Pugdundee Safaris’ Post

Is there a such thing as vampire deer?    Yes! Vampire deer, also known as “musk deer,” are nocturnal deer primarily found in Asia. Males possess elongated canine teeth that resemble fangs, giving them their vampire-like look. The musk deer family are not true deer, though. They differ from the deer family in many ways, including lacking antlers.  Pennsylvania may not have musk deer, but on a very rare occasion, a white-tailed deer hunter may get their European mount back sporting small fangs. These upper canine teeth are very small — only about ½ to ¾ of an inch — long and often go undetected. These fangs can show up on both male and females. When they do, these deer have also been dubbed “vampire deer.” So why does this happen? Researchers believe it’s a genetic throwback to when ancient ancestors of white-tailed deer had sharp, long, curved tusks used for protection and possibly eating meat. Over time, these fangs regressed, and the white-tailed deer developed antlers for protection and mating instead.   Next time you look at a deer, look for small black patches on either side below the deer’s mouth. These patches are thought to be where the full-size fangs of these ancestors extended and have not gone away overtime.  If you find a set of these fangs on your next deer harvest, you’ve scored a rare trophy! Good luck. Have fun. H(a)unt safely. 

10 Fascinating Facts About Deer: From Majestic Stags to Timid Does Introduction: The Diverse World of Deer Deer are a diverse family of ruminant m... Read More - https://lnkd.in/d4BEy9u2

Fun fact for the non-hunters Deer shed their antlers as part of their annual reproductive cycle. This typically happens after the mating season (rut), which usually occurs in late fall. The process of shedding typically begins in late winter, around January to March, but it can vary depending on factors like the deer's age, health, and geographic location. Here's why: Hormonal changes: After the rut, the levels of testosterone in male deer decrease. This drop in hormones causes the ligaments holding the antlers to weaken, ultimately leading to the antlers falling off. Energy conservation: Growing antlers requires significant energy and nutrients. Shedding them allows the deer to conserve resources during the winter when food might be scarce. New growth for the next season: Once the antlers are shed, the deer will start growing new ones. These new antlers will typically be larger and more impressive, as the deer matures. Photo by Bee Silva Photography #DeerSeason #HuntingSeason #MatingSeason #DeerShed #Antler #Rut #WHLL #WagonhoundLandandLivestock

The crisp autumn air has finally settled in, and golden eagle migration is reaching its peak in Pennsylvania. These birds are a rare but exciting sight to see as they make their journey from their breeding grounds in Canada and northern United states, heading south for the winter. Pennsylvania hosts our share of migrating and wintering golden eagles, nearly half the eastern population migrate in the Ridge and Valley Province between the Allegheny Front and the Kittatinny Ridge.    To catch a glimpse of these magnificent birds, visit migration hot spots like Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and Waggoner’s Gap. It can be a bit challenging telling the difference between an immature bald eagle from a golden eagle. Here’s some tips to help you tell the difference. In flight: Golden eagles lift their wings slightly above their bodies in a slight “V” shape whereas bald eagles have a “flat” wing appearance. Also, a golden eagle looks to have a longer tail and smaller head than a bald eagle.     Up-close: Golden eagles have a golden coloration on their nape, pale white bands on their tail, and feathered legs all the way to their feet. These birds are here in the winter looking for food and often scavenge carcasses. Bald eagles will do the same.   Hunters can help prevent lead from being ingested by eagles and other scavenging birds by using non-lead ammunition. 

This Northern (yellow-shafted) flicker is part of a "split" species. In the eastern part of North America, flickers have the bright yellow underwings and feather shafts that give them their name. You can see the yellow in this bird's tail shafts. In Western North America, northern flickers have salmon or red-toned underwings. In both species, the males have a "mustache" just behind the bill onto the lower cheek. Thus, this bird is a female. Those tail feathers are stiff for propping against tree trunks and in this case, the side of a barn the #bird is inspecting for food, likely spiders it can pluck from the crevices. But it might also be considering this hole as a possible nesting site. Typically, flickers excavate their #nest holes in dead #trees. These holes serve other species when flickers abandon them. The beneficiary species include wood ducks, red-bellied woodpeckers, starlings, tree swallows, kestrels, and more. The hammering of these #woodpeckers during breeding season gets annoying if they choose to do territorial displays on the roof or chimney of a house. Their loud calls repeat their name "flicka flicka flicka...!" #citizenscience #artist #nature #birds #birding https://lnkd.in/giBc5rPP

**Discover the Desert Mule Deer!** The desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus) is a remarkable species adapted to thrive in the arid landscapes of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Found primarily in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, their range extends across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and into parts of Mexico. These resilient deer have adapted to a variety of habitats within these deserts, including rocky hills, canyonlands, and arid shrublands. They are most active during the cooler hours of dawn and dusk, seeking shelter from the scorching midday sun in the shade of desert flora. Breeding season, known as the rut, occurs in late fall, typically from November to December. During this time, bucks engage in competitive behavior to win the favor of does. A doe usually gives birth to one or two fawns after a gestation period of around 200 days, with the fawning season peaking in late spring. The diet of the desert mule deer is quite varied, consisting of shrubs, leaves, grasses, and even cacti. This diverse diet helps them to survive in the harsh desert environment where water and food can be scarce. Their ability to extract moisture from the plants they consume is key to their survival. These incredible creatures are a testament to nature's adaptability, showcasing the beauty and resilience of wildlife in some of the most extreme environments on Earth.

The fall season is officially here. I know that because oak trees in all their glory are dropping their acorn bounty quite literally everywhere. Hundreds of acorns, at all times of day and night, bounce off the roof and scatter across the pavement. They fall on my head. The ground is littered with them, crunching underfoot at every turn. It has all the feels of the abundance of a "mast year," and it's starting to get on my nerves. 😬 A mast year is when trees like oaks produce and drop an exceptionally large amount of acorns. It's an obvious boon for wildlife because they get the all-you-can-buffet meal, storing food for the leaner months ahead. But a mast year is also a strategy to keep in check this same wildlife, who, by the way, are also predators of the trees. 🐿️🦌 Through a process called predator satiation, in a mast year the animals feeding on the acorns simply can't eat it all. (I think we've all been there.) This ensures that at least some of the acorns will ultimately be left behind to sprout new little trees and keep the legacy of autumn intact. After that year of abundance, what follows are a few lean years of scarcity. In these years, the lower supply of acorns serves to thin out the predator populations so that there are even less acorns consumed during a subsequent mast year. Brutal. But brilliant. The same pattern happens in our work lives. There are times when opportunities and projects seem to fall from the sky, so many that you can’t keep up with them all. But then there are the lean years, the times when things slow down, and the abundance isn’t there. These periods can feel really hard, like they’re designed to weed you out. There is always opportunity in lean times, though. The scarcity forces you to reassess, pivot, refine, and adapt. It pushes you to work smarter, focus on what matters most, and conserve energy for when the next boon hits. You also get a chance to hone the skills and connections you’ll need later. While it may feel like a strategy designed to take you out, the truth is, the lean years are where you winnow down what doesn’t serve you.

Hello darkness, my old friend. Owls are now active at 4 p.m. 🦉 There are 12 species of owls recorded in Toronto. 🦉 Most owls have excellent night vision because of the rod cells in their eyes and even though their eyes can’t move, they can rotate their heads more than 180 degrees. Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, picutured), unlike most owls, hunts during the day. 🦉 Not only do they have excellent camouflage, they have fringed flight feathers and down for silent flight. 🦉 Some species have facial disc feathers that direct sounds to their ears allowing them to detect prey under snow. Additional Snowy Owl fact: Occassionally, Snowy Owls appear by the dozens in what is known as an “irruption”. Surges in lemming abundance in the Arctic during the owl’s breeding season allow ample food for the owls to raise many offspring. If you’re lucky enough to observe an owl, keep your distance to avoid disturbing them (winter is challenging enough!) and do not post their location. Image: Snowy Owl along Lake Ontario in the west end, photographed ethically and without disturbance.

Spring is here, and so is breeding bird season! Katharine Scotton (she/her) and Kaitlyn York recently led a workshop on birding skills in preparation for the season. On this occasion, PGL staff were joined by Indigenous Monitors from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation. We were fortunate to conduct the workshop just west of K’iyáxn, on the traditional territories of First Nations: xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), tə səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), S’ólh (Stó:lō), Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla. Participants refreshed their observational skills using sight, sound and behaviour. A highlight of the morning was witnessing a Cooper’s hawk constructing a nest! Breeding season for songbirds in BC begins in early March and carries on through August. Raptors and herons begin breeding and nest building as early as January and may be sensitive to disturbance through to the end of September. Birds may construct nests or lay eggs in various habitats, some of which may be surprising. Nests may occur on telephone poles, rarely used buildings, gravel parking lots, or window ledges, in addition to vegetated landscapes. As a best practice, it is always recommended that vegetation clearing, disturbance and demolition be avoided during the breeding bird season. #birdsurvey #environmentalplanning #breedingbirds #birdnerds #birdnestingseason #nerdybynature #biologicalservices

If you haven't been amazed in a while, let me astonish you. In Borneo, there’s a type of pitcher plant, as shown in the picture, called Nepenthes hemsleyana. This carnivorous plant feeds on insects by attracting them with the scent of nectar or a sweet fluid deep within its pitcher. Once an insect falls into the liquid, it can’t escape, and the plant digests it. All of that is quite typical. But what’s not typical is that we’ve observed small Hardwicke’s woolly bats, which are relatively small and often bullied and pushed out of roosts by larger bat species due to their weakness. These bats have been observed using the pitcher plant as a safe home, free of predators and parasites. The bats sleep inside the plant throughout the day and leave to hunt at night. In return, they deposit their droppings, which are rich in nitrogen, providing the plant with valuable nutrients. But how do the bats recognize this plant as a suitable home? What we discovered is that this particular type of plant emits sound frequencies identical to those of safe shelters familiar to the bats. The bats recognize the frequency and understand that the plant is a safe place to roost. So far, we haven’t been able to explain how the bats identify this frequency or how they learned it. A current theory suggests that mother bats teach their young these frequencies to help them find safe shelter. The complex relationships like the one in front of you, on which the entire natural system depends, reveal clearly a precise order where there is no room for coincidence. A system so intricately designed that it leaves you in awe.