Category Archives: Wildlife

Interpretive Blogs about Wildlife and Plants

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

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Humans have a love-hate relationship with Largemouth bass.
How can the most popular game fish in North America also be an invasive species?

Image courtesy of ODFW

Basics

Largemouth bass are carnivorous freshwater found in lakes, ponds, and rivers. Coastal fish in our region can exceed 25-inches and weigh 12 lbs. The longest ever largemouth bass recorded at 39.2 inches; the heaviest at 22 lbs.

Range

The original largemouth bass North American range included the St. Lawrence River, Great Lakes, Hudson Bay-Red River, and Mississippi River basin. Largemouth bass are found North Carolina to Florida and into northern Mexico.

Bass are considered to be one of the world’s most tolerant freshwater fish that easily adapt to lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, and sloughs. They are also tolerant of various water temperatures (both hot and cold). This flexibility has helped these fish become year-around favorites in many areas. Georgia and Mississippi chose largemouth bass as their ‘State Fish.’ Florida and Alabama chose the bass for their ‘State Freshwater Fish.’

Habitat

Bass look for areas with weedy or overhanging cover, submerged structures, and varying depths. They look for sandy, mucky, or gravelly bottoms. Rock and weedy bottoms are using for nesting. Too much weed cover hampers hunting and feeding activities and can cause the fish to starve.  

Diet

Adult Largemouth bass are opportunistic Apex predators. They have the capability of outcompeting native fish and other species when transplanted to a new environment. This has led to declines and extinctions of native frogs, salamanders, and a wide variety of fish species in some lakes.

As adults, they hunt smaller fish and younger members of large fish species. Other prey include snails, crawfish, snakes, water birds/fledglings, and mammals (bats, etc.). Prey may be as large as 50 percent of the fish’s body or larger.

Recreation

There will be no question if you hook a Largemouth bass. When hooked, bass will leap, dive, and put up a good fight. These antics and powerful fight has helped make them one of the most popular recreational fish species in the world.

Bass fishing is a multi-million dollar industry in the U.S. Competitive bass fishing is popular in the U.S., Japan, Korea, Italy, Australia, and South Africa.  The popularity of bass fishing has encouraged the development of specialized gear such as:

  • electronic “depth” finder and “fish” finding instruments,
  • drift boats, float tubes, and bass boats.

These fish are very tolerant to careful catch and release fishing. Large largemouth bass are often adult breeding females that should be released when possible.

Can you eat them?

Why yes. In the spring, the smaller largemouth (around 10-14 inches) typically have higher quality meat. The meat has few bones making it a choice for grilling, frying, or adding to other recipes. Cooking odors may say ‘outdoor barbeque’ for many, and the taste may be a little too ‘fishy’ for some (based on the individual fish’s diet).

Where to fish them?

There are fantastic fishing areas in our region. Some areas to visit include: Tenmile Lakes in Lakeside (premier), and Loon, Tahkenitch, Siltcoos, and Lytle Lakes.  For more information see your Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife regulations and license requirements.

REFERENCES:
–Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, largemouth bass (https://myodfw.com/fishing/species/largemouth-bass)
–Canada BC Invasive Fish (https://bcinvasives.ca/invasive-species/identify/invasive-fish/largemouth-bass)
–Best Fishing in America, Largemouth bass fishing in Western Oregon (https://www.bestfishinginamerica.com/OR-largemouth-bass-fishing-in-western-oregon.html)
–Wikipedia, largemouth bass (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largemouth_bass)
–USDA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Freshwater Fish of America (https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/freshwater-fish-of-america/largemouth_bass.html)
–Can you eat largemouth bass (https://btycc.org/can-you-eat-largemouth-bass/#Is-largemouth-bass-good-to-eat?)

River Otter (Lutra canadensis)

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What’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys? River otters!

River otters are the life of the party and know how to have fun! They are one of the largest and more social members of the weasel (or Mustelidae) family.

The weasel family has been around for a long time and first appeared about 15 million years ago. This group includes nearly 60 different species including mink, ferrets, badgers, martens, wolverines, and more.

River Otter (courtesy ODFW)

The Mustelidae family inhabits every continent except Antarctica and Australia. All are primarily carnivorous and most are active year around.

River otters are relatively small mammals (overall length can be up to 50 inches) with heavily-muscled, elongated streamlined bodies. They live in water most of the time and are superb swimmers.

They have adapted for a semiaquatic lifestyle in several ways:
–Short powerful legs and webbed toes make fast swimmers (up to eight miles per hour). They are further helped along by their long-thick tapered tail that can also propel them and act as a rudder.
–Dense fur keeps them warm and must be dried and frequently groomed to maintain the insulating properties and water resistance.
–Eyes and ears are set high on the head supporting surface swimming. The eyes also have a third protective eyelid for swimming under water. Otters are also nearsighted.  
–Even the small rounded ears and nostrils close when the otter is under water.  Allowing them to spend up to eight minutes under water and dive 60 feet!

Range & Habitat

River otters range includes rivers, streams, lakes, estuaries, bogs, and large marine waterways primarily west of the Cascade Range.

Previously, this species was hunted extensively. There was also significant habitat losses due to pollution.

Otters are no longer found in many States. Several States have very successful recovery programs.   

The home range for a River Otter can be as large as 30 square miles. Otters tend to follow a regular circuit across watersheds and tributaries and may travel up to 18 miles in a day.

On the Move

Otters are constantly on the move, particularly the males, which are known to travel up to 150 miles each year. Females with young will travel but not nearly that far.

A good part of the movement is hunting. River Otters have an amazing sense of smell and are able to sniff out and pursue concentrations of upstream fish from long distances.

Otters spend most of their time in the water. They are on dry land about one-third of the time.

They often will make extensive overland excursions from one habitat to another. One would wonder how much time is spent building slides.  

River Otter (courtesy US Fish and Wildlife)

Food

While fish is the favorite, River Otters will also eat: Crustaceans (like crab, shrimp, and barnacles), Amphibians (think frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts), Invertebrates (such as water insects, worms, snails, snakes), small mammals, birds (eggs, nestlings), and even plant matter.

They are also rather ‘tidy’ eaters and always wash themselves after every meal.

Reproduction

Mustelidae also have very different reproduction patterns. Females control when embryos are implanted and may extend normal gestation for up to a year.

Survival is the name of the game. This delay gives the female a better chance at keeping the young alive with favorable food and weather conditions.

Even if you are unable to see these animals frolic in the wild, be sure to see them at your local zoo or wildlife reserve. Their antics, dances, and rambunctious play puts a smile on everyone’s face.

REFERENCES:
–Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/weasels-skunks-badgers-and-otters and )
–Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/lutra-canadensis)
–Washington Post, River Otters Aren’t Just Cute They are a Sign of Hope for the Environment (https://wapo.st/2ON5vBZ)
–Wikipedia, North American River Otter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_river_otter)

Florence, OR

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Florence, Oregon is a town of art. On the left, there is a photo of one of the latest murals. Spectacular.

The city contains a lot of artistic murals, displays, statues (of seal lions). Bunches.

Florence is located at the mouth of the Siuslaw River about midway between Newport and Coos Bay. It has a population of approximately 8,466 people.

Florence is a historic riverfront town that provides a diverse array of activities for locals and visitors.

Heceta Head Lighthouse. Image Source.

While logging, commercial fishing, and agricultural industries have served as the historical pillars of Florence’s economy, tourism is becoming increasingly significant. There are a variety of businesses, points of interests, and parks in and around Florence that offer unique experiences and outdoor recreation.

Entertainment

One can enjoy headliner entertainment at the Florence Events Center or Three Rivers Casino Resort after exploring the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint, and the Heceta Head Assistant Keeper’s House. The park features a seven-mile network of hiking paths that join the short hike to the lighthouse.

The Keeper’s House functions as both an interpretive center and a bed and breakfast. Guided tours are offered by knowledgeable docents during the summer to educate visitor’s about the iconic lighthouse and its rich history.

The Sea Lion Caves. Image Source .

Sea Cave

A ‘must see’ attraction located 15 minutes from the Florence city center is North America’s largest sea cave. This amazing cave is a privately owned wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary.

As many as 200 Stellar sea lions reside in the cave. The Sea Lion Caves are part of the Oregon/Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve.

Visitors can take an elevator ride descending 200 feet down into the Sea Lion Caves, which is as tall as a 12-story building and as wide as a football field.

The Caves are not a zoo. The wild animals are protected and come and go as they please and follow their normal routines.

The cave is alive with sound, roars, bird calls, and crashing waves. This sea cave is the only known mainland home of wild sea lions in the world and is a must see for visitors of Florence.

During the summer, sea lions lounge in the rookery areas (along the rock ledges outside) with their young. In the fall and winter, they can be found inside the cave’s natural amphitheater.