As humans, we get the opportunity to share and coexist on this planet with some extraordinarily unique and diverse organisms. Of such organisms, the placental mammals are some of the most adaptable organisms on earth, residing in places as harsh as the Savannah Desert and the Arctic. Here in Minnesota, we have 75 species of mammals ranging from the large majestic Moose to the small and nimble Least Shrew. I got the opportunity to further research the Bobcat, in hopes of understanding their feeding behavior, reproductive patterns, seasonal movements, and communication interspecifically as well as intraspecifically. Bobcats belong to the order Carnivora, family Felidae and their scientific name is Lynx rufus. “Lynx in Latin means lamp, from …show more content…
Male bobcats with their large, muscular bodies have been seen to regularly kill deer, usually fawns or does in poor physical condition, although in some cases adult bucks have been taken as well. With that being said, when a severe winter occurs male bobcats tend to have a higher survival rate compared to female bobcats. Bobcats are extraordinary hunters, that stalk their prey with immense patience and stealth. “Like most wild felines, bobcats are not capable of extended chases, so they must get close to their prey, without being seen, before launching their attack” (Hansen 29). One in such adaptation that bobcats, as well as many other felines possess allowing them to diminish the gap between them and their prey is the,“webbed skin and fur between their toes” that help muffle sound as they stalk their prey (Hansen 33). Bobcats also have sharp retractile claws that are important for seizing and controlling prey so that the killing bite can be delivered. In reference to a bobcat’s teeth, they also have a distinguishing characteristic in that they lack a set of premolars, which gives them 28 teeth instead of the usual 30 found in other felines. Bobcats tend to primarily be solitary hunters, but on occasion females and their kittens will
Humans evolve from apelike ancestors approximately five million years ago. Most closely related to us are our non-human primates such as African great apes, chimpanzees and gorillas. Scientific studies reveal that more similar traits are being share by human and our non-human primates compared to other animals. As human evolve from our apelike ancestors, changes in our DNA differentiate ourselves from our non-human primate. Even though we evolve from our non-human ancestors and share similar anatomical structures and characteristics, we are unique in our own ways. We possess specific qualities and abilities that differ from other species. There is a substantial gap between non-human primate and fully developed human. Here we will discuss
There are many behaviors, once thought of as exclusively human, that are also shared by apes. McKie says, in the article “Chimps With Everything: Jane Goodall’s 50 Years in the Jungle” that was mentioned earlier, that Goodall discovered that apes are able to actually create and use tools. She continues that Goodall observed that a male ape “carefully took a twig, bent it, stripped it of its leaves, and finally stuck it into the nest. Then he began to spoon termites into his mouth.” This new information was shocking to the world. Goodall says that in school she learned that man was the only living thing that could make tools; that was what defined man. This new discovery has forced the scientific community to redefine what is man (McKie).
The world’s climate is changing, and the effects of it will not only affect the inhabitants and the planet, but also humans. Everyone usually only pays attention to the weather on a weekly or even a monthly basis. However, humans don’t pay attention to the changes that they are causing. Very few people actually accept that they are the ones who are causing it and that they are also the ones that can help with the issue. It is time to take action on this problem that will only continue to cause horrible consequences and the only way to do that is having humans change their ways. Even starting with the smallest way can have a dramatic change if everyone is doing it.
We looked first at the relationship between the wolf population and the moose population. From about 1960 to 1970, the wolf population remained fairly consistent at about 20 to 25 wolves. During this time, the moose population grew steadily from 500 to over 1200. The next 10 years saw a doubling of the wolf population to 50. This same 10 years saw a decrease of the moose population from over 1200 to over 800. Then in 1980 began a two year drastic decline in the moose population, which was brought down to 15. For the rest of the decade, the moose population remained quite low at numbers near 20. During the 1980s, the moose population doubled again from around 800 to
The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is a federally listed endangered subspecies that is restricted to the small area of Point Arena, in coastal Mendocino County, California (Zielinski, et al., 2013). (See Figure 1). The Point Arena mountain beaver is a dark brown, medium-sized burrowing rodent with small ears and eyes, and long whiskers and claws (National Park Service (NPS), n.d.). The subspecies is semi-fossorial, spending most of its five to six year lifespan in underground burrows (United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), 2011). The burrows are typically found on moist and steep north-facing slopes or in well-drained gullies; each burrow contains separate chambers for food storage, nesting, and excrement (NPS,
The observations of Common Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus) and Western Gorillas (Gorilla Gorillas) were made on 31th October, 2015 at the San Francisco Zoo where is located on 1 Zoo Road San Francisco, CA 9413. The observations has lasted about 3 hours, from 1:40 pm – 4:40 pm, and each primate has been observing for around 1 to 2 hours. Common Squirrel monkey is a small new
Never has a black panther been documented in North America. Adult males can reach a length of seven feet from their nose to the tip of their nose. On average, adult males are around 116 lbs and females weigh around 75 lbs. Kittens are usually grak with dark brown or blackish spots and five bands around their tail. As they get older, the spots will fade and almost completely go away at six months old. Their bright blue eyes slowly turn to the light brown straw color around the same time. A plan for genetic restoration and management of the Florida Panther was developed in september 1994. Where non-pregnant adult female texas pumas were released in areas of South Florida from March to July 1995. The introgression has decreased the rates of genetic defects of Florida Panthers. For Reproduction, most activity occurs from December to March with most births occurring between May and June. Primarily panthers hunt white-tailed deer and feral hogs for prey. Feral hogs are consumed more in the north, while white-tailed deer are consumed more in the
Bobcats mostly prey on rabbits because of their easy accessibility because they almost share the same habitats. In addition, they also feed on other rodents and have the capability of taking bigger prey such as small ungulates. In general they consume a wide range of prey, but lagomorphs and rodents take a large part of their diet. The selection of the prey they feed on is not only determined by the availability, but on densities and biomass. This is because when the lagomorphs are available together with rabbits, they would hunt rabbits more than other animals they can prey on. It is also good to note that bobcats are specialized foragers, meaning that they
On Friday, March 31, a observation study was conducted at the L.A. Zoo. The time of arrival for the observation was at 11:48 am and the end of the observation was at 2:42 pm. The weather condition at the zoo was very sunny with a mild gust of wind every so often, which is a perfect weather condition to conduct a study. The main reason for conducting this observation study was to study and gather information about the many different types of primate that are located at the zoo. To see how different or similar each primate is to one anotherin different aspects.
The Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth is approximately the size of a house cat, ranging from 45-60cm. Like all sloths it has long limbs and a small head for the size of its body. Sloths’ fur hangs ‘backwards’ compared to other mammals, lying from the stomach to their back. This enables the water to run off while it is in a tree. Sloths do not have visible toes but instead have long claws. In this species they have three claws on each foot, which enable them to hang from the branches of trees (2). The brown-throated Tree-toed Sloth can also be distinguished from other species by its brown fur and upturned mouth, giving the sloth a constant ‘smile’.
Bobcats aren't always as timid as they look, on the inside they have a fire burning to be a hunter. The way bobcats hunt is very interesting, they wait without moving for their prey to come out, then punches on them. The bobcats finishes the prey by delivering a fatal blow to the neck . Bobcats mostly hunt for midsize to small
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have historical significance throughout the state of Ohio. Ohio’s ancient civilizations relied heavily on white-tailed deer for food, tools, and clothing. Deer were attracted to the region because of the agricultural practices of Native Americans such as growing corn and the prevalence of hard mast . The population of white-tailed deer was healthy prior to European settlement, as predators such as the North American cougar (Puma concolor), eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus lycaon), and native americans kept the population under control. There are an estimated 500,000 white-tailed deer in Ohio, the species can be found in all 88 counties. Populations today are managed by a regulated hunting season. (Hulbert 1910) The objective of the study is to determine the age, sex, and distinguishing characteristics of white-tailed deer that are in both areas
Tracking devices and tags are placed on a lynx when it is captured. A female lynx will be studied closely to identify a den spot, so that kittens may also be tracked and monitored. Testing may also be done on kittens once the mother leaves the den to hunt. Tracking also monitors the movement of the lynx throughout their territory providing us with information on how long the territory is, the overlap with other predators and lynx. This may help in the study of populations seeing how much competition affects the canada lynx.
Killer whales are apex predators, lacking natural predators of their own, and inhabit all of the worlds oceans and most of our seas. They vary broadly in behavior, diet, and communication patterns. There are three main sympatric ecotypes of killer whales present in the Pacific Northwest, known as “resident”, “transient” and “offshore” killer whales. Of these, the resident whales of the Salish sea have been by far the most heavily studied. Their prey is salmon, chinook salmon in particular, and they hunt cooperatively. The resident pods are divided into “northern residents” and “southern residents”, the latter being comprized of three pods (J, K, and L). These three pods are well researched, as their markings and distinct calls make identification extraordinarily accessible to human scientists. Orca are distinct among mammals for the long post-reprodutive life of female orca, who provides extensive parental care even after menopause. Numerous studies have shown a clear correlation between the mother’s survival and the offsprings fitness. This paper will explore the matrilinal social structures of Puget Sound’s orcas to assess the evolutionary advantages to close mother-son relations. In particular, it will examine the difference in behavior of female and male offspring upon reaching sexual maturity, and relate this to similarities or differences in parental care output from male and
Human-animal interaction (HAI) is a concept that has been around since the beginning; ever since man knew what animals were. We have interacted in so many ways with animals - ranging from hunting as a resource to observing in the wild, and from holding in captivity as a means of labor to domesticating for companionship. Throughout these centuries of interactions, it's become abundantly clear as to what these encounters do for us as far as productivity/research/ entertainment/companionship, but it's never been completely clear as to what our presence and encounters do to them - more specifically, what does it do to them psychologically and behaviorally? The word interaction is key, and it's important to note what an interaction means: both individuals affect each other- “... both human and animal are active and reactive during an interaction, independent of who is the initiator” (Eddie A.M. Bokkers, 31). So, what does this mean for animal development? An animal’s psychological development (just like humans) is most influenced at a very young age, but behavioral development (though still very impressionable at a young age) can be influenced at virtually any point in their life. This, in regards to the influence of human interaction, means that it influences these two branches of development through positive and negative stimulants that allow a psychological learning adaptation to take place, prompting a behavioral action.