1 / 43

PA Mammalian Predators

The Eastern Coyote, also known as the brush wolf or coy-dog, is the largest wild canine in Pennsylvania. By the 1990s, populations rebounded after facing near extinction due to wolf bounties in the 1800s. Males weigh 45-55 lbs, while females range from 35-40 lbs. Their diet includes small mammals, deer, and birds, with occasional predation on livestock. As nocturnal and opportunistic hunters, they prefer heavy brush and edge habitats. In Pennsylvania, there is no closed season for hunting coyotes, regulated by the Game Commission.

roz
Télécharger la présentation

PA Mammalian Predators

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. PA Mammalian Predators

  2. Eastern Coyote • AKA brush wolf, prairie wolf, coy-dog • Largest wild canine in PA • During wolf bounties of 1800’s, many were turned in by mistake • By 1990 populations had rebounded

  3. Eastern Coyote: Identification • Larger than Western Coyote: may be due to hybridization with wolves • Males: 45-55 lbs. • Females: 35 to 40 pounds • Many different coat colors and patterns: tri-color (German shepherd-like), red, blonde and dark brown (appears black at a distance)

  4. IDENTIFICATION • Tri-color • RED

  5. Black Phase • BLONDE PHASE

  6. Eastern Coyote: Diet • Generalist: small mice, voles, deer, rabbits, wood chuck, birds, plant matter • Sometimes prey on domestic animals (sheep, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats)

  7. Eastern Coyote: General Biology • Monogamous, but not for life • May hunt alone or with family group, not a true pack animal like the wolf • Nocturnal • Smell and hearing are keen; very alert • Prefer heavy brush, edges • PA population estimated at 40,000

  8. PA Game Commission Bag Limits • COYOTES: No closed season. Unlimited. Outside of any big game season (deer, bear, elk and turkey), coyotes may be taken with a hunting license or a furtaker license, and without wearing orange. During any big game season, coyotes may be taken while lawfully hunting big game or with a furtakers license.

  9. Owl In an SUV grill http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/video/us/2013/02/11/dnt-owl-trapped-in-suv.wsvn

  10. Mustelid Family Predators • Examples: Mink, Otter, Fisher, Weasels • Others not in PA: Ferret, Badger, Wolverine LEAST WEASEL

  11. OTTER MINK

  12. FISHER

  13. WEASELS • Mustelid family • Strong musk odor • Found worldwide except Antarctica • 3 species in PA: ermine, long-tailed weasel, least weasel • Long, slim bodies, short legs, 5 clawed toes

  14. WEASELS • ERMINE

  15. WEASELS • Least Weasel

  16. WEASELS • Long tailed Weasel

  17. WEASELS: Diet • Consummate Predators: kill and consume wide varieties of prey (including animals larger than themselves) • Mice, voles, rats, shrews, snakes, birds, insects • Very fast metabolism for size: eat 1/3 body weight every 24 hrs. • Keen smell, sight, hearing

  18. WEASELS: Biology • Aggressive and quick • Secretive and wary=difficult to study in nature • Delayed implantation: • Mate in summer/fall • Fertilized egg implants in uterus in spring • WHY??? • 1.Assures litters arrive when prey is abundant • 2.Does not restrict mating to a short period

  19. FISHER • Size of a house cat 12lbs.-30 lbs. • Males 2 times heavier than females • Appear black from a distance, really cream underneath; tri-colored hair

  20. FISHER: Habitat • Climb trees very well: den in holes in the trees, rest in nests, pursue prey • Continuous forest areas

  21. FISHER: Biology • Low population densities and large home ranges: 30 square miles • Nocturnal • Produce 1 litter per year: 2 or 3 cubs • Born and raised in a tree cavity • Solitary and opportunistic predators: • Snowshoe hare and porcupine • RARELY EAT FISH!!

  22. FISHER: Population • Widely distributed prior to 1800’s • Timber cutting and unregulated trapping almost eliminated by 1900’s • Reintroduced to Catskills, WV, PA • 1994 PSU and Game Commission released in Allegheny National Forest

  23. BOBCAT • 36” long with a 6” tail • 15-35 lbs. • Grey brown fur, dark spots and bars • Neck and belly white • Ruff of fur on ears

  24. Bobcat: Habitat • Mountains, deep forest, swamp • Very elusive, prefer to stay away from people • Most common in North Central PA • In 2000 estimated pop. was 3500 adults • Very restricted hunting/trapping season

  25. PA Game Commission Bag Limits • BOBCAT (WMUs 2A, 2C, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4C, 4D and 4E): Jan. 15-Feb. 5. One bobcat per license year, but all licensed furtakers may obtain one permit.

  26. Bobcat Eye Adaptation • Nocturnal • Pupils: slit shaped, open wide

  27. Bobcat: Diet • Mice, wood rat, shrew, squirrel, chipmunk, bird, rabbit, hare, porcupine, mink, muskrat, fish, frog • Sick/injured deer: cover and save carcass

  28. Bobcat: Breeding • Males can travel up to 20 miles in a single night to find a female • Males play no part in raising young • Females guard litter; young often killed by males, owls, foxes • Mature bobcat has few enemies except man

  29. Bobcat: Hunting Adaptations • Sharp sight, smell and especially hearing • 4 large canines: pierce and hold • 5 retractable, hooked claws on front • 4 on rear

  30. Bobcat: Retractable Claws

  31. Red Fox: Appearance

  32. Gray Fox: Appearance

  33. Red Fox And Gray Fox • Canidae family (coyote, wolf, domestic dog, fox) • Gray only member of Canidae to climb trees

  34. Red Fox and Gray: Biology • Males: “dogs” Females: “vixen” • Young are born in dens underground • Both parents care for young • Do not hibernate but will use bushy tail to conserve heat in severe weather

  35. Red Fox and Gray: Biology • Swift runners, can swim • Nocturnal • Opportunistic predators: mice, rabbits, woodchucks, opossum, cats, chickens, squirrels, fruits, grasses • Bury uneaten food in ground

  36. Habitat • Red: prefers rolling farmland, woods, marshes and streams • Gray: heavy woods, rugged, mountains

  37. Exit Ticket…..To leave this room you must answer these questions…. • List one surprising new idea you learned about mammalian predators. • Name 2 weasels found in PA. • See #2. • What is the common characteristic shared by the Mustelid family? • Name 2 adaptations that help the canines locate prey.

More Related