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olderthanIusedtobe Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011 Posts: 7687 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
Sculpin wrote: | Oops looks like I blew that one.
But no real difference between eastern "groundhogs" and our Columbia basin marmots, right? |
I'm gonna go ahead and admit I really don't know the answer to that question.
I only saw one "groundhog" in Ohio briefly, not a good enough look for comparison.
edited--certainly they are both in the marmot family and closely related, if not the exact same thing
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Mike Collins Member
Joined: 18 Dec 2001 Posts: 3086 | TRs | Pics
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Sculpin wrote: | But no real difference between eastern "groundhogs" and our Columbia basin marmots, right? |
The eastern groundhog is the species Marmota monax. The yellow-bellied marmot found in the Columbia Basin is Marmota flaviventris (flaviventris means yellow-bellied in Latin). The hoary marmot found in the Cascades is Marmota caligata.
But this may not always have been the case. An interesting study done on marmot teeth found in the Porcupine Cave of Colorado revealed the range of Marmota monax to have extended into Colorado with Marmota flaviventris replacing them as the current residents. Scroll down to the conclusions if you don't have the time for the entire article.
https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/84/2/369/2372882
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Dick B Member
Joined: 06 Jun 2013 Posts: 336 | TRs | Pics Location: Redmond, Or |
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Dick B
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Mon Jan 20, 2020 7:03 pm
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So what how is our cuddly Central Oregon rock Chuck fit into the genus pool. The only tv ad we enjoy is out by the Geico insurance people. Especially the wood Chuck's chucking wood.
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Anne Elk BrontosaurusTheorist
Joined: 07 Sep 2018 Posts: 2410 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
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Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:40 am
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Not quite PNW (CA) but topically relevant. Better here than the youtube thread. So cute!
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:55 pm
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I was driving down the road from Franson Peak Lookout above Curlew in Ferry County a couple of days ago and spotted a wolverine in the road. It waddled along in front of the car for a good ways before finally scampering off to the side. That was a first for me.
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lookout bob WTA proponent.....
Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 3043 | TRs | Pics Location: wta work while in between lookouts |
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lookout bob
WTA proponent.....
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Fri Jun 12, 2020 3:28 pm
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Not totally unexpected, but usually rather shy big horn sheep near Safety Harbor Trail, Chelan.
"Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
"Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
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Brushbuffalo Member
Joined: 17 Sep 2015 Posts: 1887 | TRs | Pics Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between |
RichP wrote: | spotted a wolverine in the road |
You are among the fortunate ones, Rich.
For me lifetime: grizzlies=3, porcupines~6, wolverine=0
Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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Brushbuffalo Member
Joined: 17 Sep 2015 Posts: 1887 | TRs | Pics Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between |
Regarding turkey vultures, once I saw a couple of them circling around and above the local hospital in Bellingham. Draw your own conclusion.
When I used to teach rock climbing, once we had several vultures circling overhead at Mt. Erie for two hours.... kind of unnerving when the climbers were all novices.
Fortunately we escaped and left a flock of still-hungry vultures.
On most days this month on my runs on Stewart Mountain ( just north of Lake Whatcom) I have seen one or more vultures soaring above, apparently watching me, as I go up and down and around in a big clearcut.
I know I am slower these days, but come on, birds, I ain't dead yet!
(yesterday 3 eagles were soaring high above a solitary vulture).
Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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FiresideChats Member
Joined: 20 Jan 2014 Posts: 361 | TRs | Pics Location: San Juan Islands |
On Orcas Island I have several times seen a circle of vultures, maybe 500 feet up, and then above them a circle of bald eagles, riding the same summertime thermal 500 feet above them. So cool! And, yes, we live in the house between the medical center and a cemetery...maybe they're starting to piece things together. :-)
Coolest wildlife moment on the island was 10 years ago when a golden eagle had caught a furry something and was perched right by the road near Olga.
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neilpa Member
Joined: 10 Jun 2020 Posts: 6 | TRs | Pics
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neilpa
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Sat Jul 04, 2020 3:40 pm
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Saw this muscovy duck hanging w/ mallards yesterday on Lake Washington near the UW stadium. Maybe an urban farm/pet escape?
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Anne Elk BrontosaurusTheorist
Joined: 07 Sep 2018 Posts: 2410 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
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Sun Jul 05, 2020 2:47 pm
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That one mallard right behind the Muscovy looks like a hybrid. Bet there are a lot of escape artist quackers.
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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neilpa Member
Joined: 10 Jun 2020 Posts: 6 | TRs | Pics
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neilpa
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Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:30 pm
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Anne Elk wrote: | That one mallard right behind the Muscovy looks like a hybrid |
Any idea what it's a cross with? The muscovy? I've been wondering what it is since I first saw it about a week ago. Got a couple of closer pics but not in great light.
Mallard hybrid?
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Anne Elk BrontosaurusTheorist
Joined: 07 Sep 2018 Posts: 2410 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
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Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:33 pm
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Haven't a clue. Maybe just one of those unexotic, regular American types
Quacky!
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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olderthanIusedtobe Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011 Posts: 7687 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
Do dead animals count? Today driving south on I-5 around Tacoma, dead deer on the side of the road. Not 100 yards from the T Dome. Network of surface streets all around there, a few trees, some houses. What the heck was a deer doing there?
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Brushbuffalo Member
Joined: 17 Sep 2015 Posts: 1887 | TRs | Pics Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between |
olderthanIusedtobe wrote: | Do dead animals count? |
You bet! We make up these rules as we play this game.
Deer seem to be everywhere. Imagine the surprise of the driver of the vehicle that hit it.
Imagine the confusion and terror of the poor deer.
Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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