Oregon Spotted Frog

Don't be fooled by its name, the Oregon Spotted Frog, or Rana pretiosa, are seen not only in Oregon but also in parts of Western Washington. This little guy is unfortunately extinct in most of Washington. As for the entire species as a whole, it's considered "Vulnerable." 

The Oregon Spotted Frog lives in lakes and wet areas that have floating vegetation, which is where you'd expect any frog to live. They also prefer a thin layer of warm water, which is seen in most of these habitats with floating vegetation.These frogs will mate in late winter, with a breeding period only lasting about 4 weeks.  The eggs will hatch a few months later, living as tadpoles for about 30 days, and taking about 95 days to metamorphisize. This species lives only for about 2-5 years.

So, what caused this species to go extinct in some areas, and become vulnerable in most areas of Western Washington?

Here's where the population of the Oregon Spotted Frog is. The three main causes of the species' vulnerability are: agricultural use of water, Dam construction, and introduction of the bullfrog in that area. These all factor in to the Frog's breeding, mostly having to do with the lack of acceptable breeding. This species require a warm area of water in order to reproduce. This could also be the result of climate change in that warmer and dryer areas could be the result of this. The NW zoo and aquarium alliance are currently working on saving this species, with multiple zoos and aquariums helping out.

I originally researched this species because I think frogs are really cool and wanted to learn more about them. I knew almost nothing about the Oregon Spotted Frog before this project, but now I know how unique this species is, and how vulnerable it currently is

Sources:

http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?where-genus=Rana&where-species=pretiosa

http://www.californiaherps.com/frogs/pages/r.pretiosa.html

http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Ranidae/Rana/Rana-pretiosa

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00382/

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/topo/gltiles.html

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/19179/0

https://www.aza.org/current-accreditation-list

Mazama Pocket Gopher (Thomomys mazama)

(Mazama pocket gopher by Bill Leonard)

The Mazama Pocket Gopher (Thomomys Mazama), is one of the smallest species of pocket gopher alive. They live anywhere north of the Cascade Mountain range. Generally, they spend most of their time underground in burrows. Once they create a home they stay there without to much moving around, however, during rainy seasons they sometime shift their house's location around as to avoid any significantly damp soil.

Mazama Pocket Gophers are quite important to the balance of ecosystems. They can be quite helpful, their food stashes and excrement can be very beneficial to the soil and plants that reside above their burrows. Mazama Pocket Gophers eat fungi, grasses, flowers, and the roots of plants. They sometimes store these organic materials within their burrows, and occasionally they will rot and break down before being eaten. This helps enrich the soil and pumps it full of good nutrients. Mazama Pocket Gophers are also important as prey; many species rely on them as a food source such as: Large birds, Coyotes, weasels, and other large predators.


(Mazama Pocket Gopher 2012 survey plots results)

Currently, there are only 3 or 4 known large Mazama Pocket Gopher communities, each of these communities have populations in the 1,000s. In 2012, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted a survey of Mazama Pocket Gophers. They checked for gophers in 784 plots that either had gophers in the past or have ideal conditions for them. Mazama Gophers were only found in a fraction of these plots, which is a huge decrease compared to the usual populations of gophers.

It is thought that the cause for the massive decrease in Mazama Pocket Gopher populations is due to the massive amounts of urban development that has taken place in past years. Even though they are now on the species of concern list, gopher habitats are still often destroyed by construction without anyone even knowing. The rest of the habitats that are not near development are taking damage due to invasive species taking over their homes such as the Scotch Broom. Due to these factors, many gophers have taken up residence at airports and at Joint Base Lewis-McCord. Both of these locations have ample underground spaces that have not had recent construction on them. Also, the gophers benefit from the regular lawn mows that take place. The lawn mows help to keep invasive species from overtaking their habitat.

There has been some work to create ideal habitats for Mazama Pocket Gophers and then to slowly introduce and integrate the gophers into them. For example, a research project has succeeded in creating a Mazama Pocket Gopher community at Wolf Haven International in Thurston County. The state has also been trying to capture gophers in urban areas and re-release them in wildlife preserves. Its to early to tell if this will help the Mazama Pocket Gophers populations rise, but so far the gophers have reacted positively to these efforts and it is thought that their populations will grow in the coming years.

I chose this animal for my research project for a few reason, first off I just think that they are cute. Second off, I think that gophers are often looked down upon as pests because they can destroy yards, because of this I feel that a lot of people probably aren't to concerned about their populations. However, gophers can be extremely beneficial to ecosystems and no species deserves to go extinct no matter how annoying they can be.


Works Cited:
Stinson et al. Mazama Pocket Gopher (Thomomys mazama). Threatened and Endangered Wildlife in Washington, Allen et al, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, eopugetsound.org/articles/mazama-pocket-gopher-thomomys-mazama.

Tufted Puffin-Seabird (Fratercula Cirrhata)

Tufted Puffin in Hand. 8 May 2011. Tufted Puffins, Alaska. By USFWS.

Population 2,750,000-3,000,000 9/3 on Continental Concern Score. Most populated in the San Juan Islands, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and along the coast of the Olympic Peninsula.(Handson 2015)

The Tufted Puffins migrate to the Islands in spring and summer, this is their mating season and a time to raise their young.  To survive they typically dive into waters (up to 100 km) for their food and can typically hold about 20 or more smaller fish at a time. 

These birds are known to populate regions of waters all around the coastal areas of the United States, but there has been a significant decline between the 80s -90s. A study was started in 2005 to observe their “reproductive trends” (Pearson 2005) on Tatoosh Island, Washington. To see if their trends produced normal patterns the case study was compared to that of other seabirds.

Breeding sites in Washington were recorded that only 48% in 2007 and 53% in 2008 were actually active. (Pearson 2005) In 2007 fewer Puffins returned to the colonial areas in Tatoosh Island to, and this caused a decline in the amount of birds that would breed.  

Fishing nets are one of largest contributors to the killings of the Tufted Puffin, it is estimated (in 1980s) that about 10,000 get trapped in large fishing nets. Since then the mortality rate had dropped but not significantly. Natural predators of the Tufted Puffin are from arctic foxes, bears, and otters which were not native to these areas until early 1900s. These predators have often eliminated the populated areas of Puffins from several islands.(Eckhardt 2015)

Another reasons for the decline of the Puffin are from oil spills, specifically in 1991 the Tenyo Maru spill had effected an estimated 9% of the Puffin Population.  Ocean temperatures are rising and this is reducing the productivity of the fish populations making it more difficult for the Puffin to survive.

At this time there are no plans of management of recovery requirements but they are considered a species of concern “by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”(Hanson 2015) The Endangered Species Act will not be evaluated for the Tufted Puffin to make the list until 2017. If the Tufted penguin continues to decline at the 8.9% annual rate then it they will become extinct in the next 40 years.

The reason I chose this bird is because I remember seeing so many of them when I was in Oregon at the Haystack Rock. I had no idea they were on the brink of being on the endangered species list. They have quails that fan out as a display to attract a mate. They typically only have one to two broods annually, which does not help the population growth at a fast pace. 

Works Cited:

Eckhardt, M. (2015). Tufted Puffin. R. Bonney, Ed. Retrieved October 07, 2016, from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Puffin/id

Hanson, T. and G. J. Wiles. 2015. Washington state status report for the Tufted Puffin. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington. 62 pp.

Pearson, Scott. Dr. Hodum, Peter and Dr. Parrish, Julia. 2005. Tufted Puffin Status and Trends. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington. Web.

The Gray Wolf

Photo taken at Woodland Park Zoo by myself.

The Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) is native to many areas in North America, and was once one of the world's most widely distributed mammals. It has sadly become extinct in much of Western Europe, Mexico, and the US. There are currently only 19 known packs in Washington with an estimate of at least 90 individuals. 15 of the 19 packs are actually located in Eastern Washington, so while they are currently listed as an endangered species, most of the protection efforts involve the Western Packs. Farmers and livestock operators in Eastern Washington are at liberty to hunt and kill gray wolves that prey on their livestock.

Humans are by far the biggest threat to the species. Not only have people forced wolves to maintain smaller and smaller territories by building homes in areas where they once called home, but they also hunt and kill them to "protect" livestock. In many situations, wolves are killed simply because someone spotted them. Many people in rural or farming areas will panic at the "threat" of a wolf in the area despite the fact that gray wolves are known to be wary of humans. The other big factor here is that wolves are frequently forced to hunt livestock due to people hunting and killing off the wolves natural prey, like deer for example. It's all well and good to place protections on gray wolves, but if their prey isn't protected as well then they'll have less to eat.

Climate change is another threat to gray wolves. Rising temperatures has caused snowpacks to decrease in size, and snowmelt to occur earlier in the year. The result is that there is less water in late summer. This is a problem not only for gray wolves and other predators, but for their prey as well. The decrease in water supplies as well as the change in vegetation patterns due to heat and other environmental changes forces prey species to migrate to areas where they will have enough to eat. Also, the speed that temperature and other environmental changes is occurring can cause stress to wolves and other species, as they may not be able to adapt quickly enough to the changes.

Wolves have called Washington home for a very long time, but they are significantly vulnerable to interactions with humans, decreases in habitat size, decreases in local prey, and major environmental changes. Human assistance is needed to help the species recover. The Wolf Conservation and Managemant Plan (Wolf Plan) helps to manage the species and protect it until the current packs are distributed across the state's recovery areas. Also, some farmers believe that they need to go out and hunt nearby wolves to protect their wares, but the state didn't just forget about them when policies were made. There are compensation funds available for farmers and livestock operators who have experienced losses from wolves and other predators.

I chose to research the gray wolf because I feel it is unfair how they are often depicted as these terrible predators that only cause trouble for farmers. During my senior year of high school, I attended the veterinary assisting program at Sno-Isle Tech. Towards the end of our school year, some wolves and other animals were actually brought to our classroom. The handlers walked one of the gray wolves around by students, the wolf stood all the way up to my hips and was wary and cautious of every person it walked by. It wasn't scary at all, it just required some amount of respect to understand. I found out something rather interesting while doing my research. As it turns out, herds of big game, such as elk and deer, are actually healthier and better maintained when there are wolves in their habitat. Wolves typically prey on the weaker members of a herd, and because of this only strong and healthy members of the herd are able to breed. Wolves aren't just some awful predator, they're beautiful creatures that have every right to live in the place they call home.


Sources:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/
http://www.conservationnw.org/what-we-do/wildlife-habitat/gray-wolf
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/3746/0
http://westernwildlife.org/large-carnivores-in-a-changing-world/

Peregrine falcon

"FineArtAmerica, Craig Brown"

The peregrine falcon is known as the fasted creature in the animal kingdom, dive bombing or stooping to catch prey and reaching speeds of over 200 miles per hour.

The peregrine is currently in the sensitive list in Washington state, and were in the endangered list not too long ago.  In the year 1980, only four pairs were counted, but populations have increased to a more comfortable level since then.

The population of the falcon are generally widespread in the state, found in western Washington (Pacific Coast, San Juan Islands, Puget Sound coast, Seattle, Western Cascades) With a few nesting areas spread out through eastern washington.

The peregrine falcon can be found in North America and much of the world.  Peregrine falcons usually live an average life span of 15 years, and have a wing span ranging from 14 to 19 inches in length.  Once falcons are born, they grow rapidly and at day 20-30 they begin to grow feathers.  After this period they start to fly, and after two months they begin to learn to hunt, starting with small flying insects.  After 2-3 years the falcons are mature enough to mate, and males will court a female by performing aerial acrobatics to impress her.  Females will lay somewhere between 2 to 5 eggs, and mates will be breeding partners for life, meeting back at the same nest during mating season.

The biggest threat to peregrine falcons is DTT, an insecticide.  After eating other mammals and insects contaminated by DTT, peregrine falcons began to lay eggs with thinner egg shells resulting in very low birth rate.  Fortunately, DTT was banned in 1972 and populations have increased since the cancellation of this practice.

There are not any records of climate change affecting the falcons in this region, but up towards the arctic in the nation of Canada they have seen declines in population.  More frequent and heavier rain storms have been caused by gradual warming year by year.  This has caused both hypothermia for young chicks as well as starvation.  It is speculated that heavy rain storms have also caused decline in prey population, linking the cause of falcon starvation.

Peregrine falcons are vulnerable because they are top predators.  They require a large area as territory and therefore breeding is more sparse and desolate.  Top predators will also absorb higher amounts of toxins than other links down the food chain, it all accumulates at one point, and this is what caused DTT to be such an issue for the peregrine falcon.

Breeding and nursing projects were used after the ban of DTT, reintroducing a couple thousand peregrine falcons back into the wild.  Falcons were cared for in a laboratory till three weeks of age, then were set out into habitat in an artificial nest, and fed until they were capable of hunting and became independent.

I picked the peregrine falcon because of my admiration for birds of prey.  I think they're majestic creatures plain and simple.  I did not know that they were put on the endangered list at all, but was not too surprised it was caused by conventional agriculture.

hello, Im Jake

My name is Jake Blackstone, I am born and raised in Washington state and am currently 22 years old.  I chose to take this class because I would like to know more about this region that I have bonded to, as well as learn how different organisms interact with each other to make a whole.  When I am not at school I am either doing various kinds of yard work, building, crafting, researching and exploring.  Exploring is probably my favorite activity, as different areas have their own uniqueness and distinct (yet similar) microcosm.  Changes can be dramatic whether a few steps away or an hours car drive distance, which has always impressed me.  I like to do art when I can, and most of my work is inspired by the natural world I'll post a couple picture below.

How's it going, I'm Josh

I'm 20 years old and originally from Illinois. I used to not like nature, I never really got how everyone thought it was so pretty. I've always liked big cities, and would much rather go to the arcade than the Grand Canyon. I took this class because it sounded fun, and I was right about that. I said that I used to not like nature because I think I've developed an appreciation for how the world works. I still think that Seattle is much prettier than anything I've seen in nature though.  I haven't exactly decided what I want to do with my life, but I love science and math. I also love games, any type of game really. I have a collection of board games and I play them all the time with my friends. I also love learning, exploring and meeting new people.

Here's some stuff in the wild that I think is cool

Here's the M33 galaxy. I just think it looks cool

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