Badger caches cow...

Wait! ... What?!?

Yep... scientists researching the ecology of scavengers (in other words> studying how animals that feed on dead animal or plant matter interact with each other and their environments) during winter in the Great Basin Desert, Utah, staked out 7 calf carcasses (each with an associated trap camera) and got an unexpected result...
Badgers!
Scientific researchers in Great Basin Desert, Utah, caught American badgers (on trap cameras) caching cows.
While badgers are known scavengers, the researchers hadn't planned on studying any mustelids, including badgers.


Badgers are hard to study since they are generally active underground or are nocturnal (out and about at night), so their behaviors aren't well-known. Last winter (January, 2016) the researchers caught two badgers (images, not the badgers themselves! ; ) caching two of the staked out carcasses. This is the first evidence of a badger caching / burying an animal larger than itself.

Here is a video (from a trap camera) of one of those badgers caching /burying it's find for later:

updating soon...


The original video is on YouTube!

For the research article:
.
 Subterranean caching of domestic cow (Bos taurus) carcasses by American badgers (Taxidea taxus) in the Great Basin Desert, Utah

IT'S WORLD WETLANDS DAY (oh...am i shouting? ; )

I'm just really excited about World Wetlands Day!

World Wetlands Day celebrates the value of wetlands for humanity (and, really, ALL of the planet). Each year a new theme is chosen to raise awareness about the critical importance of wetland areas; the theme for 2017 is "Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction" ("to raise awareness and to highlight the vital roles of healthy wetlands in reducing the impacts of extreme events such as floods, droughts and cyclones on communities, and in helping to build resilience").


World Wetlands Day is celebrated (or starts) on this day because the Ramsar Convention was signed on this day (Feb.2) in 1971, in Ramsar, Iran.


Interested in participating this year but hearing about this too late to create or attend an event? Well, check our QuestX Calendar for other events (including Earth Day which is coming up soon) OR you could participate in the the Wetlands Youth Photo Contest (youth 18 - 25, see poster below)... or/and you can get an early start on next year's World Wetlands Day!

http://www.worldwetlandsday.org/documents/10184/162407/WWD17_photo_poster_Engl_HD2_+Desktop.pdf/3ae72cc3-a9dc-4d00-8bf4-397b95c58924

Here is a list of the countries/parties that have joined the Ramsar Convention, date joined, number of sites, and total area conserved. There are over 2,200 sites listed and over 530,000,000 (that's MILLION!) acres included:

~

Country	Entry date	Ramsar sites	AREA-acres
Albania	Feb-96	4	242,610
Algeria	Mar-84	50	7,390,950
Andorra	Nov-12	3	17,000
Antigua and Barbuda	Oct-05	1	8,900
Argentina	Sep-92	22	13,900,680
Armenia	Nov-93	3	1,219,490
Australia	Dec-75	65	20,559,560
Austria	Apr-83	23	308,800
Azerbaijan	Sep-01	2	246,000
Bahamas	Jun-97	1	81,000
Bahrain	Feb-98	2	16,800
Bangladesh	Sep-92	2	1,510,000
Barbados	Apr-06	1	82
Belarus	Aug-91	20	1,692,029.20
Belgium	Jul-86	9	116,001.30
Belize	Aug-98	2	58,300
Benin	May-00	4	2,914,250
Bhutan	Sep-12	2	630
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	Oct-90	11	36,676,380
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Mar-92	3	140,300
Botswana	Apr-97	1	13,683,000
Brazil	Sep-93	12	17,855,060
Bulgaria	Jan-76	11	123,337.10
Burkina Faso	Oct-90	15	1,612,370
Burundi	Oct-02	4	194,010
Cambodia	Oct-99	4	187,660
Cameroon	Jul-06	7	2,043,700
Canada	May-81	37	32,338,120
Cape Verde	Nov-05	4	1,320
Central African Republic	Apr-06	2	930,000
Chad	Oct-90	6	30,653,590
Chile	Nov-81	13	893,930
China	Jul-92	49	10,162,019.90
Colombia	Oct-98	6	1,751,196.10
Comoros	Jun-95	3	39,600
Congo	Oct-98	13	33,998,589.20
Costa Rica	Apr-92	12	1,407,860
Côte d'Ivoire	Jun-96	6	314,670
Croatia	Jun-91	5	233,160
Cuba	Aug-01	6	2,936,630
Cyprus	Nov-01	1	2,740
Czech Republic	Jan-93	14	148,770
Democratic Republic of Congo	May-96	3	18,373,830
Denmark	Jan-78	43	5,721,440
Djibouti	Mar-03	1	7,400
Dominican Republic	Sep-02	4	333,831.00
Ecuador	Jan-91	18	708,330
Egypt	Sep-88	4	1,026,800
El Salvador	May-99	7	512,460
Equatorial Guinea	Oct-03	3	340,000
Estonia	Jul-94	17	753,120
Fiji	Aug-06	1	1,520
Finland	Dec-75	49	1,975,650
France	Dec-86	44	8,815,199.00
Gabon	Apr-87	9	6,964,590
Gambia	Jan-97	3	77,210
Georgia	Jun-97	2	85,200
Germany	Jun-76	34	2,145,430
Ghana	Jun-88	6	435,237.80
Greece	Dec-75	10	404,020
Grenada	Sep-12	1	1,280
Guatemala	Oct-90	7	1,553,280
Guinea	Mar-93	16	15,870,000
Guinea-Bissau	May-90	4	2,939,647.60
Honduras	Oct-93	9	667,740
Hungary	Aug-79	29	634,930
Iceland	Apr-78	6	317,940
India	Feb-82	26	1,702,880
Indonesia	Aug-92	7	3,392,700
Iran (Islamic Republic of)	Dec-75	24	3,673,070
Iraq	Feb-08	4	1,329,000
Ireland	Mar-85	45	165,550
Israel	Mar-97	2	900
Italy	Apr-77	52	148,810
Jamaica	Feb-98	4	93,520
Japan	Oct-80	50	365,720
Jordan	May-77	1	18,220
Kazakhstan	May-07	10	8,108,510
Kenya	Oct-90	6	655,940
Kiribati	Aug-13	1	2,550
Kuwait	Sep-15	1	125,900
Kyrgyzstan	Mar-03	3	1,678,850
Lao People's Democratic Republic	Oct-10	2	36,500
Latvia	Nov-95	6	371,440
Lebanon	Aug-99	4	2,660
Lesotho	Nov-04	1	1,070
Liberia	Nov-03	5	236,920
Libya	Aug-00	2	210
Liechtenstein	Dec-91	1	250
Lithuania	Dec-93	7	162,050
Luxembourg	Aug-98	2	42,530
Madagascar	Jan-99	10	3,330,063
Malawi	Mar-97	1	555,000
Malaysia	Mar-95	6	331,510
Mali	Sep-87	4	10,389,900
Malta	Jan-89	2	40
Marshall Islands	Nov-04	2	173,270
Mauritania	Feb-83	4	3,066,000
Mauritius	Sep-01	3	990
Mexico	Nov-86	142	21,358,750.10
Monaco	Dec-97	1	57
Mongolia	Apr-98	11	3,557,200
Montenegro	Jun-96	2	49,800
Morocco	Oct-80	24	672,200
Mozambique	Dec-04	2	11,205,910
Myanmar	Mar-05	2	143,922.50
Namibia	Dec-95	5	1,671,830
Nepal	Apr-88	10	149,650
Netherlands	Sep-80	54	2,233,168
New Zealand	Dec-76	6	137,170
Nicaragua	Nov-97	9	1,005,350
Niger	Aug-87	12	10,669,690
Nigeria	Feb-01	11	2,660,650
Norway	Dec-75	63	2,198,010
Oman	Aug-13	1	264
Pakistan	Nov-76	19	3,320,170
Palau	Feb-03	1	1,200
Panama	Nov-90	5	454,650
Papua New Guinea	Jul-93	2	1,470,090
Paraguay	Oct-95	6	1,942,200
Peru	Mar-92	13	16,763,730
Philippines	Nov-94	6	381,550
Poland	Mar-78	13	358,490
Portugal	Mar-81	31	327,380
Republic of Korea	Jul-97	21	46,020
Republic of Moldova	Oct-00	3	234,020
Romania	Sep-91	19	2,857,650
Russian Federation	Feb-77	35	25,510,580
	(ratified as Soviet Union)
Rwanda	Apr-06	1	0
Saint Lucia	Jun-02	2	210
Samoa	Feb-05	1	1,200
Sao Tome and Principe	Dec-06	1	57
Senegal	Nov-77	5	247,090
Serbia	Apr-92	10	157,950
	(ratified as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
Seychelles	Mar-05	3	108,790
Sierra Leone	Apr-00	1	730,000
Slovakia	Jan-93	14	100,560
Slovenia	Jun-91	3	20,270
South Africa	Dec-75	22	1,373,110
South Sudan	Oct-13	1	14,000,000
Spain	Sep-82	74	749,000
Sri Lanka	Oct-90	6	489,690
Sudan	May-05	3	6,152,000
Suriname	Nov-85	1	30,000
Swaziland	Jun-13	3	0
Sweden	Dec-75	66	1,610,340
Switzerland	May-76	11	36,290
Syrian Arab Republic	Jul-98	1	25,000
Tajikistan	Nov-01	5	234,000
Thailand	Sep-98	14	987,710
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	Sep-91	2	53,410
Togo	Nov-95	4	2,991,000
Trinidad and Tobago	Apr-93	3	39,340
Tunisia	Mar-81	41	2,076,580
Turkey	Nov-94	14	455,880
Turkmenistan	Jul-09	1	660,080
Uganda	Jul-88	12	1,122,610
Ukraine	Dec-91	33	1,840,070
United Arab Emirates	Dec-07	5	50,110
United Kingdom	May-76	170	3,160,290
United Republic of Tanzania	Aug-00	4	12,030,140
United States of America	Dec-86	38	4,598,040.00
Uruguay	Sep-84	3	1,076,980
Uzbekistan	Feb-02	2	1,380,000
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)	Nov-88	5	651,460
Viet Nam	Jan-89	8	291,120
Yemen	Feb-08	1	1,400
Zambia	Dec-91	8	9,960,000
Zimbabwe	May-13	7	577,718.40

~

North American River Otter - The BASICS!

North American River Otter

(Lontra canadensis)

The posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the otter species, focusing on recent information about each species and a vid or 2... 

 

This is the ONLY freshwater otter in ALL of North America, 

and, as long as it can access fresh water for cleaning up,

it is adapted to use brackish and marine habitats to!!!

North American River Otters are highly adaptable to different types of habitats, but they are very sensitive to pollution and changes in water quality. They are extremely playful, and turn almost all regular activities into a game. They do not tend to pair-bond (though sometimes they do), but males will help to raise the pups if given the opportunity. Males tend to be more solitary than females, but they don't do well alone for long periods of time and will seek out the company of other otters.



This is the ONLY otter species in the world with a population status of "Stable".




Status: Least Concern and Stable



The North American River Otter has a very large range and can be found throughout most of the US (the map below isn't quite accurate, we'll be creating a more accurate map, it is not found in very arid regions). It's habitat overlaps with the sea otter along the west coast of the US.

There are TONS (if you could weigh content on the internet ;) ) of videos "out there" of North American River Otters! GO! ENJOY!!! (but in the mean time, here are a few from us!)

Let's just start with this...

If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:

>   Genetic variation among populations of river otters in North America: considerations for reintroduction projects, TL Serfass, RP Brooks, JM Novak. Journal of Mamm., 1998 
>   Deciphering ecological barriers to North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) gene flow in the Louisiana landscape, EK Latch, DG Scognamillo, JA Fike. Journal of Am Gen, 2008 
>  Ten new polymorphic microsatellite loci for North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) and their utility in related mustelids, AS Beheler, JA Fike, G Dharmarajan. Molecular Ecology, 2005 
>  Characterization of basal seminal traits and reproductive endocrine profiles in North American river otters and Asian small‐clawed otters, HL Bateman, JB Bond, M Campbell, M Barrie. Zoo …, 2009
>  Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorinated hydrocarbons in mink and river otters from the United States, K Kannan, J Newsted, RS Halbrook. Environmental science & ACS Publ, 2002 
>  Prey selection by marine-coastal river otters (Lontra canadensis) in Newfoundland, Canada, D Cote, HMJ Stewart, RS Gregory. Journal of Mamm, 2008

South American River Otter - Basics!

South American /Southern River Otter 

(Lontra provocax)

The posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the otter species, focusing on recent information about each species and a vid or 2... 

 

This otter shares large parts of it's the marine otter's marine habitat. 

Southern River Otters tend to have a very short life span. Few live to maturity, and only 1% live to 10 years of age. They are generally solitary, coming together mainly to mate. The female raises the pups alone, and there are no social groups beyond this.   They have territories like other otters, but the size of these territories is unknown and it appears that they are not particularly defensive of them.

Status: Endangered and Decreasing

South American River otters live in fresh and salt water habitats along the lower (primarily western) coast of South America, in red in the map on the left.







The habitat range of the Marine Otter overlaps in Chile with the other "most southerly" Lontra-otter, the South American River otter.














Southern River otter in captivity, eating.

If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:

>   Understanding the inter-specific dynamics of two co-existing predators in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago: the native southern river otter and the exotic American. AEJ Valenzuela, AR Rey, L Fasola, A Schiavini - Biological invasions, 2013

>   Diversity of mtDNA in southern river otter (Lontra provocax) from Argentinean Patagonia

D Centrón, B Ramirez, L Fasola… - Journal of Am Genetic Assoc, 2008

>   Phylogeography of the Patagonian otter Lontra provocax: adaptive divergence to marine habitat or signature of southern glacial refugia? JA Vianna, G Medina-Vogel, BMC, 2011

Marine Otter - Basics

Marine Otter

(Lontra felina)

The posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the otter species, focusing on recent information about each species and a vid or 2... 

 

This otter is second only to the sea otter in it's use of marine environments, only occasionally traveling up freshwater rivers in search of food. 

Marine Otters seem to be the only otter other than the sea otter that do not require access to fresh water to wash themselves. Though Marine Otters tend to be solitary, they are generally friendly (but not highly sociable) with other otters. They do sometimes hunt cooperatively, groups of two or three otters working together to catch larger fish. Also, Marine Otters have hairy noses! (Also known as the Sea Cat)





 

Status: Endangered and Decreasing

Marine Otters (distribution shown in yellow on the map to the left) live along the west coast of South America, from Peru to Chile, with a few noted "around the corner" in Argentina.


They tend to live in diversity rich areas along rocky shores with caves.


The habitat range of the Marine Otter overlaps in Chile with the other "most southerly" Lontra-otter, the South American River otter.













Videos of these agile little otters in the water are amazing to watch!

and on a rocky shore...

If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:

>   Non-invasive genetic analysis reveals high levels of mtDNA variability in the endangered South-American marine otter (Lontra felina), Juan Valqui (Email), Günther B. Hartl, Frank E. Zachos, 2010

>   Phylogeography of the marine otter (Lontra felina): historical and contemporary factors determining its distribution, JA Vianna, P Ayerdi, G Medina-Vogel. Journal of Am Genetic Assoc, 2010>   The marine otter Lontra felina (): A review of its present status and implications for future conservation,J Valqui - Mammalian Biology-Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 2012
>   The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: a genetic assessment,WE Johnson, E Eizirik, J Pecon-Slattery, 2006

Giant Otter - Basics!

Giant Otter

(Pteronura brasiliensis)

The posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the otter species, 

focusing on recent information about each species and a vid or 2... 

The Giant Otter is the largest (lengthwise) and oldest (evolutionarily) otter living today.

From nose to tail, Giant Otters can be up to 6ft long! Their tails are flattened and flanged, and very strong. Their ears are comparably small, and their eyes very large.  Giant Otters are at the top of their food chain. They eat fish, small caiman (basically alligators), crustaceans, snakes, and birds. Giant Otters are incredibly sociable, and often hunt in groups. They live in family groups of ten or more, sometimes up to twenty otters!

Status: Endangered and Decreasing


The Giant otter range (the area in which the Giant Otter lives) is the central area of South America, especially around the Amazon River Basin and the Pantanal Region.

There are loads of great YouTube videos of Giant Otters out there, but here are a few that we really enjoyed...

Giant Otter hunting...

Giant Otters and a Caiman...

Giant Otter pups at the Los Angeles Zoo

If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:

>   Genetic diversity and population structure in the endangered giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis

RSA Pickles, JJ Groombridge, VDZ Rojas… - … Genetics, 2012 - Springer

>   Conservation genetics of the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis (Zimmerman, 1780))(Carnivora, Mustelidae),DM Garcia, M Marmontel, FW Rosas… - Brazilian Journal of …, 2007 - SciELO Brasil
>   Social organization and territoriality of giant otters (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in a seasonally flooded savanna in Brazil,C Leuchtenberger, G Mourão - Sociobiology, 2008 -

Sea Otter - The Basics

Sea Otter

(Enhydra lutris)

As promised, the posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the otter species, focusing on recent information about each species and a vid or 2...

This species lives in the ocean, along the coast of the North pacific, enjoy! :)

Sea Otters spend their entire lives in the ocean, only leaving the water in the case of extremely bad storms. They are also one of the known tool-using mammals, using rocks to break shells open so they can consume the shellfish inside. It is important that they are able to do this well because they have to eat about 30% of their body weight every day!



Status: Endangered and Decreasing


The Sea Otter range traditionally rimmed the outlying land/islands of the northern Pacific Ocean from Baja Mexico around Japan; currently they are restricted to the sporadic range shown in tan below.

Sea Otters at Seattle Aquarium, eating, playing, cleaning, and watching the tourists!

Live WILD Sea Otter mom giving birth near Monterey Bay Aquarium

PBS's NATURE on Sea Otters

Another PBS documentary, thsi time from Jean-Michel Cousteau!

If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:

>   Prey choice and habitat use drive sea otter pathogen exposure in a resource-limited coastal system

CK Johnson, MT Tinker, JA Estes… - Proceedings of the …, 2009 - National Acad Sciences

>   Southern sea otter as a sentinel of marine ecosystem health,DA Jessup, M Miller, J Ames, M Harris, C Kreuder… - EcoHealth, 2004 - Springer
>   Foraging patterns and prey selection in an increasing and expanding sea otter population,KL Laidre, RJ Jameson - Journal of Mammalogy, 2006 - BioOne
> Gene transcription in sea otters (Enhydra lutris); development of a diagnostic tool for sea otter and ecosystem health, L Bowen, AK Miles, M Murray… - Molecular ecology …, 2012

Asian Small-Clawed Otter - The Basics!

Asian Small-Clawed Otter

(Aonyx cinereus)

As promised, the posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the otter species, focusing on recent information about each species and a vid or 2...

This is the 3rd of the 3 otter species that are found *only* in Asia, !

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter is the smallest of all otter species, and also, arguably, the most social. They mate for life, and live in family groups of between four and twelve, and sometimes up to twenty, otters. The group hunts, plays, and sleeps together. These otters will travel a long distance out of water in search of new habitats. They don't generally dive deeper than their body length in search of food, and spend more time out of the water than most otter species.

(Was also known as Oriental Small-Clawed Otter).

Status: Vulnerable and Decreasing 

The areas in yellow on the map below show where the Asian Small-Clawed Otter lives in southeast Asia. Despite how adaptable they are, they have become extinct in large parts of their original range.

Asian Small-Clawed Otters are very social and gregarious, watch and see for yourself!

 Asian Small-Clawed Otters (India) caught on camera by Wild Otters...

Here are a few clips of a family group kept at woodland Park Zoo (who participates in the Species Survival Plan):

...a group of otters is, appropriately, called a romp... 

...otters interacting with a crow (starts @ 3.20)... 

...nap time at Woodland Park Zoo 

If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:

>   Conservation of the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) in human-modified landscapes, Western Ghats, India, N Prakash, D Mudappa, TRS Raman… - Tropical Conservation …, 2012

>   Conservation of a river for biodiversity and ecosystem services: the case of the Halda–the unique river of Chittagong, Bangladesh, H Kabir, M Kibria, M Jashimuddin, International Journal of …, 2015

>   Science-driven management of protected areas: a Philippine case study, NAD Mallari, NJ Collar, PJK McGowan… - Environmental …, 2013

.

Congo Clawless Otter - The Basics

Congo Clawless Otter 

(Aonyx congicus)

As promised, the posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the otter species, focusing on recent information about each species and a vid or 2...

We hope you enjoy! :)  

 
The Congo Clawless Otters' back feet have small claws on the three middle toes, and very little webbing. The front feet have very small claws and no webbing. The front paws are very sensitive, like those of its close relative the Cape Clawless Otter, to increase it's success in finding food under rocks and in the mud.  Their short fur (providing less insulation) and the abbreviated webbing of its feet make the Congo Clawless Otter the otter least adapted for life in the water. Congo Clawless Otters are mostly solitary, only interacting with other otters when monogamous pairs come together to mate.



Status: Near Threatened and Decreasing.

The Congo Clawless Otter is native to the Congo Region of southern Africa, as shown in purple on  the map to the left.



The Congo Clawless Otter's habitat is mostly surrounded by the habitat of Cape (african) Clawless Otter and overlaps with parts of the Spotted-necked Otter's habitat..





Video from research done on the Congo Clawless Otter (Davenport, et al... 2011)

Naia, an orphaned and partially paralyzed Congo Clawless Otter, rehabbing during her first BIG SWIM, 2013!

If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:

>   Local hunting of carnivores in forested Africa: a meta-analysis, 2014

>   Divergent Skull Morphology Supports Two Trophic Specializations in Otters (Lutrinae)

• Lori L. Timm-Davis, Thomas J. DeWitt,
• Christopher D. Marshall, 2015

>  Diet, foraging behaviour and coexistence of African otters and the water mongoose, DT Rowe-Rowe, MJ Somers, 1998