We're Havin A Heat Wave!!

        
         So this weekend is set to be warm!!  FINALLY a break from the sub zero arctic temps!  In continuation of the winter time critter watch I thought we could focus on some on the animals that we may not think about because we don't see them regularly in the winter!
         Winter is a great time to talk about camoflage.  If you're a small animal that is preyed on, it is definately to your advantage to blend in with the white of the snow, where there is some!
         A fantastic example of an animal that changes its appearance every six months are the three types of weasels we have in our area. 

Wisconsin DNR photo

We have three species of weasel in our area: Least Weasel, Short Tailed Weasel and Long Tailed Weasel.          

     All of these little creatures are pretty rare to see when you're outside exploring for a number of reasons.  First of all, they're pretty tiny.  The largest of them, the Long Tailed Weasel, is a maximum of 16 inches and the smallest, the Least Weasel, is a maximum of 8-9 inches.  No wonder we don't see them, something this small is pretty easy to hide!  If you add that with the fact that every fall they lose their brown summer coat and don a pretty white winter coat, they're even harder to see!  I've lived in this area my whole life (26 years) and have yet to see one of these little critters in the winter. 

Long Tailed Weasel

              

         If you think you might see one of these animals there's a few things to look for.  First and foremost, the size.  Like I said before the largest of these critters are about 16 inches, next thing to look for would be the color of course, white in the winter; and the last thing and possibly the most tell tale sign is the black tip in the end of their tail!

Another animal that blends in well in the winter snow is the aptly named snowy owl.  These large beautiful birds a truly a sight to behold. 

Snowy Owl

        While the snowy owl is a somewhat rare sight in this area, if you're lucky you'll get to see one.  They aren't usually seen perching in places that seem natural where they'd be hidden, like in trees.  When they are seen, they're on top of hay bales, sitting in a field or even just hanging out on the ice.  You can see from the photo above that they easily blend in with the snowy areas in which they live.  They don't breed here so when they are seen it's only for a brief amount of time and then they'll move back north for the breeding season.

       These haunting critters are also carnivores, meaning they like to eat meat.  Their favorite meals include weasels, rodents, rabbits, and even waterfowl.  They aren't a small bird either, which may help with their food habits.  Their height ranges anywhere from 21-28 inches and can weigh up to 6.5 pounds. 

These are just a couple of the animals that change their appearance for the winter season.  Go outside today and see if you can find any other animals that have changed appearance for the winter!

Here's some more coloring pages too!!

http://www.supercoloring.com/pages/weasel-1/

http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues02/Co05042002/Art/Weasel_bw.gif

http://www.coloring-pages-kids.com/coloring-pages/animal-coloring-pages/owls-coloring-pages/owls-coloring-pages-images/owl-coloring-page-21.gif

http://www.coloring-pages-kids.com/coloring-pages/animal-coloring-pages/owls-coloring-pages/owls-coloring-pages-images/owl-coloring-page-20.gif

Here's a great way to get involved with an ongoing scientific study!

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/?utm_source=aab&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=CrossPromoteAAB_PFW_20100201

 Sources:
http://icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/ca_c119.pdf
Long tailed weasel photo:  http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/animals/images/weasel1.jpg
Snowy Owl Photo:  https://bcsengage.wikispaces.com/file/view/Snowy_Owl_Pic.jpg/52102825/Snowy_Owl_Pic.jpg
 http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/lifehistory

Palm Tree Photo
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/19/5b/f6/palm-tree-on-beach.jpg

More Snow?!?!?

So, it's snowing...again!  Where I live in Northern Wisconsin, people get pretty sick of snow and cold by this time of year.  That's why I have chosen winter as my first topic.  I know that technically it's not an ecosystem, but in a way it is!  Both plants and animals behave and live differently in the winter than they do at any other time of the year, and where there is snow, it definitely creates a habitat of it's own. 
Even though it's winter, it's still a great time to go outside and explore the world! 
Go outside, take a hike where there's some wildlife, trees, or any evidence of winter and ask how these species may have had to prepare for winter. 
I often tell students that animals aren't like us, they can't put on a hat, mittens, snow pants and coats.  They have to rely on a variety of other adaptations to stay warm in the winter.  Some get thick warm coats, some rely on fat resources, some decide to take a winter long snooze, and some just leave!
Over the next couple of days I'll talk about a variety of animals along with plants and how they prepare for the long cold months that winter often brings.

Beavers are a perfect example of a critter that makes sure it can make it through the winter effectively. 

NPS Photo

These cute critters are the largest rodent in North America and make their homes across much of the continent.  They are strict vegetarians that love to nibble on aspen and birch trees.  But wait!  They live in the water, right?  And in the winter, at least around here, the water freezes!  There are a few things that our local beavers do to survive these frigid months.  All beavers live in lodges of some sort.  Either they build them like little domes in the water from sticks and mud, or, in a large river setting, they will make what looks like and extension of the shore out of the same materials.  Either way, their homes are giant piles of sticks and mud.  So in a setting where the water freezes over completely they spend much of the fall storing sticks and branches underwater in a cache that can add up to around 100 pounds.  Many lakes and rivers, although mostly frozen, contain openings periodically which are usually around inlets or outlets and beaver will often take advantage of these and use them to get food if needed.    Beaver will also store fat on their bodies to help them make it through the winter.
Living in the water in the winter would logically cause some issues with warmth.  Beaver have a number of adaptations to help them with this issue as well.  First and foremost they have a very thick coat that helps them to stay warm.  This is a coat common among furbearing species.  It contains two layers, the long layer is thick  but it's the shorter under layer that keeps them warm.  It is very very thick and very soft.  It helps to act as insulation for the animal.  It's not only built in winter clothes but it helps to keep the frigid water away from their skin.  This under coat is also the cause of their near extinction.  The undercoat was made into felt, and then into hats and vests which were popular attire in the 1800's.
One last adaptation that beavers have is one that is produced by their oil gland and is called castoreum and they rub this oil all over their bodies and it's like a waterproofing coat to keep the water away from their skin just like the thick underfur!
 
 There are so many critters that are adapted to living and surviving winter months!  In the coming days I'll share some of these animals and some activities to help think of winter in a different way!

In the mean time, here's a couple links to great beaver coloring pages!
http://www.bradfordonizedfederalcu.org/Portals/3/beaver2.jpg
http://www.kids-n-fun.com/kleurplaten/ijstijd/thumbs/ijstijd_09.gif
http://www.edupics.com/coloring-page-beaver-nest-i9448.html  (great picture of a lodge to color!)