Recently in Mammals on Monday Category

Pronghorn Buck at Bryce Canyon National Park
(click image to view larger)

This species is high on the list of my favorite mammals, they are really quite amazing. They are the only surviving member of a family that once included at least 12 members, the rest all becoming extinct around the time of the last Ice Age (one was the Dwarf Pronghorn, only about 24" tall!). They are the second fastest land animal on the planet and the fastest in the Western Hemisphere (only the Cheetah is faster). It is said that within days of birth they can outrun the fastest humans and, by 4 to 5 weeks, can outrun a coyote. Top speed for adults is between 55 and 60 MPH (90 - 100 km/h). Their incredible eyesight is comparable to that of a human using an 8 power pair of binoculars and, with the positioning of their eyes (about the size of a horse's!), their field of view is about 320 degrees. It is also said they probably outnumbered the Bison in total population, and there are anecdotal stories from passengers on westbound trains telling of passing herds 70 miles long! By the turn of the 20th Century the population, which has been estimated to have numbered between 40 and 50 million, had been reduced to less than 20,000 by market hunting. The population has recovered to nearly 1 million and in some areas where they had been extirpated (like southern Utah) they have been reintroduced.

Their scientific name, Antilocapra americana, does translate to American antelope and in much of the west there are many people who call this animal an antelope, but they are, in truth, not closely related to the old world antelopes. Please call this unique animal by its proper name, Pronghorn.

Long-tailed Weasel at Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska
(click image to view larger)

On my trip to photograph bears at Katmai National Park's Hallo Bay in August 2006, our group came upon this unexpected bonus while walking to the area in which the bears were feeding. While certainly looking cute, the Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata), which usually hunts small rodents, can take on animals much larger that itself, including rabbits. When first seen the weasel was peering over the back side of this piece of driftwood but, curious, crawled through a hole in the back and through this whole on the front for a better look at our small group of photographers.

Red Fox Kit, Bryce Canyon National Park (click image to view larger)

Last summer word got out from one of our law enforcement rangers that there were some foxes being seen frequently near the junction of Sunrise Point Road and the Lodge Loop Road. This meant of course, since I'd never photographed a fox, I would have to spend some time there and see what I could do. Things turned out pretty well and I was able to make some images of the kits on multiple days. The adults had set up their den in a culvert right at the junction and this is one of the kits, up close and personal, just outside the den's entrance.

One of the neat aspects of this is that, prior to last year, breeding Red Foxes were unknown at Bryce Canyon. Though not the "discoverer," my images became the first "official documentation" that the species was breeding in the park. They didn't return to the same location this year, which was probably for the better, since they lost half of the litter because of the high amount of traffic in that location.

Now if I could just find one of the Gray Foxes that are found here . . . 

Rocky Mountain Elk, Jasper National Park (click image to view larger)

Early Fall (late September/early October) is a wonderful time to be in the Canadian Rockies for the elk rut. There are four recognized living subspecies of Elk (Cervus canadensis), also known as Wapiti, and the Rocky Mountain subspecies (C. canadensis nelsonii) is the most widespread. Their range extends from New Mexico to the Canadian Rockies and as far west as the mountains of Nevada. Tule Elk are found in California, Roosevelt Elk in rain forests of the Pacific Northwest, and the Manitoban Elk in Canada's Prairies and the upper U.S. Midwest.

This particular bull was the largest I saw while in Jasper and, to go along with that, appeared to have also amassed the largest harem with over 10 females. This image was made shortly after he had let a younger bull know that the upstart was not welcome in the neighborhood. After sending the other one away, he bugled loud and long to let everyone within earshot know who was in charge.

Yellow-bellied Marmot - Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming (click image to view larger)

In the summer 2006 I was exploring the beautiful Big Horn Mountains in north central Wyoming when I encountered this Yellow-bellied Marmot peering over one of the many outcrops of large boulders.

There are two species of North American marmots, Yellow-bellied and Hoary, and they are large members of the ground-squirrel family. Yellow-bellied Marmots prefer to live in rocky places, typically above 6,500 ft/2,000 m elevation. They can weigh up to 11 lbs./4.6 kg and reach lengths of up to 28"/700 mm.

If you are ever in the area - about 2 hours from the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park - it is worth spending a few days exploring the region, either on Scenic Byways U.S. 14, U.S. 14A or, if time permits, both. Even better, obtain a Forest Service map of the area and explore some of the many forest roads, too (but bring a high-clearance, preferably 4WD vehicle).  

We'll see how things go and if I can stay on top of things, but I hope to make this the first of a recurring series I'll post three times weekly. Look for Mammals on Monday, Wings on Wednesday, and Serendipity Saturday (where I'll post from other categories in my catalog - insects, wildflowers, scenery, etc).

This initial offering is from my 2006 trip to Hallo Bay in Katmai National Park and features a pair of Alaskan Brown Bear cubs who'd had their fill of salmon. Mom, who needs a lot more salmon, is continuing to fish while one cub is taking a little nap and the other seems to be intently watching the group of photographers snapping away on the other side of the creek. I made this image on the final full day at the camp before heading back to "civilization." Truly a great experience, too.

(click on the image to see a larger version)