Sea Otter
For whatever reason, some wild animals are near and dear to people’s hearts. They have a universal appeal, resulting in admiration across the masses of people. For example, many are obsessed with owls. Any kind of owl. Big ones, small ones, it really doesn’t matter. The same can be said for other wild critters, such as otters. For whatever reason, everyone seems to love otters. This was on full display last week while I was leading a photographic tour of Bald Eagles and Sea Otters in Alaska. For 5 days my small group of photographers spent 6 hours a day photographing Bald Eagles and Sea Otters. There are 13 species of otter in the world ranging in size from the Small-clawed Otter, which is less than 3 feet long, to the Giant Otter which stretches six feet long. All otters are semiaquatic or marine mammals in the weasel family. They can be found on every continent except for Antarctica and Australia. The Sea Otter (Enhyrda lutri) is the heaviest of the otter species. Males can weigh upwards of 100 pounds. Females are noticeably smaller. This makes Sea Otters the heaviest of the weasel family but also makes them one of the smallest of all the marine mammals. When you get up close to a Sea Otter you notice right away that they are very large animals, reaching 4-5 feet long including their short tail. They live in cold ocean environments and their primary form of insulation from the cold water is not fat but rather fur. They have an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom. They have up to one million hairs per square inch covering their body. The density of the fur prevents water from reaching the body. Otters have two layers of fur, a dense underfur for insulation and longer guard hair that helps keep water off the underfur. Sea Otters lack blubber, a fatty layer which is common in other marine mammals. Pups are born with a buoyant coat of fur that helps them to float. However, it was the very fur that almost killed off the Sea Otter. Starting in the mid 1700’s Sea Otters were killed for their fur. By the mid 1900’s populations were down to only 1,000 to 1,500 total animals alive. It was believed that the Sea Otter would become extinct due to uncontrolled trapping. Recovery has been slow and now there are small populations in 13 regions around the world, from Japan to Russia, British Columbia, California and Alaska. To maintain their warmth and life in the ocean, Sea Otters consume at least 20 percent of their body weight in marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, sea cucumbers, mollusks, clams and mussels. Surprisingly, unlike River Otters, fish are not a big part of their diet, although they occasionally eat birds such as loons and grebes. Like others in the mustelid family, Sea Otters reproduce at any time of year. This means that young otters are born even in the middle of winter. We spent many days on a boat looking for the Sea Otters, and we found several mothers with babies which made for some adorable images. When we approached in the boat, the mother otters seemed to be more curious than cautious. They hold their babies with their two front paws to their chest and float around on their backs. Using a very long lens we were able to capture some intimate moments between the mother otter and pup. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Fox Squirrels
I find the variations or diversity in nature to be the special ingredient underpinning the strength of Mother Nature. This was abundantly clear last week when I was in Florida for a very specific variation of the Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger). I was in search of the Sherman’s Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger shermani) that only occurs in a handful of places in Florida and a couple other states. The Sherman’s Fox Squirrel is a subspecies of the more common and widespread Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger). The Fox Squirrel is the largest of the tree squirrels found in North America. They measure 20 to 30 inches from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail and weigh in at around 2-3 pounds. Fox squirrels are found throughout the eastern half of the United States, but there are several subspecies of this squirrel, and I was in Florida in search of the Sherman’s subspecies. This large and unusual looking squirrel requires stands of Longleaf Pine trees that has a scattering of oaks. This squirrel feeds on pine and oak seeds, so they are highly tied to a specific habitat. This squirrel feeds on pine and oak seeds, so they are highly tied to a specific habitat. Just the overall appearance of this squirrel makes it worth going out of your way to see it. It has a black head, forelegs and back. It has bright white ears and tip of nose making them stand out on the black head. The belly is tan to cream color, and it has a huge fuzzy tail that can be black to silver. Of course, in order to find one of these super shy and secretive squirrels, I did a lot of internet searches to learn of possible locations where I could find and photograph one. After sitting up late into the night, I made a list of possible locations. In the morning, I started making some calls. Most of the places were state and county parks. I called all of them. Only one had staff that picked up the phone. They told me yes, they have a couple of these squirrels. I dropped the phone and started driving. Upon arrival, I was given a map and location. It was a five-mile hike out to the location, so I packed up water, snacks, and camera gear and headed out. When I arrived in the area, I could see evidence of a Sherman’s Fox Squirrel eating the large cones produced by the Longleaf Pine trees but no squirrels. I was exhausted by the time I got back to my truck. The search continued. While driving through central Florida I stopped at another state park that had the right habitat. I drove in and talked to the staff who basically laughed in my face and said “good luck buddy” they are hard to find and super shy. The same thing happened at the next several parks that I stopped at. Next, I drove 1.5 hours south to a natural preserve that someone on Facebook had posted seeing one there. Upon arrival, the habitat wasn’t right. I drove down the road a little further and saw someone in their driveway. I risked it and drove onto their property. The homeowner wasn’t too pleased to see me. He said we don’t get many people out in the country. I inquired about the squirrels, and he said he had never seen one in the area. I was off again. I made a couple more phone calls and sent a few text messages to friends who know wildlife well and live in Florida. I got a few replies but no solid leads. The search continued like this for 3 days. Just when I got a promising lead, it never panned out. It was getting very frustrating, and I was beginning to think I wouldn’t be able to find one. A friend who was born and raised in Florida knew of the species and said the only place he had ever seen one was along a very rural road in the middle of nowhere. I had run out of leads and thought it was worth a try. One morning around 10 am I rolled up in the general area that my friend told me about. I had little to no hope of seeing one when all of a sudden, I saw one about 50 feet off the road heading towards a fence. I pulled the truck over and got out. I was able to grab a few images of the fleeing squirrel. It sat on the fence long enough to capture a few more. It jumped to a tree allowing for a couple more images. I came back a couple times over the next couple days and managed to capture a few more images. It was amazing. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Roadrunner AKD
Often when we look at nature, I think we assume that everything in a critter’s life is smooth and easy. No major challenges, risks or health issues. Just a clean natural way of life devoid of all the health and stressors that we humans relate to in our lives. Once again, I think we may miss the mark when we make such assumptions. I was thinking about this the other day while editing some images from my recent photo tour in New Mexico. On one cold and sunny morning, we spotted a Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) which was actively hunting along a small stream. It would run a short distance then stop and cock its head to look around for any prey. These birds often hunt small reptiles such as lizards, but it was too cold for any lizards to be running around. I got our small group of photographers to move up and get closer to the Roadrunner. When we got closer, we were able to capture some decent images of this adult bird but right away I could see something wasn’t right. Its upper bill had grown too long and was curved and starting to hook downward. Its lower bill appeared to be ok. This Roadrunner most likely had Avian Keratin Disorder (AKD) which is a disease that causes the beak to overgrow and deform. A Roadrunner uses its speed to overtake prey such as snakes, lizards and larger insects. But once it catches up to the prey it needs to grab them with its long-pointed beak. But if the top and bottom of the birds’ bill doesn’t match up, it makes grabbing and holding prey nearly impossible. AKD was first documented in southern Alaska in the late 1990’s in Black-capped Chickadees. Since that time, it has been seen all over the United States. The unchecked growth of the bill is caused by a virus in the Picornaviridae family. AKD is a debilitating and usually deadly disease for the bird that contracts it. The over-grown bill makes it difficult to obtain food and prohibits it from preening and feather care. A bird’s beak is made up mostly of bone. The upper and lower jawbone are modified to project outwards forming the base of the bill. The outer portion of the bill is covered in a sheath of keratin. This keratin is the same protein material that makes up our hair and fingernails. Just like your hair and nails, a bird’s bill continually grows starting at the base moving towards the tip. A bird’s bill doesn’t grow very fast, but when it does, it needs to be worn or filed down to prevent it from growing too large. Everyday activities in a healthy bird’s life work to keep the bill growth in check. Don’t get me wrong, there are other factors that can cause beak deformities in birds. It is thought that environmental contaminants such as toxic chemicals, in addition, nutritional deficiencies, trauma to the bill and or genetics can all lead to bill deformity. I am talking about AKD, a disease that was first reported in the 1990’s and in 2016 the virus was identified that is believed to cause this infection. Since this is considered a “newly” identified virus, studies are still underway and there is much to learn. How the virus is spread from bird to bird is yet to be understood. At least 30 species of birds are known to be affected by AKD. As of now, it is unknown whether a bird can recover from AKD, but it is assumed that they cannot, so the outcome is not good. What is known is that birds with beak deformities, no matter the cause, have a much higher rate of mortality. Having AKD makes it difficult to eat, thus a decrease in caloric intake. The decrease in food consumption causes the bird to become weaker. In addition, the deformed beak also prevents the bird from preening and cleaning its feathers resulting in feathers that are less effective in keeping them warm and dry, which also increases the weakness, and it just spirals downward. One thing for sure is that a bird’s life isn’t smooth, easy or tranquil. Every day is a series of challenges of survival. They need to find food and also not become food for another critter. I guess the bottom line is, nothing is easy in a bird’s life. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Long-tailed Weasel
I really am fascinated by the “uncommon” or different kinds of critters. I really like the kind of critter that are not like other animals and stand out with a specific feature or uniqueness. Which brings me to several encounters I had with a very cool and different kind of animal on my recent photo tours in Yellowstone National Park this winter. The Long-tailed Weasel (Neogale frenata) is one of those incredibly interesting critters that you hear about but rarely see or get a chance to interact. This animal is also known as the Masked Ermine or just Ermine. It is often mistakenly called Stoat. The Stoat is the Short-tailed Weasel (Mustele erminea) and is very similar but smaller and has a shorter tail. The Long-tailed Weasel in summer is brown with a whitish belly. The tail is also brown and has a distinct black tip. But one of the things that makes this critter so cool, is they turn all white, except for the tip of the tail which remains black, during winter. To add to this coolness, the Long-tails in southern regions don’t turn white in winter and the ones in the transition zone only turn partially white. This is an example of extreme adaptation to their environment. This adaptation is called erminism. The process of changing colors is triggered by the amount of available daylight. As the days get shorter in fall, the weasel produces a hormone called melatonin, which suppresses melanin production and causes the new growing fur to not have its normal coloring and as a result is white. In spring the hormone process reverses, and the newly growing fur is brown. The Long-tailed Weasel is a predator, make no mistake about that. They are an aggressive hunter, constantly moving around looking for its next meal. It hunts mostly small mammals such as mice and voles but will also hunt animals up to the size of a rabbit. They are technically called an obligate carnivore which means they don’t scavenge from dead animals. They are true hunters. Occasionally they will hunt small birds, especially ground nesting species, but it’s not unheard of for these weasels to climb trees. In fact, they often climb trees when they are being pursued by larger predators such as fox, coyote and bobcats. And yes, some small predators are hunted by larger predators. The Long-tailed Weasel dens in underground burrows, inside rock piles, under tree stumps but mostly in burrows made by other animals. They do not dig their own burrows. They also don’t use a burrow for very long. They have a nomadic lifestyle that is dependent upon their prey. One of their favorite burrows are that of chipmunks. They fit right inside and often use the fur of their prey to line the nesting chamber within. They are a member of the weasel family which means they have a well-developed scent gland, which produces a very strong and musky odor that is similar to skunks. Unlike skunks, weasels can’t spray their musk but rather it rubs its scent glands over surfaces like rocks and logs, which leaves the strong odor behind. During my photo tour of Yellowstone this winter, I found 3 Long-tailed Weasels over a 3-week period. Just a side note, seeing just one is amazing. Nearly all encounters with Long-tailed Weasels are usually super quick. Often, you see one running and jumping and then it’s gone, within a matter of seconds. The first two encounters were just like that. Saw them for a split second and then disappeared. But the third encounter was slightly different. The weasel was running across the road and dove into a snowbank. And just like that it was gone, but then it popped up out of the snow and took off across the road again. This time it jumped over the snowbank at the road’s edge and ran to the base of a fallen branch where it paused for just enough time to capture a few images. As funny as it might sound, this brief but exciting encounter with the Long-tailed Weasel was one of the highlights of this year’s winter trip to Yellowstone even though we had many encounters with wolves. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Black Wolf
Wolves in a snowy landscape are the main subject to photograph in my winter Yellowstone Photo Tour. So, every effort is made to locate and get into a position to capture some images of these amazing creatures. This was the case last week while leading a tour in the interior of Yellowstone National Park. The park is closed to the public during winter due to the snowy winter conditions. So, in order to gain access to the interior, we get special permits and also hire a snow coach. The snow coaches are huge monster-truck-like vehicles with massive 46-inch tires and four-wheel drive. This is what is needed to navigate the snowy back country and get out alive. Even with these gigantic vehicles, we have got stuck in the past. Each morning would start early in the dark. A quick breakfast and putting on at least 3 layers of winter clothing before heading out to the snow coaches. We load up with all our photo gear and lunches and water for the day. For many days we had been tracking the wolves. We would see their tracks in the snow as the wolves moved around during the night. Each day we would pick up their trail again. We would make predictions as to where we thought they would go. What mountain would they cross or which mountain valley would they enter. We looked around where the bison were gathered because in the dead of winter, the Bison are the only prey animals that remain, and the wolves need to eat. All other prey such as deer and elk have migrated down to lower elevations where there is less snow. After many long days of finding absolutely nothing, we found some fresh wolf tracks. By the fresh tracks in the snow, I could clearly see 4 adult wolves had passed within the past four to six hours. This was definitely a good sign. We spent the rest of the day on high alert in anticipation of seeing the wolves, but nothing transpired. The next morning, right after breakfast, we loaded up and took off on the snow coaches in the dark. An hour and a half later we finally got back to the area where we saw the tracks. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, and the air temperatures were well below zero. The conditions looked perfect but where were the wolves? Nothing! Of course, we were all very disappointed because we had all envisioned a great encounter with a pack of wolves. The kind of encounter that we all dream about, but nothing transpired. We decided to push further into the park, but leaving the place that we thought would hold wolves behind was hard to do. Several miles further into the interior, we slowed down because the snow coach had to plow its way up a small hill which put the sun right in our eyes. It was difficult to see. Shading the sun from my eyes, I could make out some dark figures ahead of us. It took just a micro-second later and I could make out the outline of several black wolves. I shouted “Wolves!”. My small group jumped to attention and readied their camera gear. The snow coach made its way to the top of the hill and stopped. We all got out and were immediately slapped with sub-zero air temperature but thankfully there was no wind. We could see two wolves had passed in front of us and were walking away from us now. Turning around we could see two more wolves coming up the hillside heading right in our direction. We all started capturing some images of the wolves making their way through the deep snow. One of the black wolves walked past us in a wide arch then suddenly sat down about 180 yards away, facing right at us and started to howl. I couldn’t believe our luck; the black wolf’s fur was covered with frost from the long cold night and now was howling right in front of us. What a perfect picture! The wolves continued walking through the snow and walked over the ridge and out of sight. It was only then did everyone start to breathe again and we all gathered together congratulate each other on such an amazing encounter. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Northern Pygmy Owl
Stone cold killer predators come in all shapes and sizes in the natural world. However, I think we often think of large menacing critters with long sharp claws and razor-sharp teeth as predators and don’t give a second thought to small predators. Some of these small predators are often cute and adorable. That’s what makes them so cool. I was thinking about this a week or so ago while I was photographing and adorable tiny owl. But behind the beautiful feathers lies the heart of a predator. The Northern Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium californicum) is a tiny owl that is native to western North America. As its name implies, it is a tiny owl, only 6-7 inches tall and weighs about 2-3 ounces. By comparison, the very familiar American Robin is 10 inches tall and weighs about the same as the Pygmy Owl. I arrived in Yellowstone National Park a couple days before I was scheduled to lead a winter photo tour. I had a couple days to meet up with some other photo guides and get caught up on the latest info about the wolves in the park, but everyone was talking about the Northern Pygmy Owls that seemed to be popping up throughout the park. So, on the second day I spotted one of the tiny owls up on a mountain side. I grabbed my longest lens and tripod and started climbing up the mountain side. The snow was only a foot or so deep, so it wasn’t too bad, but the elevation was over 7,000 feet and I wasn’t acclimated yet. So, I had to stop many times to catch my breath, look around to get my bearings and keep climbing. Every now and then I would stop and visually relocate the owl. When I finally reached the area just below the owl, I was breathing so heavily that I couldn’t take any pictures. Several minutes later, I was able to slow down my breathing and focus my camera. What I saw in my viewfinder was the cutest, tiniest, owl with bright yellow eyes. Northern Pygmy Owls are daytime hunters and mainly prey on small songbirds such as Chickadees. The pygmy owl is a cavity nesting bird, taking over old woodpecker cavities. They have a relatively short lifespan with average birds lasting only three to four years. The perch the owl was on didn’t look very good and it was very high up in a tree, so I really didn’t take many pictures. Suddenly the owl took off and went to another tree that was even higher. I thought how am I going to capture some images of this tiny killer. By the time I worked my way over to the new tree the owl flew again. This time it flew down the mountain. I was happy to be going down and not up this time. By the time I got near the owl again I was able to capture some images. These images were good because, even though the owl was near the top of a tall tree, I was much closer to being eye-level with the bird because I was higher up on the mountain and the tree was lower. I thought perhaps this might be the best image I can get with this bird. I stood there just enjoying the moment looking around at the snow-covered mountains all around me, then the owl flew once again. This time the owl was flying directly towards me. It swooped up and landed in a small cedar tree not 35 to 40 feet away and was at my eye level. I swung my camera around, framed up the picture and pushed the shutter release button. I could see through the viewfinder on my camera that this was going to be a wonderful image. The owl stayed there for several minutes actively hunting. Its head was swiveling around from side to side as it looked for something to prey upon. Small snowflakes were gently falling, and the air was cold. Once again, the owl took off and landed in another tree much further away. I was thrilled knowing that I had captured a stunning image of a marvelous predator. I turned and picked up my tripod and camera and started the hike down the mountain back to my truck. The snow was falling steadily now, and by the time I got back to my truck I was covered with snow. I packed up my photo gear and climbed in and fired up the engine. It was such a great feeling of satisfaction to spend some time with such a cool little killer. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at naturesmart.com.
Fall Leaf Color
Each autumn the soothing greens of summer explode into the brilliant colors of fall. Summer leaves are green because they contain the pigment chlorophyll. Autumn’s yellows and reds are produced in two distinct processes, but both are related to the fading of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll looks green because it reflects green light. It absorbs all other wavelengths of light. Chlorophyll’s ability to absorb color is more powerful than the ability of other pigments to reflect it. But in fact, leaves do contain other pigments. These include yellow and orange pigments called carotenoid (ker’o-ten-oid) pigments. At summer’s end, a plant stops producing chlorophyll and begins to die. The yellow carotenoid pigments are more stable than chlorophyll and they don’t break down as quickly, remaining in the aging leaf after the chlorophyll fades. With the chlorophyll gone, the carotenoid pigments get a chance to show off. They give leaves a vibrant yellow appearance in autumn. A different process causes the passionate reds of maples and oaks. Their color comes from the brilliant red pigment anthocyanin (an’tho-si-e-nin). Unlike the carotenoid pigments, anthocyanin is not present in summer leaves. Leaves don’t make this pigment until after they lose their chlorophyll. When the leaves start to die, sugar is trapped within the leaves. The cycle of warm days and cool nights triggers a chemical reaction with the sugars, which produces anthocyanin and the blazing fall reds. Whether a leaf turns yellow or red, its last color is a crisp brown caused by tannin. Tannin is produced by plants throughout the year. It is stored in leaves and in the bark of trees. Tannin gives some leaves a bitter taste, which discourages animals from eating them and so extends the life of the leaves.
Autumn Leaf Colors
This autumn has been dry and warm so it’s not a great combo for viewing autumn colors. I am sure with more moisture and cooler nighttime temperatures the display would be so much more than what we have now. So why do these leaves change color and put on such an eye-popping show? First of all, leaves are green because of a green pigment known as chlorophyll that is responsible for the absorption of sunlight to provide energy for photosynthesis. When the chlorophyll is healthy and happy it dominates any other pigment found in the leaf and we see green leaves. But chlorophyll doesn’t just give leaves their color; they are vital in the life of the tree. Chlorophyll cells capture the sun’s energy and combines it with water that is taken up by the tree roots and carbon dioxide which it takes from the air, to produce the trees food—simple sugars. The byproduct is oxygen and of course we breathe oxygen. So we are the direct beneficiaries of what the trees do naturally. During summer, chlorophyll is constantly breaking down and is replaced by the tree so the leaves remain green all season. But as autumn approaches the trees react to the reduce daylight and starts to get ready for winter by shutting down the flow of nutrients to the leaves. In addition, the leaves are starting to wear out from a season of hard work producing food for the plant, so the tree is ready to shed the old leaves. At the base of the leaf stalk (where the leaf attaches to the tree) a thin layer called an abscission layer starts to close off, reducing the flow to and from the leaves. As this happens, the food manufacturing chlorophyll starts to die off making it no longer the dominant compound in the leaves. Other pigments such as carotenoids give off the a yellow or orange color, and all the shades in between start to become visible. Another group of pigment cells called anthocyanins, which are not found in the leaf during summer start to develop. These pigments, common in maple trees, give us the reds and purples of autumn. Unlike the carotenoids, the anthocyanins develop in late summer in the sap and have a complex reaction inside the leaf when in the presents of bright sunlight and a chemical phosphate. During summer, phosphates break down the sugars manufactured by the chlorophyll, but in autumn the amount of phosphates decrease and start to move out of the leaves and into the tree. When this happens the sugar breakdown decreases. The brighter the light during this period the greater the production of anthocyanins and the brighter red the leaves become. If the tree is under drought stress, like we are having in my area this year, or has poor health from a fungal or viral infections the colors won’t be as bright. Also, if autumn is dark and cloudy or dry and warm the brightest colors won’t develop. When conditions of temperatures, moisture and sunlight are all in the right amounts we will have a bright and colorful autumn. Soon the abscission layer will completely close off and the leaf will die and fall from the tree. Since leaves are expendable it really isn’t a big deal for the trees to drop their leaves. Besides the breakdown of the leaves on the forest floor feeds nutrients back into the soil where the tree’s roots can reabsorb them and help to produce the new leaves the following spring. While in my area we may be experiencing a drought, and the autumn leaves may not look their absolute best, it is still enjoyable to see the fall colors and understanding exactly why it happens makes it even better for me and I hope it helps you also. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and capture images of wildlife. He can be followed at www.instagram.com and www.facebook.com. He can be contacted via his website at www.naturesmart.com
White-tailed Deer buck
I was walking through the woods, moving very slowly, making sure not to step on a stick or twig that might snap and make a loud noise. Each footstep was carefully placed after visually checking the ground. Thankfully, it had rained a little bit the day before, making the leaves nice and wet, which dampened the sounds of my footsteps. I was traveling in near silence. Almost all the leaves have already fallen from the trees making it easy to see long distances within the woodland. In my hands I carried a large 500 mm lens and camera body. I was on the hunt for White-tailed Deer. This year the rut seemed to start right on time, and I was eager to get out and see what I could find and perhaps capture some images of an elusive big buck. Moving through the woodland, I came across several female deer, but this wasn’t why I was there. I was searching for the big antlered male deer, often referred to as bucks. Moving along, I must have covered 2 miles before I found my first small buck. But based on my years of experience, I know that the small bucks often follow the large ones. The big boys follow their nose through the woods searching for does that are ready to breed. The big bucks are constantly on the move until they find a “hot” female that is nearing her peak of reproduction. The buck will follow her around waiting for her to accept him. He will often spend time feeding when she is feeding or laying down and resting when she is laying down and resting. White-tailed Deer are mostly found in the eastern half of the country. However, they range as far southwest as Arizona and up into the Pacific Northwest and the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Depending upon who you talk to, there are many varieties or subspecies of White-tailed Deer. Subspecies are usually determined by general morphological differences within a species. For example, a subspecies can be determined by the size or shape of the body, tail or ears. A good example of this is the Key Deer, a subspecies of the White-tail that lives only on Florida’s key islands. This subspecies looks just like all other White-tails except it’s one-quarter of the size of a regular White-tailed Deer. An adult male Key Deer weighs only 50 pounds. This is a clear and obvious difference but not all subspecies are this clear cut. White-tailed Deer follow the Bergmann’s Rule, which is a biological rule that states within a species, the further north latitude you live the larger you are and the easier for you to stay warm. The further south you live the smaller you are and it’s easier to shed heat and stay cool. White-tail deer in northern states and Canada are much larger than those in southern states. The Key Deer is a perfect example of this biological rule. After several miles of hiking, I was able to locate a large buck. At first, I saw the flash of his bright white antlers in the thick brush. If his antlers weren’t so bright, I might have missed him. As I approached, I caught a whiff of this rutting buck. The smell is a sweet pungent smell that is unmistakable. When the bucks are looking for females, scent glands located on the male’s hind legs produce a sweet yet pungent smell. If you get close enough and the wind is in your direction, it’s easy to pick up this scent. As soon as I caught the scent of the buck, I saw him standing in a tangle of branches and vines. His thick winter coat and tall multi-branched antlers made him blend in so well it was hard to see him. I waited a while to give this buck a chance to move out of the tangled vegetation and into a spot where I could capture a few images. Over the next 30 minutes, I could see the female he was attending and watched her move from one thicket of vegetation to another. She was clearly keeping to the heavy cover of the forest to avoid the large buck. I could hear from behind me some rustling of leaves. I turned my head to see another large buck approaching. No doubt having another buck around will make things interesting. The big buck saw the approaching smaller buck and immediately headed straight for him. When he got close enough the big buck lowered his head and started running towards the smaller buck. The smaller one quickly turned and ran away. The chase lasted less than 75 feet, but it was enough to send the message. I wasn’t able to capture any of the chase, but I did capture some decent images of the big boy buck. I was thrilled. I turned and started the long hike back to my truck. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer. He travels the U.S. to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on www.facebook.com and twitter.com. He can be contacted via his web page at www.naturesmart.com.
Pumpkin
I would like to tell you about something so common and ubiquitous in our American culture that I am sure you don’t think about it as being very special. It is something that has been around for a long time and you see these things every year. And no doubt you might even eat these things or at least taste the flavor, especially at this time of year. I am talking about pumpkins. Simply put, pumpkins are a type of winter squash. Winter squash is an annual fruit within the genus Cucurbita. They are typically a warm season plant which means they aren’t planted until early summer when the ground temperature is warm and the fruit ripens in October. They grow on a vine that creeps across the ground and has very large edible flowers. The fruit develops quickly and comes in all sizes and shapes and colors. The name pumpkin refers to any roundish, orange-colored kind of squash. The use of the word “pumpkin” came from “peopon” which is Greek for large melon. The French word “pompon” and later in English “pumpion”. All of this was applied to pumpkins in New England in settlement times when people were first introduced to the pumpkin. European settlers had never seen such large orange fruits and didn’t know what to call them, so the word pumpkin was used to describe it. You see, pumpkins are one of the oldest cultivated plants for food, dating back around 10,000 years ago. Pumpkins were originally grown by native peoples of Mexico and southwestern United States. In other words, pumpkins were a source of food long before European settlers came to North America. The oldest evidence of the pumpkin being used for food comes from fragments of pumpkin stems found in caves in Mexico and date back 7,000 BC. Not only were pumpkins developed and cultivated by native people, so were corn and beans. It wasn’t long after European settlers came to America that pumpkins started showing up in Europe and they took off from there. Pumpkins are now a worldwide food. As a food, pumpkins are very good to eat and are very healthy. A 3.5 oz amount of raw pumpkin provides 20 percent of your daily Provitamin A beta-carotene. It also has vitamin C. and is low in carbohydrates and nearly zero fat. Pumpkin seeds are also very good to eat. A one-ounce amount of pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein, zinc and magnesium. It wasn’t until the Mid-1800’s did pumpkins become associated with Halloween and people started to carve pumpkins to make a jack-o-lantern. Carving pumpkins came about when Irish and Scottish immigrants, who use to carve turnips to make lanterns. The pumpkin was larger and more readily available to these immigrants to carry on their traditions from the home country. Today pumpkins are found worldwide and grown in just about every country on the planet. They are frequently associated with Halloween in North America. So, this year, take a moment to reflect on the rich history and the origins of one of the oldest food crops on the planet, the pumpkin. Until next time… Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to capture images and study wildlife. He can be followed at www.instagram.com and www.facebook.com. He can be contacted via his website at www.naturesmart.com.