Western Skink (Courtesy of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Western skinks may look familiar. Did some of those old monster movies enlarged this modest five-inch lizard to fight Godzilla? Maybe they were hanging out in the garden.
Western skinks are just one of more than 2,500 lizard species in the world. Oregon has a variety of lizards, the most common of them being Western Skinks.
Where to find them
Western skinks can often be found basking themselves on a warm rock in a wide variety of habitats. They favor rocky areas, such as riparian zones, with some moisture. Western skinks are good burrowers and may constructs moist burrows several times its own body length. Standing water is not required.
They avoid heavy brush and dense forests but can be found in coniferous woodlands and forests, and grasslands to desert scrubs. Their region is fairly large and includes Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Missouri, and portions of Texas and California.
Chow’s On
Western skinks consume a wide variety of invertebrates and arthropods including beetles, grasshoppers, sow bugs, moths, flies, spiders, and earthworms. The lizards forage and hunt through leaf litter, and are most active at night and in the early morning.
Drop Tail and Run
They belong to a special group of blue tongue lizards with smooth, glossy scales, and ‘racing’ stripes on its side (these lizards are fast and very agile). Juveniles are more vivid than adults and sport bright blue tails that fade with age to grey in adulthood.
When in a pinch, Skinks will literally ‘drop tail and run.’ They can detach their tail, which will whip and wiggle violently, giving the lizard a chance to escape. The tail will eventually grow back. Some lizards are known to break off their own tails and eat them when food is scarce.
REFERENCES:
–Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Lizards and Skinks (https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/lizards-and-skinks –Wikipedia, Western Skinks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_skink) –Burke Museum Collection and Research (https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/herpetology/amphibians-reptiles-washington/western-skink)
What graceful bird has bright yellow feet that are rarely seen because they are in the mud?
Photo from ODFW.
The bright yellow feet of the adult Snowy Egret are typically hidden by the mud and shallow water. The younger birds have dull yellowish legs and feet. The distinctive foot (yellow) and bill (black) colors make this bird easy to identify compared to other herons.
Habitat
Snowy Egrets forage the marshes and wetlands along the Oregon coast. The bright white feathers make the bird easy to see particularly as it stands still, closely watching its prey and poising for an ambush.
Prey can insects and worms, crustaceans, fish and crayfish, reptiles, snails, and worms. They will also startle prey through movements such as head sways and wing flicks, or through sounds, stab prey with their beaks, and take prey stirred up by other animals (such as cows).
Too beautiful
At one time, the distinctive bright white feathers growing along the bird’s nape and neck captured too much attention. Egrets were overhunted in North America for these stylish hat decorations until 1910. Populations have increased.
Check out the bright yellow feet. Photo from Unsplash.
The birds breed eastern Oregon and in several southern U.S. states from California to Mississippi and throughout Central America. Snowy Egrets can be found year around in South America.
Where to look
The Snowy Egret is native and very common on the southern Oregon coast and likes to hang out near estuaries (such as Haynes Inlet near North Bend and along the Coos Bay), salt marshes (Isthmus Slough), flooded agricultural fields (like along the Coquille River drainage near Coquille) and mudfields, pond edges, and other shallow waters. A full-grown Snowy Egret is about two feet tall and has a wing span of nearly 40-inches.
The rodent on the Oregon State flag is an American Beaver. In 1969, the Legislature recognized the American Beaver by naming it Oregon’s state mammal. Beavers enhance habitat for many other fish and wildlife species through dam-building activities. Beaver ponds provide areas for people to fish, hunt and view wildlife.
How did beavers earn this honor?
During the 1800s, beavers and several other fur-bearing animals were trapped and killed for their pelts or fur. Pelts were shipped back east, to Europe, and China to make beaver hats and coats.
Beaver pelts and activities played a significant role in helping to get Oregon’s economy and growth started. Some say that Oregon’s early economy was built on beaver pelts.
Beaver swimming (courtesy ODFW)
Unregulated trapping virtually eliminated beavers from many landscapes. Other animals trapped included mink, otters, muskrats, martins, raccoons, red fox, grey fox, bobcats, and other furs.
Recovery
With proper management the beaver has become re-established. Beavers can be found in many state waters where the habitat needs are met. Beaver habitat almost always include riparian habitats with trees such as cottonwood and aspen, willow, alder and maple.
Small streams with a constant water flow that meander through relatively flat terrain in fertile valleys seem especially productive of beavers. Beavers can also be found near larger bodies of water such as lakes.
Well suited for water
Beavers are well suited for aquatic life with their paddle-shaped tail, webbed hind feet, compact body, and thick coat with coarse guard hairs that are coated with waterproof oils. Beavers also have a special membrane that cover their eyes and nose when swimming. Finally, Beavers are able to extend their time underwater (to at least 15 minutes) by slowing their heart rate.
Telling the difference
Beavers can be mistaken for muskrats or nutria. The tails and sizes of these animal are strikingly different.
Beavers are the largest rodent in North America often weighing in excess of 65 pounds, and may reach nearly four feet in length. The broad, flat paddle-shaped tail of the American beavers is nearly invisible when they are swimming.
Both muskrats and nutria are quite a bit smaller than beavers and very different tails. Muskrats and nutria have thinner tails and are significantly smaller. Nutrias typically range from 9-20 pounds and have a round tail. Muskrats have a thin, slightly flattened tail and can reach up to 4 pounds.
The tail of a Muskrat and Nutria will either sways back and forth like a propeller or are held out of the water as the animal swims. Nutria are considered invasive in many areas.
Clumsy on land
Courtesy Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife photo by Laura Rogers
Beavers are at risk when foraging on shore or when migrating. Because of their size, behavior and habitat, adult beavers have few natural enemies. Predators include humans, bears, coyotes, bobcats, cougars, and dogs.
The beaver’s sharp incisors are used to cut trees and peel bark while eating. These incisors continually grow but are worn down by the grinding, tree cutting, and feeding. As the incisors wear down, the back surface is softer than the front which helps to create the sharp edge.
Beavers eat a variety of vegetation, roots, herbs, etc. Commonly consumed foods include hammer willows, vine and big leaf maples, alder, and cottonwood. In the winter, they depend on woody plants for most of their food.
Not all are dam builders
Beavers build deep water dams which helps deter predators, facilitates an underwater den entrance, and promotes growth of their favorite foods. Dams vary in size from a small accumulation of woody material to structures 10 feet high and 165 feet wide.
These water areas help provide habitat for many fish and animals, and are critical to juvenile salmon.
But not all beavers build dams. Beavers living on lakes or large rivers that maintain a constant level do not build dams. They may still build lodges and bank dens for resting and rearing their young.
Beavers are also the mascot for Oregon State University.
