. While all adult male turkeys (toms) have beards, nearly 10% of hens also have one, although it is a smaller and wispier version. Male turkey beards are thought to be used as another tool for mate selection, but it is unknown why some female birds have them. Kelsey Sullivan, a gamebird specialist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, says the beards can “indicate dominance and health”. Turkey beards start sprouting when youngsters are around five months old and continue to grow at a rate of nearly 5 inches (12.7 cm) a year throughout a bird’s life allowing the biologists a rough estimation of the bird’s age. While a one-year-old beards may measure only a few inches older males can have beards over 10 inches (25 cm). The longest beard length recorded on the National Turkey Wildlife Federation website is 11.75 inches (29.2 cm). Some toms even grow 2 or 3 (and even up to 13) separate beards. In the rare occasion where multiple beards are grown most are just short, wispy feathers with a single dominant cluster.

Turkeys can lose their beards several ways. Turkey beard rot is caused by vitamin deficiency and may result in the beards shearing off. Longer beards can snap from the heavy weight of snow and ice that collects on them during winter. Fraying from being dragged on the ground is also an issue. Terrain is another factor that influences beard length, and turkeys inhabiting rocky terrain may have shorter beards than those foraging across flat, sandy ground. The abundance of bearded hens varies by region and is perhaps affected by previous conservation efforts to recover Wild Turkeys. In the mid-1900’s, wildlife biologists trapped turkeys and moved them across state boundaries to restore severely depleted turkey populations due to hunting and habitat loss. Wild Turkeys have sharply rebounded and now inhabit every US state except Alaska. Wild turkey populations peaked at 7 million birds by the early 2000’s.

THOUGHTS: There are only two species of Wild Turkey; the North American (Meleagris gallopavo) and the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata) in Central America. The domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo domesticus) shares their cousin’s trait by having beards, neither sex of the ocellated turkey have beards. As for the two pardoned turkeys, they will live out the remainder of their life at Farmamerica, a 360-acre agricultural interpretive center in Waseca, Minnesota. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.