The American River Otter By:Rodney
Why can’t we shoot/trap the American River Otter? It is a animal with a very expensive fur. Their fur is the most dense fur on earth, for example, they have about one million hairs per square inch on their fur, which is because they have no blubber to keep themselves warm. Some cool facts about the otter are, that they can live their whole lives without getting out of the water. In other words, it does not get tired of swimming. Some reasons why we want to get rid of them are; the otter has been eating all the fish we like to catch. Some examples are, Crayfish, Salmon, and Trout. Another reason is the Otter has been eating all the water fowl. Some cool waterfowl are, Geese, Ducks, and their eggs. Reason
Another reason hunting and trapping is good is because some of the hunters eat the animals that they trap and kill just like other people eat pork and beef. Whenever the meat from raccoon, beaver and opossum are prepared properly they can ma...
Introduction Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals capable of spending their entire lives in water. Being carnivorous in nature, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fishes, mussels and clams. They are referred to as keystone species due to their profound impact on marine ecology. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model for the impact of predator-prey interactions on community ecology. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the populations of sea urchins, which indirectly affects the populations of kelp forests & other marine organisms.
The characteristics of the grizzly bear as a top predator also make it highly vulnerable to threats. Although it is an omnivore, because it relies heavily on salmon to make it through the winter, it is vulnerable to anything that impacts on salmon runs. It needs wide-ranging habitat and is slow to reproduce. As such, grizzly bears are considered not just a key species but also an ‘umbrella species’ because the protection of their habitats will result in an ‘umbrella of protection’ for a wide range of other species. The protected areas that have been set aside in the Great Bear Rainforest are not enough to sustain healthy populations of grizzly bear so it requires additional habitat set aside from logging. Trophy hunting of grizzly bears also continues to place their population at
Save the World: Save the sea otters During the 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters were hunted for their luxurious pelts, and by the early 1900s, the species was believed to be extinct in California. (Carswell) Why do we care you ask, well not only are they super cute and eat with their hands. Apparently, a healthy population of sea otters keeps the sea urchin population in check. An unhealthy or small population of sea otters allows the sea urchin’s number to explode thus decimating kelp beds, which is the sea urchin’s food source, and causing a “chain reaction that depletes the food supply for other marine animals consequently causing their decline.
What do you think about of Killer Whales when you see them? The whale is 35 feet long and weighs up to 9 tons. That is 18,000 pounds! The Killer Whale looks like a fast submarine. Killer Whales have rounded flippers, and their bodies are very long and round. Also their tails are very narrow compared to the body. The colors of the Killer Whale are Black and white. Female Killer Whales have smaller fins then the males. Killer Whales have teeth that look like pegs.
A third threat to the sea otter populations is predation from killer whales. It was observed that in certain areas of Alaska many sea otter populations had been decreasing since the early 1990s. Killer whale predation is believed to be cause of their decline for the following reasons. The first line of reasoning being, an increased number of sightings of attacks on sea otters by killer whales. The first attack was reported in 1991, but since then an additional nine attacks had been reported. From this it was determined that killer whales had been preying on sea otters, since the probability of actually seeing an attack in such a large area was extremely low and a number of attacks had already been seen. Second, it was observed that in areas occupied by killer whales, sea otter populations have been decreasing; whereas in areas inaccessible to killer whales, sea otter populations were constant. Lastly, by extrapolating the number of sea otters that have been killed by killer whales based on the decreasing population rate and comparing it to the observed number of attacks. The results showed that the estimated number, 5.05, was very similar to the observed number, 6, of killer whale attacks over a 6-year period (Estes, et al., 2016). It is estimated that in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands, 40,000 sea otters have been consumed by killer whales; a 95 percent reduction in the population (Garshelis and Johnson, 2013).
Beaver are primarily nocturnal, both feeding and working during the night. Beaver are true vegetarians, eating only plant material. Their diet consists primarily of bark, twigs and leaves of trees such as cottonwood and willow, but they may feed on any available tree species, including pine and Eastern red cedar. Beavers also eat the roots, stems and leaves of aquatic plants, as well as feed on agricultural crops such as corn, soybeans and fruit trees. They will often store food in the den or lodge or under ice to eat during severe weather.
The act of killing predators is justifiable when killing them to stop them from overpopulating and to stop them from consuming farm animals, however it should be monitored so mass killings or even extinction of certain species doesn’t occur. Predator species in America include: Gray wolves, badgers, black bears, coyotes, cougars, bobcats, and the frightening grizzly bear.
The Alaskan wilderness is one of the most controversial topics discussed in the United States today. There are many different opinions and regulations pertaining to certain topics affecting the natural landscape of Alaska. One such topic is hunting for brown bear. While these massive animals face no current danger of being wiped out as a result of hunting, it is still a controversial and constantly debated issue. Over ninety-five percent of the United States’ brown bear resides in Alaska. Brown bears are one of the more appealing attractions for visitors to Alaska. According to the Alaskan Outdoor Journal, there are places all throughout Alaska that are designated brown bear viewing areas (Alaska Outdoor Journal, 2010). However many who come to Alaska for the brown bear don’t simply come to observe. Instead, they come for the hunt. These animals are constantly hunted for sport, and since they reproduce at a very low rate, this has the potential to jeopardize the total population of the brown bear. Overall, I believe that brown bear hunting should remain legal.
Over a century ago, humans fought animals for dominance of the landscape and we regrettably won, now they’re in need of our protection. The Government and Organizations have come to the rescue of wildlife species all across the U.S. Their main goal is to protect wildlife species from over harvesting and also their loss of habitat due to industrial and residential development. The beauty and curiosity of wildlife captivates all of us for different reasons. For certain species, they are the link to our existence Animals are not being hunted into extinction because the government is protecting certain wildlife areas and are controlling the animal populations within those certain areas. While increasing a wildlife species population and removing from the endangered species list, a predator such as the gray wolf, is sure to be seen as a success to some and a threat to others.
Origin - The Maine Coon is a natural breed, however currently the actual origin of the Main Coon is still underway. The "myth" of the Maine Coon coming about from the mating of raccoon and domestic cat is amongst the most popular. Although this is genetically and scientifically impossible to achieve, it first came about to be believed due to its unique brown raccoon-like markings and big bushy tail. "Maine Shags" were the name given to those that had markings any other color besides the brown coat. Theory of Maine Coons coming about from Viking's bringing these animals over into North America has been one of many popular theories. However, the most common theory is that of Marie Antoinette. Many believe when she tried to escape to North America, but did not succeed, she had left her long-haired cat on board, which then came to North America and bred
The role of the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) as a keystone species has been studied for years. Studies have strongly discussed the function of this animal that, though few in number, have created large impacts in the ecosystem in which it inhabits. Their main choice of habitat lies in kelp forests due to the kelp’s effect on the reduction of wave action and their closeness to rocky shores which provide habitat for otter prey (Schiel and Foster, 2015). Sea otter impacts can be seen through the phenomenon of trophic cascades. Within the kelp forests, otters are the dominant predator, consuming many species of invertebrates such as sea urchins and abalone (Schiel and Foster, 2015). As the only marine mammal without blubber sea otters have
The giant otters lifespan in the wild is twelve years and in captivity is twenty-one years. The lifespan of the giant otter is so short out of captivity because even giant otters can become prey to some other animal. They are not all big bones, sometimes they can be frightened or scared of a bigger predator. Their life is longer in captivity because they are protected. Even though they are at like a “prison” as they say it, they are still safe from predators. They can not be harmed as bad as they would be in the wild. They are in this little containment where they are with little otter
Thousands of years ago, hunting may have been the cause of the extinction of the North American large land mammals. “Moving up into the 1940’s and 50’s some of today’s most prominent game animals were almost non-existent.”(Kerry G) Over-hunting will directly cause the decline in the particular animal’s species. This will effect everything around it, for example ...
sea otters are from the kingdom animalia. Sea otters are stouter and have large rib cages, smaller tails and muzzle than other species of otters. Yet sea otters posses the fine, dense fur coats characteristic of the Mustelidae. Their forefeet are small and dexterous with retractile claws and the flipper like hind feet are broad and webbed. Sea otters once was abundant along most coastal North pacific ocean. That was before fur traders hunted them for their thick ice, luxurious pelts. By the year 1900, sea otters were nearly extinct . Protected since 1911, alaska sea otters have made a comeback. There lifespan is 10-15 years. Great white sharks are the primary predator of sea otters and occasionally eaten by coyote so the predators that the