In spite of housing over half of the world's tiger population, India has come down to a low density habitat in recent years. A survey by the National Tiger Conservation Authority in 2008 represented a sorry figure of the declining number of Indian tigers. This survey, indeed, came across as a shocking revelation to a country with abundant wildlife and green areas as compared to other parts of the world.
After a wave of concern from all over the world forced the authorities, especially the National Tiger Conservation Authority, to take a better approach towards wildlife conservation, the index rose to a satisfactory figure in the last 3 years. However, the tiger population in India is still not above the danger mark. The current tiger population in India is estimated to have crossed the 2000 mark.
The cause of the declining figure was tracked down to the decreasing habitat for wildlife owing to severe deforestation, poaching and a food chain imbalance. Not having a better arrangement of tiger tracking equipments and armed approach towards poaching has also increased the danger level.
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 encourages the tracking of the tiger population in protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and remote jungles to keep a clean record of the population and help them survive all the possible reasons of their depleting number. However, better law enforcement, training and support have recently been helpful in increasing the density.
The current tiger tracking system in India features digital data collection techniques and a higher usage of camera and other devices installed in every few kilometers. Excellent new tiger protection measures have also come up as a regular practice in all of the Indian states. Instructions and methods of data collection are being translated into all the regional languages for forest staffs to understand the necessary measures.
Besides, the shocking number of the Indian tiger count back in 2008 had initiated a lot of awareness campaigns to educate the masses about the importance of wildlife conservation. That is why the most effective way to implement tiger conservation action in India today would be a higher level of NGO participation. A better political approach towards law enforcements can also help the cause gain more attention.
Despite all the current measures, India still has a far way to go in terms of effective tiger tracking methods and conservation. In most of the cases, geographical difficulties hamper the tracking. Particularly, the mountains in the Northeast and the mangroves in Sunderban have intricate accessibility to an accurate tracking system. The disparity in census affects the protection measures to a great extent.
However, it is never too late to work towards ensuring a safer habitat for tigers. The ideal approach would be to follow the territory rules as we human beings have no business hovering around their wild dwellings. Deforestation for industrial purposes and other human usage can only aggravate the problem. The wise thing to do at this point is to draw the line between intrusion and expansion. The rest of the things will fall in places as conservation measures work best when implemented with a clear conscience.
Author loves to write articles on different topics and this article is based on Wildlife India about Indian Tigers.
Treasure Island, Florida is a beautiful beach teeming with wide variety of wildlife. From the sea life to the reptiles, there is an abundance of creatures for the nature-lover to enjoy. Whether you are in the mood to simply view the beach's animal community or want to hook some of the local fish, Treasure Island is a great place to feed your desires. Many of the species can be observed without ever having to leave the shore, but those who venture out on boats run into an even wider range of amazing creatures.
Fish - With Treasure Island being a beach community, there are obviously quite a variety of species lurking around the waters. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the best places to spend a day either snorkeling and looking at all the underwater creatures or sitting with your pole catching some of these delicious fish. Some of the species of fish that are normally found in these waters include:
Mammals - There are much more than just fish roaming around the Treasure Island area. There are a variety of mammals that call this lovely beach community their home as well. Many people love to come to St Pete to catch a glimpse of the beautiful dolphins and manatees. Dolphins are one of the most sought after attractions of many tourists visiting the area. The good part is that most of the tourists are in luck because catching a view of a dolphin around Treasure Island is extremely easy. The dolphins love the play and show off in the water and are usually even easy to spot from the beach. When out on a boat in the summer months, it is not unusual for a pod of dolphins to swim behind your boat. Manatees are another creature that people always love to fit into their sightseeing. While slightly more elusive than the dolphin, it is not rare to catch a glimpse of one of these "sea cows".
Reptiles - There are a wide variety of reptiles that call this area of Florida home. There are upwards of 45 different species of snakes in the state of Florida, both venomous and non-venomous. Florida is also home to a few varieties of sea turtles, the most common of which is the Loggerhead Turtle. Florida beaches are home to 80% of the Loggerheads in the US and as many as 68,000 nests can be found in Florida each year!
With an abundance of wildlife around the state, Florida can be a wonderful place to observe nature. Treasure Island and the Gulf Coast have a unique group of animals and no one who loves nature should miss these beautiful creatures. Always remember not to disturb the wildlife and allow them to live and breed naturally, so many generations in the future can enjoy their beauty.
A Madagascar wildlife holiday is a wonderful chance to see some of the country's unique animal species - but it's also a chance to explore some of the truly unique landscapes as well. It's often an underrated pleasure of a tour looking at the animals, and wildlife enthusiasts often find that - even subconsciously - they enjoy the benefits of seeing animals in a habitat and environment they are suited to, instead of in the artificial confines of a zoo or similar institution. Here's a quick look at a few of the places that you might visit on a successful wildlife tour.
Central Highlands
A mountainous region in Central Madagascar, the region stretches to 800 metres above sea level - although there's no need to worry you'll need climbing gear to explore the lower areas. On a Madagascar wildlife holiday, a visit to some of the areas surrounding the mountains can reveal plenty of the country's animal life - it's home to species of bats, rodents, tenrecs, and lemurs. Since the Central Highlands are separated from the Northern Highlands by a low-lying valley named the Mandritsara Window, it's a place where you can see animals that are very rare in other regions.
Isalo National Park
For travellers interested in a wide variety of terrains, there's nowhere better to explore than Isalo National Park. It features plenty of different environments - from sandstone formations and deep canyons to grassland and palm-tree lined oases. Those on their Madagascar wildlife holiday will find plenty to look at - the park is home to over 80 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles, and several different species of lemur, including the Ring-tailed Lemur, Red-fronted Lemur, and Coquerel's Giant Mouse Lemurs. The wide expanse of the park means trips may need a longer duration in order to have a hope of seeing the widest possible range of animals - they can last from several hours to a week, or even longer!
Avenue of the Baobabs
While it may not be the first location that springs to mind when contemplating a Madagascar wildlife holiday, this iconic area can really give a feel for the country and its incredible flora and fauna like no other place can. With baobab trees about 30m in height and over 800 years old lining a dirt road, it certainly has a unique atmosphere for a traveller eager to learn as much as they can of this wonderful country and the animals living in it.
Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you're looking for a Madagascar wildlife holiday, Naturetrek specialise in expert-led natural history and wildlife tours worldwide. Naturetrek bring over 25 years of experience to a Madagascar wildlife holiday and other spectacular regions on Earth.
It is common knowledge that, throughout history, there have been some harrowing and tragic accounts of nonsensical hunting of endangered animal species, some even to extinction. It is, with this in mind, a breath of fresh air when we hear a rare success story that derives from an initial tragedy.
The History
Historical accounts from the early European settlers in Southern Africa's Eastern Cape, depicted the area as one of the richest wildlife areas in the whole of Africa. Their accounts tell of vast, grazing herds of Elephant and Buffalo dominating the plains and large cats such as Lion leopard and cheetah roaming free.
Due to the conflict and dangers imposed to the farming and agriculture of the early settlers these amazing animals were hunted and eradicated from the area. By 1856 the last wild lion was killed and by 1919 the last of the mighty Cape Buffalo was also shot, the once vast herds completely destroyed. It was at this time that a legendary hunter, Major Pretorius, was invited by the Administrator of the Cape to hunt down and eradicate the remaining elephant herds that still remained. By 1931 the hunting had been so severe that only 11 elephant remained in the Addo area, around 60km from the Indian Ocean. The original section of Addo Elephant National park was founded in this year in order to provide sanction for these last remaining 11 elephant and protect them from hunting, the original park was partly due to the wildlife conservation efforts of Sydney Skaife a South African entomologist and naturalist.
The Success
The original wildlife conservation area of Addo was just over 5,000 acres in size, and with no adequate fence line around the park the conflicts between elephant and farmers continued up until 1954. It was the park manager at this time, Graham Armstrong, who introduced a revolutionary elephant proof fence, made of tram rails, which successfully contained the 22 resident elephants at the park.
The reserve today covers a vast 444,700 acres of wildlife conservation area. The ecosystem has been finely tuned and is now sanctuary to number of wildlife species including lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and many more. The elephant population now stands at over 550, which is an amazing achievement in wildlife conservation and is one of the rare success stories that rose from early devastation.
Future plans for the park include proclamation of a 296,500 acre coastal marine wildlife conservation area.introduced a revolutionary elephant proof fence, made of tram rails, which successfully contained the 22 resident elephants at the park.
The reserve today covers a vast 444,700 acres of wildlife conservation area. The ecosystem has been finely tuned and is now sanctuary to number of wildlife species including lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and many more. The elephant population now stands at over 550, which is an amazing achievement in wildlife conservation and is one of the rare success story that rose from the early devastation.
Future plans for the park include proclamation of a 296,500 acre coastal marine wildlife conservation area.
Though it is not known by the general public, plant and animal species are disappearing at a startling rate. Every 9 months a vertebrate species (animal with a backbone) becomes extinct. In relevance to the past, this is quite unusual. It used to be common for a species to become extinct every 1,000 years. There are 25,000 species of plants that are currently threatened with extinction. Now, before we continue it must be made clear the different types of extinctions.
Natural Extinctions
In the past, all extinctions were primarily natural extinctions. This means that the old species evolved into the new species.
True Extinctions
Current extinctions are primarily true extinctions. This means that the old species did not get to evolve into a new species, and did not get to pass on its legacy.
True extinctions are a result of a number of things: Habitat degradation, alien species, pollution and over-exploitation. One primary cause of habitat degradation is industrialization due to the resources it requires which inevitably leads to deforestation. An alien species is any species transported from its native habitat to a new habitat, usually disrupting the balanced ecosystem, causing extinctions. Pollution is created from humans harming all areas of life. Exploitation is the most direct cause of extinction; this is the killing of animals or plants primarily for the trade, use or distribution of their parts, however sometimes it is done in an act of sport. For example, a rhino horn is worth about $25,000 in Asia because it is considered an aphrodisiac. In addition to these, 1 billion birds are killed each year from collisions with car windshields. There is one thing in common about these contributing factors; they are all human induced. With this being so, we as humans, have the power to correct this wickedness.
Endangered species are species in danger of becoming extinct. Threatened species are species in danger of becoming endangered. Currently 37% of freshwater fish are threatened; 36% of amphibians are threatened; 33% of flowering plants are threatened; 19% of butterflies are threatened; 18% of reptiles are threatened; 16% of mammals are threatened; and 14% of birds are threatened. Among these, the most publicly known species are pandas, blue whales, tigers and chimps. For a list of all endangered species in the world visit http://www.endangeredspecie.com/map.htm.
The highest extinction rates occurring in the United States are in California, Hawaii, Texas and Florida.
We may start by incorporating native plants into our gardens to ensure their survival. We must also not use pesticides. Recycling reduces our impact on the environment and the need for deforestation. Use decals on our windows to reduce bird collision deaths. Drive slow to reduce roadkill numbers. All of these are small contributions to a large cause, and it is prudent for the well being of our planet that we all partake in them.
We must apply the golden rule not only to each other, but mother nature as well.
It's lovely when you see a hedgehog crawl out from beneath a pile of logs, or a bat emerge from your self built bat house just after dark.
By encouraging wildlife into your garden it not creates a feeling of happiness but also continues to provide important habitats for animals. Below are some tips and ideas to keep up the wild side of your garden.
Planting trees is the most apparent means of creating habitats for mammals and birds; by planting native tree species this will provide food all year round for insects and birds. The tree will offer shelter depending on its size all types of creatures will benefit, and quite often create their home beneath or within the tree.
Planting shrubs that produce flower, berries and seeds at different times over the year will not only make your garden colourful and fruitful but also provide a tasty treat for insects.
Build a pond, OK so not necessary build one, but make one, if your garden is relatively small like mine you can always use an old sink or bath if your lucky enough to have one lying around, place the makeshift pond into the ground with one side sloped down to make it accessible for creatures to climb in and out off, the damp bogginess will beckon frogs, toads, newts and dragonflies. Add some small rocks around the pond for cover.
Bird and bat boxes are great for supplying shelter and safety, out of harms reach from ground crawling predators. Place your box at least 2m off the ground on a tree or wall and enjoy watching them. Bats will go where there is food so by building a pond, planting a hedgerow or planting night-scented flowers will all contribute to attracting bats to your garden.
Bird tables become very popular to birds during winter when they find it harder to find local foods, place sunflower seeds, unsalted peanuts, or chopped fruit onto a feeding station in your garden, it may take a few days for the birds to take to the food, but when they know its there the feed will be eagerly taken.
If you have the space then try and leave a section of your garden over grown and undisturbed, place a few logs in there, and leave them to rot, hedgehogs are likely to see this kind of environment as a perfect home for hibernation.
The title is an exaggeration, but there were Mojave Greens out that spring and I was bitten - but not by a snake.
Before discussing snakes or birds, I should provide a some background information: It was the off-season from my regular, seasonal Interpretive Park Ranger job in Southwest Colorado. I had returned to my home-state to work as a Seasonal Park Aid with the California State Parks, namely the Mojave Sector's Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, west of Lancaster's growing suburban sprawl.
Those duties differed from my usual routine of leading tours through cliff-dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park. Staffing an entrance station may seem totally different than telling people what we think we know about the Pueblo builders of the Southwest, but at least one thing was all-too-familiar: That often belligerent, predictably unpredictable, human subspecies, Homo sapiens publicus Americanus - The Great American Public (plus many other nationalities). I didn't really dislike them, being well aware that American taxes subsidized my paycheck. I worked for them, and happen to be a 'people-person', ideal for a job requiring public-relations skills. Notwithstanding, I have the distinct impression that modern humanity has an overblown sense of entitlement; everything should be instantly available on demand, at the touch of a button, the flip of a switch. Nature, however, doesn't work that way...
They don't want to hear this, especially when paying an entrance fee. Oh, I understand the grievances about fee collection, I do, but roads don't pave themselves, bathrooms aren't self-cleaning, electricity isn't free, and those taxes, regrettably, don't cover everything. But I understood. It was a little harder to understand when they held me personally responsible because nature was being uncooperative: Sure, there's a bear roaming around; yeah, it's raining; yes, the park's on fire, but, no, there's not much I can do about these things. To a degree they can be controlled and/or dealt with; bears can be chased off or relocated, rain eventually stops and fire can be contained. That, and Mojave Greens can be caught and removed.
'Other Duties as Required', as mentioned in my job description, is a vague statement at best. A lifetime of conditioning wasn't something so easily dismissed just because some supervisor said, "Come help me catch this snake!" In my good ear?? I was raised in the hills and taught to avoid rattlers. Now I was being ordered to get up-close-and-personal with a deadly Mojave Green, a rattlesnake with a possibly exaggerated aggressiveness, but with venom containing both hemeotoxin and neurotoxin, affecting the bloodstream and nervous-system, respectively. Great...! But we had it under control (more or less).
What we couldn't control, however, was the wildflower display or lack thereof, the public's expectations nor the media-hype fueling their hopes. There were two problems interfering with the Mojave Desert's usual show that year: The drought plaguing the whole Southwest, along with the bromes, or 'foxtails'. Foxtail stickers will hitch a ride in animal fur to spread seeds, and spread bromes do! They're invasive enough to launch a full-scale invasion, covering hillsides and displacing indigenous plants, including flowers. Regardless, the public couldn't or wouldn't except our powerlessness over Nature. Although I was outwardly patient, Job himself couldn't have stood hearing, "Where's the poppies? Why aren't there any?", "Where's the flowers?", "I'll just turn around", "You're charging people?", etcetera, again and again (and, no, you can't get high off of these poppies!).
Actually, the official California state flower was once more widespread. But, like the rest of the West, Southern California was once a very different place: Long ago, Mexican vaqueros (the American cowboy's prototype) used to ride out of the San Rafael Hills to greet rancho visitors with serapes, which were used for scaring off any Grizzly Bears they might meet(!) Yet that was then, the 1800's, and ironically, the Grizzly Bear depicted on the state flag has been eradicated from wild California. Times have changed for the poppy, too:
Poppies used to blanket both the deserts and the whole Southland area, and Saint Pasqual was said to be a shepherd who knelt in fields of flowers to pray. Thus, Pasadena, California was known as Rancho San Pasqual back when it was still part of Mexico. Since the Spanish habitually christened places after their saints, like San Francisco, this area with such a proliferation of flowers was named after Pasqual. The vast, orange poppy fields were equated with his alter cloth. The land is now mostly paved-over and the saint's name remains only as a Pasadena residential side-street and some part of San Diego County.
But I cannot turn back time and make the wild-flowers reappear. Regardless, this is about the Grebe (remember), specifically a Western Grebe, Archmophorus Occidentalis. Although this was only waterfowl, any animal can be dangerous when injured or cornered. This bird was neither, but I didn't know that he wasn't hurt, and even assumed the opposite. There's a saying about 'assuming', and also a term for the complacent and arrogant: Hubris, Greek for, "Pay attention, Stupid!", like when I had that accident at Mesa Verde (I digress; that's another story).
Anyway, the day of my Grebe encounter was slow, but I was so preoccupied with the panoramic views, of both desert and the purple San Gabriel Mountains where I was raised, to care much about low park visitation. The high country in those mountains actually has peaks at over 10,000 feet, admittedly not as high as Colorado's 'fourteeners' (although California's Mount Whitney is the tallest in the contiguous U.S. at 14,497 feet). 'High Country' is a relative term; eastern mountains would be western hills. The surrounding desert itself would be high elevation back east, although the Poppy Reserve is only 2,600-3,000 feet, modest by western standards.
Not easily bored, I was nonetheless glad when some lady interrupted my daydreaming. She came to report an immobile bird in the road. I was grateful for the excuse to get out, if only to check on the local wildlife. This bird was sitting to the west of the entrance station, so I had to approach him facing the mid-afternoon sun, with only a silhouette visible. Resembling a sitting duck, or goose, I got nearer and could see through the glare that this was neither.
The bird had a white breast, a black-topped head with startling scarlet-red eyes and lobed feet. Grebe's toes aren't webbed but are flattened, an adaptation to wetlands life. I really should have been paying more attention to that long, spring-loaded neck and long, slender beak.
Incessantly chill winds cut through both the grasslands and clothing, so I was wearing my regulation coat to wrap the Grebe in. But once wrapped up, I accidently dropped my kicking, squirming captive and had to re-bundle him. The bird struck - A nightmarish blur of red eyes in a black-and-white face, propelled by a snake-like neck, shot out of my coat and right at my face! He pinched my nose with his yellow beak which looked like a big pair of garden-shears. I dropped him (again), reached to feel the wound, and found bloody fingers when I pulled my hand away. The matching, precision cuts on my nostrils looked like they had been inflicted by a razor blade.
After re-bundling the unhappy Grebe even tighter, I returned to my post and to a reminder of my place in this world, or at least within the reserve, which was evidently somewhere between a rock and a vicious marsh-bird. (It's just like in the movies: Blow up an entire army, but God forbid some mutt should die...) I love animals, but this was reality, not to mention my nose. I thought inquiries about the lackluster wildflower display were irritating until I heard, "What a beautiful bird!", "What kind of bird is that?" The kind that bites! "Oh, he got ya didn't he?"
No kidding! The docent who shared this insight did make a less obvious observation: These birds could only take off from the water... If so, one of them could easily mistake a ribbon of asphalt for a waterway. The bird must have gotten stranded, since he was obviously uninjured, with an unimpaired ability to kick, flap and bite. For these reasons, I put him in an ice-chest, which I shoved into a closet (for his own good of course).
After being alone for hours my relief finally came, once they heard about our feathered guest, that is. I endured the docent and a visitor cooing over him and then was treated to an encore performance by my supervisor and the Law Enforcement Officer. My supervisor rejected the theory that our avian invalid needed to take flight from the water, because they're migratory (huh??). The probable explanation was officially ruled out, despite the fact that the bird was unhurt. Later, the L.E.O. left and took him to a wildlife rescue organization. That was that...
Until I asked her about the bird's condition the next day: Fine, she said, he was released from the water since it's the only way they can take off! Our supervisor was born and raised in the Mojave, but that apparently didn't automatically endow her with an expertise in ornithology.
Oh, well. I was only intermittent, filling in during the 'peak-season' which never really peaked. I would soon return to Mesa Verde, Colorado where Western Grebes are mercifully scarce, and where I fell backwards off of a cliff during the first tour of my first season.
But, like I said, that's another story...
A true story by Lee Littler Copyright, 2011
About the Author:
I developed an early interest in nature and have learned a lot about it, and it continues to be a major passion and part of my life. I have a passionate interest in Native American Indian cultures also, a subject of which I am quite knowledgeable, so much so that I can now honestly say that I have forgotten more than most people will ever know, partly because my knowledge is not limited to reading books or the classroom; I have been around these people off and on for about half of my life now, learning and experiencing their culture first-hand, attending many dances, pow-wows, ceremonials, and other events. I have both vocational and educational backgrounds in anthropology, archaeology, history, and natural history/biology, having worked as a Wilderness Patrolman for the Forest Service on the Angeles National Forest, a Park Aid with the California State Park's Mojave District, and an Interpretive Park Ranger at Mesa Verde in Colorado, America's premiere archaeological park, and I have completed field-study courses in Anthropology of the Southwest, Anthropology and History of the West, Natural History and a short-term course in Geology.
(With an emphasis on the Southwest and Arizona's Mogollon Rim, and the significance of these animals to the indigenous cultures of the West)
Part I.)
Introduction:
Throughout the nineteenth century, the American West was the destination of an astoundingly tremendous number of people: The east experienced an economic recession in 1837 that prompted many pioneers to head west, looking for better opportunities and a new life; gold was discovered in California in 1848, and when the rumor spread the following year, the "'49ers" flocked to the goldfields there, in what has been said to have been the largest human migration since the Crusades; then, after the Civil War ended in 1865, many disenfranchised Southerners decided to leave their devastated homelands and head in the same direction as the pioneers and prospectors before them.
It all began in earnest at the beginning of that century, after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and the subsequent Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806). This 'Corp of Discovery' was launched to assess and take inventory of this 828,800 square mile tract of United States land newly acquired from France, most of which had not been documented (and also to keep foreign interests such as England from intruding by establishing an American presence upon it). One of the major tasks assigned to them was to record and classify what would prove to be an amazing array of animals previously unknown to science, which then President Thomas Jefferson had a passionate interest in.
The later arrivals were arguably just as impressed by both the creatures themselves and their shear, incredible numbers; the bison herds were especially impressive in the latter sense.
Unfortunately, while the waves of newcomers were indeed awed by these animals, these very same people were actively and rapidly depopulating the wildlife. Many of these populations, such as the bison, beaver and wolf, have never entirely recovered.
Yet these new emigrants were not the only ones to blame for this devastatingly severe reduction in the numbers of these species. In fact, the Native American Indians became involved and were also actively participating in the devastation. Many of 'The People', as they have commonly called themselves, had become increasingly dependent upon trade goods and thus more indebted to the traders; the latter reacted by demanding more pelts and hides from the former, in exchange for debt relief and items the Natives couldn't manufacture themselves nor acquire elsewhere.
Most people usually think of the Great Plains horse culture when they think of the indigenous people of the West. Yet, there are other cultural regions in the American West, each with it's own unique customs, languages, cosmologies, stories, ceremonies, and spiritual practices. Furthermore, within each region is a variety of groups, whose diverse customs were and are similar, but not exactly the same.
In the traditional beliefs and world-views of The People, the animals all around them have been perceived as being spiritually potent, each creature possessing their own unique and individual powers.
The region now known as the American Southwest is rich in both native fauna and the diverse habitats of this wildlife, in spite of the ecological destruction of the past and, unfortunately, also that which continues to some extent into the present. Despite popular opinion, this area is not merely barren desert, but includes a wide variety of different environments; even the deserts aren't the wasteland that people might believe them to be, differing greatly from each other in their diversity. There are, in fact, forests and other ecological zones in the great Southwest.
Interestingly, the largest Ponderosa Pine forest on earth, at over 3.9 million acres, is located in Arizona, the very state with an undeserved reputation of being absolutely nothing but cactus, sand and heat. This conifer forest is found in the North-Central part of the Grand Canyon State, along the base of the Mogollon Rim, which is the southern boundary of the130,000 square mile Colorado Plateau. Geologists say that the Rim was created by seismic uplift 600 million years ago, along with the forces of erosion.
The Ponderosa Pine habitat along the 200 mile long Rim stretches from the vicinity of Flagstaff in the west all the way to the White Mountains far to the east. Within these woods are forests within forests, including the increasingly rare riparian, or stream-side woodland, habitats. There is also the mixed forests of comparatively small Pinyon Pines and Juniper which encroach upon, and intermingle with, the giant evergreens. The predominate, great Ponderosa Pines can grow to an average height of 165 feet tall and four feet in diameter when fully mature. Immature Ponderosas are blackish, but the bark turns to more of a rust color once they reach maturity, which can be up to four inches thick.
Although the Southwest may not be entirely desert, this reputation is somewhat justified. The aforementioned state of Arizona is two-thirds desert, only a third of it comprised of other environments such as the forests described above. The Grand Canyon state itself is the only one in the country where four deserts converge: the Sonoran Desert in the south; the Mojave in the west; the Great Basin Desert in the northwest; and a portion of the Chihuahuan in the far southeast corner of the state, most of which is in present-day Mexico. But whether desert, conifer forests or streams, this all adds up to a great abundance of wildlife habitat, not only in Arizona, but all throughout the entire, immense Southwest.
The term 'animal' doesn't only include fur-bearing mammals, but is used to classify any living thing from an the tiniest insect to a fully mature, male Blue Whale. There are approximately an astounding two million animal species worldwide; Arizona alone has an estimated 900 different varieties of wildlife.
Animals are divided into two main groups. The first are the numerous invertebrates, which lack backbones, and would include anything from a worm to an insect. Vertebrates, then, are the group of animals that do possess spinal columns, any creature from fish to mammals. In total, there are estimated to be only 43,000 species of animals with backbones on the planet. This is a fraction of the life on earth when compared to the various types of invertebrates such as insects.
Mammals, such as bears and us humans, are what most people think of when they think of animals. These two terms are often used interchangeably. But while all mammals are animals, not every animal is necessarily a mammal, since there other types of animals ranging from insects to birds. Typically, mammals are fur-bearing, maintain a constant body temperature (a condition commonly known as being 'warm-blooded'), with the females giving live birth and producing milk for their young. This is unlike, if not the opposite of, other animal groups, such as reptiles for example.
One way to categorize mammals is by their different behaviors and habits. A very common behavioral trait among many mammals is nocturnal activity, meaning that they are primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, active at night. A nocturnal mammal usually depends more on their senses of smell and hearing than sight. These animals have adapted such acute senses not only because of the darkness, since many do actually have night-vision, but also because sounds and scents travel better on the cooler, damper nighttime air. Most mammals are nocturnal, including some of us humans, such as the majority of us living in a college town, for example...
Humans and a few other mammals are diurnal, meaning that they are primarily active during the daytime. These are a minority, however, and in the Southwest would include coyotes, squirrels and chipmunks, the majority of people with the exception of college students, and few if any others. Most birds, incidently, are diurnal too, with owls being the most notable exception.
A third type of behavior is crepuscular, a less well-known but common habit among mammals. This term simply means that the animal is most active at dawn and dusk, which is sensible because temperatures are usually more moderate and less extreme at these intermediate times of day. Many of the Southwestern High-Country wildlife demonstrates this behavior, such as elk, deer and even coyotes sometimes.
Although not an everyday year-round habit like those mentioned above, some mammals hibernate. This winter behavior isn't really sleep in the usual sense, but is more like a very deep sleep or stasis, almost like a coma state; most people are less familiar with the opposite term, 'estivation', a summer stasis practiced by creatures who bury themselves during the hot, dry months, such as the Sonoran Toad. The raccoon is said to be a partial hibernator, as is the first animal to be discussed here. Many assume this creature hibernates throughout the entire winter, but typically doesn't:
Black Bear, Ursus americanus:
'Black Bear' is only this animal's common name; Ursus americanus can be found in colors ranging from blonde to cinnamon to various shades of brown, as well as black. There is even said to be a white 'Black' Bear in Western Canada; this 'Spirit Bear' represents power and prestige to the Coast Salish people of the region.
Approximately five feet long, three feet high and up to 300 pounds or more, the crepuscular Black Bear is actually the smallest of the bears native to North America and the only one now found in the wild Southwest. These other bears include the much larger Grizzlies (up to 850 lbs.), Polar Bears (600 - 1,1,00 lbs.), and Kodiaks, or Alaskan Brown Bears (up to 1,500 lbs.)
Like the Black Bear, Grizzlies have been culturally significant to Native American Indians. The Nootka, or Nuu Chal Nulth, a Northwest Coast people of Vancouver Island, Canada, would personify this bear during their annual Winter Dance ceremony. The Grizzlies once occupied and competed for the same territory as the Black Bear, but Grizzly Bears have been eradicated from much of their former range. It is, significantly, a Grizzly that is depicted on the California State flag, a state where none of them roam in the wild anymore; this is also true of most other western states, with Montana and Alaska being notable exceptions. Black Bears, however, have adapted and survived.
Even at such a relatively large size when compared to many other animals, the Black Bear can run at speeds of up to thirty miles per hour. This is due in part to the fact that these bears are structured much like humans, since their hind limbs are longer than their front limbs, giving them extra torque. This also makes them excellent climbers and better at running uphill than down. Their one-and-a-half inch long claws also help with their climbing ability, not to mention making them rather dangerous. Remember: "If you're too close, it's too late!" Yet despite their dangerously long claws and fangs, these bears are, surprisingly, mostly vegetarian.
The males are known as 'boars' and females as 'sows'. Like some humans, male and female Black Bears only tolerate each other during breeding. Both sexes only partially hibernate, as previously mentioned and despite popular opinion to the contrary. They will spend about three months of the winter in their dens instead of the full six or more, living off of their own accumulated body fat during this time.
In the Athabascan language of the Southwestern Apache, the Black Bear is known as maba. Among American Indian cultures of the West in general, the Black Bear is traditionally believed to have healing powers, or spiritual 'Medicine'. This is probably because of the bear's alleged ability to know exactly which medicinal plants to eat when they are sick. The Zuni of New Mexico, for example, still carve stone figures popularly known as 'fetishes', said to actually possess something of the spirit and characteristics of the animals they depict. The bear is known to the Zuni as 'Clumsy Foot', the animal of the Blue West, whose fetish has been used to promote healing. Among certain Pueblo people, of whom the Zuni are one of many, bear paws would be used in curing rites. The Omaha and Pawnee people of the Plains were known to have had elite Bear Societies, with membership restricted only to those who had dreams and/or visions of bears. These members were not only warriors, but were also said to have been great healers, as one might expect of a group named after the bear.
The Pomo people still reside in the northern coastal region of California, and they were once tormented by 'Bear Doctors'. These individuals were said to be possessed by the spirit of the bear and would wear entire bearskins, complete with the head worn like a hood. Reportedly, they spent their time exhibiting a bear's worst behavior rather than healing others with their alleged powers. However, bear dances which are intended to heal are still performed, and the Ute people of Southwest Colorado have a social dance by this name. Bears are so revered, if not feared, that among certain Subarctic peoples, bear skulls were decorated to honor the powerful spirit of the bear, still said to be residing within it.
[If it seems that these peoples have been preoccupied with treating illness, perhaps it is because they were and for a valid reason. Originally The People of North America had only two domestic animals, namely the turkey and the dog; unlike the encroaching Caucasians, they had no immunity to the diseases which livestock transmit to humans such as chicken pox and swine flu. It is very likely that their emphasis on healing rituals was a post-contact development due to the spread of epidemics, which they contracted from Europeans and their descendants.]
In the Southwest, the bear paw is a symbol of good luck, which is why this design is found in so much Native artwork, such as jewelry and pottery. The reasoning might be that the Black Bear is said to always know where the water is; seeing their tracks may be considered lucky indeed in the arid Southwest, since it is probable that they could actually lead one to a scarce water source. This may very well be true, because these bears have an excellent sense of smell, which compensates for their apparent nearsightedness. They would be able to not only smell food, but also life-sustaining water, for quite some distance.
Tribal clans have been named after this bear; the Bear Clan still exists among the Hopi of Arizona and amongst other peoples, too.
Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus:
The 'Mule' Deer, or 'Muley' as the animal is sometimes called, has been given this particular name due to their extra long, mule, or donkey, -like ears; these can be up to nine inches long! They are a very common deer throughout the west, ranging throughout a wide variety of habitats, from deserts, to woodlands to high-country forests. Mule Deer will feed on a variety of diverse plant-life in these areas.
The Mule Deer are approximately six feet long, three and a half feet high and can weigh anywhere from 125 to 200 pounds. This makes them a mid-sized ungulate, or hoofed animal, much larger than the little Coues White-tailed Deer (only sixty-five to100 pounds), but a lot smaller than the Elk which can grow up to 1,200 pounds; both may be found in the same areas as Mule Deer. All of these animals grow antlers, which are shed or dropped annually, as opposed to horns, which are an attached part of the skull as with Bighorn Sheep, bison, or 'buffalo', and Pronghorn Antelope. Among Muleys, the antlers are shed in the winter.
[Pronghorn Antelope do shed the outer cover, or sheath, of their horns annually. Horns such as these are to be found in the material culture of The People: Antelope horns were sometimes used in the headdresses of the Southwest's Apache people; designs incorporating horns, found on items such as their shields, were said to provide power to the owner, since horns understandably represent strength; horns would also be used in Pueblo headdresses and masks, and deer antlers are also used in this same manner. The Pronghorn Antelope is, incidently, the fastest mammal in North America, reaching speeds of up to sixty miles per hour.]
Mule Deer are probably the most commonly sighted of the larger mammals of the American West. Visitors to the high-country are especially delighted by a deer sighting, as they are very beautiful animals (hunters are, of course, happy to get the deer in their sights...). Despite their docile appearance, however, deer are still wild animals and can be dangerous, especially when cornered; they will normally give a fair warning by spreading all four of their legs apart in a position known as 'stotting'. But, if you're too close, it's already too late.
Partly because they are so widespread, this species has been especially useful to American Indian peoples throughout the west, and not only for the meat: Leather could be used for clothing, of course, and other items including sports balls used in the popular game known as 'shinny'; the antlers could be made into a variety of different tools; the scapula, or shoulder blade bone, with serrated edges were used as effective plant cutting tools in the Southwest; tendons were used in the manufacture of bowstrings and to reinforce the bows themselves, and also as sinew twine for sewing; and even the brains were used for tanning the hides.
Various parts of the deer have been used not only for everyday utilitarian purposes, but also to manufacture ceremonial items. Dance rattles have been made by various groups by hanging bunches of dried deer toenails, or 'dew-claws', from the end of either a deer bone or a stick. Rattles made from hooves are common among the Pueblo groups. The Zuni and others have used bundles of deer scapula strung together and shaken as a sort of rattle during ceremonies, such as the Kachina, or katsina, dances. This is evidently a very old custom: Scapula with painted geometric designs were found at an archaeological cave site known as Cueva Pilote in northern Coahuila Mexico, apparently for the same purpose; occupation of the site has been dated from 1000 - 1400 A.D.. Among certain Paiute bands of the Great Basin, rattles would be made from two deer ears sewn together and filled with gravel, ready to use once they had dried into rawhide. The Navajo, or Dineh', and other groups of the Southwest such as the Hopi are known to make ceremonial masks from deer-hides. The Kiowa of the plains made deer tail charms known as tatonto. The Uncompagre Ute also utilized deer tails, but merely as one of several items used to decorate their babies' cradle-boards.
To the Hupa, Yurok, and the Karuk people further inland, where the southern Northwest Coast and California regions converge, deerskins have been both practically useful and spiritually symbolic. Unusually colored hides are displayed as status-symbols in annual Deerskin Dances, and very rare ones such as albino, or white-deerskins, are still considered especially prized and valuable to these people (Although part of the larger Northwest Coast culture, the Hupa of northern California traditionally speak an Athabascan language, which they have in common with both the Navajo/Dineh and Apache of the Southwest region; their Karuk and Yurok neighbors have Hokan and Algonquian languages, respectively). Deer dances are also held elsewhere, such as among the various Pueblo villages of the Southwest, like that of Taos and Acoma of New Mexico. Elsewhere in New Mexico, the people of Cochiti Pueblo maintain the yaphashi shrine, composed of a twin set of stone mountain lion effigies, where they leave offerings of deer antler.
Although very useful, the Mule Deer were never necessarily easy to kill. Because of this, the People have resorted to a variety of hunting strategies, including snares and other methods. Dead-fall traps can be created by camouflaging deep holes with branches, sticks and other debris. These were once commonly used in the eastern Mount Shasta region of the Far West; they were so common, in fact, that the name 'Pit River' was applied to both the predominate waterway and the Achumawi peoples of the area who created these traps. If hunting with bow and arrow, individuals might disguise themselves in entire hides including the head, sometimes complete with antlers. Also, various poisons might be added to arrowheads, made from everything from Black Widow or rattlesnake venom to rancid meat, which would reduce the speed of their shot but still fleeing prey.
The People would also seek spiritual aid in hunting Mule Deer. The Southwestern deer dances mentioned above, along with the accompanying songs, were originally intended as a prayer to the deer, asking them to offer their lives so that The People may have them for food (similar hunting rituals would have been done in other regions also). These dances are now performed, it seems, more to honor those deer that fed their ancestors than to attract the deer, although certainly some of these people still hunt for venison. The Zuni paint pottery with a deer motif that has a distinct 'heart-line', a red line running from the mouth to the heart and ending in a sort of arrowhead point (fetishes often have heart-lines, too). Sources say that the very act of painting these deer was once meant as a form of prayer itself. This was intended for good luck in hunting, possibly in the belief that the deer might be attracted to their own image; interestingly, research suggests that, in many cases, creating rock art may have been a similar act of prayer as well.
Elk, Cervus elaphus:
The Elk probably numbered somewhere about 10,000 individuals in what is now known as North America around the time Colombus landed toward the end of the fifteenth century; it is estimated that they are now ten times fewer in numbers, and there are only this many left due to conservation efforts.
Elk are, in a word, huge: males, or bulls, can weigh in at up to 1,200 pounds; females can weigh about 450 or more; a newborn calf weighs approximately thirty-five pounds, which is around the size of a full-grown raccoon. Despite their size, elk are fast, averaging thirty to forty miles per hour; they could conceivably outrun a Black Bear. The antlers of an adult bull can be up to five feet long with as many as six points, or spikes. Like deer and bison, elk are members of the ungulate, or hoofed, animal family, and like deer they have antlers which are shed annually instead of more permanent horns.
They can do some real damage with those antlers, and in unexpected ways, too. The antlers are used both for display and in ritual combat, but before that can occur, they must be polished during the autumn rut. Since antlers are shed, the vessels for growth are on the exterior, forming a fuzzy material known, appropriately enough, as 'velvet'. Small sapling trees are often used for rubbing off excess velvet and otherwise cleaning the antlers. This 'girds' the young trees and kills them, essentially disrupting the flow of nutrients due to the exposure of the inner layer. In the high-country, individual saplings and even entire little groves can be found dead, yet still standing, with their bark stripped, often around the whole circumference. Typically, only one part of the tree below the lower most branches is targeted for this vigorous rubbing, but even this select exposure is enough to kill the tree. As destructive as this seems, some of the conifer forest is overgrown and some thinning might be healthy for the ecosystem. But the dead fuel could conceivably create a fire hazard and possibly an insect infestation. Either way, it is notable that creatures other than humans can have an impact on the environment, even a detrimental one. In the forested high-country motorists must always be cautious and watch for the wildlife, which will appear in the road unexpectedly; this is particularly true of the massive elk. The cross-traffic often has four legs instead of four wheels, and can occur virtually anywhere along a mountain highway, intersecting roads or not. Furthermore, they are brownish animals with an even darker mane on their chests, which are crepuscular but often active at night. This makes even this huge and seemingly obvious animal very well camouflaged and extremely difficult to see. Once one is too close to them while behind the wheel, it can really be too late; the vehicle and passengers often suffer as much damage as the elk, if not more so, whenever there's a collision between them.
Elk have been very useful to American Indian people and continue to be a popular game animal still (A popular joke among reservation people of the Plains, such as the Lakota Sioux, is that they do not poach cattle but have been known to hunt down 'slow elk' instead). Their importance seems to be reflected by the large numbers of elk depicted as petroglyphs, or rock art carvings, throughout the Southwest. Obviously, these animals, like the comparably sized bison or 'buffalo' (at 800 - 2,000 lbs.), would provide people with a lot of meat and hides. However, elk have had other traditional uses also.
The elk antlers were especially useful. For example, peoples such as the Hupa, Karuk and Yurok traditionally had currency with a fixed value in the form of tusk-shaped dentalium shells, Dentalium (Antalis) Pretiosum. In fact, the peoples of California, and arguably the Northwest Coast, were the only ones in all of North America to have had real currency; the well known wampum beads, created from the eastern Quahog clam shell, originally had no true monetary worth. Eventually the value of the currency spread as far as the Dakotas. This particular species of the mollusk was almost exclusively found in Nuu Chal Nulth territory, the shells finding their way south through trade. Thus, they were considered suitably valuable to people like the Hupa due to their scarcity; a small boat was worth an arm's-length strand of these shells, which were strung on Iris fiber cord. But like anyone with money, they would need something to put it in. So, these people would create containers from hollowed elk antler, complete with a slot and removable lid in the top. These antler purses would usually be ornately decorated and some artisans continue to create them even today.
These same cultures used the antler in the manufacture of spoons, which were also ornate, a practice they had in common with coastal peoples farther to the north and also with the Arapaho of the Great Plains. This utensil was used for eating acorn soup by the Hupa and their neighbors. The Pomo Bear Doctors carried a decorated elk antler dagger as sign of their membership, which was manufactured from the tip. Also, the Utes would scrape a piece of elk antler across a notched stick, which was placed on an overturned basket and used as a rasp instrument known as a morache, played during their Bear Dance. Offerings of elk antler, to ensure success in hunting, were once left by the Blackfeet people of the Great Plains near the Yellowstone River; this eventually created a large pile resembling a pyramid.
Prehistoric elk had extra thick, muscular necks, partly to support the two huge ivory tusks which protruded from the upper lip for fighting, like those of the contemporary mammoths. Over time the elks' tusks were reduced in size and adapted more for browsing. These became known as 'ivories', which have been particularly important to the Great Plains cultures. Evidently, people in this area have valued them for centuries: Located along the Missouri River in North Dakota, the Fort Yates archaeological site has yielded elk ivory ornaments which are approximately 530 years old. At birth, Lakota boys would be given an elk tooth to promote longevity, since this is the last part of the animal's remains to decompose. The roots of these elk tusks were typically perforated for sewing and then they were used to profusely decorate the front of women's dresses, usually sewn on in row upon horizontal row. Since each elk only has two of these types of teeth they are relatively rare, so such a dress would be a real status symbol and the teeth would be quite valuable since they are so scarce. For example, a Crow, or Absoroka, groom would have to pay a bride-price of 300 ivories for his bride's wedding dress. Ivories were once such valuable trade items that the exchange rate was100 for one horse. These teeth are still popular jewelry pendents and are worn by some as a symbol of love, apparently because of the following attribute of the elk:
Among these Great Plains groups, not only the teeth, but the elk themselves have also been culturally and even spiritually significant. In autumn, the male bull's loud mating calls are frequently heard. This 'bugling' is audible from a great distance, attracting not one, but several females, or cows, forming what is known as a 'harem'. Young men of the prairies would want to access the spiritual Love Medicine power of the elk, to hopefully attract mates for themselves. They may have enlisted the assistance of a shaman, or 'Medicine Man', specializing in Elk Medicine. The image of the bull elk has frequently been depicted on pouches, shields and other Plains Indian items, evidently for this very reason.
In Lakota the elk is known as hehaka, but they are better known by a different American Indian word: Wapiti, another common name for the elk, is derived from the Shawnee language of the Eastern Woodlands, meaning, appropriately enough, 'White-rump'!
Next: Part II.), Smaller Mammals...
By Lee Littler Copyright, 2011
About the Author:
I developed an early interest in nature and have learned a lot about it, and it continues to be a major passion and part of my life. I have a passionate interest in Native American Indian cultures also, a subject of which I am quite knowledgeable, so much so that I can now honestly say that I have forgotten more than most people will ever know, partly because my knowledge is not limited to reading books or the classroom; I have been around these people off and on for about half of my life now, learning and experiencing their culture first-hand, attending many dances, pow-wows, ceremonials, and other events. I have both vocational and educational backgrounds in anthropology, archaeology, history, and natural history/biology, having worked as a Wilderness Patrolman for the Forest Service on the Angeles National Forest, a Park Aid with the California State Park's Mojave District, and an Interpretive Park Ranger at Mesa Verde in Colorado, America's premiere archaeological park, and I have completed field-study courses in Anthropology of the Southwest, Anthropology and History of the West, Natural History and a short-term course in Geology.
After you have been studying wildlife for a year or so, you will have built up your local general knowledge and may want to go deeper and specialise in one particular group of organisms. To do this, the best way is to join a national society and members there will be glad to help you. You may also be lucky and have a local society as well. This is ideal as you can share knowledge, ask for advice and go on field trips in your local area. However, this does depend on where you live.
There are a number of factors to consider when specialising. After your first year you will now which organisms appeal to you and you find interesting. It may be an easy choice for you. If not, here are some of my observations on what it is like being a naturalist in particular specialist areas. They apply to where I live in the UK.
Mammals
There is a national Mammal society and they have local groups that you can join. There aren't too many mammals in the UK and learning to identify them is fairly easy. The hard part is finding them and there is a greater emphasis on tracking and hunting skills than for other areas. However, those people who like mammals delight in their greater character and personality and you can learn much more about their life cycle and lifestyle than for other animals. Although some surveying is done, the main focus on mammal work is getting involved in conservation, habitat creation and protection of local animals.
Birds
Learning about birds is very easy in the UK. There are many local groups, with plenty of members and there are many reserves well organised by the RSPB and local wildlife trusts. Learning bird identification is fairly easy and there aren't too many birds to learn. You can also do it pretty much anywhere. A great feature of birding is that you're never quite sure what you will see on a field trip, they are full of surprises. On the downside, birds are so popular that it is difficult to make any new discoveries or see something that someone else hasn't seen already. There is the opportunity for survey work and this is always welcome, but if you want to make a really valuable contribution to local and national wildlife, I would suggest that the other areas are much more needy.
Butterflies
Many bird watchers, when wanting to expand their knowledge like to move on to other flying creatures, so butterflies are an obvious next step. Butterflies are also ideal for children and beginners. They are fairly easy to spot, there aren't too many to learn, there are some easy ones to identify and some trickier ones as well. The have a fascinating lifestyle and are always a delight to see. Studying them gives you a great insight into conservation and ecology. There are butterfly societies all round the country and you have a great opportunity to contribute to local and national knowledge.
Moths
From butterflies, moths are a logical next step. There are far more to learn and identification is more difficult. There are also many more micro-moths which are very challenging. Also, their nocturnal lifestyle means that you need to learn how to use light traps. However, surveying s always exciting as you are never sure what you will see and any survey work you do is welcome and makes a real contribution.
Other insects
Dragonflies are popular and are well known. You can buy good field guides for them and they are fascinating to study. However, you have to learn how to catch them in a net and some identification is tricky.
You an also learn about other insects such as grasshoppers & crickets; ants, bees & wasps; flies, bugs, aphids and beetles. Observation of these insects is rather different to birds, butterflies, flowers etc. where you can identify what you have seen in the field. Studying other insects usually involves trapping, collecting and killing them. The insects then have to be prepared for a microscope slide and many hours of study in your own home is needed to identify them. You also have to build up your own collection of samples for comparison. Field guides exist for some areas, but not others, and keys for identification can be hard to find. However, societies exist to provide help and support and you will certainly be able to make new discoveries and make a valuable contribution to local and national knowledge.
Flowers
Studying wild flowers is very rewarding as there are many different flowers to learn and you will always see a many of them on a walk in the countryside. Also, their bright colours and delicate beauty make them aesthetically pleasing and great subjects for photography. Learning identification is a bit daunting as there are 10 times as many plants to learn as birds. Also, some features are a lot more subtle and difficult to see than for birds or mammals, so it can take a long time to become proficient. However, being stationary, you can always go back to a plant you have seen and check it out later! There are enough botanists to cover the country, but more are always welcome and there are enough specialists and local societies to help you, though there is a bias in popularity towards south-east England.
Mosses and liverworts
Mosses are slightly more difficult to identify than flowers and aren't as obviously attractive, but have a certain charm of their own. There are enough bryologists around the country to provide field trips and give you support. A new field guide has also been produced which makes identification, and keeping up with current areas much easier than it used to be. You still need to collect samples, though and some microscope skills are required. One advantage of studying mosses and liverworts is that it can be done from late autumn to early spring, when there are few birds or flowers around, so it keeps you interested at a quiet time of the year.
Fungi
Fungi are absolutely fascinating and, like birds, you are never quite sure of what you will find on a field trip. You can also study them at a time of year (Autumn/early winter) when other wildlife isn't so abundant. There are thousands to learn, however, and identification is tricky. The lack of a good field guide for the UK is a definite downer. A key feature of studying fungi, mycology, is that the season is fairly short and you can get out of practice in the spring and summer months. Like studying insects, you go on a field trip to collect samples and although some can be identified in the field, a lot of work is one back at home. You definitely need good microscope skills as well as some preparation skills as well. There is something of a shortage of mycologists in the country and more are welcome. Any work you do will definitely make a contribution to local and national knowledge.
Lichens
There is a serious shortage of lichenologists in the UK at the moment. Again, it is the type of study where you collect samples in the field and take them home for further study. Some specialist skills are required for identification, but it learning about these organisms and their interesting lifestyles is fascinating. The Lichen society is the national organisation that will provide you with help and support.
At the Seaside
Many people go on a trip to the seaside when they are at school and you learn about the fascinating organisms that live there, such as sea anemones, crabs, sea shells and seaweed. Studying sea-life is fascinating and gives you the opportunity of studying organisms in very unusual and interesting orders, which have unusual lifestyles. There is no obvious national society for studying wildlife at the seaside and there is no definitive, in-depth, field guide available. However, joining a local wildlife trust will help you to learn where the best sites are and introduce you to local experts. Alternatively, you can go on a course run by the Field Studies Council and they will teach you some identification skills. Overall, though, this is an area that you learn in the field, from another person, rather than by reading books.
Summary
· Do you like to identify what you have seen straight away? Birds, butterflies, flowers and seaside animals are the best areas for this.
· Do you like to sit still and observe habits, characters and life-styles? Mammals and birds are good areas good for you.
· Do you like to learn about tracking and hunting? Again, mammals and birds are the best for this.
· Do you like to go on walks and record the wildlife that you see? Birds, flowers and butterflies are the best to study this way.
· Do you want to study an area where there are only a few organisms to learn? Mammals, butterflies, ferns, grasshoppers, bumble bees and seaweeds are some areas you could consider.
· Do you want to get involved in an area with thousands of organisms and new ones being discovered all the time? Fungi and many of the insect orders such as bees, flies, bugs and moths are recommended. For the ultimate challenge, you might want to consider parasitic wasps!
· Do you like to produce lists of all that you have seen and do survey work? Then flowers, insects and fungi fit in well with this practice.
· Do you like to collect samples and examine them at your leisure back at home, usually with a microscope? Then insects, mosses, fungi and lichens are studied this way.
I have given a brief overview of the different areas of wildlife, so I hope it has given you some ideas and pointed you in the right direction.
Michael Knaggs is a keen and enthusiastic naturalist from Yorkshire, England. He has been observing birds, butterflies and wild flowers since he was 12 years old. He is currently a member of the Wild Flower Society and the Bradford Botany Group.
Subscribe to this Feed by Email
