Badgers and stuff

I didn't want to steal Marie's thread, so a bit of amateur zoology,

Badgers are of the weasel family that also includes otters.

I live in the San Francisco Bay area and while we do have badgers here, they are seldom seen and I have never seen one.

Badgers are fierce, really fierce and will take down a lone dog or wolf. Honey Badgers, an African sub-species will likely win in a stand off with a single lion, leopard or hyena.

We need animals such as badges to keep rodents in check.

F

Have I missed a rodent? I hope not. I would hate for the forums to become rat-infested.

I have never seen an in-person badger, but when we lived in the foothills of Mt Bachelor we passed a wolverine on the road. It took us 45 minutes to convince the ranger we knew what we were talking about.

Hi Beth and Marie!

I see them lots here in leafy Surrey. You usually see them running away at Dusk or Dawn, when they are hunting for earthworms! They wobble as they run away, coz they have lots of fat.....

Yes we have banned Foxhunting! Quite right too! I understand that Chicken farmers have problems with them and the shooting of Fox by them is understandable, when doe by a good shot, but being ripped apart alive by Foxhound is not acceptable in the 21st C., however colourful the scene of hunters is. It is a tradition that had to go.
One animal sure to get the end of a rifle shot in our area is Mink. I have seen a few down by the River Mole. They displace our little Water Vole, a lovely creature that is suffering coz of the accidental release of Mink by Mik farmers. As Mink coats are going outta fashion, there are fewer farms now, so eradicating them is gradually havig success, but they are still around.

Another foreign invader, (Rose-ringed Parakeet, Canada Goose and Grey Squirrel aside), that is getting more widespread here is the Egyptian Goose, their numbers are up and the already depleted indigenous Grey and Bean Goose are rarely seen now, the Bean I have not seen since I was a child in Kent.

But I do love Badger, they are great!!! On a sidenote is was a shame about Hessy, the Hump-backed Whale that swam inyo London recently..... she got hit by a ship, poor thing.

Celia xx

In the U.S., we have a great number of invasive species.

Our wonderful Everglades has become home to the Burmese Python. There are boas native to the 'Glade but not a 15' foot snake capable of eating deer.

Another major invasive species is the Fishhead fish. This species from China eats everything and even walks of dry ground. The State of Georgia has issued an edict to kill this fish on sight. Apparently these fish are delicious on the plate so catch as many as possible.

The Great Lakes are in danger of having Asian Carp enter the lakes. This species like, the Fishhead, eat everything in sight. Not only that, this species of carp, when excite, jump from the water in great numbers and have caused serious injury to boaters.

In The Bay Area, where I live, ships have brought in Tiger muscles. These mollusks breed rapidly and are clogging sewage outlets and are difficult to remove.

Do not dump any animal or plant that is not native to your area. They may over take a local environment and create havoc to the ecosystem.

Hi Miki!

One thing that is fast becoming a pest on slow moving and still waters is Japweed. It grows so frickin' quick and is very hard to get rid of once established.

Not that some homegrown, natural resident plants are all good. One nuisance is Hogweed, which in Summertime grows by untended rivers. As much as I regard fishing for sport with disdain, at least the banks of local rivers are free of the stuff, as the Fishing Wardens, Park Rangers and River Authorities do control it. It can give a very nasty sting which can stick around for months or in the worst cases cause anaphylactic shock.

Another is Ragweed, which is getting very prolific. On a walk I took through woodland this Summer, I found every glade and open area was teeming with it, this in an area where Horseriding is very popular. You see, it's coz if Horse eat it, it makes them very sick and for some reason they love the taste of it.

I agree, we should be very careful about introducing stuff, the Victorians are to blame for most of our introductions, it seems they also like us, felt they were somehow the most important era of human existence upon God's earth. Can't blame them for Rabbit though, they came much, much earlier.... But, I love Bunnies, so that's kinda OK!!!


Celia xx

MichaelaSJ wrote:I didn't want to steal Marie's thread, so a bit of amateur zoology,

Badgers are of the weasel family that also includes otters.

I live in the San Francisco Bay area and while we do have badgers here, they are seldom seen and I have never seen one.

Badgers are fierce, really fierce and will take down a lone dog or wolf. Honey Badgers, an African sub-species will likely win in a stand off with a single lion, leopard or hyena.

We need animals such as badges to keep rodents in check.

I'm in Wisconsin and I've never seen one besides Bucky that is.

Michi wrote:I'm in Wisconsin and I've never seen one besides Bucky that is.

Well, I live in California, and except for zoos, I have never seen a Grizzly Bear - our state animal that is displayed prominently on our state flag.

We killed them all.

Hi Everyone!

One of the best sights I ever saw was coming face to face with a Red Deer Monarch, that is the Stag that rules the roost over the entire herd in a given area. They are usually alone apart from when mating or rutting with one or two pretenders. it was magnificent and he was so impressive just standing before us breathing clouds of mist in the cold from his nose! It was at night driving along, he was right by the roadside about twenty yards away. We stopped and watched for a good ten minutes and he was off. I often see many groups of Stag, as the other males go around together. Only the Monarch stays alone.

Lots of people here just don't realise how prolific wildlife is in England, our rivers are super clean these days with River Voles and all kinds of animals round abouts and on many of our beaches too. It's coz of eco environmentalist pressure from folk such as yours truly over many years! Most just don't see! I see Muntjacs, a foreign invader often, even at the golf club, many don't even notice 'til I point them out! They are small, the size of a large dog. I've even seen wild Wallabies when I went to Hereford a few years ago!

Celia xx

Wow!

Hi Everyone,

Just put out the bins tonight coz tomorrow is collection day and guess what, I saw the backside of a Badger wibbly wobbling, as they do, running away across the street into the fields beyond! First time I have seen one near my apartment! We get lots of Seagull, coz we are near reservoirs/levys but little else close to my apartment, apart from Fox. Off to beddsy byes, just thought I'd share that as the computey was still on!

Celia xx

I did see two coyotes running across the road tonight. I hit one a few years ago I really felt bad. I could hear cats meowing tonight at home I thought it was mine but then they figure it out if it was on my porch and there were two big fat cats meowing by the second bedroom where I keep my birds. I called Rex over to bark at them but they had already left.

I just heard in the news there were coyote attacks in Chicago, the first in a long time if ever.

Hi Michi!

I'd love to see a real Coyote! We only have one wild canine, the Red Fox, which are everywhere! As for the Cats, I used to live above a shop in a little rural village and there was a restaurant next door below. Needless to say, feral Cat from miles around came to rummage around their yard and would sit on the long walls that separated the yards. They would sing way into the night and ever since then I have slept with ear defenders, even though it's quiet around here. Cat singing is quite loud!!!! My then neighbour used to throw stuff out his window at them.

Celia xx

For cat lovers everywhere:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/01/15/cat-fights-coyotes-video/

Brave pussy Cat!!!