Exploring and Observing Mammals

Along with birds, when most people observe wildlife, they generally focus on mammals, those warm-blooded, milk-producing creatures that range from tiny voles to the mighty Roosevelt elk in Jefferson County.

In the Exploring Mammals virtual nature walk, wildlife biologist/ecologist team Lorna and Darrell Smith not only provide an inventory of some of this area’s mammal members, but also explore their roles in our ecosystem.

After watching the virtual nature walk, find a set of resources and activities on the page below.

Exploring Mammals Virtual Nature Walk with Lead Naturalists Lorna and Darrell Smith

Exploring Mammals Recommended Resources from Lorna and Darrell Smith:

Books:

• Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest, by David Moskowitz. A comprehensive and easy-to-use guide to local mammals, including other animals that leave signs.
• Field guide to Mammals of North America, 4th Addition by Fiona A. Reid
• Mammals of Washington and Oregon by Tamara Eder
• The Natural History of Canadian Mammals by Donna Naughton and the Canadian Museum of Nature
• Animal Skulls: A Guide to North American Species by Mark Elbroch
• Behavior of North American Mammals by Mark Elbroch
• Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species, 2nd Edition, by Mark Elbroch
• Practical Tracking: A Guide to Following Footprints and Finding Animals by Louis Lienbenberg
• Animal Tracking Basics by Jon Young
• Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America by James Halfpenny and Elizabeth Biesiot
• Bird Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species by Mark Elbroch
• Wild Mammals of North America — Biology, Management and Conservation 2nd ed by George Feldhammer (note that this book is out of print and expensive. Most professional wildlife biologists Darrell and Lorna know have this volume on their mammal shelf.)

Websites:

• iNaturalist.org is a powerful resource for information and local sighting histories for birds and all aspects of natural history. It can be a little tricky to learn but well worth the effort. If you need help, check out the Nature in Your Neighborhood iNaturalist iNaturalist Tutorial with Kurt Steinbach video.
• The Wild Podcast – start with: The Power of Poop
• The Burke Museum – A definitive list of Washington’s mammal fauna
• WesternWildlife.org – Pacific NW bears, wolves and mountain lions
• Mammals of Olympic National Park – Click on the species to read more about it in another Wikipedia entry
• National Geographic Kids – Mammals A great kid’s website for mammals
• Mammals (State Wildlife Action Plan Update Species of Greatest Concern Fact Sheets)– A downloadable PDF from WA State Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
• Animal Gaits a Study by Steve Leckman YouTube Video
• Animals don’t cover their tracks: animal track identification help group Facebook Group
• Tracker Certification – CyberTracker North America

Recommended Mammals Activities from Lorna and Darrell Smith:

• Choose a mammal as a focal species and use the resources listed above to study it in depth. Here are a few that Lorna and Darrel recommend:
  • Townsend’s Mole Scapanus townsendii
  • Coyote Canis latrans
  • Mountain lion Puma concolor
  • Townsend’s vole Microtus townsendii
  • Black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus
  • Douglas squirrel Tamiasciurius douglasii
  • Vagrant shrew Sorex vagrans
  • California myotis Myotis californicus
  • Snowshoe hare Lepus americanus
  • Harbor seal Phoca vitulina
  • River otter Lontra canadensis
• Look for wild mammals in your neighborhood and write down what you see. Can you find a squirrel? A deer? A mouse?
• Check out this short video from the “Outdoor Every Day” program about how to measure a track.
• Watch this video to learn more about gaits: YouTube – Animal Gaits a Study by Steve Leckman
  Are the tracks in sets of 4 or 2 for each gait? In which gait do the tracks fall on top of each other, if at all?
• Use the information from the video above to study tracking with your pets (or your neighbor’s pets):
  • Gently study the foot of your cat or dog.
    • How many toes does it have?
    • Which toes would show up in a track?
    • Do its claws retract or are they always visible?
  • If you have a cat, look for its tracks outside in the mud or sand or dew.
    • How many toes do you see in the track?
    • How can you tell which way it is going?
    • Can you see the tracks of all four feet separately or do some fall on top of others?
    • Can you see its claws in the track?
  • Go to a beach or muddy area, with your dog, or where you can see your neighbors’ dogs, and look at the tracks they make in the sand or mud.
    • How many toes do you see in the track?
    • Do you see the imprint of the claws in the track?
    • How can you tell which way it is going?
    • Can you see the tracks of all four feet separately or do some fall on top of each other?
    • Watch a dog run (fast), walk (slow), or trot (medium) and notice how the tracks are different for each “gait.”
    • Can you find any other tracks made by animals other than dogs?
• If you’re really interested, check out animal track and sign field programs:
  • CedarRoot Folk School – strengthening modern life with the wisdom of traditional skills, a local school for adults and children.
  • Wilderness Awareness School Wildlife Tracking Intensive Course – highly recommended course to learn track and sign skills.