Other creatures of the temperate Rainforest: Mammals

[My last post went out too soon, a result of an overenthusiastic keystroke, so I’ve delayed this a bit to give you time to breathe!].

In addition to Spirit bears and Grizzlies, our other goal on this trip was to see a properly black Black Bear, but although a few of the group glimpsed one, we didn’t. Still, those of you who read this regularly know I have them at home ! The temperate rainforest nonetheless showed us other mammals.

We saw several Black-tailed Deer:

It was the time of year when the males begin to fight for a mate, and so their antlers need to be in prime condition. When they are still growing, they are covered in velvet which contains blood vessels, and when growth is complete this velvet is rubbed off. Look closely at this guy:

The most striking thing is the color of his antlers. They are red and shiny, but this is temporary. When the velvet has just been shed, the antlers still retain a coating of blood, which will soon rub or wash off. At the base of the left-hand antler you can see greenery: he has been rubbing his antlers on trees or on the ground to get rid of the last vestiges of velvet.

A much smaller and shyer local resident is the Pacific Marten, Martes caurina, or perhaps an American Marten, Martes americana. Until recently, these were thought to be a single species, but now they are divided into a species native to the Pacific coast, and one spread throughout North America. Since they also interbreed, and they look very similar, I am not entirely sure which this is:

They are related to the European Pine Marten, Martes martes, but distinct. They are about two feet long, and weigh up to 3 lbs. They are predators, eating rodents, rabbits, and birds, but they particularly like voles, preferably three a day!

Pacific Martens face threats from habitat loss due to logging, and from interbreeding with the American Marten (which was introduced by the fur trade).