The Canada lynx is a medium-sized cat with a fluffy facial hair, black ear tufts, large padded feet, and a short, black-tipped tail (Banfield 1974; Quinn and Parker 1987). Lynx show mild sexual dimorphism in size, males (averaging 80-90 cm long and 9-10.5 kg in weight) being 13-25% larger than females (76-84 cm long and 8-9 kg). In the north, lynx are found among the trees in Alaska, Yukon, and mainland Northwest Territories (NWT). Lynx are abundantly widespread in the North and the lynx harvest is a critical source of income for many of the northern residents. Recently, lynx have provided the principle source of income for northern trappers (Slough et al. 1987). Snowshoe hares are the primary source of diet of lynch in North America. Other …show more content…
Differences in diets of lynx by age and sex class haven’t been reported yet. Due to their heavy dependence on hares for food, morphological adaptations to hunting hares (Murray and Boutin 1991), lynx are usually considered hare specialists. They hunt by either stalking and rushing at their prey, or ambushing them from “ambush beds” which they make near the trails of prey (Murray et al. 1995; O’Donoghue et al. 1998a). The costs and benefits of ambushing rather than talking prey likely depend on prey abundance and behavior as well as the physiological state of the predator (Davies 1997; Formanowicz and Brandley 1987). Ambushing prey when prey availability is low may be more energetically efficient for them than actively searching for them (O’Donoghue et al. 1998a). While typically solitary, lynx regularly hunt in family groups, headed by the mother. Families usually spread out while hunting hares in good habitat, and hares flushed by one animal are often killed by another (Saunders 1963a; Parker 1981; Mowat and Slough 1998; O’Donoghue et al. 1998a). This behavior increases the foraging efficiency of family groups. Lynx occupy forests of North America (McCort and Cardoaz 1982; Quinn and Parker …show more content…
Conflict among individuals is rare in lynx (Pool 1995; Mowat and Slough 1998). When aggressive lynx-lynx encounters do occur, the result is usually cannibalism. This typically happens when there is a food shortage (Poole 1994; O’Donoghue et al. 1995; Mowat and Slough 1998). Lynx home range sizes vary. Home ranges can shift and abandonment can happen (Breitenmoser et al. 1993b). Ward and Krebs (1985) suggested lynx home range size canged with hare abundance. Generally, male and female home ranges overlap completely while within-sex overlap is uncommon (Poole 1995). Female kittens sometimes establish home ranges within those of their mothers (Kesterson 1988; Breitenmoser et al. 1993b; Slough and Mowat 1996). Kesterson (1988) found that three female kittens remained in or near their natal ranges during the entire study period. Adult females may retain amicable contact with their female offspring throughout their life. The research on the persistence of female bonds is important for lynx conservation. Canada lynx breed through March and April (Quinn and Parker 1987). Gestation is about 70 days (Crowe 1985; Quinn and Parker
The sabertooth cat, also known by its scientific name Smilodon Fatalis, is considered a true form fossil. A fossil is considered a true form fossil when scientists recover fossils of the actual animal or animal part. These bones were oftentimes subjected to physical processes while still on the surface. These processes include heat, cold, wind and rain.
Mutualistic relationships occur between eagles and farmers when farmers begin to plant crops in their fields. When crops are planted, prey are attracted to the field to eat. Bald eagles will surround fields to prepare to eat the prey that come in. The eagle will eat the prey that are coming into the field benefiting it by providing energy to the bird, and the farmer benefits because his crops are protected and have the ability to
At one time, the lynx lived all the way along the Continental Divide clear up into Canada. Now, after being gone from Colorado for 25 years, the animal has been reintroduced into the lower tip of the lynx's historic habitat, the San Juan Mountains (Rogers). So far, out of 33 lynx that are being tracked, all of them are roaming in 276 square kilometers of the southwestern portion of Colorado that runs from the New Mexico border up to the I-70 corridor and from Monarch Pass over to Taylor Mesa (Shenk). In an attempt to find out how the animals, which look like bobcats with black tufts on their ears and huge paws, act in nature, scientists are tracking them with radio collars and airplanes (Lloyd).
Isle Royal is located fifty-six miles north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. It is the largest wilderness area in Michigan (USNPS, 2014). The island is surrounded by Lake Superior, which creates a cooler temperature. This results in arctic plant species growth on the island. There are only eighteen mammal species present on the island because most mammals cannot make the trip across the frozen great lake (USNPS, 2014). The need for an ice bridge is not the only environmental factor that is stopping the migration of animals; there is also the severe cold, and also wind and fog (Vucetich, 2012). Some species such as caribou and coyote have found the island to be too intense and have gone extinct (Vucetich, 2012). Due to the harsh weather and isolation of the island, humans have never regularly lived on the island (Vucetich, 2012). Some of species that are present such as the red squirrel are becoming their own subspecies due to its separation from the mainland (USNPS, 2014). The isolation of Isle Royal is what makes it a great place to conduct research, it has very low human interaction and the species that are on the island will have been and continue to be isolated from the mainland.
the food intake rate of the forager decreases with the time spent in the foraging patch (Charnov 1974). Fig. 2: The Fig. 2: The Fig. 3: The Fig.
Deborah L. Duffy, Yuying Hsu, James A. Serpell ,Applied Animal Behavior Science - 1 December 2008 (Vol. 114, Issue 3, Pages 441-460, DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.04.006)
Hypotheses of the Effects of Wolf Predation Abstract: This paper discusses four hypotheses to explain the effects of wolf predation on prey populations of large ungulates. The four proposed hypotheses examined are the predation limiting hypothesis, the predation regulating hypothesis, the predator pit hypothesis, and the stable limit cycle hypothesis. There is much research literature that discusses how these hypotheses can be used to interpret various data sets obtained from field studies. It was concluded that the predation limiting hypothesis fit most study cases, but that more research is necessary to account for multiple predator - multiple prey relationships. The effects of predation can have an enormous impact on the ecological organization and structure of communities.
California condor, the largest flying bird in North America area, is now defined as endangered species. The term endangered species refer to species threatened with extinction by changes in its environment. The condor as scavengers, no matter how dangerous they may sound, are the essential member of our ecosystem (Verner, 1978).
All animals employ a vast array of behaviors that contribute to their ability to find resources, increase their chances of utilizing them efficiently, and therefore increase their overall fitness. One of the behaviors observed extensively throughout the animal kingdom to accomplish these tasks is aggression. Agonist conflict and aggressive behavior occurs both between species and within species. Curiously, within-species agonism is common in many animals because it can manipulate social hierarchies which can affect the distribution of resources within a population (Moore 2007 and Wofford 2013). Evaluating agonistic behavior is therefore a valuable means by which to examine expenditure of energy for resources (Moore 2007 and Wofford 2013).
Coyotes and bears are a common sight in the woods. These animals, along with others, are predators that help to control deer population but also decrease the amount of land allowed to the deer. In Western NC, deer rates have fallen and bag limits have been reduced. In Pennsylvania, biologists have conducted a lengthy study to determine fawn mortality and predation. Predators killed 46% of fawns, (Hart). A study about coyotes in Ohio found that even though they kill numerous fawns, the population of deer continues to grow, (Hart). It would be critical to maintain...
It all started when that land bridge between Canada and Western Europe still existed. African wildcats slowly migrated to the west along with other small wildcats like the Eastern European wildcat and many others. Over time they were domesticated by the natives and slowly lost their need for their hunting adaptations since they were constantly fed by their owners. Over the thousands of years wildcats slowly just became today's modern domestic cat, but they still retain some of their traits from over the years.
1These two populations are different species because they have different capabilities of performing in nature. For example there is behavioral isolation. My evidence for that is that in the data, it states that the average time spent in courtship display for the St. Kitts rodent is 12.6 seconds. While the courtship display for the Nevis Rodent is 21.3. You can see that there is a major difference in the way that they behave. Also there is another type of isolation which is gametic isolation. There is gametic isolation because the average gestation time for St. Kitts rodent is 29.3 days. The average gestation for the Nevis rodent is 42.7 days. Therefore a sperm from St. Kitts rodent wouldn’t survive in the reproductive tract of the Nevis rodent. It wouldn’t survive because it wouldn’t develop properly and is not accustomed to its environment. There is also another type of isolation happening with the rodents of St. Kitts. This type of isolation is called temporal isolation. There is temporal isolation because the article states, “the reproductive seasons are being delayed by up to one year.” This is talking about that the rodents are having a hard time finding mates therefore, their reproductive season is being delayed. Also in the article it states, “In the 240 attempts to bring a Nevis animal into the St. Kitts population, you are unable to observe a single successful reproductive event.” The rodents are mechanically isolated, because if you can’t have a reproductive event, there reproductive organs might not be matching with one another. Their appearance might look identical but they are genetically different.
What its eating habits are: Like all members of the cat family, tigers are carnivores. The Siberian tiger hunts a wide range of prey, including small mammals, deer, water buffalo, wild pigs, and birds. Tigers ambush their prey, often camouflaging themselves and observing their intended victims for long periods of time. Siberian tigers are strong animals, able to tackle large animals almost twice their size, and render the victim helpless by inflicting a series of deadly bites into the animal's spine or throat. This semi-nocturnal animals covers 6-12 miles each night in search of food.
Sikes, Roberts. and William L. Gannon. "Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research." Journal of Mammalogy 92.1 (Feb. 2011): 235-253. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.