Black bears (Ursus americanus) currently range more widely than grizzlies (Ursus arctos) in the lower 48, but where both species roam they are sometimes confused. In a national park where animals are habituated to human viewers, you’re probably more likely … Continue reading →
Only about 10-25% of the black bear’s diet is animal food, which in most regions is in the form of colonial insects and beetles. Recently we captured some great footage of a sow with cubs digging a nest of wasps … Continue reading →
With longer, straighter claws and a larger shoulder hump, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are better diggers than black bears, and much more likely to dig for food. So it’s no surprise that roots comprise a greater portion of the … Continue reading →
Many mammals use urine, scat, and glandular secretions to communicate information about their identity, territorial ownership, social status, sexual readiness, etc., and fishers, Pekania pennanti (formerly Martes pennanti) are no exception. In this piece on fisher scent marking, I review … Continue reading →
Some animals drop scat indiscriminately, some distribute it strategically along travel routes, and others, like the river otter (Lontra canadensis), have special sites for eliminating, called latrines. But river otter latrines are more than toilets. Interesting behaviors can be observed … Continue reading →
Like domestic cats, many wild felines “sharpen their claws” on surfaces – often carpets and furniture in the case of domestic cats, and logs and trees in the case of wild cats. In the house, it’s not hard to find … Continue reading →
Because it funnels animal travel, a good water crossing is a great place to camera trap a variety of animal species. A few years ago I wrote about Choosing a Good Bridge for a Trail Camera, where I suggested a … Continue reading →
Like its close cousin the bobcat, the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is well known to mark with urine by spraying backwards onto vertical surfaces and by rubbing its head onto objects. However, until camera trapper David Troup captured it on … Continue reading →
Recently I got footage of otter families (Lontra canadensis) at two different locations, and in each case the mother does the “poop dance” (also called “latrine dance”) but her kits do not. It made me wonder what juveniles might learn … Continue reading →
Black bears engage in various behaviors thought to relate to scent communication. As I’ve discussed before, they mark larger trees by rubbing, biting, and clawing at them, and they mark the ground with their feet by as they walk, sometimes … Continue reading →
