1. BATS Here in the Yolo county there is a population of bats
that have their pros and cons. They are fairly hard to see in the
day since they are a nocturnal animal but you can see and hear them
at night when driving past fields. I also found it interesting to
read that they some what of a nuisance to locals because they break
into homes. They also have been know to have rabies. Bellow is a
picture of the common bats in the area know as Mexican free-tailed
bats, Tadarida brasiliensis (Bats).
2. ARE THESE LOCALS BATS BAD OR GOOD? Bats usually have a
negative connotation when it comes to human interaction. Sure they
sometimes carry rabies that can harm humans but they also have a
lot to give to the community. They are important natural pest
killers and eat many insects that are harmful for crops. So instead
of farmers adding more pesticides, they rely on the bats to eat the
insects for dinner. They have evolved into being able to ingest
more of the pesticides that farers put out when they ingest the
insects that may have traces of pesticides. The migration pattern
has also changed a bit through out the years due to where they are
able to find the most food during a certain season (Bats). It will
be interesting to see if they notice that crop production may go
down in California due to the brought and if that will affect their
migration patterns.
3. TADARIDA BRASILIENSIS Family: Molossidae Class: Chiroptera
The bats are also known as Brazilian Free-tailed bats, Mexican
Free-Tailed bats and Guano bats. Above is a clip of what they sound
like when the chirp at night. I have mistaken the bats for crows at
night because they have a decent size wing span up close but their
sounds gives it away that they are not crows (North). Male bats are
about 5% longer than females but female bats weigh about 5% more
than males. So the female body is larger (North). They are a
migratory animals that travels through all of Americas southern
states and into Mexico (North).
4. WILD TURKEYS Family: Phasianidae Class: Aves Also know as
Meleagris gallopavo (Wild), I actually was amazed when I saw a wild
turkey for the first time. I was driving in town and I saw a wild
turkey eating some plants in a lawn. The size of it was incredible
and it didnt mind the fact that I was looking at it. I thought it
had escaped some sort of farm but doing some research let me know
that there are wild turkeys roaming around town. They like to be in
open land which allows them to keep moving and looking for food.
Length: 43.345.3 in Wingspan: 49.256.7 in Weight 88.2381 oz
250010800 g
5. MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO Fossils of turkeys have been dated to
have lived 5 million years ago! The turkey was easily fossilized
because of its large bones and unique skeletal construction (Wild).
In the 1500s European explores brought these turkeys to Mexico. It
was not until the 1940s that the birds were released from farms in
America and actually died before they could adapt to the wild. It
was when the turkeys were releases far away that they managed to
survive and become wild (Wild). It is still somewhat of a mystery
as to why the birds had to be taken far away from where they lived
to begin to adapt. Male turkeys have zero parental purposes. The
females are the ones that raise the chicks from birth(Wild). The
wild turkeys have a distinctive greenish shine to them due to their
feathers. They have a long neck and skinny fit along with a large
body. The go around looking for nuts, insects, berries and snails
(Wild). They are usually out in the morning before it gets too hot
and otherwise they stay up in trees. They gather together and roost
at night.
6. THE ASPEN TREE My favorite tree in the Tahoe basin is the
aspen tree. Why? Because I love the sound the leaves make when
there is a breeze on a summer day. Its brings me back to my
childhood. The scientific name is Populus tremuloides (Aspens). The
aspen is a relatively short lived tree living about twenty years.
They grow very quickly which is why landscaping companies like to
plant them. Aspens are often planted to cover up bare landscape due
to fire because they grow fast and give a nice, lively color to the
environments. They are also a very delicate tree that can be killed
very easily due to a fugal infection or diseases (Aspens).
7. POPULUS TREMULOIDES Family: Salicaceae Class:
Spermatophytina The Aspen trees often have served as a canvas into
the past. Basque sheepherders used to carve messages into the
aspens tender trucks that have remained there for decades. This
form of carving is called arborglyphs, which gives us a window of
what old settlers where thinking and doing during their times out
in the wild (Aspens).
8. REFERENCES: Aspens have been a troublesome tree (n.d.)
Retrieved June 19, 2015, from
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Trees/aspencan.htm Bats
and Rabies (n.d.). Retrieved June 19, 2015, from
http://www.yolocounty.org/health-human-services/health-department/disease-
information/bats-and-rabies North American mammals: Tadarida
brasiliensis. (n.d) Retrieved June 19, 2015, from
http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=376 Wild
Turkeys (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2015, from
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wild_turkey/id