Cascadia Wildlife Blog
News from the Wolverine Tracking Project and more
snow falls on mt. hood The snow is fresh on Mt. Hood and the animals have been hard at work prepping for winter. Just like our animal friends, we have been busy wrapping up our summer season. We send a huge "Thank you!" to everyone that has volunteered with us this summer! With that, we are very excited to start Winter Tracking Surveys soon. Strap on some snowshoes and join us in looking for animal tracks and sign in the snow, our virtual trainings start this week! wildlife surveys We will be sharing lots of photos and videos brought back from several of our camera sites, as well as discussing a genetic sample found on a scat survey! We will also be highlighting some interesting behaviors and physical changes that animals will be undergoing with the change of season. A strong sense of smell We have had numerous detections of black bear at our camera sites this month. These animals can pick up on scents as far as a mile away! Many animals pass through our sites, so it makes sense that bears come to investigate and sniff around!    From top to bottom: A bear covered in debris poses with head low to the ground, investigating smells at our site. A different site has a bear smelling a log. An adorable cub rolls around near a large downed tree. leaving a scent Our volunteers have also brought back photos and signs of some canid species. These animals are highly social and often travel in groups! When seen at our cameras, however, we typically see them alone or in pairs. Canids also love to let other animals know where they've been! They will often mark roads, trails, and sites with urine or scat, and frequently rub or roll on the ground to leave their scent. This works out well for us, as it makes them easier to study!    From top to bottom: A coyote urinates near a tree while a second coyote stands facing the camera. The same two coyotes rub and roll around, leaving their scent at the site. A coyote sniffs around at a different location. In addition to the coyote detections at our camera sites, we had a volunteer that found a scat sample that likely belonged to a gray wolf! Canids like the coyotes above and gray wolves are facultative carnivores, which means that in addition to preferably eating prey animals, they will also eat berries, carrion, and whatever else they can find if necessary. This is sometimes evident in scat samples, as we may find plant matter in addition to things like hair or bone fragments from prey.  Scat sample that is likely from a gray wolf. The large size, cylindrical shape with tapered ends, and hair are notable for identification. We have another detection from an animal that is quite known for leaving its mark - the striped skunk! We have recently seen an uptick in detections of these animals, which is a pleasant surprise.  A striped skunk moves through a camera site, pausing to sniff at the base of a tree. secretive felines Next are some mountain lion and bobcat detections. Unlike the canids we talked about, members of the feline family tend to be more secretive. They are much more likely to mark under logs, rocky overhangs, or other areas that receive less traffic. They may also bury their scat, rather than leaving it on a trail like canids. Despite these differences, we will see felines display similar rubbing and rolling behaviors at our sites!     From top to bottom: A bobcat perches and stretches on a log at night. A bobcat lays in the center of one of our sites. A mountain lion rubs its face and body near a downed tree. A mountain lion approaches and smells a stump during the daytime, a more unusual sighting! Developing winter coats We also had detections of a few species that will be sporting winter coats that look quite different from what we have seen during the summer! Deer and elk develop thicker winter coats with long guard hairs that are more moisture-resistant. For deer, this coat is notably thicker and grayer than their summer coat. For elk, both males and females develop a two-layered coat that looks like a mane covering their necks.    From top to bottom: A female deer stands with her back to the camera. A larger buck stands near a camera at night. A male elk visits a site at night as well, thicker hair covering the neck is quite visible. We also detected a snowshoe hare, who will be developing a white winter coat soon! This will allow the animal to better blend in with the snow that is now on Mt. Hood, providing better camouflage from predators.  A snowshoe hare hops near a tree, then leaps away. Stashing food for the winter Next up are some members of the rodent family! We had many detections of Douglas squirrel, western gray squirrel, and chipmunk. These animals have been very active through fall, storing food to eat while they spend more time in their dens in winter. Douglas squirrels use a method called "larder hoarding," where they will create just a few very large caches of food. In contrast, western gray squirrels use "scatter hoarding," where they will have numerous caches that are smaller in size. Various chipmunk species will use either of these methods.    From top to bottom: A Douglas squirrel hops through the snow. A western gray squirrel stands quite close to one of our cameras. A chipmunk sits to the left of the camera. We had one more rodent detection, this time a more unusual species! The northern flying squirrel is active at night, so they are not as commonly seen. Unlike the rodents above, hoarding food behaviors are not well-documented for these animals. Maybe we'll find out how they prepare for winter soon!  A northern flying squirrel hops throughout the site during the night. feathered friends Finally, we have some bird detections to share as well!   From top to bottom: A Steller's jay sits on a stump. A small flock of turkeys pass through a site. That's it for this month's blog! Thank you to all of our volunteers for bringing back these photos and genetic samples, and thank you for reading!
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early fall wildlife camera detectionsFall is here! With the changing temperature, we also see changes in the grasses, plants, and trees of the forests as they make their seasonal shifts. Animals are affected as well and many adjust by switching to different foods or traveling to different locations. Some start making major preparations for winter, including storing large amounts of food and scouting out snug places to hibernate in. Some of these changes are evident on the latest photos back from our camera survey. Here we share the most interesting ones as summer has turned into autumn!  Western gray squirrels, like this one, have been frequent visitors to our camera sites. This one has found a large fire cone and is seen dragging it past the camera- maybe to find a more private place to eat or maybe to store it for the upcoming winter!  Here is an unusual sighting for us, a short-tailed weasel! Since they are so small, this is a zoomed in look at them. They are in the mustelid family, which includes Pacific marten, minks, river otters, and wolverines!  Take a look at this northern flying squirrel leaping across the forest floor! Although common, they are rarely seen since they are only active at night. As this one pauses for a second, you can see the distinctive fold of skin on their side, which they use to glide through the air. This is not true "flight" as their name implies, but still very unusual for a mammal!  Striped skunks made several visits recently to some of our sites. Always late in the evening or early in the morning, like this one. We don't know the reason for the increase in activity, but it is very interesting to see!  This charming critter stopped by for a perfect pose! Yellow-bellied marmots, also known as "rockchucks", typically live in rocky, high elevations like this one. They are the largest species in the squirrel family in this state, weighing up to 11 pounds- the size of the average house cat! They are also closely related to groundhogs. They are known for their long hibernation and a distinct high-pitched whistle alarm call, used to alert their kin when they sense danger which sends everyone scurrying back to safety of their burrows.  We also had a Sierra Nevada fox sighting! This subspecies of red fox has three genetically determined color phases: silver (which can appear black), "cross" (which is a combination of silver and red), and the more familiar red. This one's fur is mostly black in color with some silver guard hairs, giving it a "frosted" look!  On this day, a deer was seen munching away on a tidbit found right in front of the camera! Their diet will change now as the lush summer growth is over and they find other tasty things to browse.  Elk were seen, often just one or two, as seen here walking through the woods. They will likely start moving into different areas of the mountain as the season changes.  A large black bear comes through this site. There were so many great photos, we have more to share of them!  At another site, another adult black bear came by. This one helps show the incredible differences in color they can have (compare to the one above)! Black bears can be black, brown, cinnamon, blonde, blue-grey, and even white! About one quarter have white chest markings as well. Scientists think this variety likely helps them adapt to the different environments they live in.  There were also little bear sightings! This youngster plays around at the base of this tree where some old stumps are.  This final bear also appears to be a young, based on its size. It explores the area, even rolling around under the log before deciding to wander off to find more fun and adventure!  Last, but not remotely least, a mountain lion walks through! With a swish of its tail, it disappears into the night. We were thrilled to see this magnificent animal on the survey! We hope you enjoyed seeing some of the best animal detections from our recent camera photos. As this season winds down, we say good-bye to the warm weather and look forward to the coolness of fall. All the wildlife in the forests are feeling it too and we get glimpses into their lives with our cameras. We love sharing our findings, so please come back again next month for our end of the season report!
WOLVERINE TRACKING PROJECT FINDINGS Coyotes are frequently show up in our camera survey, and this month we want to feature this amazing animal! Native to North America, historically they used to live in the open plains and mostly arid regions in the west. Their range has since expanded into desert, forest, alpine, and even tropical areas due to their highly adaptable nature. Known by many names, they were once described as "prairie wolves" and were also called "song dogs", due to their impressive howling and vocalizations. There is nothing quite like the sound of pack of coyotes in the night!  This lone coyote pays a visit to this site in the woods. Coyotes have appeared at most of the camera survey locations this season, as they commonly have in past years. Highly social, coyotes pair bond with mates and form family packs, but can also be solitary. Success in hunting large prey, which can bring great rewards, depends upon cooperation within a group. Coyotes are primarily carnivores, eating prey both large and small of whatever food type is available in their habitat. They also eat a wide variety other food including berries, other fruit, grasses, grains, nuts and beans. Given the opportunity, they will also scavenge on kills from other predators like wolves and cougars.  A pair of coyotes is seen exploring around another camera site. They are likely a male and female that have formed a bond through mating and will stay together for the rest of their lives. Coyotes make a huge variety of sounds, which can be calls for alarm, greeting, or contact howls between individuals or groups. Their yips, growls, barks, yelps, huffs, whines, and well-known howls or "greeting song" are all important ways of communicating to each other within a pack and to others packs in the area.  Caught on camera licking their chops! Maybe they are thinking about the next delicious meal they will find. Coyotes are mesopredators, or mid-ranking predators, of the food web. Usually medium sized animals, other mesopredators in this region include bobcats, foxes, raccoons, and skunks. Apex predators, or top predators, are wolves and cougars, which outcompete these smaller species. Coyotes may visit an unguarded kill site from one of them, but they must be very careful careful about stealing food and skillful at getting away!  One travels through a field of lush springtime grass in a more open area of the mountain. Territorial behaviors are often seen on camera, from rubbing and rolling around on the ground, to urinating and defecating. Coyote scat is very commonly found on trails and roads in the forest. This sign they leave not only tells others of their kind they have been there, it can also be a warning to other animals as well.  These two are having quite a time rolling around in a scent was placed in the area! This is a normal part of their territory marking behavior. Their keen sense of smell is quite amazing! During denning season, coyotes may find an old burrow made by another animal, use a hollowed out tree stump, or dig their own in a choice location. Dens are only used to give birth and rear their young in and then are abandoned when the pups are old enough. If it proves to be a safe location, it may be used year after year by the same coyotes.  Sunshine lights up this coyote checking out something on the ground. They can travel up to 3-10 miles a day and their territory can vary from 0.15 to 24 square miles, which often depends on food abundance, number of den sites, and the presence of other species they compete with. Even though they are naturally diurnal, or active during the day, they are can also become more active at dusk and dawn or night, especially in urban areas in order to avoid people. In the forest, they may be active at night as well during different seasons in order to catch certain prey.  Some days, curiosity gets the best of you and you fall into a hole. Luckily, this one is typical of their kind- strong and adaptable- and they climb right back out! Coyotes never fail to inform and entertain us in the camera surveys. As the summer season starts to change into fall, we continue to eagerly await each set of photos to see what these animals are up to on Mt. Hood!
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