Wildlife BasicsEnvirothon 2021 Training

Adapted from

David A. Bryan

Private Lands Wildlife Biologist

Virginia Tech Conservation Management Institute

In Partnership with VA DGIF and USDA NRCS

Sammy Zambon

Visitor Experience Specialist

Virginia State Parks

Key Envirothon Wildlife Topics

1. Knowledge of Wild Birds, Mammals and Herps

2. Wildlife Ecology

3. Conservation and Management of Wildlife

4. Issues Involving Wildlife and Society

1. Knowledge of Birds,

Mammals and Herps

How to Identify?

• Mammals – Mounted specimens, skins,

pelts, skulls, scats, tracks, etc.

• Birds – Decoys, wings, field sounds

(songs/calls – see AllAboutBirds.org),

silhouettes, etc.

• Herps – Sounds, texture, body shape

(aquatic vs. terrestrial), color patterns, head

shape (poisonous vs. non-poisonous)

USE FIELD GUIDES!!!!!

Snake ID

• Venomous?

• Non-venomous?

What are Virginia’s 3 Venomous Snakes – and are they all everywhere?Copperhead – Everywhere; Timber Rattlesnake – Mountains/SE (canebrake); Cottonmouth – Southeast

From Manbir-Online.com

Snake ID: Try Your Skills

• Poisonous?

• Non-poisonous?

From dgif.virginia.gov

Classification(under Eukarya Domain)

• Kingdom

• Phylum

• Class

• Order

• Family

• Genus

• Species

Classify: Northern Bobwhite

By Bob Schamerhorn, iphotobirds.com

Classification

• Kingdom - Animalia

• Phylum - Chordata

• Class - Aves

• Order - Galliformes

• Family - Odontophoridae

• Genus - Colinus

• Species – virginianus

– (Level of management - typically)

Why Latin?

Universal,

avoids

confusion

By Bob Schamerhorn, iphotobirds.com

Tracks – A Wealth of Info

Skulls – You Are What You Eat

• Skulls Can Be Used To Help Identify:

• Diet – Omnivore, Herbivore, Carnivore

• Look at canines and/or molars

• What is majority?

• Daily Cycle – Diurnal, Nocturnal…

Crepuscular?

• Comparative Body Size

2. Wildlife Ecology

Key Terms• Habitat – microhabitat

• Home range

• Limiting factor

• Population dynamics

• Carrying capacity

• Ecosystem, community, and population

• Niche

• Generalist

• Specialist

• Keystone species

• Food chains, webs and related terminology

• Biodiversity

• Succession

Habitat

• An area that provides an animal or plant

with adequate food, water, shelter, and

space

– Describe habitat for a Red Fox & Gray Fox

Red Fox

Diverse habitat

Open fields

Farmland

Gray Fox

Upland woods

Riparian habitats and swamps

Pine forests

Cover and Shelter

• Why are cover and shelter needed?

– Protection from predators

– Protection from the elements

Water

• How is water obtained?

– Free water

• Puddles, dew, lakes, ponds

– Vegetation

– Metabolic water

• Produced through respiration

• Used by mammals in extreme environments

• Used by birds in migration

Home Range

• The area used by an animal to fulfill its

food, cover, water, and reproductive

requirements – Important aspect when counting populations

• Especially wolves, cougars, and other large mammals

– If you do not know the home range you run the risk of double

counting individuals

» Leads to false conclusions about popln size, therefore

affecting management decisions

When Managing…

• You also have to keep in mind yearly

cycle…

– Breeding Habitat

– Wintering Habitat

– Migration Habitat

• Flyways/pathways

– Not only in NA

– South and Central Am.

• These habitats may vary significantly

From birding.about.com

Microhabitats

• Localized areas within a community

occupied by certain organisms because of

microdifferences in moisture, light, and

other conditions – ex: Cave salamanders

• Allows an animal to escape a harsh

environment

– Seeking out shade

Limiting Factors

• Things that prevent a population from

growing any larger

– Disease/parasites

– Females

– Predation

– Starvation

Population Dynamics

• Interactions within a Population (Group of Single

Species)

– Birth

– Death/Mortality

– Age Structure/Ratio

– Sex Ratio – Percentage of Males or Number of Males

per Female

– Mating Systems

• Polygynous – One Male to Several Females (e.g. White-tailed

Deer) – Managed harvests, even sex-specific, to skew such

that every female will be able to breed (need enough males)

• Monogamous (e.g. Canada Goose) – Managed for a balanced

50:50 Sex Ratio – Sex-specific harvests would be disastrous

Carrying Capacity

• The maximum population of a given

organism that a particular environment or

habitat can sustain; implies continuing

yield without environmental damage; often

denoted as K

Niche

• The unique position occupied by a particular

species, conceived both in terms of the actual

physical area that it inhabits and the function that it

performs within the community

• Niche partitioning

– Observe birds in a pine tree

• Some species will be on the outermost branches, some on the

inner parts of tree, some at the top, some below, and some on

the ground.

Note: Species may be anatomically (body structure),

physiologically (body fxn) or behaviorally different

Generalist vs Specialist

• Generalist

– Relies on various sources for food and habitat• Black Bear

– Fruits, berries, garbage, insects, honey

• Specialist

– Dependant on one or very few food sources or habitat types

• Includes a lot of endangered/rare species– Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel

• May be endemic = spp. native to a specific, defined geographic location

Predator Prey Dynamics

• Lynx and Hare

– the textbook example – which changes first?

Keystone species

• An organism in the ecosystem that many other species depend upon for continued survival and support

– Beaver• Sets back succession

• Ponds create habitat for waterfowl, fish, weasels, and several other species

• First seral (= successional transition) stage is important for grouse and other wildlife

Ecosystem – Community – Population

Which is which?

a) A group of interdependent plants and animals

inhabiting the same region and interacting with

each other through food and other relationships

b) All the individuals of one species in a given

area

c) An ecological community together with its

abiotic environment, functioning as a unit

Answer: a) Community, b) Population, c) Ecosystem

Food Chains, Webs, etc…

• Food Chain

– Producer -> Primary Consumer -> Secondary

Consumer -> Tertiary Consumer -> then

WHAT?

• DECOMPOSER

• Food Web - Combo of food chains that

integrate to form a network

Example Food Web

What is missing? DECOMPOSERS

From morningside.hackney.sch.uk

Biodiversity

• The number, variety and genetic variation of

different organisms found within a specified

geographic region

1. Genetic – Diversity of genes within and among populations of

a single species. Generally more individuals = more genetic

variety = better for species to respond to environmental

variability (opp: inbreeding problems)

2. Species – Variety of species within a habitat – typically focus

of biodiversity studies – easiest to study

3. Ecosystem/Community – Variety of Ecosystems in a given

place – Deals with species distributions, interactions and

community patterns – Least understood

Succession

• The gradual replacement of one

community of plants by another

– Take a field out of production in Hanover Co.

• What will happen in

– 2-5 years

– 5-10

– 10-30

– Etc.......what will be in this field several years down the

road

Natural Progression of Plants

over Time

• Disturbances are important for some “early successional” species

– Sets back succession• Woodcock and grouse are usually found in early

successional forests– Young aspen stands

• Grasslands– Grassland birds (field sparrows)

– Small mammals (field mice, deer mice)

– What is a disturbance?• Flood, tornado, hurricane, fire

• Human alterations – fire, light disking, forestry, etc.

Succession

3. Conservation and

Management of Wildlife

Common Habitats of VA• Open Water – Bays, rivers, lakes, etc.

• Agricultural Land – Fields often associated with crops – generally not good

shelter, just food – also can be sites for mating displays

• Forest – Generally thick canopy cover with sparse understory– Oak-Hardwood – Deciduous

– Pine

• Loblolly for Production

• Other species like Longleaf, Shortleaf, Va Pine

– Mixed

– Riparian Forest

• Wetland – Extremely diverse to monoculture– Marsh

– Bog

– Swamp

• Early Successional – A habitat in need of management – Thick

understory with lots of cover– Grassland

– Scrub/Shrubland

– Meadow (wildflower or old field)

– Savannah

• Urban/Suburban – Favors adaptable and/or invasive species

Note on

management:

many spp require

multiple habitat

types, especially

mammals and

migratory bird

species

Managing Habitats

• Forest Tips:– Depends on what you’re managing for: canopy species

or understory species

– Often coupled with forestry production goals – generally

pine plantations are too thick with too little understory for

abundant wildlife

– For wildlife, selectively cut hardwoods to favor mast

producing trees

– Conduct pre-commercial thinning to allow light to get to

understory and promote herbaceous growth

– Prescribed fire can burn off the leaf litter layer and

promote understory vegetation

– Aerial spraying can kill unwanted target vegetation

– Clear-cuts are fantastic for wildlife!

Managing Habitats

• Wetland Tips:– Wetlands defined by hydric soils, vegetation and

hydrology

– Wetlands often created or managed by changes to

hydrology; regulated by the Army Corps of Engineers

– In impoundments, water level can be manipulated to

improve seasonal habitat for ducks in migration… plant

and flood crops

– Herbicide sprays can be used to kill target vegetation

– Prescribed burning may be used in some scenarios

– Often involves invasive species management…

Phragmites australis australis in particular

Managing Habitats

• Early Successional Tips:– Creating and sustaining a “soft edge” between forest and field is a must –

serve as nesting and brood habitat, cover, and travel corridors

– NWSG plantings are key for quail and other nesting birds… e.g. little

bluestem, indiangrass, big bluestem

– Idling lands and letting them grow up can also produce good habitat

– Early successional management often includes the elimination of fescue

carpet grass using glyphosate herbicides (e.g. RoundUp Ultra©), sprayed in

the fall and the following spring

– Pre-emergent imazapic herbicides (e.g. Plateau©) used to suppress fescue

and non-native growth when planting – many NWSGs are resistant

– Shrub plantings for cover… e.g. indigobush, american plum

– “Edge feathering” aka felling trees along a forest border for cover

– This habitat MUST have routine maintenance to set back ecological

succession

– Tools like prescribed burning and rotational light disking promote bare

ground for the growth of forbs and to set back native warm season grass

(NWSG) plantings; bare ground is also key for “bugging” chicks

Wildlife Management

• Using the best available science to

balance the needs of a wildlife species

with their perception of the needs of

people

Management – Who is in Charge?

• State Level: VA DWR is “to manage Virginia's wildlife and

inland fish to maintain optimum populations of all species to

serve the needs of the Commonwealth”-

Wildlife Mgt. Areas

• Federal Level: “The Mission of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Service: working with others to conserve, protect and enhance

fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing

benefit of the American people” – also, importantly, administers

the 1973 ESA (coadministed by NOAA)-

National Wildlife Refuge System

Department of Conservation and Recreation

• Division of Natural Heritage- manages

State Natural Area Preserves

• Division of State Parks- manages…

Management

• Goal is to manage population numbers at a maximum level determined by: habitat, public perception, disease risk, etc.

– How much food, water, and cover is available

– How many bears are too many

– What is the carrying capacity

• How do you know the current popln size

– Identification by surveys with GPS

– Use tools like trapping, mark-recapture method (banding), GIS, remote sensing

Mgmt works with SPECIES

• DEFINE:

A group of freely interbreeding individuals

reproductively isolated from other groups

• Species – Level of management ....typically

– White-tailed deer

– Black bear

– Mallard

– Ruffed Grouse

• Subspecies

– Canada Goose• Cackling goose

Classification

Cultural Carrying Capacity

• The maximum number of individuals of a species

that the human population can tolerate (influenced

by politics, NGOs, etc).

• Different from biological c.c. – the number of

individuals the habitat can sustain

• Often influences management:

– Abundant species like White-tailed Deer

• Habitat supports more than man can deal with

– Megafauna such as Wolves or Grizzly Bears that pose a

threat to humans, livestock, etc.

• Though there may not be many individuals in the wild, the

stigma and fear associated with the animal may influence c.c.c.

Bag Limits

• What are they based on?

– Compensatory mortality

• # harvested is the approximate # that would not

have survived the winter or migration

– Other

• Human thresholds

– Too many bears or deer can become a nuisance

Bag Limits and Regulations

• Where do you go?

– Change Year-to-Year based on Survey

Estimates (Rabbit routes, etc)

– Check with your local Game Department

• VA DGIF

• Licensed vendors

Why do we have Game Regs?

• Overharvesting

• So they can write you a ticket? Yes!

• Protect Important Habitats or Species

– Exotics or invasives are not protected

• Starlings, house sparrows

– Snow Geese (need hunting)

• Destroying the arctic tundra

How are Limits Determined?

• Population census

– Aerial surveys for waterfowl

– Mark-recapture for small mammals

• Toe clips, ear tags, paint

– Radio-telemetry

– Roadside transects for tracks

Game vs Non-Game

• Name 3 game species in VA

• Name 3 non-game species in VA

• Name 1 threatened or endangered

species in VA

Benefits of Hunting & Trapping

Outside of Management

• Excise taxes

– Pittman-Robertson tax

• 10-11% tax on all hunting related equipment

– Ammunition, firearms, etc.

• Money goes to the Secretary of the Interior and is

divided among the States based on area and number

of licensed hunters

Benefits of Hunting & Trapping

Outside of Management

• Duck Stamps

– Federal Duck Stamp• $15 stamp to hunt migratory waterfowl

– Funds NWR’s and habitat restoration

– State Duck Stamp• $10 for residents to hunt waterfowl

• Supports waterfowl habitat restoration

Benefits of Hunting & Trapping

Outside of Management

• New in Virginia as of 1/1/2012

– Access Permit for Wildlife Management Areas• $4 per day, or $23 per year

– Funds go to the agency in its WMA mission – maintain and enhance habitats for game and non-game wildlife and provide opportunities to hunt, fish, trap and view wildlife

– Needed for anyone 17+ who do not possess current VA hunting, freshwater fishing, or trapping license OR current VA boat registration

Hunting Regs

• To have a hunting license in Virginia,

hunters must pass a free, mandatory

education course on safety, conservation,

and sportsmanship

• All states and provinces have such

courses developed by the state or

provincial govt’s hunting and wildlife

agency

4. Issues Involving Wildlife and

Society

H-I-P-P-O

• The 5 Major Threats to Biodiversity

– H = Habitat Destruction

– I = Invasive Species

– P = Pollution

– P = Human Over-Population

– O = Overharvesting

3 Major Habitat Impacts• Destruction – Complete elimination; think

of slash and burn in the rainforests

• Degradation – The wearing down of

habitat quality through pollution, killing off

species, etc.

• Fragmentation – Splits up large blocks and

eliminates interior habitats (e.g. old growth

forest), increases edge predation and nest

parasitism, etc.

ALTOGETHER, THIS MEANS THAT HABITAT AND WILDLIFE ARE

UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE --- MUST MANAGE!

Issue:Invasives• Non-native (exotic) plant and animal species

• Accidentally or purposefully introduced for cultural or

ornamental purposes… e.g. european starling, autumn olive

• Characterized commonly by:

– Fast growth

– Rapid reproduction

– Generalist in habitat and food type

– High dispersal ability by wing, wind, rhizomes, etc.

• Important wildlife management issue as they:

– Outcompete native vegetation or wildlife for resources and space

– Often create monocultures… e.g. kudzu, tree-of-heaven

– Reduces habitat diversity, food availability and community structure

– Increase predation pressures on prey (if a predator)

– Plants may be tough to get rid of, but easier to target – unlike invasive

birds or mammals, for example, that are now everywhere

• CONTROL is key, since eradication may not be possible

Issue: Disease

• Wildlife are subject to diseases based on

exposure to microbes, parasites, toxins, etc.

• Common examples:

– White-nosed syndrome in bats – are humans a

carrier of the fungus as well as bats

themselves?

– Chronic wasting disease in deer – neurological

Wildlife Status Terminology

• Extinct – A species that has completely died out

• Extirpated – Local extinction of a spp from a geographic area

• Endangered – Species in danger of extinction, usually with

common characteristics:– Habitat specialists

– Food specialists

– Endemic

– Flightless birds, especially where predators are introduced to islands

– Large, slow animals = easily hunted by poachers and predators

– Long-lived species with low reproductive potential, mainly mammals

– Spp with value for food, pets, trophy hunts, furs, market products (ivory), etc.

– Top level predators viewed as “dangerous” or “nuisance”

– Altruism – unselfish care regardless of danger to self

Endangered Species Act administered by: USFWS – Land and Inland Water Spp.;

NMFS of NOAA – Oceanic Spp.

Wildlife Status Terminology cont.

• Threatened – A spp. likely to become endangered

throughout all or a majority of its range (usually due

to habitat loss and destruction unless scenarios

change)

• Candidate Species – Vulnerable species proposed for

listing as endangered or threatened, with sufficient

biological proof on status and threats, but precluded

by other higher priority listing objectives; no

protection under ESA

• Reintroduction – An effort to re-establish or supplement

wild populations of an endangered or threatened

species

EXERCISES

Field Guide Use

Field Guide ID

• Identification – Animals are grouped by

families based on:

– Physical traits

– Habitat

– Morphology

• Start General

• Get Specific

Species ID – What is it?When in the field, you notice…

• Surface feeding “dabbling duck”

• Feeds by tipping tail up to reach seeds,

invertebrates, snails, etc.

• Spring directly into flight when you scare it

• Notice field marks like eye line, body color

From AllAboutBirds.org

American Black Duck!

Two More Birds Seen in VA –

What are they?

From AllAboutBirds.org

•Seen walking on leaf floor

•You note field marks: white eye

ring and orangish crown

•Resembles a thrush, but no

spots underneath

•Sings: “Teacher, TeaCher,

TeaCHER”… louder each time

•Seen walking on the beach

•You note field marks: bright

orange legs, yellow/orange eye

ring, one black band around

neck

•Seen in migration season

Ovenbird and Semipalmated Plover

Watch for Tricks in Bird I.D.

From AllAboutBirds.org

For example… Downy (l) and Hairy

Woodpeckers (r) look very similar and sound

very similar… they are different sizes, but hard

to judge size in pictures… look at bill!

What is it?

From AllAboutBirds.org

Now For VA Reptiles…

Use Field Guide

From Duke.edu

From uga.edu

Eastern Mud Turtle and Eastern Kingsnake

EXERCISES

Skulls Demo – What do they eat?

Omnivores

Carnivores

Herbivores

Lagimorphs?

EXERCISES

Track, Pelt and Scat Identification

QUESTIONS?