Envirothon- Louisiana Furbearers
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.