Northwest Wildlife Online
by John M. Regan
Updated Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Devoted to Wildlife of the Great Northwest Region of America
and wildlife the world over
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Welcome to Northwest Wildlife Online, the only online website dedicated to all the spectacular wildlife of the great Northwest United States. A wildlife enthusiast's paradise, the Northwest is home to thousands of animal species. Ocean depths, fourteen thousand foot mountain peaks, rain forests, deserts, lush landscapes, treeless barrens, ponds, lakes, salt marshes - the geography of this region is one of the most biologically diverse in the world. From the tiny shrew-mole to the giant blue whale, the Northwest is a naturalist's dream. Sea life species alone are amazing: 30 marine mammals, 200 marine birds, 400 varieties of fish, and an estimated 8,000 species of invertebrates including one of the most dense concentrations of starfish in the world. The Giant Pacific Octopus, largest cephalopod in the world, resides here as does the Plumose Anemone, the largest anemone in the world. Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles soar the skies. With some of the only wild places left in the lower 48, the land gives home to 62 species of reptiles and amphibians, 158 species of mammals, and hundreds of different types of birds. The great Grizzly (Brown) Bear and the smaller Black Bear, American Bison, moose, and wolves share the fields and forests with three varieties of shrew. And as if that were not enough we are the slug capital of the world! So come on in and explore this inspiring world of wildlife.
Updates: In honor of spring: Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas - The Lagomorphs; Long Toed Salamanders
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Mission Editor Bio Contact Further Study Employment Northwest Trek Beyond the Northwest: Saudi Arabian Wildlife Afghanistan Wildlife |
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Giant Green Anemone
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Northwest Wildlife News
Here is a link to an interesting and unique school:
"Alderleaf offers innovative permaculture, wildlife tracking, outdoor education, and wilderness survival courses in the Pacific Northwest."
Beautiful Ribbon Seal Pops Up on Seattle Dock (Jan 12)
Peregrine Falcon Dance Above Boise
Salmon Eating Sea Lions Killed at Bonneville Dam
Thurston County Horse Rescue Needs Help
Savey Wildlife Center Releases Bald Eagle
Save One Owl by Killing Another?
Sea Lion Wound Indicates Puget Sound Sharks
Illegal Sale of Western Pond Turtle in OR Stopped
Valentine for Sumatran Tiger? feline love in the air?
World Wildlife News:
Good News for Triceratops Lovers
New Family of Caecilians Discovered - These are fascinating amphibians
World's Smallest Chameleon Discovered - There is something wrong with you if you are not charmed by this little guy
Unexplained Stranded Dolphins Continue
Jumping Spider's Unique Vision
Purple Squirrel in Pennsylvania?
Northwestern Brown Salamander - Shy Giant You'd think an amphibian exceeding eight inches in length, common enough to be found from California to Alaska, and hardy enough to live in elevations from sea level to eight or ten thousand feet would be a familiar sight. Wrong - not the case with the Northwestern Brown Salamander. Not that salamanders are the easiest creatures in the world to find in the first place. Any animal that likes dark damp places is one that normally escapes notice until the intrepid collector goes deliberately looking. But the Northwestern Brown belongs to an especially secretive family of salamanders called the Ambystomatidae - the Mole Salamanders.
As the name obviously implies they live like moles, spending the
majority of their lives underground coming up into world of light only
to breed and even then only during certain times of the year.
Even that is not a reliable indicator since
breeding behavior is dependent on weather conditions still not clearly
understood.
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Northwest Wildlife Blog
Wednesday, 18 April 2012 I've got amphibians on the mind lately and salamanders in particular. Must be the spring weather change that's playing with my zoological fancies. The little (and big) caudates are popping up with increasing frequency around here. Although these fascinating creatures do respond to changing temperatures, especially in regard to breeding behavior, we sometimes overlook our own habits in these matters. As the Northwest rains begin to let up we humans start to spend more time outdoors hiking and raking about in our gardens. So guess what? We encounter more wildlife. Gee, what a concept! And that is exactly the circumstance that led to the article below on the Long Toed Salamander. Enjoy. HOOAHJack Articles by the website author:
World Center for Birds of Prey
Interview With the Fastest Animal on Earth
What is the most Common Snake in the US?
Crabs - A Northwest Wildlife Wonder
Marmorated Stink Bug (Brown Stink Bug)
In a Toad's Eye - Unlikely Natural Beauty
Observations on the Afghan Cow Bee
The Strangest Creature I Ever Encountered
What Causes Tides? You might be surprised at the total answer Bear Attacks - Dos and Don'ts! Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas - the Lagomorphs
Here
in the US no animal is more closely associated with Easter and the
arrival of Spring than the rabbit.
No advertiser worth their Easter bona fides
would dare launch a campaign minus the too cute image of a little bunny
with its tiny nose adorably wriggling beneath those beguiling, innocent
eyes.
The association of the rabbit with spring is believed to
be due to the pre-Christian but very understandable image of the rabbit
as a symbol of fertility.
We seem to have carried this symbol
forward ever since.
But our bouncy and sweet icons, so common that
we scarcely give them notice, are a much more interesting mammalian
representative than most of us suspect.
Once considered rodents these animals have since
gained recognition of their own and are now classified in a distinct
order called Lagomorpha.
Lagomorphs include just three families: Rabbits,
Hares, and Pikas.
But those three families, with the exception of
Antarctica and possibly Madagascar, have conquered the world.
Their high fecundity, adaptability, and unique
digestive system make them extremely successful animals.
Lagomorphs are strict vegetarians.
They mainly prefer grass but will chomp down on
a wide variety of plants (as anyone with a country garden will tell you)
but in lean times they will even eat tree bark.
And they are able to extract maximum nutrients
from everything they eat thanks to a digestive, although unappealing,
trick they have perfected – they eat their own feces – kind of a two for
one feeding strategy.
Lagomorphs produce two types of fecal pellets.
The ones destined for “reconsumption” are
noticeably moist; the other is a dry pellet that won’t be eaten again.
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Northwest Wildlife Zoo Updates Kids and Critters Keeper Tour
Come see the sea otter pup rescued in Puget Sound New! Pacific Rim Aquarium
Woodland Park Zoological Gardens: Power to the Frogs! Leap Day - Amphibian Conservation Day
Hawaii in Your Own Backyard Octopus Census - you can help
Behind the Scenes Tiger Tour
Creatures of the Day and Night Sea Squirts - Soft and Squishy
Get Ready for Spring Break Camp
Zoo Boise Red Panda birth New Male Giraffe
Meet the Whales of the North
Get some exercise and Walk on the Wildside
The Long Toed Salamander Digging about in your Northwest garden from time to
time you have probably come across a slender black salamander remarkable
for the beautiful metallic gold stripe running down the length of its
back and on to the tail.
Now you’d think the obvious name for this amphibian would be Gold Back
or Slender Gold or something at least descriptive of the way the little
guy looks. But nooooo!
The lineatic gurus in charge of salamander appellation gave this
guy the title of Long Toed Salamander all because of rather extended
fourth toe it has on its hind feet.
While I admit that toe is somewhat of a distinctive feature of
this caudate I would still vote for the gold back stripe as the defining
feature.
Long toed salamanders are members of the Ambystoma family, those secretive caudates grouped as the Mole Salamanders in deference to their predilection for a mainly hidden, underground lifestyle. The even more inexplicable and less pronounceable scientific name is Ambystoma macrodactylum – which translates to something like “blunt mouth big toe” believe it or not. Smaller than its giant cousins, the Northwestern and Tiger Salamanders, the Long Toed generally attains a slender six inches in length. Diminutive though it is, however, these salamanders have a range just as extensive as the big guys and are found from Alaska to California and across to Idaho and even Montana. They inhabit a wide range of terrain as well; some even found in fairly arid regions. As expected for a species so widespread there are an extensive range of sub species: Western, Eastern, Southern, and Santa Cruz. Despite names that span the cardinal directions Long Toed Salamanders are mainly citizens of the west and Northwest (although I know of at least one that made its way to Ohio).
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