Wildlife of PA

1. Wildlife of PA Envirothon Birds and Mammals

2. Birds and Mammals • Identify • Describe the natural history • Determine the wildlife biology • Evaluate habitat • Check out our list!

3. Conceptual Questions • Habitat requirements • Physical characteristics • Wildlife management techniques • Migration/hibernation • Awareness of disease (West Nile Virus and Chronic Wasting disease) • State agencies involved with protection • All these will be found in our Wildlife Profile Set!

4. Identification • Visuals ; mounts, skins, photos • Vocalizations (CD) • Skulls and tracks (booklet and CD)

5. Let’s skull identify! • Black bear • Fox • Raccoon • Opossum • Beaver • Vole • Deer

6. Let’s examine skins! • Red fox • Coyote • Raccoon • Beaver • Skunk • Opossum • White tail deer

7. Let’s identify feathers! • Turkey • Pheasant • Red tailed hawk • Great horned owl • Vulture • Ruffed grouse

8. Game Commission • http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pgc/9106 • Check out these links: • Wildlife • Wildlife, habitat management, wildlife diseases • Education • Kid’s corner • Resources • Photo, video

9. Chronic Wasting Disease • Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in deer, elk, and moose in certain geographic locations in North America. It attacks the brains of infected members of the deer family and produces small lesions that eventually result in death. While CWD is similar to mad cow disease in cattle. CWD has not yet been found in Pennsylvania.

10. West Nile • West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause a brain inflammation. Infected mosquitoes pass the virus onto birds, animals and people. West Nile virus was first detected in North America in 1999 in New York, and in Pennsylvania in 2000. Prior to that it had only been found in Africa, Eastern Europe, and West Asia. West Nile virus cases occur primarily in the mid summer or early fall, although mosquito season is usually April-October. • The principle route of human infection with West Nile virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito. • The West Nile virus infects certain wild birds. The infected birds, especially crows, are known to get sick and die from the infection. Reporting of dead birds is a good way to check for West Nile virus activity in the environment and allow implementation of prevention and control measures to minimize the spread of the virus. The Pennsylvania Dead Bird Surveillance program for West Nile virus relies on Commonwealth citizens to report and submit dead birds seen around their property or elsewhere to their West Nile County Coordinators. Since the virus was detected in New York City in 1999, thousands of dead birds have been submitted for testing by citizens in the northeastern US. Pennsylvania residents are strongly encouraged to report and submit dead birds.

11. Track this!

12. Bobcat http://www.bear-tracker.com/bobcat.html

13. Track this! http://www.bear-tracker.com/opossum.html

14. Oppossum • http://www.bear-tracker.com/opossum.html

15. Track this!

16. Raccoon http://www.bear-tracker.com/coon.html

17. Track this!

18. Shrew http://www.cmnh.org/site/Files/SRCenter/ShortTailedShrew.pdf

19. Track this!

20. Deer http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/whitetaileddeer.htm

21. Let’s track! • http://www.bear-tracker.com/beaver.html • http://www.bear-tracker.com/bobcat.html • http://www.bear-tracker.com/grayfox.html • http://www.bear-tracker.com/opossum.html • http://www.bear-tracker.com/redfox.html • http://www.bear-tracker.com/gsquirel.html • http://www.bear-tracker.com/brushrbt.html • http://www.bear-tracker.com/