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Private Notes
Elegant and graceful, the Lynx is one of Nature's finest physical specimens. Its primary quarry is the elusive Snowshoe Hare. It is seen that the numbers of predator and prey -- Lynx and Snowshoe Hare -- are intricately linked in a ten-year cycle that rises and falls in unison. This fascinating, unexplained phenomenon is only one of many mysteries in the Great North Woods.
The ancients believed these Birds were gods that could bring forth rain by tapping their bills. Woodpeckers cannot perform miracles, but they do know how to use their heads. Special adaptations enable them to whack away at tree trunks with extraordinary force in their quest for food and shelter. This high-powered hammering also benefits humans by destroying Insect pests.
Wild creatures have evolved a variety of fascinating means for discouraging predators. Some of these methods of protection, such as the Porcupine's quills, are built right into the animal's anatomy. Other devices, like the ability of the Opossum to "play dead", are behavioral. Survival usually depends on a complex set of interactions between predator and prey.
Yellowstone Lake has a vast underwater wilderness never seen by the two million annual visitors to this National Park. It is also the realm of a creature that forms the cornerstone of an entire aquatic ecosystem -- the brilliant Cutthroat Trout. A summer-long exploration by Marty Stouffer and crew begins in the remote Thorofare Region, our wildest land south of Alaska.
The crew's exploration takes them deeper into the northern wilderness along the magnificent Yellowstone River. At LeHardy Rapids, Marty catches slippery Cutthroat to study them face-to-face, then dives into the turbulence to hand-feed a large school of Trout with Salmonfly larvae. Back on the surface, we examine the reproductive cycle and all the other primary predators of the Salmonfly.
As Marty and his crew continue to delve into the life cycle of the Cutthroat Trout, their exploration leads to Grizzly Creek. Here, Marty finds evidence of the big Bears' presence and goes underwater to film the spawning ritual of the Cutthroat. In a fitting finale, some Trout die, as others return to the Lake. As the adventure ends, we're left with deeper feeling for all life.
Through the night, a ravenous predator stalks its unwary prey. With a swift bite to the skull, it slays the victim, then throws back its head and howls. But this beast that hunts like a Weasel and howls like a Wolf is neither -- it's the five-inch Grasshopper Mouse of our western deserts and plains. It feasts on Tarantulas, Scorpions, and even other Rodents -- yet displays close family ties.
"Prairie Wolf, Song Dog, Barking Wolf" -- the Coyote is called by many names, not always complimentary. Once they trailed the great herds across our western plains. The herds are gone. The opportunists remain, and are flourishing despite efforts to eradicate them. Today, their numbers are stronger than ever, but this proof of their versatility only heightens the controversy.
Until 65 million years ago, giant Reptiles ruled the Earth. Dinosaurs have disappeared, but their multitude of descendants thrive in practically every kind of habitat North America offers. Masses of emerging Garter Snakes writhe in Manitoba's Snake Pits. And from southern swamps resounds the primeval bellow of the Alligator, echoing an era millions of years before man.
Since many wild animals are nocturnal -- and all are wary of humans -- they're often difficult to glimpse. But every creature leaves behind signs of its passing. Curiosity, patience and a good field guide are the only equipment needed to learn to read this revealing record. Marty Stouffer offers valuable tips on tracking and getting close to Foxes, Moose, Bears, and Birds.
