Wildlife Envirothon (copy)

Page 3: Identifying Mammal Skulls

  • Distinguishing features called Best Recognition Factors (BRF) help identify animal skulls

  • BRFs can determine the class (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore) and species of the skull

Page 5: Mammal Teeth

  • 4 main types of mammal teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, molars

  • Incisors: located at the front, used for cutting and shearing food

  • Canines: long and curved, used for piercing and tearing food

  • Premolars: flat biting surface, may have cusps, used for tearing and crushing food

  • Molars: flat biting surface, may have cusps, used for chewing, crushing, and grinding food

Page 6: Mammal Teeth (continued)

  • Carnivores (meat eaters): teeth designed for cutting, tearing, and piercing; small incisors; large sharp canines; premolars/molars used for shearing.

  • Herbivores (plant eaters): teeth designed for breaking down tough plant foods; wide incisors for stripping vegetative matter; small or absent canines; grazers premolars/molars very flat; browsing animals premolars/molars low, sharp cusps

  • Omnivores (meat and plant eaters): combination of herbivore and carnivore teeth; long sharp canines, not too long; premolars have sharp cusps; molars are squared off and bumpy.

Page 7: Carnivores

  • Carnivores have long canines for ripping and tearing meat

  • Sharp molars at the back of the mouth for further ripping and shredding

  • Binocular vision with eyes at the front of the head for depth perception

  • Examples of carnivores: otters and bobcats

Page 8: Herbivores

  • Herbivores have well-developed flat premolars and molars with sharp ridges

  • No canine teeth, large incisors for snipping off foliage

  • Eyes on the side of the head for a wider field of view

  • Examples of herbivores: rabbits, beaver, nutria, muskrat, white-tailed deer

Page 9: Omnivores

  • Omnivores have a variety of teeth

  • Eyes on the front of the head like carnivores

  • Examples of omnivores: black bear, raccoons, coyote, fox, opossums

Page 10: Mammal Nose and Eye Features Can Also Help To Identify Skull Species

  • The Rostrum: nasal area

    • Size is related to importance of smell

    • Herbivores generally have long noses

    • Noses of omnivores and carnivores vary

  • Eyes in the front, the animal hunts. Eyes on the side, the animal hides.

  • Orbit: part of skull surrounding the eyeball

    • Carnivores have large forward facing orbits allowing for binocular vision and depth perception

    • Herbivores have eyes on the side allowing sight in all directions (almost 180 degrees of vision per side)

    • Grazers (eat low lying vegetation) tend to have eyes high on the head to see above grass (ex. Cows)

    • Browsers (eat high growing plants) have eyes far back on the skull to avoid twigs and preserve vision when their noses are in brush (ex. Deer)

    • Omnivores tend to have orbits facing partially forward giving maintaining a wide field of view and decent depth perception

    • Animals that spend time in the water tend to have orbits high on the skull to the eyes above water

    • Nocturnal animals tend to have large eyes and orbits for increased night vision

Page 11: Louisiana Mammals to Recognize

  • Louisiana Black Bear

  • Feral Hog

  • Fox-Gray and Red

  • Coyote

  • Bobcat

  • (Virginia) Opossum

  • (American) Beaver

  • Nutria

  • Muskrat

  • (American) River Otter

  • (American) Mink

  • Raccoon

  • (Nine banded) Armadillo

Page 26: Louisiana Furbearers

  • Furbearer: an animal whose fur is valued commercially

  • The full coat of fur is made up of: Down hairs (underfur), Awn hairs, and Guard hairs

  • Down hairs (underfur): short, dense hair used for thermoregulation

  • Awn hairs: distal part of the hair is coarser and straight and can shed water; the proximal section is thinner and wavy and acts as a thermoregulatory. This type of hair often forms the bulk of the coat

  • Guard hairs: long, coarse, straight hairs. Outer layer with the most pigmentation and gloss. Protects the underfur and sheds water

  • Louisana has 12 furbearing species. 1 is invasive - the nutria.

Page 27: Bobcat

  • Bobcats live in various habitats, including heavy forests, swamps, bottomland hardwoods, and deserts

  • Males weigh 20 to 22 pounds, females weigh 18 to 19 pounds

Page 28: Coyote

  • Coyotes live in various habitats, including forests, farmlands, prairies swamps, mountains, and deserts

  • Males average 30 pounds, females 25 pounds

  • Coat color is generally mottled gray with a lighter belly

Page 29: Red Fox

  • Red foxes live in mixed wooded areas with ungrazed pastures, rice fields, and cane fields.

  • Adult weight is 8-14 pounds and the total length is 3-4 feet.

  • They have yellow eyes with elliptical pupils.

Page 30: Gray Fox

  • Gray foxes live in forests, deserts with brushy vegetation, and swampy areas.

  • They avoid grasslands and prairies.

  • Adult weight is 8-11 pounds and they are shorter and stockier than red foxes.

  • They have dark eyes with elliptical pupils.

Page 31: Mink

  • Mink live along ponds, canals, rivers, streams, lakes, and marshes.

  • Males can be 20 to 30 inches and weigh over three pounds.

  • Females are 1 ½ to 2 pounds and 16 to 21 inches.

Page 32: North American River Otter

  • Otters live near streams, lakes, and marshes.

  • They prefer isolated habitats.

  • Males can weigh up to 25 pounds; females generally weigh under 20.

Page 33: North American Raccoon

  • Raccoons hunt in and around water, but they can roam far from water.

  • They can often be found living in urban habitats.

  • The hind legs are longer than the front legs so that they have a hunched posture.

Page 34: Striped Skunk

  • Striped skunks prefer a mixture of woodlands and farmlands.

  • Skunks can spray their musk repeatedly when they feel threatened.

Page 35: North American Beaver

  • Beavers live near wooded rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, and backwaters.

  • Beavers have a humped back with a wide flat tail and webbed feet.

  • The average weight is 33 pounds.

Page 36: Muskrat

  • Muskrats live in coastal marshes, bayous, and lakes.

  • Muskrats build houses out of vegetation and mud and burrow into levees and stream banks to construct dens.

Page 37: Nutria

  • Nutrias live in swamps, marshes, rivers, lakes, streams, and backwaters.

  • Nutria are a non-native furbearer imported from South America.

  • They are considered an invasive species.

  • Nutria have mammary glands on the sides so that infants can nurse while the mother swims.

Page 38: Virginia Opossum

  • Opossums adapt to a variety of habitats: farmlands, prairies, swamps, and forests.

  • Opossums have more teeth than any other mammals.

  • They are the only marsupial in North America.

Page 41: Definitions

  • Environment: a physical location in time and space, small or large, stable or temporary, including both the physical conditions (Abiotic) and organisms (Biotic).

  • Abiotic: non-living components of an ecosystem (weather, soil, water).

  • Biotic: living components of an ecosystem (animals, plants, fungi).

  • Ecosystem: Biotic and abiotic components of an environment functioning together as a system.

Page 43: Definitions

  • Habitat: the place where a particular plant or animal is naturally found.

  • The animal’s physical needs determine where a species will exist. Habitats provide energy (in the form of food and water) and shelter

  • Animals are designed for or adapted to the habitats where they live. That is, they have developed bodies and behaviors to help them survive in their environment.

  • Adaptations help animals get food, protect themselves, and reproduce.

Page 44: Adaptations

  • Adaptations are genetically determined characteristics of an animal that help it to survive in its environment.

  • These characteristics fall into three main categories: body parts, body coverings, and behaviors.

  • Any or all of these types of adaptations play a critical role in the survival of an animal.

Page 46: Food Chains and Food Webs

  • A food chain is a possible path that energy and nutrients may take as they move through the ecosystem.

  • All food chains start with a producer (a plant), which is eventually eaten by a consumer.

  • A food web consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem.

Page 49: Biodiversity

  • Biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on earth.

  • It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems.

  • The more plant, insect, and animal species there are in one area, the greater the biodiversity and generally the healthier the ecosystem.

Page 51: The Endangered Species Act of 1973

  • The Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found.

  • The United States Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) enforces regulations pertaining to this act.

Page 53: Key Definitions

  • Endangered: Any species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

  • Threatened: Any species likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

  • Conserve: Use of all methods and procedures necessary to bring any endangered or threatened species to the point at which the measures provided under the Act are no longer necessary.

  • Keystone species: A species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.

Page 54: What Causes Animals to Become Endangered?

  • Loss of Habitat: The most significant cause of endangered animals is habitat loss.

  • Invasive Species: Introduced species generally outcompete native species for resources.

  • Overexploitation of Resources: Human actions that directly cause a decline in a species population.

  • Pathogens and Disease: Native populations have little resistance to the invading pathogen introduced into their environment by invasive species or humans.

  • Environmental Pollution: Addition of pollutants and toxins into a habitat that negatively affect a species.

Page 56:

  • Whooping Cranes are one of the world's most endangered crane species

    • Estimated 700 individuals in the world

    • Only occur naturally in North America

  • Louisiana's project to reestablish a population of whooping cranes

    • Started in 2011

    • Currently has 71 cranes

  • Historical habitat of whooping cranes in Louisiana

    • Cajun Prairie grasslands

  • Current habitat of whooping cranes in Louisiana

    • Rice and crawfish fields

  • Issue with awareness and identification of whooping cranes in Louisiana

    • Residents struggle to identify the crane compared to other egret species

Page 57:

  • Several species of birds resemble whooping cranes

    • Snow Goose is the only species that can be shot during hunting season

  • Importance of knowing the target before shooting

  • Photo of various bird species resembling whooping cranes

Page 59:

  • Whooping Crane is North America's tallest bird

    • Height: 5 feet

    • Weight: 5-7 kg (11-17 lbs)

    • Wingspan: ~7-8 ft

Page 60:

  • List of other endangered species in Louisiana

    • Red Cockaded Woodpecker

    • Western Manatee

    • All sea turtle species

    • Louisiana Pine Snake

    • Abbeville Red Iris

    • Gulf Sturgeon

Page 61:

  • Louisiana's success in recovering threatened or endangered species

    • Examples: Brown Pelican, Louisiana Black Bear, Bald Eagle, American Alligator

Page 63:

  • Invasive species: An introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and negatively alters its new environment.

  • Examples of terrestrial invasive species in Louisiana

    • Feral hog

    • Imported Red fire ant

    • Asian tiger mosquito

    • Nutria

Page 65:

  • Saltwater invasive species

    • Beware of asian tiger prawn, and lionfish

  • Freshwater invasive species

    • Beware ofnorthern Snakehead, rio grande cichlid, and apple snail

Page 66:

  • Aquatic invasive plants

    • Beware of water hyacinth, giant salvinia, water lettuce, and alligator weed

Page 67: Aquatic Invasive Plants Can Cause Serious Environmental and Economical Harm

  • Various control methods have been used to combat the spread of invasive plant species

    • Chemical control methods have pros and cons

      • Quick treatment, but costly and can have negative impacts on native plants and animals

    • Biological control methods can alter fish habitat and limit the growth of invasive plants

      • Species-specific insects can be effective, but may take several years to show results

    • Mechanical control methods, such as drawdowns, can be cheap and effective but restrict boating access

  • Prevention is the best and most cost-effective way to control the impacts of invasive species

    • Inspect your boat, trailer, and equipment before leaving a waterbody

    • Remove any visible plants, animals, or mud

    • Remove unwanted bait from your boat or bucket and discard in trash, not water

    • Drain water from your boat, motor, live well, and bilge before leaving a waterbody

    • Rinse and dry your boat, trailer, and fishing equipment before going to another waterbody

    • Learn to identify aquatic nuisance species and report any new infestations to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Page 68: Managing For Wildlife

  • A wildlife management plan describes short-term objectives and long-term goals for habitat, wildlife populations, and people

  • All species need food, cover, space, and water, so a wildlife management plan must address these needs

  • Wildlife management considers ecological principles such as carrying capacity, which is the maximum population size that can be sustained by the environment

Page 70: Common wildlife management practices

  • Hunting, trapping, selective cutting of trees, fires and selective burning, and food plots are common wildlife management practices

  • Conservation easements, wildlife refuges, creating snags, and controlling invasive plants are also important management practices

  • The specific practices applied depend on the species or habitat type being managed for

  • Washing feet and fish nets can help prevent the spread of invasive species like Salvinia and Water Hyacinth

Page 72: Getting assistance for wildlife management

  • Property owners can contact different agencies for assistance, such as the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) or the USFWS

  • LDWF specializes in assisting with game and nongame species management

  • USFWS helps protect and recover