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Everyone seems to like trivia; wildlife biologists are no exception. However, the trivia that biologists delve into can seem pretty strange to others. However, the joy of trivia (and other strange questions) struck the biologists involved with the quarterly newsletter of the North American Moose Group and began a section called Are You Wildlife Wise? This section has contained a number of wonderful trivia items about moose and other species. So I thought that it would be fun to share some of this trivia, as well as some of my own, with you. Are you ready?
Q In winter does the tip of the long drag of the hoof for moose, elk, deer and caribou indicate the direction animal is going or coming from?
A The direction it is coming from. This applies to almost any animal where the snow is deep enough to cause it to drag its foot before planting it.
Q Although the loon is a bird, how does it differ from songbirds and other waterfowl?
A The bones of most birds are hollow and light whereas those of a loon are solid that make diving easier but flying more difficult. The extra weight enables them to dive deep while searching for food. Once underwater loons can remain there for several minutes. Even though loons are capable of diving deep and for long periods, most dives are shallower and shorter. Because their bodies are heavy relative to their wing size, they need a runway of 60 or more feet in order to take off and when airborne they can fly more at speeds that can exceed 75 miles per hour. Another unique characteristic of loon are the legs which are set far back on the body, making walking most difficult thus on dry land they tend to push themselves along on their chest.
Q What is the name of the only non-chlorphylus (non chlorophyll containing) plant occurring in moose country?
A It is called Indian Pipe and is a white plant about 6 inches high, growing as a single stem or in small clusters. The top of the plant bends over like the bowl of a pipe.
Q How well do herbivores (e.g, moose or elk) see motion?
A Herbivores see motion about twice as well as do predators and humans. This means that keeping motionless when wanting to photograph or hunt herbivores is essential, even in a situation where one seems well concealed in camouflage clothing. Isolated or periodic motion is less discernible by herbivores than are sustained or exaggerated movements. And further on this subject, deer, moose and caribou are sensitive to reflected light and they can easily pick out shiny reflections that humans might not see.
Q What are the white markings that are frequently seen on the velveted antlers of moose and caribou?
A There is evidence of parallel waves visible on the corrugated surface of antlers and also on the points. On radiographs, these waves appear as discrete bands of denser and thicker bone. On the growing antler they appear as strips of white (pigmentless) hair on velvet creating most puzzling patterns. Sometimes the white strips run parallel to the expanding edge and points while on other occasions their course is erratic making it impossible to correlate them with palm or point surface growth.
Q What is the value in determining home ranges of moose, elk, or any other big game animal?
A Identification of home ranges is necessary when determining areas occupied by a population. This type of information is useful when one wishes to mitigate for the effects of habitat alterations stemming from human development and resource extraction activities such as logging, mining, or hydroelectric activities. Such analyses are also important in delineating critical habitat areas and biological reserves.
Q Which 2 North American deer family members have upper canine teeth?
A Elk and caribou. In elk these teeth are referred to as ivories or bugler teeth. They are often used in making jewelry. In caribou, the teeth are much less prominent.
Q Can moose meat spoil during cold weather?
A Yes. Canadian moose biologist Vince Crichton relayed this personal experience. One year I shot a yearling bull moose in early November. Once dressed, I filled the cavity with snow to assist in cooling as I did not have a means of transporting it out at the time. Rather than leave it on its back, allowing ravens to feed on it I placed moose on its chest with the 4 legs spread out, covered it with brush and left a jacket to ward off hungry scavengers. There was about 5 inches of snow and the temperature went to -10°C (14°F) that night. The following morning the animal was removed, skinned and hung. About 4 days later I noted a strong smell coming from the hump area. About 20 pounds of meat were lost. When left on it chest, the body heat from the hump region was unable to dissipate through the hide resulting in the spoilage.
This can happen to almost any big game animal. Once I hung a medium sized mule deer buck overnight by the head. The temperature dropped to about 5°F that night. The next morning before heading out for another hunt I checked the deer. While I was not surprised to feel very cool meat in the pelvis area and the back of the abdominal cavity, I was shocked to feel warm ribs in the upper most part of the chest cavity. The abdomen was propped open, but I had not split the sternum yet. Heat rises, and it rose right into that closed chest! After that, I never hung a whole animal by the head again.
Q What is the yellowish, sometimes slimy appearing tissue which can be found on the surface of muscles under the skin on moose shot during the fall?
A Male cervids can loose substantial weight during the rutting period. For example, bull moose can lose up to 20%. Most of this mass is from fat depots which have been laid down over the summer. Fat or adipose tissue is a type of connective tissue which forms when cells take up fat for storage. The tissue associated with these fat cells is called areolar connective tissue and provides both cushioning and flexibility as needed. In the areolar connective tissue beneath the skin (which attaches the skin to the underlying muscles), large quantities of fat are stored. When these fat depots are burned up quickly which is often the case during the rut when males are not feeding, the areolar tissue remains as the yellowish tissue which may be slimy when handled. This is often seen on the rump, brisket, loin and ribs.
Q What is a group of bears called?
A A sleuth.
Q Is there relationship between prolonged rutting period in moose and antler casting?
A Yes, a prolonged rut delays antler casting in prime bulls.
Q Is there a relationship between casting of antlers and the antler seal (that portion of the antler that attaches to the skull)?
A Yes. Cast antlers of bulls experiencing a short rut and thus in good body condition generally have a convex antler seal. The seal of bulls close to the end of their prime age should have a flat seal and seniors (elder statesman of the moose world) generally have a concave seal.
Q What are the first two things visible in bull moose which suggest the onset of the rut?
A First is the changing of the pigmentation on the nose which transforms from a light brown color (similar to that of cows year round) to various shades of dark brown or almost black. The next change is the casting of velvet which occurs in the larger bulls in early September. Mature bulls rub the velvet before the "youngsters". Much of the velvet is eaten by the bulls.
Q Do moose use the same wallow over and over like white-tailed deer?
A No, they are randomly scattered throughout their home range. Further, as a bull makes these wallows and wan¬ders about searching for receptive cows, his hooves becomes well worn at the tips first and then along the edges and finally on the bottom. They become noticeably rounded compared to that of cows which are more pointed. This phenomenon can be readily seen by careful examination of moose tracks during the rutting period.
Q How much food do moose eat daily?
A Summer consumption is about 2.6% to 3.5% of their body weight whereas in winter, daily consumption is about 0.5 to 1.3% of body weight.
Q Is predation a limiting factor on moose populations?
A Some biologists question whether predation actually limits moose population growth. Some critiques suggest that evidence for predation acting as a major limiting factor in most moose populations is less than convincing. Others suggest that the evidence for predation acting as a major limiting factor in many moose populations is strong but the evidence that predation regulates moose populations is debatable.
Q You find a dead moose calf that has been skinned out (essentially only skin and bones left), what was the most likely predator?
A The carcass remains are insufficient to determine what killed the moose calf. However, the remains do tell us that a bear fed on the calf.
Q Do moose have a heart bone?
A Yes, it is referred to as the os cordis - a local ossification of the septum between the ventricles of the heart and is found in a number of ruminants after they pass a certain age. Some in the 1600s and 1700s wrote that Indian women reduced it to a powder and swallowed it in water or in the soup made form moose to aid in giving birth. Another has indicated that it is called the "bone for giving birth" and was a sovereign remedy for easing the confinement and for relieving the spasms and suffering of childbirth. Its medicinal value is "nil".
I hope you enjoyed some of these bits of trivia. We’ll look at some more another time. Now, go out and see how much of these things your hunting friends know.
Do you have a question from a previous article? Or a question about something else? How about a topic you would like me to address in a future article? If so, just e-mail me here at . Have a good story or photo of your own? Why not contact the Editor, - you never know, it may appear in a future issue of the E-zine.
| Steve Kovach is our own resident wildlife biologist. He has been working as a professional biologist for over 25 years throughout the west, working mostly with mammals. He has held some positions that were largely management-oriented and others that were research oriented. Steve is also an avid outdoor photographer and an NRA firearms instructor and Training Counselor. Currently he lives with his wife and daughter in McGrath, Alaska, working on the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge conducting a variety of research. Steve and his family enjoy God's great outdoors by hunting, fishing, trapping, and camping together. Steve assists Tracy Breen with each magazine issue by serving as the Managing Editor - a fancy title for the guy that does the layout work, edits and creates the graphics, and gets the articles into web ready format. By the way, the bear in the picture is one of Steve's research partners and she is very much alive. |
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