Wolf Science Center first impressions and dissertation topics

As I a writing this I am sitting in Wolf Science Center student house in Austria. I am here for three months to collect data from my undergraduate honors project.

First things first is that I have no idea what my project will be as of yet. A lot of ideas are floating around as of now and obviously we need to test whether they can be conducting in the center or not. I think so far my project will be about cognition in wolves and dogs or behavior. Everything seems exciting here and the other students all have exciting projects so I am hoping my project will be equally exciting.

The Center is very well organised. Wolves and dogs are all raised in the same conditions and exposed to the same stimuli so their behavior would be comparable. The staff are all very careful about repetitions, stats and are very science oriented which is good for me as it means my data would be quite concrete. Testing enclosures are always sought after so organisation is present to dictate which person tests which wolves or dogs.

Also it is a great place for dog lovers. We spend some time with puppies, we have access to the puppy house where you can sit and be loved for hours on end by young puppies( just dog puppies for now) and dogs are around everywhere as members of staff all have dogs. It is great to be exposed to so much nature as the forest and birds and animals are all around us.

Lets take a minute to talk about sacrifices though. This is a bit more of a personal note but I feel it should be here. Throughout the blog I have talked about following your dream and pursuing a career you always like Working with animals usually means travelling and that means making commitments you may not like. At the time of the writing I still have about 117 days left( a few more or less depending on my data collection). This is the first time for me that I have committed to something big.I left Aberdeen and ventured into an unknown place with unknown people and for me that was terrifying. Not to mention not seeing friends or family or people you love. It is a bittersweet feeling. On the one hand leaving people and your house behind and on the other hand pursuing a dream and a project you spend a lot of time organizing. Endless emails, phone calls,money, networking and writing went into making this project and trip a reality and when it came to the last few days I was feeling very anxious and nervous about it. Pursuing your dreams and making sacrifices isn't as easy as people think it is.

Overall I am extremely pleased with my selection on where to conduct my project whether it may be and I am happy I got to pursue my dreams. On the other hand the sacrifices and the worry just work as a painful reminder that not everything good comes free. This project has to be perfect and get me a good grade. Otherwise it may not be worth it.

Species of the week: Emperor penguin

Species of the week:
Emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri)

1. It is a species of penguins endemic for Antarctica.
2. It is the tallest and heaviest species of penguins with their height reaching 122cm and  22 and 45 kg in weight.
3. They feed primarily on fish and crustaceans.
4. They can remain submerged for 18 minutes at a time and can go down to 535 meters in depth.
5. They are the only species to breed in winter forming large ice colonies with other members of their species.
6. The female lays an egg and the male incubates it while the mother is out foraging.
7. Once the chick is born the parents then take turns foraging and caring for their chick.
8. They can live for about 20 years in the wild and up to 50 in captivity.
9. They coordinate their foraging with others of their species as they are highly sociable species.
10. They are listed as "Nearly Threatened"by the IUCN due to the habitat loss and loss of food availability. 

Species of the week: Przewalski's horse

Species of the week:
Przewalski's horse(Equus ferus przewalski)

1. It is considered the only true wild horse to exist today.
2. They stand about 122-146cm tall and weight about 200-350kg.
3. They generally have a brown colour with variations of those shades.
4. They can be found in Mongolia, although a small herd of them was introduced in the Chernobyl Exclusion zone.
5. Their average lifespan is about 20 years.
6. They form small social groups consisting of a stallion and two to three mares with their foals.
7. Breeding season is towards the end of May till July and pregnancy lasts 11-12 months.
8. The foals stay with their herd until they disperse to mate(in case of males) or an independent and choose to disperse to avoid inbreeding (in case of females)
9. The foals are able to walk and run, an hour after they have been born.
10. They are listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN.

Species of the week: Thorny dragon

Species of the week:
Thorny dragon(Moloch horridus)

1. The thorny dragon can only be found in the continent of Australia.
2. It can be found in  arid scrub-land and desert environments.
3. It can grow to be up to 20 cm in length.
4. Their camouflage is in shades of brown and tan to camouflage in the desert but it also varies from season to season becoming paler as it becomes warmer and darker as it becomes colder.
5. The thorny devils are covered entirely in mostly uncalcified conical spines.
6. The lizards also have a spiny false head designed to trick predators.
7. The way it's body is designed allowed for water to be collected in all parts of it's body which is then conveyed to its mouth.
8. They mostly feed on ants they catch in the desert.
9. It can live up to 20 years.
10. It's mating season is spring summer(September-December for Australians) and the female lays 3-10 eggs in a nesting burrow 30 cm underground.The eggs hatch after about 3-4 months.

Species of the week:Canada Goose

Species of the week:
Canada Goose(Branta canadensis)

1. It is native in arctic and temperate regions of North America abut can be found in other temperate regions as it has been introduced.
2. It is distinguishable by the black head and neck with white patches on the face and brown body.
3. They are about 70-110cm in length and have a 125-185 cm wingspan.
4. They are migratory birds, migrating from Canada to the U.S.A.
5. Their migratory pattern is that of a V shaped.
6. They are primarily herbivores, eating grass and grain. They will however eat small insects and fish.
7. Canada Geese are monogamous and find their pair during the second year of their lives.
8. They lay about 2-9 eggs, with an average of five.
9. Incubation is 24-28 days and the chicks are able to walk and swim and find food as soon as they hatch.
10. Canada Goose are protected in Canada but are considered "Least Concern"by the IUCN.

Species of the week: Giant Panda

Species of the week:
Giant Panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

1. It is a bear that is easily recognized by the black patches over the eyes, around the body and the ears.
2. Although  considered carnivores, the panda's diet consists mostly of bamboo with meat acting as a supplement.
3. They are about 1.2 to 1.8 m long and stand at 60 to 90 cm tall.
4. They can weight about 100-115 kg.
5. They can up live up to 20 years in the wild and 30 in captivity.
6. Pandas will eat about 9 to 14 kg of bamboo a day.
7. Panda mating season is between March and May and the female is in estrus, once a year for two or three days.
8. They give birth to one young every two years give or take and gestation lasts about 95 to 160 days.
9. Pandas do not have permanent dens but instead spend time changing locations throughout their territory.
10. Great Pandas are listed as "Endangered"by the IUCN and are conservation icons,

Species of the Week: Chinese Water Deer

Species of the Week:
Chinese Water Deer(Hydropotes inermis)

1. The adults weigh about 10-18kg and reach up to 55cm in height.
2. Instead of antlers these deer have small protruding tasks emerging from their mouth, earning them the nickname "vampire deer".
3. They are usually found near water bodies and their preferred habitat is reed beds, river shores, woodlands and fields.
4. They tend to be solitary animals, unless they are found in extreme high intensities in which case they may form pairs.
5. They usually feed on herbs and other nutritious plants.
6. Their tusks can grow up to 8cm with an average of about 5.5-6 cm.
7. They can live up to 10-12 years.
8. Their mating session is during November to December where the annual rut takes place.
9. Their gestation period lasts about 180 to 210 days and they produce from 1-7 young with the norm being two or three.
10. They are listed as "Vulnerable"in the IUCN but are abundant in some areas of the world.

Species of the week:Polar Bear

Species of week:
Polar Bear(Ursus maritimus)

1. They are considered one of the largest bear species present on Earth, with the male weighing from 350-700kg and 2.4-3m in length.
2. They can be found around the Arctic Circle and the adjacent land masses of Norway, Denmanrk, United States of America, Russia and Canada.
3. The males are larger than the females, with the females being about half the size of males.
4. Polar bears have a thick hide and fur to keep warm and their blubber is about 10cm thick.
5. Polar bears are obligate carnivores which means they only sustain themselves with meat. They hunt most animals but their preferred prey is seals.
6. They will also scavange and hunt narwals and beluga whales.
7. They usually stalk holes in the ice, waiting for their prey to appear to take a breath and they attack then.
8. Despite popular belief a polar bear's skin is black and their hair are transparent. The reason we see their hair as white has to do with the way the light reflects on the hair.
9. Mating season takes place between April and May. Fertilized eggs remain suspended until August or September and cubs are usually born from November all the way to December.
10. Polar bears are listed as "Vulnerable"in the IUCN red list. Their main threat is loss of habitat due to global warming.

Species of the Week: Wolverine

Species of the Week:
Wolverine(Gulo gulo)

1. It can only be found in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. Wolverines live in boreal forests, tundras and subarctic areas.
3. They stand 30-45cm tall and weight from 9-27kg.
4. Their fur  dark and oily which makes it incredibly hydrophobic. This repels water and gives the wolverine resistance from frost.
5. They are both a predator and a scavenger. Their main prey is small mammals but have been seen killing adult deer and mouse when weakened.
6. The males will form lifetime relationships with around 2-3 females in their territory or in adjacent territories.
7. Although their mating season is in the summer, the wolverine embryo is not planted until early winter. This is to time the offspring birth to early spring.
8. Gestation period lasts around 30-50  days and two or three young are born every litter.
9. They live from 5 to 13 years of age.
10. Although listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN there are concerns over how populations will cope with global warming.

Species of the week: Long-legged Buzzard

Species of the week:
Long-legged Buzzard(Buteo rufinus)

1. It can grow from 43-58 cm in length and have a wingspan of 100-155cm.
2. It has three colour types: white, rufous and black. 
3. They can be found in semi-arid areas as well as semi-deserts and steppee.
4. It's a bird of prey and forages food by hovering and soaring and scanning for prey by a vantage point.
5. They prefer to hunt in open spaces where they can use their eyesight to spot prey.
6. It feeds on small mammals, insects and reptiles.
7. They often reconstruct nests used by other birds to give birth to their eggs.
8. They lay three to five eggs, once a year.
9. The eggs are incubated for 30-35 days and the hatchlings remain at the nest for 43-45 days.
10. They are listed as "Least Concern"by the IUCN but some populations have been declining lately.

Species of the Week: Plateau pika

Species of the week:
Plateau Pika(Ochotona curzoniae)

1. It weights around 120-150g when fully grown.
2. Their main habitat is about 3200km-5300m above sea level. In this kind of altitude oxygen concentrations are less than we are used to.
3. They are found in the Tibetan Plateau and in high altitude steppes, deserts and meadows in India, Nepal and Pakistan.
4. They are considered a keystone species due their recycling of nutrients in the ecosystem. As their habitat is often in need of nutrients, the presence of pikas means that more and more nutrients are recycled.
5. Pikas have a monogamous and  polygamous groups.
6. These groups usually contain 3 males to 4 females.
7. Females usually breed every three weeks after the last litter is born.
8. They give birth to 2-5 litters each consisting of 2-7 offsprings.
9. Breeding season last from April to August.
10. Groups form reproductive alliances, helping each other raise their young, deter predators and make sure that genetic diversity is maintained.

What being a field scientist is really about.

Canines have always been a passion for me.  I loved dogs ever since I can remember and I got more and more interested in wolves in my late teens. It was since then that I decided I would like to specialize on wolves in the future, study them and help in their conservation.  I am currently on my way towards trying to achieve that by becoming a researcher. When I am done with my undergraduate, I will apply for a Masters and a PhD, get a Dr. slapped in front of my name and begin a life of wolf studying. The main reason why I am writing this article is because people tend to have a skewed notion of what this will entail. Not just wolves but other animals as well. The media have exposed the public to people who love animals(either through documentaries, reality shows or viral videos) and people either expect you to end up that way or expect themselves to end up that way.

Case and point is Steve Irwin. For those who don’t know Steve Irwin was a brilliant naturalist, a man with a passion in conserving the Australian wildlife and he had a strong love for crocodiles. He is often seen jumping around, being really energetic, picking up animals, wrestling crocodiles and the sort.  Now Steve Irwin was a brilliant passionate person and a great conservationist but he was never a scientist. Not in the conventional sense at least.  Any scientist passionate about crocodiles would not do what he did. It’s not to say that what he did was wrong.  By all means Steve educated generation upon generation (including me) about the Australian wildlife and he was a brilliant TV persona. He was not however a scientist. As much as we all would like  to have a life similar to Steve’s, a scientist’s research is either done in the lab or in the field for a while, then data analysis and then writing. If any biologist is intrigued by crocodiles, then they will either monitor them from afar, breed them in lab conditions or take data from somewhere else.  It all depends on what you would like to investigate on a particular animal.

When I tell people I want to study wolves I often get send videos of Shaun Ellis, usually with comments along the lines of “this will be you in a few years”and so forth. I hope it is not.  The closest I can hope to be is any videos you see from field biologists conducting wolf research such as Doug Smith. Although they handle wolves, most of the science done is either through observation or non-invasive behavior. And at times where humans actually get involved with wolves it is under controlled situations. Allow me to explain why. If you were to bond with a pack of wolves, a pride of lions etc you skew animal behavior, you mess with the data. This sort of data would not be accepted by the scientific community due to biased nature in which they were gathered. Hence if I ever were to become a TV persona  then it will probably mean I am not a scientist.

There needs to be a clear distinction. The people you see on TV handling animals are rarely scientists and what they are doing most of the times is not science. While some documentaries feature recordings of the methods that are used in scientific research, they do not show the painstaking statistical analysis or the paper analysis. I am not saying don’t be a scientist. Just be wary of what the media pass on as science and just take everything with a pinch of salt.

Finally, Steve Irwin was a great influence in my life. This article is by no means meant to be a disrespectful to him what so ever. I just thought I could clear the lines for people who don’t get the differences.

Species of the Week: Goosander

Species of the Week:
Goosander(Mergus merganser)

1. It is found in Europe, North America and central and northern Asia.
2. It's wingspan is 78-98cm long and weigh about 0.8-2.1 kg.
3. Males during breeding season have a greenish hue on their head while females and juvenile males have a brownish hue.
4. These ducks have sawbills. Sawbills are bills that have serrated edges to help them hold their prey and grab their prey easily.
5. They are diving birds, which means that they dive into the water to acquire their food. 
6. Goosander lay about 6-17  white to yellowish eggs that usually incubate in tree cavities.
7. When they are disturbed they will disgorge their food before running away.
8. Goosander have been known to stumble and fall frequently when they are on land.
9. They can be found in both salt-water and fresh-water areas
10. Although not threatened, some conservation work has been undertaken to make sure they aren't victims of shooting or poisoning.

Species of the Week: Sockeye Salmon

Species of the Week:
Sockeye Salmon(Oncorhynchus nerka)

1. Is a type of salmon that is usually red, can grow up to 84cm and  weighs from 2 to 7 kg.
2. It can be found in the Pacific and like other salmon are anadromous. This that the young are born in freshwater, make their way to the sea where they grow to a certain age and make their way upstream where they give birth in freshwater.
3. Their bodies become red and their faces turn green when they begin returning to their spawning grown.
4. They mostly feed on zooplankton.
5. To avoid predation these salmon change their position in the water column, timing and length of feeding and school formation.
6. Salmon are considered semelparous which means that they will die once they breed once.
7. When mating, competition between these salmon occurs, with males establishing an dominant male who gets to mate with the female.
8. However it is not always so as some males will sneakily mate with the females when the dominant male isn't present.
9. Females choose the nest site, prepare the nest and defend it until they die.
10. Salmon are considered very important for many forest habitats in neighboring the Pacific as the salmon provide nutrients for the plants after they die as well as food for scavengers.

Species of the week: Siberian tiger

Species of the week:
Siberian Tiger also known as Amur tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica)

1. It's a tiger subspecies usually found in small mountain ranges in the Russian Far East.
2. It is the largest tiger and in fact the largest cat species and it stands 112 to 120 cm tall and weigh from  118 kg (females) to 177 kg (males) with the heaviest recorded to be 222 kg.
3. A key habitat for the tigers are the Korean pine broadleaf forests and can be usually found in a mixture of decideous-coniferous and boreal forests.
4. They mostly feed on deer but will feed on smaller species such as salmon,rabbits hares and pikas.
5. They have been known to hunt bear as well when the ungulate population declines. Bears constitute about 5-8% of the Siberian tiger's diet.
6. Siberian tigers are also known for suppressing wolf numbers to the point of wolf numbers being very low or even extinct.
7. Mating occurs throughout the year and gestation period lasts 90-105 days.
8. Although litter size is 1-6 cubs usually 2-4 cubs are born.
9. Female cubs stay with their mother and will either share the territory or get some next to their mother, while males will disperse to find mates.
10. Siberian tigers are listed as "Endangered"on the IUCN Red List.

Species of the week: Cooper's hawk

Species of the week:
Cooper's hawk(Accipiter cooperii)

1. Cooper's hawk is a bird of prey native to North America.  It can be found from Northern Mexico all the way to Southern Canada..
2. Males are smaller than females as is often the case with birds of prey.
3. Males weight  about 220 to 410 g while females weigh from 300 to 700 g.
4. Males have a length of 35 to 46 cm while females length  is 42 to 50 cm.
5. Wingspan usually ranges from 62 to 94 cm.
6. They can be found in all kinds of habitats, usually in deciduous forests and open woodlands but also nest in cities.
7. Most of their diet comes from small to medium size birds such as Robins, thrashes, jays, doves and pigeons etc and they usually complement their diet with small mammals and lizards.
8. They hunt using an ambush technique usually dropping from cover or flying quickly through vegetation.
9. They live up to 12 years in the wild but the longest recorded has been 20 years.
10. It is considered as "Least Concern"in the IUCN Red List.

Species of the week: Cougar

First of all let me wish you guys a Happy New Year. Hope 2014 brings you luck and joy. Updates will be sporadic until February when my exams will end but expect the occasional article(I hope).
In addition to that species of the week will now include subspecies to add variety.


Species of the week:
Cougar(Puma concolor)

1. It is a cat native only to the Americas.
2. Although it is placed in the small cat family(Felinae) it's size and characteristics are similar to the big cats(Pantherinae).
3. They stand about 60-90 cm tall and and can reach up to 2.5m from head to tail.
4. Male cougars weigh about 50-100 kg while females weigh 29-64 kg.
5. Cougar diet compromises of anything that has meat from small rodents to large ungulates with a preferance to ungulates. This highly depends on the region and food availability.
6. They mate all year around with females coming in estrus for about 8 days every 23 days.
7. Gestation period last about 90-92 days and a litter is birthed about every one or two years of their reproductive lives.
8. Litter size can range from 1-6 cubs with the norm being 2-3 cubs.
9. Life expectancy is about 13 years in the wild and around 20 in captivity.
10. Cougars overall are listed as "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List. However several subspecies can be considered to be under threat of extinction. 

Species of the week: Reindeer

Species of the week:
Reindeer(Rangifer tarandus)

1. Reindeer are also known as caribou in North America.They can be found in Arctic and Subarctic regions.
2. Both sexes grow antlers which is unusual for deer species.
3. Males are usually larger than females, with males growing to 180-215cm in height and weighing up to 320kg. Females grow up from 160-205 cm and weight 80-120kg.
4. Reindeer feed mostly on lichen but have been known to feed on grass and short tree leaves.
5. Reindeer mating occurs from late September until early November. 
6. Males fight with each other for dominion over females, with the dominant male forming a harem of females.
7. Calves are born early May to June. One calf is usual for reindeer.
8. Some reindeer have been known to undergo extreme migration for the winter. Reindeer in North America migrate up to 5 000km south in search for food.
9. Reindeer have been domesticated by humans, especially the Native American tribes.
10. Reindeer are considered to be of "Least Concern" by the IUCN list,

Species of the week: Snow leopard

Species of the week:
Snow leopard(Pantheria uncia)

1. They are found in the alpine areas of Central Asia, in altitudes of 3350 to 6700 metres.
2. They weigh around 27-55kg and stand about 60-70 cm tall.
3. Snow leopards cannot roar. They vocalize by hisses, meows, growlings,wailing and chuffing.
4. They lead a solitary life but mothers are often seen staying with their cubs for an extensive time.
5. They are extremely territory. They live in territories from 12 km2 to 40 km2.
6. Their densities depend on prey availability. If prey is scarce then less animals will be around.
7. Their favorite prey is the blue sheep(Pseudois nayaur) and they are often found around these animals.
8. Snow leopards mate during late winter with a gestation period that lasts 90-100 days.
9. One to five cubs can be born but usually around 2 cubs are born from each female.
10. Snow leopards are deemed "Endangered"by the IUCN. Their main threats are retaliation killings for depredation on lifestock, loss of prey and the poaching.

Species of the Week: Lion

Species of the week:
Lion(Panthera leo)

1. It is a big cat that can only be found in Africa and Asia.
2. It is the only cat that displays obvious sexual dimorphism. The male has a rich mane around its head while the females lack this mane.
3. Male lions also weigh more, with them weighing around 150-250 kg while females weigh 120-185kg.
4. Lions spend most of their inactive resting. This takes about 20 hours of the day.
5. During the remaining four, they socialize, hunt or mark their territory.
6. A group of lions is called a "pride" and usually consists of five or six females and one to two males.
7. Some lions however group up in pairs and are nomadic in nature.
8. The female lions are the ones that do the hunting. They encircle their prey and attack. These hunts are often short as the lions either snap their victim's neck or drag it down and then snap their neck. The males usually stay behind to protect the young.
9. Lions mate at anytime of the year and gestation period lasts about 110 days. Females give birth to up to four cubs.
10. Lion populations are declining worldwide due to human conflict, habitat loss, diseases and inbreeding. Certain subspecies are declining faster than others. The lion is listed as "Vulnerable" in the IUCN species list.