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 →
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 →
When you want to track an animal, it helps a lot to understand its habitat needs so you will know where to look for its tracks and sign. Some species, like raccoons, are true generalists and can be found almost … Continue reading →
Tracking the American marten (Martes americana) is much like tracking the fisher but in miniature. Like fishers (5 – 12 pounds), martens (1 – 3 pounds) wind through the forest, often from the base of one large tree or snag … Continue reading →
There have been only two studies of North American river otter vocalizations, both mentioning 12 different calls: the whine, chirp, grunt, blow, chatter, creek, squeak, scream, hiss, swish, hiccup, and whistle. You can see a description of each one in … Continue reading →
The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is one of my favorite animals to track in snow because it does a lot within a relatively short distance. It winds through the forest, often from from the base of one large tree to that … Continue reading →
A recent trail camera video I captured at an otter latrine got me to thinking about river otter winter adaptations. These animals do not wait out the cold months in hibernation. On the contrary, they are active and appear comfortable … Continue reading →
In my last post about the badger (Taxidea taxus) I discussed badger dens and showed a video of the the various species using, or at least visiting, old badger digs, and we saw that a badger revisited some of the … Continue reading →
The North American badger, Taxidea taxus, is an extremely effective and efficient digger. It uses this talent to hunt burrowing rodents and to excavate burrows for its own shelter. Sometimes hunting and home building are one and the same: After … Continue reading →
