MUSKRAT - Ondatra zibethicus

25. May 2009 by admin.

 

The muskrat is found throughout North America, except Florida which is most unusual because the habitat of Florida is favorable for their existence. They were introduced in Europe in 1905 and now inhabit much of Eurasia, Scandinavia, Russia and China.

Adult muskrats average 2 to 3 pounds, average 16-25 inches in length, have a long tail that is not furred but flattened laterally, and webbed hind feet. It is a good swimmer with a thick waterproof underlayer of fur and a glossy fur overlayer. During the height of the fur industry millions of muskrats were harvested each year by trappers.

The muskrat was the subject for my graduate thesis entitled The Environmental Effects of Clear and Acid Mine Water on Muskrat Pelt Quality. The problem was to learn what affects, if any, the acid mine streams of Pennsylvania had on the pelt quality of the muskrat. I trapped and compared specifics for 997 animals. The short answer is yes the pelts of muskrats harvested from acid mine streams were of less quality, but not because of the sulphur and low pH of the acid mine streams. The acid mine streams contained more water than the freshwater streams in the area due to pumping of water out of the coal mines. Muskrats preferred deeper water as it provided them more escape habitat from their natural predators of the mink, fox and some hawks. The muskrat population on the acid mine streams was larger than found on the fresh water streams which put added pressure on the available foods. Therefore, muskrats harvested from acid mine streams were generally smaller and their pelts graded lower in value.

Muskrats are prolific breeders and breed year around in the Southern United States where vegetation is continuously available. Breeding is initiated in winter when ponds and streams become free of ice. Gestation is 28-30 days, and females can mate again immediately after giving birth. However, litters are usually one, two or three a year.

Louisiana muskrats may produce 5 to 6 litters a year. Females can breed as early as 6-8 weeks of age and do so in the Southern states. Litter size varies from 3-9 with larger litters found mostly in the northern populations. The young are weaned at 3-4 weeks though they remain in their parent’s home dens much longer. Mortality ranges from 19-68% of all age classes.

Muskrats have extremely flexible habitat requirements. They must have permanent water and protection for their young. Some muskrats construct floating lodges similar to the beaver, but most dig dens into the banks of ponds and streams that have underwater entrances and several escape exits on the dry upper bank. Muskrats will occupy saline; fresh or acid mine water of marshes, sloughs, lakes, ditches, streams and rivers.

The fur of the muskrat has been used to make coats and hats, and is still extensively used as a dubbing by fly tiers.

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STRIPED SKUNK - Mephitis mephitis

28. January 2009 by admin.

Probably everyone in North and South America is familiar with the skunk. The skunk, still another member of the Mustelidae Family in our natural history group, ranges throughout the New World. Within the two continents there are three genera and thirteen species, but this article will only discuss the Striped Skunk; the critter you are most familiar with that is found from southern Canada to northern Mexico. An interesting fact is the Fox Indians of what is now the state of Illinois, called a place on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan “Shee-gawk” which means “place of the skunk”. We know that place today as Chicago.

Mephitis, the genus name, is the Latin word for bad odor. The musky glands of the skunk contain sulfuric acid, a yellow colored, extremely potent defensive tool. If you, or your dog have ever been sprayed by a skunk you know exactly how effective and lasting it can be. Most biologists believe the highly visible and distinctive black and white stripes of the striped skunk serve as a warning to all others of this powerfully scented animal. However, most animals and humans smell the skunk before they see them. Both males and females look alike, but males tend to be approximately 10-15% larger. Their weights range from four to ten pounds. Skunks breed once a year, and usually mate between mid February and mid April though this varies from the extreme northern to southern latitudes. Males are polygamous and usually mate with several females. Like other members of the Mustelidae Family, delayed implantation is suspected because gestation (the period from fertilization to birth) varies from 59-77 days in observed studies, and birth occurs from May to June with some as late as July. Litter size is typically from one to nine. The young are born blind and their eyes open in two to four weeks. They weigh an average of one ounce, cannot hear for approximately 23 days, and can discharge musk in 28 days. Young are nursed for six to seven weeks and gradually introduced to hunt by their mother during night forays. Youngsters will begin to disperse by September

You may be surprised to learn that frontier trappers, early pioneers and the American Indians used the skunk as a food source and for medicine. Great horned owls do not have a good sense of smell, and are not bothered by the strong musk of the skunk. In one study in 1971, the remains of 57 skunks were found below the nest of a great horned owl. They, along with dogs, coyotes, foxes and bobcats will kill skunks. Many of the lures used by trappers contain a small quantity of skunk musk as an attractant and carrier for the formulated trapping scent used to lure other animals to their traps.

In captivity skunks live approximately ten years, but in the wild the average is closer to three years due to predators, and they are subject to disease such as tularemia, brucellosis, distemper, rabies, and even pneumonia. They are also subject to parasites including fleas, ticks, mites, and various micro parasitic organisms. A number are hit by cars or collected by trappers though trapping has declined in the past decade.

There is no ideal habitat that skunks prefer, although more and more of them are appearing in developed areas as they are drawn there by the availability of garbage cans and the refuse of civilization. I have seen a number of skunks during my jogs through town before dawn in Cody, Wyoming. Skunks are typically found in a variety of habitats, but prefer open, or forest edge areas and agricultural lands. Skunks are omnivorous (an animal that eats both animal and vegetable matter). They consume all sorts of insects, fruits, eggs, snakes, frogs, mice or carrion. Skunks and weasels are well known as potential chicken house raiders, and they can affect the populations of ground nesters such as the ruffed grouse, pheasant and turtles.

Skunks are non-aggressive. They do not defend their home range against other skunks, and usually flee or appear to ignore humans. However, when pursued they will face their intruder, stomp the ground with their front feet, raise their tail, arch their back and shuffle backward. If the intruder persists, they will spray, and adult males often choose to spray more quickly than females. The behavior of standing and walking on their forefeet is more likely to occur with the spotted skunk, but the striped skunk has been observed performing this behavior as well. If the skunk you encounter hasn’t sprayed prior to standing on its forefeet, you can expect it to occur soon after it does rise up on its front legs.

Striped skunks are not hibernators, but remain in their dens for extended periods during much of the winter. They emerge from the den during milder days to search for food. From November to March in the colder northern latitudes, they can lose up to 50% of their body weight.

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Theodore Roosevelt

1. January 2009 by admin.

. 26th. President, Vice-president, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Police Commissioner, Governor, naturalist, historian, explorer, soldier, author, rancher, hunter, and the Father of Conservation.

I became aware of the TR’s many contributions to conservation during a course I studied on wildlife management offered by Oklahoma State University in 1956, through the United States Armed Forces Institute. Later, from 1968-1970, I worked at Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park (now Theodore Roosevelt National Park) in the western North Dakota Badlands as a law enforcement/resource management ranger.

TR was born on October 27, 1858 at 28 East 20th. St. in New York City. In 1865, at the age of 6, he watched Lincoln’s funeral procession with a childhood friend, Edith Kermit Carow, from his grandfather’s house on Union Square in New York. This future president graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1880, and entered Columbia Law School. However, he discontinued his study of law in 1882 and did not become a lawyer. In the same year he entered Columbia, he married Alice Hathaway Lee of Massachusetts. In November of 1881, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, and became the Minority Leader of the Republican Party in 1883. He left the Assembly in 1884.

While he was an undergraduate at Harvard, he began his first book, The Naval War of 1812, which was published in 1882. His book was required reading at the Naval Academy in Annapolis for many years. The year his first book was published he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in New York’s National Guard, and promoted to Captain in 1883.

Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Medora, North Dakota on the Northern Pacific Railway, in September 1883, to do some “buffalo hunting.” At the time of his arrival he was described by the station agent as “…a frail dude looking like he could die at any time.” TR was slight of stature and in his childhood suffered from asthma. He wore thick glasses, and when he stepped off the train, he wore a derby hat and three piece suit. He was labeled by those he first met as a “dude” as soon as he arrived in North Dakota. Unknown, of course, to the station agent, and others, was the fact that through the efforts of TR’s father this slight figure of a man had overcome his asthma, was an accomplished boxer, swimmer and athlete.

Medora in 1883, known locally then as “Little Misery,” consisted of thirteen saloons, the Pyramid Park Hotel, and shacks along the Little Missouri River. The inhabitants were principally raucous cowboys who, when liquored up, celebrated by shooting their sidearm’s with regularity. Teddy’s first night was spent in one of the hotel’s large upper floor rooms filled with snoring drunken cowboys who were oblivious to gunfire in the street below. 1883 Medora was a haven for mule skinners, buffalo hunters, beaver trappers, freighters and others with a past that were better left unknown.

The next day TR inquired of the hotel manager as to where he might hire a guide and some horses to go buffalo hunting. The hotel manger couldn’t imagine this frail eastern dude hunting buffalo, and replied, ”I rekon what you want more is in the sight seeing line. I rekon we can scare up a buckboard and take you to see the Burning Mine, Cedar Canyon an th’—“ Roosevelt’s eyes flashed, and he snapped, “I said I want to go buffalo hunting.”

TR proved his mettle on that hunt and went on to establish two cattle ranches, the Maltese Cross and the Elkhorn, near the little Missouri where he spent considerable time over the next several years. During his time in the Badlands he became an accomplished hard riding cowboy, and served as a deputy to the Billings County Sheriff. His health improved remarkably and his energy, gritty attitude, and can do philosophy and behavior won over the rugged western residents. Upon his return to his duties in New York, friends noted he had the “color and strength of a hickory nut.”

The future president wrote numerous times how he admired the unique landscape features and colors of the Little Missouri countryside in western North Dakota. I would add here that I also greatly enjoyed and admired North Dakota and the people when I arrived there in September 1968 from Yellowstone National Park. Though the park was then classified as a National Memorial Park in 1968, the abundance and diversity of wildlife abounded on this mid-grass prairie. I was charged with writing the first National Park Service Resource Management Plan in 1969, and perhaps those findings provided some evidence for the re-designation of the park nine years later in 1978.

On February 12, 1884, Roosevelt’s first and only child born by his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt was delivered in his home on 57th. Street, NYC. Two days later, TR’s mother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt died of typhoid fever in the same house, and his wife, Alice, died the same day of Bright’s disease, a chronic kidney disease, that was masked by her pregnancy. In a letter to a friend TR wrote, “It was a grim and evil fate, but I never believed it did any good to flinch or yield for any blow, nor does it lighten the blow to cease from working.” In March, TR contracted for construction in Oyster Bay, Long Island NY, of his famous home known as Sagamore Hill. Named in honor of the Indian Chief, Sagamore Mohannis.

After the death of his wife and mother, TR returned to the wild west of North Dakota and threw himself intensely into the life and work of a ranchman and cowboy from 1884-1886. During this time he published another book, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman. In December 1886, he married his childhood friend Edith Kermit Carow in London. They eventually had five children who were quite successful and famous for their own accomplishments.

Parents and good parenting makes a difference. TR’s first child, Alice was one of the most outspoken women of the century. Theodore Jr. had a brilliant military career reaching the rank of Brigadier general, and he won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic exploits during World War II. Kermit served as a Captain in the British Army and saw combat in the Near East. He later transferred to the United States Army during World War I, and was medically discharged. He resumed active duty in 1942 as a Major in Intelligence and served in Alaska where he died in poor health in 1943. Ethel married Dr. Richard Derby in 1913. Dr. Derby served as a surgeon during World War I, and Ethel worked with the Red Cross. Archibald entered World War I as a Captain where he was wounded. He also served during the Second World War in the South Pacific and was discharged with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and numerous decorations. Quentin was somewhat of a mechanical genius and served as a fighter pilot in World War I. He was shot down in 1918, and the Germans buried him with full military honors.

TR was disgusted with the corruption in New York politics and worked as a state assemblyman for the passage of the New York State Civil Service Act of 1883, the first state civil service act in the nation. His efforts in this work thrust him into the national limelight as he challenged the corruption in New York politics and President Benjamin Harrison appointed TR as U.S. Civil Service Commissioner in 1889. He resigned the Civil Service Commission in 1895 to become President of the Board of Police Commissioners in New York City. TR’s reputation grew considerably with his concern and attention to work habits and training of police officers. The press diligently covered his reforms and “midnight excursions” in search of policemen not at their posts. He required that all policemen undergo regular target practice, and established one of the first Police Academies in the nation.

In 1897, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by President William Mckinley. Here he was instrumental in building a strong naval force, and agitated for war with Spain because of their barbaric treatment of the people of Cuba. When war broke out, he resigned his appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1898 and formed the Rough Riders, the 1st. U.S. Cavalry Regiment, and secured a rank as Lt. Colonel. During the battle in Cuba, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

One of his remarks after his widely acclaimed military success in Cuba was “…..I would rather have led that charge and earned my colonelcy than served three terms in the U.S. Senate. It makes me feel as though I could now leave something to my children which will serve as an apology for my having existed.”

TR’s broad experience and recent military success led to his nomination by the Republican Party for Governor of New York State in the fall of 1898. He won the election and was sworn in as Governor in December. (Note: The winters of 1897 and 1898 were exceptionally cold. Thousands of cattle were lost on the open ranges of the west. In TR’s inaugural message he spoke about taxation, commerce, labor, the National Guard, roads, civil service, the Erie Canal, state forests and the economy. However, the brass instruments of the band escorting him to the State Capitol building were frozen solid and silenced.)

Theodore Roosevelt was a prolific writer throughout his life publishing many books on a wide assortment of topics. After his first publications mentioned above, he went on to write and publish Life of Gouverneur Morris, Ranch Life and The Hunting Trail, and Essays in Practical Politics in 1888. He then wrote the first two volumes of The Winning of the West in 1889, History of New York in 1891 and The Wilderness Hunter in 1893. In 1895, he wrote Hero Tales from American History, and American Ideals in 1897. Following his experience in Cuba and his military leadership and bravery at San Juan Hill, for which he was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor, but did not receive the award due to “bad politics and good press” (the people loved him, but Washington did not); he published The Rough Riders in 1899. The military unit of the Rough Riders formed by Roosevelt included mostly cowboys, Indians, and Ivy League athletes. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Clinton in January 2001. TR is the only President of the United States to receive both the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded in 1906 for his efforts in ending the Russo-Japanese War in 1905

Due to his many commitments and offices held, it wasn’t until 1910 when he published African Game Trails. This was followed in 1912 with Realizable Ideals. In 1913, he published Theodore Roosevelt – An Autobiography, and History as Literature and Other Essays. This was followed in 1914 with his publication Through the Brazilian Wilderness, and Life Histories of African Game Animals. Then America and the World War in 1915. Not one to set still, TR wrote A Booklover’s Holidays in the Open, and Fear God and Take Your Own Part in 1916. This was followed with Foes of Our Own Household in 1917 and the last book before his death The Great Adventure in 1918.

In 1900, TR was nominated for and ran as William McKinley’s Vice-President. President Mckinley was shot while attending the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY, on September 6, 1901. Upon his death, TR at age 42, became the 26th President of the United States on September 14, 1901. It was during this term and his next term as the elected President that he did so much for the conservation of America’s natural resources that he is listed in many textbooks and references today as The Father of Conservation. His accomplishments were:

1902 – Establishment of Crater Lake National Park, OR, and the Newlands Reclamation Act leading to 21 federal irrigation projects.
1903 – Established the Departments of Commerce and Labor
1903 – Proclaimed Pelican Island, FL, as the first federal bird reservation. During his time in office 51 bird reservations were established by his administration.
1903 – Signed a Treaty with Panama for the building of the Panama Canal, which was completed in 1914.
1903 – Wind Cave National Park, SD
1905 – Establishment of the National Forest Service.
1905 – Wichita Forest, OK, made the nation’s first Game Preserve.
1906 – Platt National Park, OK, and Mesa Verde National Park, CO
1906 – Establishment of 18 National Monuments.
1906 – Signed the Pure Foods and Drug Act and the federal meat inspection law.
1908 – Grand Canyon, AZ, federal Game Preserve.
1908 – Held the first conference of Governors at the White House to consider problems of conservation.
1908 – Appointed a National Conservation Commission to prepare the first inventory of America’s natural resource.
1909 – Fire Island, AK, and the National Bison Range, MT, Game Preserves.
1909 – Convened at the White House the first North American Conservation Conference.

On October 14, 1912, TR was shot in the chest by a would be assassin while campaigning as a third party candidate of the Bull Moose Party. His party’s name is most appropriate as he went on to deliver a 90 minute speech at the Milwaukee Auditorium before seeking medical attention. The bullet was never removed. TR came in second to Woodrow Wilson in the election of that year. Former President Taft was a distant third.

Theodore Roosevelt died in his sleep of a coronary embolism in his home at Sagamore Hill on January 6, 1919, at age 60.

Sources:

“Teddy,” The Saga of the Badlands, by Z’dena Trinka, Centennial Edition, International Book Publishers. Lidgerwood, North Dakota, 1958

Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park library and files, Medora, North Dakota

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Fisher - Martes pennanti

8. December 2008 by admin.

Still another member of the Family Mustelidae, this carnivore is rarely seen because their primary activity is late in the day, during the night and early morning. The fisher requires the deep forest of coniferous trees though it also inhabits mixed forests of both deciduous and coniferous trees.

Some biologists recognize three sub-species of fisher. M. p. pennanti in eastern and central North America, M. p. Columbiana in the central and northwest America, and M. p. pacifica in the far west of the North American continent. However, others have questioned the classification of three sub-species because the pelage (body hair) and skull characteristics were more similar than different.

Fishers have a long slender body, a heavily furred tail that is about one-third of the body length, a pointed face, rounded ears and short legs similar to other members of the Weasel Family. Fur color is black, but on the head and shoulders it may be grizzled with gold or silver for the males. Fishers are the largest members of the genus Martes and recent DNA research indicates it is polyphyletic meaning “of many races,” allying it and the Pine Marten, (M. Americana) with the genera Gulo (wolverine) and Eira (an arboreal mustelid) of Central and South America. Male fishers average almost twice the weight of females. One of the largest was captured in Maine and weighed 20 pounds.

Both fishers and martens are excellent tree climbers. Both can rotate their hind limbs to permit a headfirst descent of trees. Though the fisher is an excellent tree climber, it kills most of its food on the ground, and commonly hunts shrews, squirrels, voles, chipmunks, muskrat, raccoons, rabbits or snowshoe hares. The fisher kills by biting through the neck of its victim. They are one of the few predators that hunt porcupines by attacking the face of the porcupine, which is one of two areas unprotected by quills. Once killed, they feed on the porcupine through the underbelly. Fishers are opportunistic and will feed on carrion as well as fruits, nuts or berries.

Females are sexually active at one year old, whereas males do not breed until they are two years old. Fishers breed usually from late March to early April though there may be some variation based on studies of animals in captivity. Like other Mustelids, the early stage of the embryo remains in the female’s uterus and does not immediately attach to the uterine wall. It may not attach for ten months or more though once attached the young are born in the following March or April. Litter size averages 2.8 young for those born in captivity. The young are about 1.4 ounces, born blind, barely furred and helpless, and remain in the maternal den for 8 to 10 weeks. Their eyes open in approximately 33 days. Dens are typically high in an old woodpecker hole of a large tree. The Kits are mobile after 8 weeks and may be moved to a den on or below ground. The young can take solid food in 62 days, but continue to nurse for more than 100 days, and do not learn to kill prey effectively for approximately 125 days. Within 5 months the young are nearly the length of the adults. The young remain with the female until late summer or early fall then disperse to live a solitary life. Males may range as far as 10 miles, but females range perhaps 6 miles or less. However, one study reported a fisher traveling 60 miles in three days. In suitable habitat, studies have shown the population density of one fisher every 1.5-2.9 miles.

Great Horned owls, fox, hawks, bobcats, and bears might prey upon young fishers, but because of the adult fisher’s size, strength and agility they have few enemies that can catch and kill the adults other than humans who have trapped them for the fur market.

Fishers and beaver were trapped hard from the late 1600’s through the height of the fur trade in the mid 1800’s, and again in the early 1900’s, and contributed significantly to creating America’s first multi- millionaire (though he never set a trap), John Jacob Astor, a wealthy fur trader, real estate owner and seller of opium. It is reported that one fisher pelt sold for enough money in the early 1900’s to supply three men enough food for the entire trapping season, and the Ontario Fur Trader’s Association reported during the 1986 sale listing top value fisher pelts sold for $450.

Pennsylvania Game Commission released 189 fisher in the northern counties of the state in the late 1990’s. I photographed a fisher’s track in Cambria County, which is in the southwestern part of the state in 2006. Fishers have also been reintroduced in Massachusetts, New York, and West Virginia.

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PIT VIPERS IN AMERICA

29. August 2008 by admin.

Even those who have lived in America’s metropolitan areas all their life are aware of, or know something about poisonous snakes. As of this writing there are thirty-one recognized species and seventy sub-species of rattlesnakes that are currently classified. In the United States, Arizona holds the record for the most diverse number of rattlesnakes in the lower forty-eight states. The literature reports seventeen different rattlesnakes are known to exist in Arizona. Other than the mountain peaks above 11,000 feet in California and 9,000 feet in other parts of the lower forty eight states, the only areas of America where you are unlikely to find a rattlesnake are northern and eastern Maine, northeastern Wisconsin, upper Michigan, northern Minnesota, northeastern North Dakota, the north west coastal area of Oregon and western Washington. I have spent considerable time in the northern and central Adirondacks of New York and the only snake I saw there was a Ribbon Garter. If rattlesnakes exist in the Adirondacks, the population must be quite low.

This article will discuss a few of the more common poisonous snakes you might encounter in various regions of the United States, and provide some information about each of them.

Rattlesnakes, Copperheads and Cottonmouth snakes are venomous pit vipers which have a heat sensitive pit on either side of the head that is larger than their nostrils. Their young are born alive. They have a triangular head and vertical pupils. A few researchers have tried to classify the aggressiveness of various species, and there are measured differences in the toxicity within the numerous species and subspecies. But, there are many possible variables if you are bitten by any of the poisonous snakes. The poison of some species is more toxic than others. The size, and therefore, the quantity of poison delivered would be a factor. Perhaps the snake utilized its poison prior to your being bitten, and the quantity of toxin you receive might be less. Some “bites” can be delivered without the snake opening its mouth, and no poison is injected. The best advice is to treat every bite as potentially dangerous.

Perhaps the most dangerous rattlesnake in North America is the Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), because more people are bitten by this snake than all other poisonous snakes combined in the United States. The primary reason for this is the population density of diamondback rattlers is significant, and it inhabits a large area of America’s southwest. It is prevalent in most of Mexico, large areas of Arizona, New Mexico, most of Texas, southern Kansas and southern Colorado, and western Oklahoma. The Western Diamondback can reach a length of eighty-nine inches, and weigh as much as fifteen pounds. It is almost as large as our country’s largest rattlesnake, the Eastern Diamondback (C. adamanteus), and size is important as it relates to the amount of poison that could be delivered in a bite. However, ounce for ounce, the Western Diamondback’s venom is more potent than the Eastern Diamondback’s.

Timber rattlesnakes (C. horridus horridus) are common in the state where I grew up and attended school in Pennsylvania. In certain areas of the state the population is quite high especially from the southwest Alleghany Mountains through the north central and western areas of the state to the counties along the northern border. Likewise, there are areas of Pennsylvania where the population is exceptionally low or completely displaced due to development, agriculture displacement and other limiting conditions. The Timber rattlesnake can be as large as six feet in length, but the average size varies from three to four and half feet for adults. This short tempered snake’s bite causes rapid swelling, a large bruise and hemorrhaging in the area of the bite. Fatal bites are possible from Timber rattlesnakes without proper medical attention. The largest I have measured was fifty-four inches. Though I have never been bitten by a venomous snake, I had two close calls in “Penn’s Woods” with Timber rattlesnakes, and one from a Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen). This pit viper inhabits much of Pennsylvania, and is of the same Genus as the Cottonmouth, which does not inhabit the state, but is found to the south in the coastal plains of Virginia and throughout many of the southern states.

Where I now live in north western Wyoming and during my time in western North Dakota, I have only encountered Crotalus viridis viridis, the Prairie rattlesnake, a sage colored pit viper (viridus is Latin for “green”), which rarely reaches 5 feet in length. The majority range from two to three and half feet in length. The Prairie rattlesnake’s poison is composed mostly of myotoxin, which rapidly destroys muscle cells and causes paralysis. The toxin is designed to incapacitate small prey quickly so it does not escape. The Prairie rattlesnake is not to be trifled with as its venom is unusually potent and rivals that of the Timber rattlesnake in spite of its small size.

There are four subspecies of Copperheads in the United States. The Northern copperhead (A, contortrix mokasen), which has been identified in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Central Illinois, south to the higher elevations in Mississippi, and northern Georgia, and west to the Mississippi River. The Osage copperhead (A. contortrix contortrix) occurs west of the Mississippi River, in extreme southeastern Iowa, northern and central Missouri into extreme southeastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, and extreme northeastern Oklahoma. The Southern copperhead inhabits the lower Mississippi Valley to southern Illinois and in the southern Coastal Plain from extreme southeastern Virginia to Texas though it is not in Florida. The Broad-banded copperhead inhabits the Great Plains to central Texas.

Most rattlesnakes are readily identified by the rattle on their tail. Pit vipers are born alive, and rattlesnakes are born with a rounded pre-button on their tail. Young poisonous snakes are equipped to deliver a poisonous bite at birth. Research has shown that the small amount of toxin a baby Prairie rattlesnake can deliver is three times more potent than that of the adult. The number of rattles are not related to the age of the snake, but are related to the number of times the snake sheds its skin each year. The frequency of shedding of the skin depends on how much the snake eats and is growing, and in most instances they shed from two to four times a year.

I have no personal experience with the Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus “fish eater”), and that is just a matter of dumb luck, because I could have had a bad experience with this nocturnal snake when I went swimming alone at night in a swamp pond in South Carolina after enduring the heat and humidity of hiking an especially hot July day in a wooded South Carolina swamp. It was one of the many fun things you do in Boot Camp. Some of the advantageous of youth are being young, dumb and the belief you are immune or invincible. Luckily for me most of those traits didn’t carry over to my advanced years. The Cottonmouth length can go to four feet, but the record length is slightly over six feet. It is our largest pit viper without a rattle. This snake often displays its white “cotton colored” mouth to warn off intruders. Interestingly, young Cottonmouth’s coloration closely resembles that of the Copperhead. Speaking of coloration during a herpetology exam I came across three specimens of snakes that were distinctly different colors. All had the classic hour glass-shaped markings of a Copperhead, however the predominant color of one specimen was brown, another was almost orange or pink, and the third was extremely dark, almost black. But, all the specimens had a keeled scale. That is, a center ridge on each scale near the anal plate rather than a smooth scale without the ridge. That signifies the specimen is a poisonous snake, and without a rattle, it had to be the only non-rattle poisonous snake found in Pennsylvania; the Copperhead. The point the professor was driving home was “do not depend on color alone.” All three different colored specimens were A. contortrix mokasen, the Northern Copperhead.

All the pit vipers are poisonous. As for the few discussed here the Western diamondback is likely the most toxic of America’s rattlesnakes, the Eastern diamondback next principally because of its size and the potential amount of venom it could deliver, the Prairie rattlesnake and the Timber rattlesnake would rank third. However, studies indicate that toxicity is highly variable even among snakes of the same species.

On average there are approximately 7,000 people that suffer a poisonous snake bite each year. Forty-four percent of those bites occurred accidently, but fifty-five percent of the bites resulted from the victim’s handling the snakes. Approximately 0.2 % of all snakebite victims die each year, and most of those received no medical attention.

You could encounter many different types of rattlesnakes than the few listed here. Your chances are high for that to occur if you live or hike extensively in Arizona.

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America’s Energy Crisis: Further Ranger Comments

19. July 2008 by admin.

Most of America’s energy problems that we are facing today, which will be far worse during the next decade even if Congress somehow started serving the people instead of their own personal interests and/or naïve and misinformed understanding; are historically and directly traceable to both parties in Congress, and the lack of United State’s presidential leadership since 1973.

As I write this, consider the fact that the latest Rasmussen Poll reports that 9% of Americans believe Congress is doing a good or excellent job. That means 91% of Americans believe our Congressional Representatives are doing a poor or lousy job! Somehow though most Americans believe their Congressional Representative is doing a good job, and it is the rest of the members that are doing a lousy job. I know that because upwards of 90% of the incumbents are re-elected regularly, yet the Rasmussen Poll infers that most of the incumbents should be voted out of office. Without term limits, which we will never see, because Congress has to approve that option; a nationwide eviction of incumbents would send a strong message to those that replaced the current losers that do not have the best interest of the country at heart.

Chuck Norris recently wrote a piece offering another suggestion, which he believes will force Congress to be more attentive to representing the will of people, upholding the Constitution and Bill of Rights, promoting less government, fighting for fewer taxes, balancing the budget, securing our borders, and reducing our national deficit, debts and dependence on other nations. In his “Honey, I Shrunk the Congress” article he suggests that we have too many representatives. Mr. Norris proposes that fewer representatives would prevent incompetence because the individual members couldn’t put the blame for their behavior on other members of Congress, which we have been witnessing for decades. Norris contends that it is much wiser to have only one representative from each state and two senators from each state. That leaves the members no place to hide. Each state’s constituents would know exactly where their elected officials stand on any discussion. The Constitution states that “The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand people.” So, fewer members are possible, and it would save a lot of money in the process.

While I like this suggestion, it has a major flaw. The one elected representative would obviously be in that position due to a majority vote by the voting citizens, and minority opinions on any topic would get less attention from the successfully elected member. While the one elected official would represent the majority opinion vote, he/she might not consider a minority opinion within his/her state because it does not represent the opinion of the voters who elected him/her to the office.

The truth of the matter concerning our energy crisis is our elected officials squandered the past three decades ignoring our future energy needs, as well as the social security crisis, and uncontrolled borders permeated by illegal alien entries, as they haggled over party beliefs and responded to lobbyist influences that would enhance their re-election opportunities. Years of mismanagement requires drastic, expensive measures to save social security, though there is little movement in Congress to solve the problem. There are millions of illegal aliens in the country that are the primary source of economic disaster to the taxpayers primarily within the Border States, and the federal budget as well. And, we have no alternative holistic energy plan that would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As T. Boone Pickens said, our expenditures for foreign oil “…is the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of the world.” And, that wealth is primarily going to the enemies of America; autocrats that want us dead.

We cannot drill our way back to low priced gasoline and diesel fuel, but we better get started at drilling more domestic sources if we are going to have a chance to remain economically viable five or more years from now.

Even if America’s oil companies had the blessing of Congress to drill the coastal waters, ANWR, and the profitable inland resources; that oil would sell on the world market for whatever price is dictated by the supply and what the buying countries are willing to pay. More available oil would likely bring down the world speculative price, but what you consider “inexpensive” fuel is gone forever, because oil/gas are finite resources. Eventually, it will be gone in the Mid East, and wherever else it exists around the world.

It is estimated that there are two trillion barrels of oil, 1,000 feet underground, and locked up in the oil shale of the Green River Basin of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, but the technology for profitable extraction is still under development. However, the suitability, cost, technology for extraction, environmental, socioeconomic and land use policy issues have to be addressed by Congress. Given Congressional performance to date, that could take decades, if it occurs at all.

Estimates are there might be 402 billion barrels of oil accessible to American drillers if all the moratoriums were lifted. That is a finite quantity. At present, there is no liquid fuel that can replace oil. It behooves Congress and the American people to utilize what is available far more wisely than we have in the past, while the government pursues all avenues of funding and scientific research to reduce our dependence on oil. That includes nuclear, solar, wind, tidal, coal, gas, batteries, hydrogen, and as yet unknown energy sources, with the same tenacity and commitment that was exhibited during the “Manhattan Project.” It is imperative for the future transportation of products, supplies and citizens that development of rail transportation throughout America be considered. It is possible to move a significant quantity of freight by rail less expensively than by any other means. The price of delivering food and business and industrial supplies by trucks in the future will be a major cause for dramatically escalating prices and/or availability as gasoline and diesel prices continue to go higher and higher. Nearly 70% of the oil we use every day is consumed by our automobiles. We are a nation of individual drivers and road travelers. The economy, environmental concerns and safety of this country demanded all these considerations 34 years ago, and we are running out of time.

Congress has ignored the needs of the nation to survive. Further proof of an inept Congress not concerned with the needs of the nation was the massive subsidies recently granted to farmers to produce ethanol on land that once produced food. That guarantees higher food prices, while Congress insists on high tariffs to prevent the importation of cheaper ethanol. Congress continues to bicker and position themselves with their lobbyists for their next election totally oblivious to America’s future. Individual Congressmen and women are doing what they believe their constituents desire, and responding to the lobbyists that will support them financially for their next election, but by ignoring the national impacts of those selfish decisions; they are driving up costs to consumers and placing the country on track for our future to be the equivalent of a Third World Nation.

THE FUTURE

Throughout America there are tens of thousands, if not millions of citizens, living on little more than Social Security, or as single parents. They are, and/or will be, severely impacted by the rising cost of food, services and energy needs to heat their homes and operate their automobile. Within the northern tier of the United States most homes require and average of 500 gallons of oil or some fuel equivalent to maintain a comfortable winter temperature in the home. This coming winter of 2008/2009 the cost to heat their home will be approximately double what it was last winter. All food prices have risen due to transportation costs, and will rise further due to less harvest because of ethanol production displacing field crops. Corn that once fed cattle will now be feeding Fords and Chevrolets. Meat prices have risen already and will be higher in the future.

Everything produced and/or transported in this country will require higher prices due to energy costs to produce and transport those products. Every cost will escalate to provide community lighting, remove garbage, and maintain water supplies and infrastructures. All forms of transportation and the production of all goods and services will increase due to higher energy costs, and worker’s unions vying for increased wages to maintain some level of their former lifestyle. Within our major northern cities some people will freeze to death because they bought food and/or medicine instead of paying for energy to heat their apartment or home.

As the lowest income residents suffer the most there will be increased pressure on states and Congress to tax accordingly and re-distribute income in some fashion to help those citizens.

Before the energy crisis our major airlines were in bankruptcy from which they emerged, but as fuel prices continue to escalate the cost of flying will increase. Likely, the number of travelers by both airline and personal automobile travel will decrease. If so, it is quite possible that some airlines will again become bankrupt. Tourism and business revenues will also decline. Small businesses that produce products will be under pressure to survive. General Motors and Ford are currently on the brink of failure. The increased cost of all goods, services and fuel will further impact the ability of home owners to pay their mortgages. However, the Congressional leaders in light of America’s failing automotive and airline industry, have proposed to increase taxes on gasoline to make life a little tougher for everyone.

All the above impacts will increase the pressure on Congress to relax environmental constraints to permit further energy finds and enhance small business entrepreneurs’ ability to survive.

Now, consider this. Where do you think the country will be in ten, twenty or thirty years if Congress and the nation’s leadership continues to perform as they have for the past 34 years?

Posted in America's Energy | No Comments »

ENERGY: THIS RANGER’S VIEW

6. June 2008 by Ranger.

Energy costs to the consumer, and the concerns for the environment associated with the acquisition of the sources to produce the energy necessary for industrial production of goods, farming, and the maintenance of human populations is now, and will be more so in the near future, a global issue impacting industrial development progress, food production, transportation of people and all goods, natural resources, and human populations in every country of the world.

The entire world, except for Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and a few others that are living over a sea of oil, are suffering with escalating fuel prices that are changing the life styles of people around the world, and driving up the cost of all goods, food, and services. Up to this point in time there have been a few protest demonstrations principally by truckers, but a steady decline in the availability of many food items, and serious riots are possible in the not too distant future as transportation costs continue to rise. American farms are instrumental in supplying wheat and corn around the world, but the quantities for export are being reduced by the rush to plant crops that will be used for ethanol production. That adds to the rising cost of field crop foods as the lands that formerly produced food are planted to produce ethanol. As I write this, a gallon of gasoline in American dollars in Turkey is $11.82, in France it is over $10, in the United States the price ranges from approximately $3.89 to over $4 a gallon. Around the world the price per gallon of gasoline is somewhere between $4+ to over $11 in American currency.

The economic impacts of high fuel prices are having a greater effect on less affluent countries, particularly in the developing world, which have less discretionary income. Food riots have already occurred in several places around the world. Some countries have imposed food price controls. If this economic crisis continues to escalate it could lead to starvation on a global level.

There are many factors contributing to the rise of oil prices. In late 2006, the price of a barrel of oil fell from $75 to $60, and the prediction was that the price would continue to fall. Major oil producing countries therefore avoided digging new wells since the mid 1980’s, when energy conservation drove down the price of oil. Their goal was to reduce supplies, which would increase demand. Terrorists and wars in the Middle East contributed to decreased imports. Terrorists and insurgent actions have increasingly targeted oil and gas installations to maximize their impact for political gain.

Most oil experts agree that the lighter sweet crude oil is far less available, and in the future the world will be more dependent on more expensive sources of heavy oil, which are available in quantity such as the massive Canadian tar sands. These are, however, a far less cost efficient source of heavy, low grade oil. The cost of production requires that the cost per barrel remains high. Years of poor leadership, short-sightedness and inaction by America’s lawmakers have contributed greatly to the situation all Americans are now experiencing, and it will get much worse before it has a chance to get any better. However, any improvement in the United States laws and development of new sources for oil production would take at least ten years or more even if our lawmakers agreed that solving America’s energy crises was the highest priority of our government.

So far I have only touched on some of the reported problems that contributed to higher oil prices and the effects on world economies, but what are the real issues at the center of the rising cost? How have OPEC, oil speculators, China and India, past and present American Presidential Administrations and Congress contributed to the crises?

OPEC has controlled a major portion of oil that goes into the world market, which creates a supply and demand problem that speculators are pleased to sell to the highest bidder. This creates a “feeding frenzy,” and a constant fluctuation in rising prices. Any excess oil that is available is easy to sell at high prices on the open world market, and China and India are eager to acquire it at any price.

During the time of the “Greatest Generation,” our government funded and organized scientists and civilians in a massive effort of American leadership and ingenuity to build the atom bomb and end World War II. Similar American leadership and ingenuity was demonstrated again under President Kennedy in the 1960’s that put Americans on the moon in a few years after President Kennedy funded and instituted a program to create more scientists and engineers.

We are now facing a world energy crisis that leaders should have known was coming since at least 1973 (remember the oil shortage and the gas lines). Some futurists knew an energy meltdown was inevitable long before that fuel shortage, but no administration from 1973 to the present, nor seated congressional leadership came forward with a program to fund research for private scientists and engineers to seek energy breakthroughs for America’s future. Ignored were the serious massive research of alternative sources and technology, additional refineries, oil developments and discoveries that we would need in our future for cleaner coal fired electrical plants, transportation (electrical or hydrogen vehicles and national railroad improvement), solar, hydrogen, wind, nuclear research or oil discoveries and refineries that would be required in the years ahead. What happened to America’s “can do” attitude?

It is even worse than just being inattentive and incompetent. Congress and past administrations have been actively at work purposely raising energy prices by preventing access to oil reserves, and encouraging ethanol production which increases greenhouse gases, reduces gas mileage, and converts food crops to fuel, which increases the cost of food and contributes to instability in lesser developed countries. It is estimated there are at least 402 billion barrels of oil that exist within America’s reach off the coasts of the Atlantic, Pacific, the Gulf, ANWR, the Colorado Plateau and other inland sources, but Congress has consistently declared the areas “off limits” to drilling. While Washington has prevented oil and gas exploitation off the coast of Florida, China is currently drilling for oil just 45 miles off the coast of that state.

Currently, either the desire to support their party at all costs to the country in order to increase their party’s chances of securing the presidency in the coming election, or the fact that congressional members are naively uninformed is making matters worse. The Democrats are claiming the oil companies already hold leases on 68 million acres of inland sources for oil. Democratic members of Congress constantly appear in the media asking the question “Why would the oil companies need more sources, when they haven’t drilled the acreage for which they currently have leases?” They, and you, should understand that when the oil companies bid on those leases they do not necessarily know there are proven profitable oil reserves under the ground. Further exploration and testing is required to determine if oil is present and in what quantity. You can be sure that at the current world prices per barrel, if it is there and profitable to extract it, the oil companies would be drilling for it. Instead, the Democrats would have you believe the oil companies are setting on it and waiting for some higher price of oil before drilling. At $135+ per barrel, that is an unbelieveable political lie to focus attention away from their incompetency and party unity as opposed to concern for America’s future.

The Republican Party candidate, John McCain, is also playing politics with the oil crisis in order to gain favor with the independent voters and the moderate Democrats in the coming election. McCain is opposed to drilling for oil in ANWR and equates that with drilling in Grand Canyon or the Everglades, which is an assinine comparison. Recently, he modified his position on drilling off America’s coasts, but buffers that “flip flop” of position by stating that the adjacent states must approve any such drilling.

Both parties are playing heavy duty politics at the expense of Americ’s future energy needs that can lead to economic chaos.

If we had a serious and sincere holistic energy policy incorporating research and development of all potential sources, the reserves of oil off America’s coasts and the “off limits” inland sources would significantly reduce our dependence on the 60% of foreign oil we import (and pay an enormous price for), and give America some “breathing room” to develop alternative energy sources that could reduce our nation’s oil and gas consumption. Without such a program there will be a serious degradation of the American lifestyle, and eventually riots in our major cities when the truckers can no longer afford to deliver food supplies, or the cost of those supplies in stores is too high for many people to afford them. In parts of the world there will be massive starvation, which could lead to conflicts and wars.

Time Magazine recently reported our government’s budget for all energy research including nuclear, wind, coal, solar and biofuels was $3.2 billion in 2006. The Pentagon spends that amount in a week! One of the proper functions of government is to create programs, laws and funding support to solve national problems such as Franklin Roosevelt did during WW II, and President Kennedy did to place Americans on the moon and become a leader in space exploration in the 1960’s. Since the early 1970’s that type of leadership and support has been extremely weak or absent. Instead, congressional emphasis has been to create laws that require ever increasing lower emissions and higher fuel mileage from automobiles, lower emissions from industrial plants and coal fired electrical plants, and generally force the industries to perform the scientific research and engineering necessary to meet those congressional requirements and stay in business. Additionally, by placing most of our known oil reserves off limits from exploration, and not encouraging research for all forms of new energy resources through adequate funding; our lawmakers have contributed to the escalating price of all forms of energy.

It is not realistic to think that many energy producing industries would be highly motivated to spend billions of dollars on research and developing alternative energy sources that might put them out of the business they are currently in. It is true that some corporations are investigating various alternative sources, but that is not their prime business. Adequate government funding of universities, private researchers, and those interested in new energy technology might have made a significant difference for the crises we are facing today if they had been at it for the past 34 years (1974-2008).

Brazil, a country that has been running on ethanol, has recently announced their discovery of 5 to 8 billion barrels of offshore oil, and in the pre-salt coast a much larger field containing as much as 80 billion barrels of oil. Producing ethanol from sugar cane as they do in Brazil has worked quite well.

The issue of biofuel production on a large scale in America and around the world is fraught with problems. The cultivation, production and use of biofuels on a local level might work in some areas of our country, but converting sunlight into ethanol is extremely inefficient and is questionable land use. It would require extremely large quantities of land be taken out of food production or natural area lands be converted for the production of biofuels, which raises a different set of problems causing higher food prices, reduced food exports, a release of carbon from the natural land clearing and could contribute to starvation in some parts of the world. A Princeton study in 2008 found that the production of corn-based ethanol nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years and increases greenhouse gases for 167 years. Previous studies excluded the emissions from land-use change, where carbon storage and sequestration would be sacrificed by diverting land from existing uses. Conversion of cooking oils to biodiesel is practical, but not a complete answer to the needs of America, and certainly not the world.

Of course the reason for the limitations of air polluting industries, prevention of drilling for oil reserves off the U.S. coasts, and virtually no movement to nuclear energy for electrical production in the past 28 years are environmental concerns. World concern over greenhouse gas of excess carbon dioxide and the dangers of transporting and storage of nuclear wastes essentially has our congress hostage. One Senator on June 6, 2008, exclaimed that the “Senate is fiddling while the country heats up.” The Senate has effectively killed the Global Warming Bill, which was simply another bill designed to place further limits on industries that produce greenhouse gases, rather than a holistic energy package of research into hydrogen, solar, electrical fuel cells, wind generation, wave generation, allowing the drilling for off coast oil reserves, and technology research for cleaner burning coal plants. Our fuel producing companies haven’t built new American refineries for many years. That is a separate problem, because many states have different gasoline formulation requirements, and the current refineries cannot keep pace with the demands for so many formulations. This problem is compounded from winter to summer, and whenever there is a storm, like Katrina, that shuts down some of the refineries. As far as I know, Congress has never addressed this manageable problem. We shouldn’t need an excessive number of fuel formulations to run America’s automobiles.

Global Warming or is it Climate Change?

Is there global warming? Yes, I believe there is currently some global warming. However, there has also been global warming on Mars and Jupiter during the same time period. Earth has been heating and cooling throughout its existence. The big discussion today is global warming, and “doomsday” is ahead if we don’t limit the production of carbon dioxide world-wide. Carbon dioxide had increased to 0.038% from 0.028% prior to the Industrial Revolution. Interestingly, the average temperature of North America was 0.5 F. degrees higher during the period from 1900-1940, when there were far less emissions of CO2. In the 1970’s, for those of you that might remember, the “doomsday” prediction was another ice age is in progress.

Peter Gwynne of Newsweek wrote in 1976: “There are ominous signs the earth’s weather patterns have begun to change dramatically and that these changes may portend a drastic decline in food production – with serious political implications for just about every nation on earth. The evidence in support of these predictions has now begun to accumulate so massively that meteorologists are hard pressed to keep up with it.”

Numerous such stories were printed throughout much of the media warning of the coming “ice age.” Earth had gone through such a “Minnie Ice Age” from the 1700’s to the mid 1800’s, and thousands of people starved to death in Europe because of crop failures.

I believe the excessive production and release of carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere can be a cause for some temperature gain. I also know that commercial growers utilize carbon dioxide to increase plant growth, because it is an important part in photosynthesis to produce sugar for the growth of plants: (6H2O + 6CO2—in the presence of sunlight—C6H12O6 + 6O2). What I do not know, and I am convinced no one on the planet knows absolutely, is that people are the primary cause for the current global temperature change that warrants further laws which will further drive world economies down as energy costs are escalating. Recently some 31,000+ American scientists sent a signed petition to the government exclaiming they did not believe that Al Gore’s movie was accurate, or that man was the central cause of global warming.

Cutting the carbon dioxide production to be safe, in case the computer models are correct, is a reasonable approach, but it is not cost free. And, during this period of rapidly rising oil prices, it could lead to economic disaster. Economic poverty would be rampant in China and India if they agreed to limit their CO2 emissions. However, there is virtually no possibility that neither China nor India would agree to halt their CO2 production.

Nuclear Energy

Believe it or not technology has advanced where there are adequate methods to safely handle and store nuclear waste. Likewise we have the capability to safely build and operate nuclear power plants. America has numerous ships safely operating with nuclear power, but our citizens only remember Chernobyl in Russia and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. Our congress and the courts have prevented the use of nuclear energy to be utilized in the United States for four decades, and here we are in an energy crisis that is escalating the price of oil almost daily, putting untold pressures on low income citizens to maintain a comfortable home heating level in winter, and increasing the cost of all forms of transportation which deliver people and supplies that serve our citizens.

Other areas of the world have developed their nuclear energy capabilities and are handling the nuclear wastes in a process call calcination. In 1996, the U.S. opened a waste processing plant in Aikens, S.C. at the Savannah River nuclear weapons complex. The waste is converted into cylinders of radioactive glass, which is then encased in steel containers and stored in an underground concrete vault. The glass is still radioactive, but it is no longer possible for the waste to leak into the soils, and there is no possibility of a chemical explosion.

Conclusion

We are headed for some tough times ahead because of the lack of leadership and consistent congressional failures. Their priority interest in putting their party ahead of the best decisions for the country, and  their prime concern for re-election are the reasons we are in the mess we are in today. Not drilling is a luxury we are unable to afford. Not having a concentrated effort on all fronts to develop alternative sources of energy is imperative to the future of America. Even if congress were to make energy their single most important priority, the years ahead will not be fun. It will take too long to recover to some level of normality.  Plan accordingly.

Posted in Global issues | 1 Comment »

WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD MANAGER?

10. January 2008 by Ranger.

This is a list, and brief discussion of the attributes, mannerisms, and methods that I have observed in the best managers I have been privileged to know, work with, and work for during my career with the National Park Service (NPS) from 1967-1994. While they were gleaned from a number of very fine mentors within the NPS; I contend they are relevant to all potential or practicing managers world wide in any profession.

Years ago as a fledgling management trainee the government spent a lot of the taxpayer’s money on a small number of selected rangers to put us through an intensive experience where we were intently observed for our organization and cooperation skills, writing skills, human interaction skills, media management skills, listening skills and problem solving skills. We were observed closely and individually rated by a large number of retired private industry CEO’s and senior government managers. After which, we were individually counseled on our strengths and weaknesses, and given a year to enhance those strengths or improve our weaknesses. The next year we went through a similar experience a second time. It was money well spent.

During that training most of those retired senior managers believed that outstanding management skills meant that person could successfully manage any business whether that was in auto manufacturing, a metropolitan police department, clothing manufacturing, a national park or any other corporation or government agency. In spite of the exceptional training I believe this learning experience was, I disagreed with that premise that a good manager can manage anything very well. While I do not discount the fact that an outstanding manager could do reasonably well in any business or government agency, I believe that same good manager will have greater success if they have experience and education that grounded them in the specific business or government agency they are responsible to manage. Have you noticed how many CEO’s without specific experience and intimate knowledge gleaned from the “trenches” of the business for which they are managing have been failures and relieved of their management responsibilities over the years? Perhaps, my contention is more statistically correct.

Excellent managers are trainable. If you aspire to management success, practice the following recommendations. They are not in any particular order or priority.

• A good personality goes a long way in any organization.
• Be honest.
• Be kind and considerate.
• Encourage independent thinking and discussion. Make sure your employees feel free to make any suggestion or comment, but they also understand that the final decision is yours alone.
• Criticism received is yours alone. You are the responsible official making the management decisions.
• Problems are solution driven.
• Give clear directions.
• Manage through trust rather than authority.
• Review progress.
• Hire the best personnel you can find and let them use their expertise.
• Provide authority with the responsibility.
• Let employees achieve and credit good ideas to the contributor.
• All praise should be in earshot of other employees or in public.
• Praise received should be focused to those employees responsible for the success.
• Correct or counsel in private.
• Be firm and assertive when it is necessary.
• Be kind to everyone. You may be working for them some day.
• Progress should be goal oriented.
• Set agreed upon due dates and times.
• Learn to recognize good ideas or comments when heard. Be a good listener.
• Balance the workload.
• Don’t hesitate to change direction when better ideas surface.
• Practice an excellent phone personality.
• Important! Think way ahead. Practice predictability by being knowledgeable.
• Provide training for the weaknesses.

Posted in Management | 1 Comment »

Weasel (Mustela erminea and M. rixosa)

9. December 2007 by Ranger.

Introduction

Weasels represent the smallest members of the Mustelidae. Both the Mustela erminea, short-tailed weasel and M. rixosa, the least weasel are found in most of the lower forty- eight states and Alaska. The short-tailed weasel is much larger than the least weasel. It can be as long as fifteen inches in length. The least weasel, is the smallest living carnivore, and rarely exceeds ten inches in length. I have seen some full grown least weasels in Pennsylvania that were five inches long or less. Both weasels look identical in coloration which is medium brown above, with yellowish (urine stained) white underneath, and a brown tail with a black tip. The tail of the least weasel usually has fewer black hairs than the short-tailed weasel. Both weasels can turn pure white in winter, but the tail tip remains black, hence the reference to ermine. Weasels are a powerful animal for their size, and can take down large rabbits easily. They have a long slender head similar to the mink, and a sinuous body. Female weasels are approximately three fourths the size of males.

Like other members of the Mustelidae, weasels may be bred by more than one mate, and the implantation of the fertilized eggs in the uterus is often delayed. Mating in the farthest northern climates of Canada and Alaska typically takes place in mid to late summer, but delayed implantation of the fertilized eggs might last for six months or more. Total gestation can be as long eight to ten months. However, in the milder climates of the lower forty-eight states delayed implantation might not occur for the least weasel, and in their farthest southern range they might have three litters a year.

Litter size varies from three to ten young, which are born in a nest under old buildings, rock outcroppings, or hollow stumps and logs. The nest is often lined with rabbit or mouse fur. Survival of the young until weaning generally depends on the availability of food in the mother’s home range.

May

The pregnant female spent several days preparing her nest for the birth of her young. She lined the nest with field mice fur from her daily kills, and recently made a kill of a large rabbit whose fur contributed greatly to the comfort and warmth of her nest. During the night she gave birth to seven weasels, four males and three females. The tiny youngsters would remain in the den for almost forty days before emerging into their new world. The mother weasel was kept especially busy during this time, because she required almost forty percent of her body weight in mice, rabbits, shrews, insects and other small animals to remain healthy and nurse her young. That was not too difficult as she located her nest in an area rich with field mice and other small prey animals. She hunted both day and night. Weasels hunt during the daylight hours, though many of their successful predatory kills are during the night.

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June/July

After the young finally emerged from their nest, they remained close to the den for several weeks before accompanying their mother on hunting trips where they would learn the fine art of being a successful weasel. The family forages and training continued for a little more than five weeks. Each young weasel became adept at catching field mice and young rabbits. Like other members of the Mustelidae, their curiosity was boundless, and they rapidly learned what they needed to know to survive.

August

By mid August the last of the kits, which were now fully grown, left their mother’s den area and dispersed on their own. At least four would make it to sexual maturity during the next spring, but three were lost to winged predators during the winter.

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Wolverine (Gulo gulo)

25. November 2007 by Ranger.

INTRODUCTION
The wolverine, Gulo gulo, (gluton) is the largest terrestrial member of the Mustelidae family which includes otter, mink, weasels, badgers, fisher and martens among many others. There are 56 species in this, the largest family of carnivora, or flesh eating mammals. Some common names for the wolverine are devil beast, skunk bear, devil bear and carcajou. The wolverine is medium brown or almost black and resembles a small bear as they are compact and strongly built with heavy musculature, a short stout neck and a bushy tail. They have white to tan fur on their throat. Their large feet are specially adapted for traveling over snow, climbing and digging. Their claws can be partially retracted, are sharply curved and range from three fourths to one and a quarter inches long. They have smaller hind feet, and during the winter the hair between their toes and around their pads becomes bristle like, which aids them as they travel over deep snow. Wolverines have a dense underfur and stiff guard hairs. Their ears are fully furred. Not counting the length of their tail, they can range in size from approximately 25 to over 40 inches long. Females can weigh over 30 pounds and the largest males might go over 60 pounds. Wolverines have a highly developed sense of smell, but poor eyesight. The animal is clever, courageous, and unusually powerful for its size. Determined wolverines have been known to run off a pack of wolves from a kill.

The strength of the animal is legendary. Their jaws and teeth are very much respected by other animals, because they can crush bones at least to the size of a moose. Wolverine fur is highly valued by those that live in the Arctic where it is used as ruffs on parkas. The guard hairs do not ice up, and rime ice or personal breath frost is easily brushed off wolverine fur. The coldest temperatures of Canada and Alaska do not seem to bother the wolverine in the slightest. Other than man, they have no natural enemies and no animal in their habitat is a serious threat other than a large grizzly. Wolverines prefer solitude and avoid humans. I have seen only two wolverines in the wild, and they completely ignored my presence. Wolverines exist in North Central Canada, the Northwest Territories to the Yukon, all of Alaska, and have been recorded as present in Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Montana. At this writing, it is uncertain if they are in Yellowstone, but the probability of their presence is likely. Wolverines are also found in the northern extremes of Eastern Europe, Russia, Siberia and Scandinavia.

March

The 37 pound three year old female fed cautiously on the young caribou she had stolen from the small female grizzly that made the kill earlier in the morning. No other animal, except a larger grizzly and the fierce wolverine, could have driven this sow away from her kill. The sow was respectful of the ferocity of the wolverine and her powerful jaws and strong teeth. She satisfied her hunger for the time being, and decided to cache the remains of the caribou for some other time. It was an easy task to drag what was left of the caribou several hundred yards to the base of a large Evergreen Spruce tree, the dominate tree species of the boreal forest. There her powerful legs dug a deep hole near the base of the tree. She placed the remnants in the hastily prepared plot and covered it with dirt. It would be easy for her to find the caribou at some future time. Wolverines have the ability to locate food in snow eight feet deep with their keen sense of smell. Satisfied with her work, the well fed female moved on. She would travel another six miles before resting. Her home range covered over 150 square miles.

Not far away, and on a collision course with the ambling trail of this young female was a 48 pound, five year old, husky male. He had spent his morning tearing through the door of an abandoned trapper’s cabin, and consuming what food was left behind when the trapper left his cabin a week ago. That happened to be a number 10 can of unopened blackberry jam, which he easily punctured and battered around the cabin floor until much of the sticky sweet contents spilled out. It was the breeding season, and this polygamous male had covered a large portion of his 355 square mile home range in the last week. Wolverines are constantly on the move and their travel is not inhibited by mountains, rivers or valleys. They do not hibernate in the winter. He had mated with two other females in the past few weeks. During the night, their paths crossed, and he mated with this female before moving on in search of others.

The female had mated with another male a week earlier and like some other mustelids, there was a delayed implantation of the blastocyst. After implantation, her active gestation would be from 30-40 days.

June

The female moved to a higher elevation near the base of a talus slope where she dug an elaborate den with several tunnels to give birth to her young. Here she gave birth to three blind kits. The kits would be weaned sometime in August, but stay with their mother until next March. During that time, the mother would educate her offspring in the art of hunting and the capture of pine marten, squirrels and larger mammals of the North Country. The mother would not breed again until next year.

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