Mammals Of The Rocky Mountains

[Music] the Rocky Mountains of North America like all mountains present a special kind of environment in which seasonal changes are intensified by differences in altitude these differences in altitude result in four major zones of plant life beginning at the top there is the zone of least vegetation the barren be next the alpine meadows below this zone of growing plants Timberline marks the highest altitude of which trees can grow from Timberline the zone of wooded slopes extends down into the lowest zone the valley grassland in each zone we find those animals which feed on the particular plant life of that zone moose are typical mammals of the Falla grasslands their favorite feeding ground is a boggy meadow where they find leaves of tree saplings such as willow poplar and birch a full-grown male or bull moose may stand almost 6 feet high of the shoulder and weigh about 1,400 tons largest member of the deer family the Moose is the least handsome he is easily recognized by his humped body in long head with its enormous muzzle the female moose is smaller and does not have antlers the one or two young born in May are called calves they are not spotted as our most young of the deer family the Moose is a representative of that large group of hoof plant eating mammals called herbivores this plant II there is especially adapted to life in the marshes his huge nose or muzzle is useful in rooting out water plants which are an important food source in the late summer his broad hoofs prevent him from sinking into the mud the spreading antlers of the moose are different from those of all other deer in their broad flat shape in the same mountain valleys that are the favorite zone of the Moose we find another mammal whose living habits are we associated with water the beaver largest rodent of North America is built for the heavy work of filling trees and constructing dams he travels on land to obtain his food the bark of trees but he's more at home in the water beavers like all rodents are knowing mammals there must be a good supply of poplars birches and willows to furnish bark for food and branches for building the dam a beaver dam holds back the water of the stream thus forming a pool so deep that it will not freeze to the bottom in winter the valley zone not only contains the streams and marshes that provide a watery habitat for the beaver and moose but its grasslands also furnish a rich pasturage for the elk the handsome males are characterized by wide spreading antlers elk are not as dependent on water planters of the moose they roam the grasslands and in summer they may range high up the mountainside living on the wooded slopes is the mule deer these deer a faster and more graceful than either the moose or elk five bounding leaps are characteristic of this species the name mule deer is given them because of their large broad ears just as plant-eating animals live with their food grows so meat-eating animals live where their prey is found the timber wolf is a typical meat eater or carnivore in summer wolves feed mostly on small rodents but in winter they may pray on elk and deer the cougar or mountain lion is another carnivore this large cat sometimes kills full-grown deer the porcupine lives only in wooded areas like the beaver of the valleys the porcupine is anoying mammal or rodent p2 stays close to his source of food the bark and leaves of trees the porcupines covering of sharp barbed quills is an effective armor against all enemies and so he is seldom disturbed by other animals or man the grizzly bear is another mammal found in the wooded zone of the mountains the huge grizzly with his long claws and sharp teeth is classified as a meat eater or carnivore but he lives on a miscellaneous diet of insects nuts fruits and an occasional animal in summer bears range from the wooded zone up to the alpine meadows and sometimes as high as the barren heights in wetter they seek a sheltered spot in which to hibernate above the zone of trees of the alpine meadows this is the zone of low growing plants here the pika or kony makes his home this little rodent about the size and shape of a guinea pig is also called the little chief hare it is one of the few mammals that live year round at this altitude thick fur on his body and coarse hair on the soles of his feet protect this mountaineer from the cold he remains active all winter living on the hay of Alpine plants which he carefully cuts dries and stores during the late summer burrowing among the rocks in the same alpine meadows is the Marmot Whistler unlike the pika which is active all winter the larger Marmot battens all summer on plant food and hibernates in his burrow when winter comes the shrill clear whistle which gives the mom at his nickname helps to locate this shy animal on the barren heights above the mountain meadow is the most typical Mountaineer the mountain goat his food consists of small plants and mosses which grow among the bare rocks the stocky mountain goat with his short four legs in cloven hoops is a skillful climber an outer coat of long white hair and a soft wool undercoat protect him from the cold winds of the mountain tops many mountain animals move up and down the slopes with the changing seasons but the mountain goat remains on the heights where the winds exposed the small plant which furnishes year-round food another resident of the cold clear world above Timberline and an expert climber is the Rocky Mountain or bighorn sheep today these majestic cliff dwellers are rare and only a few hundred remain in the Rockies this wild sheep derives its name from the heavy big horns of the male or Ram during the summer the adventurous Rams wander alone ranging high on rocky slopes where they find grass and small plants female sheep are you which resembles a domestic goat bears are young in May or June later in the summer the us bring the Lambs to the alpine meadows to graze the migration of the Bighorns is related to the seasons at the first sign of autumn the Rams start drifting downward they gather in bands as they descend to the lower pastures where they fight for the possession of mates powerful muscles and heavy horns are used to deliver smashing blows in these fights between the Rams it is only during the mating season that the Rams use and the yearling lambs are all found together even after the first snow the sheep will remain on the heights eating the grasses and brushy plants that stand above the blanket of snow farther down the mountain in the wooded zone this seasonal change is just beginning the United herd mule deer which includes the Bucks that joined the doze and young in late fall gradually retreats to the lower slopes the endless movement in search of food continues through the late fall and becomes increasingly difficult as the snow deepens sometimes the deer may even descend to the lowest valleys here in the lowest zone the zone of foothills and valleys the elf face the same seasonal change midwinter with its scarcity of food in deep snows is a difficult that remain active throughout the year in our mountain region we have seen some typical mammals of each zone and we have seen how some of these animals meet the seasonal changes of this special mountain environment the mountain goat for example remains on the heights the year-round others such as the bighorn sheep and a mule deer move from higher zones to lower zones in winter whilst he nears the plant food which is the basis for the seasonal life pattern of mountain mammals [Music]