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click on the link below to read full article on the
extremely wrong policy
that Delaware has instituted in it's desire to rid
themselves of Coyotes
extremely wrong policy
that Delaware has instituted in it's desire to rid
themselves of Coyotes
Delaware officials
adopt coyote hunting
rules
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Range Expansion of the Opossum
retrieverman.net
Opossums historically were confined to
the subtropical south. They could be found
from Virginia to East Texas. By the end of
the Civil War, its range extended to the
southern edge of the National Road (today’s
US 40). Today, its range extends into
southern Minnesota and Wisconsin, parts
of Maine, and southern Ontario. For some
reason, this species was introduced to
California, and now its range extends
along the Pacific Coast to British Columbia.
The animal can now be from from British
Columbia and Ontario to Costa Rica.
the subtropical south. They could be found
from Virginia to East Texas. By the end of
the Civil War, its range extended to the
southern edge of the National Road (today’s
US 40). Today, its range extends into
southern Minnesota and Wisconsin, parts
of Maine, and southern Ontario. For some
reason, this species was introduced to
California, and now its range extends
along the Pacific Coast to British Columbia.
The animal can now be from from British
Columbia and Ontario to Costa Rica.
Now, the success of this species is not
because it has any novel adaptations.
It is basically a generic mammal that eats
virtually anything. Its has many
unspecialized teeth. In fact, it has
more teeth than any other mammal in
North America. Its shaggy coat has no
undercoat, and it cannot dig its own
burrows. It has a prehensile tail, but
it is unable to hang by its tail, as is
portrayed in far too many cartoons.
The truth is that this animal has
been very successful without
specialization. It hasn’t changed much
since the early Paleocene or the late
Cretaceous.
The red dots on the map show
documented opossum collecting
locations dating from 1889 to
1979. During this time opossums
were limited to the southernmost
part of the Lower Peninsula, with
just one record in the western
Upper Peninsula
The red dots show Professor
Myers' oppossum road kill
documentation for 1980-2006.
The sample dots line up
vertically following the roads
used by Dr. Myers, and are clear
evidence of the oppossums
northward spread—all the way
to the northermost parts of the
Lower Peninsual as well in the
southwest Upper Peninsula.
As Jesus said in the Beatitudes: “Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth.” (Matthew 5:5). Now, I don’t
know how that applies to the nebulous
discipline of theology, but I do know that
it fits in with what European man has
done to the natural history of this continent.
because it has any novel adaptations.
It is basically a generic mammal that eats
virtually anything. Its has many
unspecialized teeth. In fact, it has
more teeth than any other mammal in
North America. Its shaggy coat has no
undercoat, and it cannot dig its own
burrows. It has a prehensile tail, but
it is unable to hang by its tail, as is
portrayed in far too many cartoons.
The truth is that this animal has
been very successful without
specialization. It hasn’t changed much
since the early Paleocene or the late
Cretaceous.
The red dots on the map show
documented opossum collecting
locations dating from 1889 to
1979. During this time opossums
were limited to the southernmost
part of the Lower Peninsula, with
just one record in the western
Upper Peninsula
The red dots show Professor
Myers' oppossum road kill
documentation for 1980-2006.
The sample dots line up
vertically following the roads
used by Dr. Myers, and are clear
evidence of the oppossums
northward spread—all the way
to the northermost parts of the
Lower Peninsual as well in the
southwest Upper Peninsula.
are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth.” (Matthew 5:5). Now, I don’t
know how that applies to the nebulous
discipline of theology, but I do know that
it fits in with what European man has
done to the natural history of this continent.
We have slaughtered all the big animals
on this continent. Once there were great
herds of wapiti (elk) where I’m sitting right
now, along with teaming bands of bison,
which were harried by packs of wolves.
The cougar is also gone, although a few
people claim to have seen them slinking
through the undergrowth. All of these
have disappeared.
on this continent. Once there were great
herds of wapiti (elk) where I’m sitting right
now, along with teaming bands of bison,
which were harried by packs of wolves.
The cougar is also gone, although a few
people claim to have seen them slinking
through the undergrowth. All of these
have disappeared.
But with the extirpation of the great
beasts, the ecosystem was opened
up for new expansion by the smaller
creatures. The raccoon has spread
north and west into parts of Canada
where it was never known before.
The coyote now lives through most
of North America from Alaska to Panama.
beasts, the ecosystem was opened
up for new expansion by the smaller
creatures. The raccoon has spread
north and west into parts of Canada
where it was never known before.
The coyote now lives through most
of North America from Alaska to Panama.
Animals that can eat just about anything
and that aren’t that big enough to cause
people to kill them out of fear really do
well in this environment. Virginia
opossums eat just about anything; they
will regularly raid trash cans and left out
stores of cat food, which are about the
most common food sources in the suburbs.
and that aren’t that big enough to cause
people to kill them out of fear really do
well in this environment. Virginia
opossums eat just about anything; they
will regularly raid trash cans and left out
stores of cat food, which are about the
most common food sources in the suburbs.
Further, they can reproduce in very large
numbers. Although they live only one of
two years, a female opossum can give
birth to two to four litters in her lifetime
that contain as many as a thirteen
offspring per litter. The opossum female
gives birth to dozens of offspring, but
only the first 13 to attach themselves
to the nipples in her pouch survive. The
female opossum has 13 nipples, arranged
in a circle in her pouch.
numbers. Although they live only one of
two years, a female opossum can give
birth to two to four litters in her lifetime
that contain as many as a thirteen
offspring per litter. The opossum female
gives birth to dozens of offspring, but
only the first 13 to attach themselves
to the nipples in her pouch survive. The
female opossum has 13 nipples, arranged
in a circle in her pouch.
They also have another behavior that
prevents predation. Contrary to what
urban legends say, the Virginia opossum
doesn’t play dead. Instead, when it is
really scared, it goes into an involuntary
coma-like state and releases some stinky
green fluid from its anus. Most animals
will leave it alone, because who wants
to eat something that is dead and
squirting stinky juice out of its butt?
prevents predation. Contrary to what
urban legends say, the Virginia opossum
doesn’t play dead. Instead, when it is
really scared, it goes into an involuntary
coma-like state and releases some stinky
green fluid from its anus. Most animals
will leave it alone, because who wants
to eat something that is dead and
squirting stinky juice out of its butt?
Climate change and the tendency of this
species to grow a somewhat longer coat
have allowed it to expand its range. I
don’t think we’ll have Artic opossums
any time soon, but their range in Canada
and the Upper Midwest is likely to continue
to expand.
species to grow a somewhat longer coat
have allowed it to expand its range. I
don’t think we’ll have Artic opossums
any time soon, but their range in Canada
and the Upper Midwest is likely to continue
to expand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Range Expansion of the
Cardinal
The northern cardinal is found
throughout the
eastern United States and on
south into Mexico
and Central America. Historically,
cardinals were
most numerous in the southern
portions of their
geographic range, but they have
been steadily
increasing in numbers in the north
and are even
expanding their distribution
northward into
northern New England and
southern Canada.
The western boundary of their range
is roughly
along a line from the Dakotas to
western Texas
although there are cardinal populations
in New
Mexico, southern Arizona, and
California.
The expanding distribution of
the northern
cardinal has been described by
some as
another ecological consequence
of global
warming. Some researchers,
though, feel
that the increasing popular habit
of providing
birds with seed in feeders may
have allowed
this species to survive and thrive
in regions
previously too marginal or harsh
for their
existence. Further, the ongoing
fragmentation
of natural forest habitats by
human activity
and the proliferation of suburban
shrub and
conifer plantings have created
increasingly
abundant “edge” ecosystems
which are greatly
favored by this species.
Cardinal
The northern cardinal is found
throughout the
eastern United States and on
south into Mexico
and Central America. Historically,
cardinals were
most numerous in the southern
portions of their
geographic range, but they have
been steadily
increasing in numbers in the north
and are even
expanding their distribution
northward into
northern New England and
southern Canada.
The western boundary of their range
is roughly
along a line from the Dakotas to
western Texas
although there are cardinal populations
in New
Mexico, southern Arizona, and
California.
The expanding distribution of
the northern
cardinal has been described by
some as
another ecological consequence
of global
warming. Some researchers,
though, feel
that the increasing popular habit
of providing
birds with seed in feeders may
have allowed
this species to survive and thrive
in regions
previously too marginal or harsh
for their
existence. Further, the ongoing
fragmentation
of natural forest habitats by
human activity
and the proliferation of suburban
shrub and
conifer plantings have created
increasingly
abundant “edge” ecosystems
which are greatly
favored by this species.
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