NEWS AND UPCOMING COURSES:Long Island Paddlesport SymposiumSunday March 9, 2008 from noon - 6 pm at Dowling College, Oakdale.Demonstrations, displays and presentations on interesting topics related to canoeing and kayaking. Open to the general public. For more information and directions visit: www.sksa-ltd.com/LIPSS/LIPaddlesport.htm — posted by mike on 2/07/2008River Otter Sightings and Sign The River Otter is a member of the Mustelid family with a characteristic weasel-like body (long and slim with short legs). Fully grown, it weighs 20 pounds and averages 3.5-4 feet in length, with its unusually-shaped tail being one-third of that. Its short, dense fur is dark brown with a light-colored throat, and its feet are webbed. It is difficult to confuse an otter on land with anything else. But in the water, relative body size and shape can be difficult to determine. Our most common aquatic mammal, the muskrat, is much smaller. Watch carefully and note how the animal is swimming. Does it stop and raise its head and shoulders above the water, like a periscope (otter)? Is there vegetation trailing from its mouth (muskrat)? Is it taking a fairly direct route and staying at the surface (muskrat), or twisting and turning and disappearing below the surface (otter)? River Otters are elusive and not easy to observe in the wild, therefore most surveys document their presence by finding and mapping their sign. Otter sign includes tracks, scat, other scent secretions, and slides. Tracking is a very useful survey technique in regions that have long periods of snow cover. Otter slides are much rarer than the popular literature would make them appear; the otter slides on the banks of the Carmans River were created by waterfowl climbing in and out of the water. The Long Island River Otter Survey is relying on scat and other scent secretions left by otters. Otter scat is an unmistakable pile of fish scales and bones bound together with a sweet-smelling, blackish-green coating. Over time, weather and sun turns this into a loose pile of bleached fish remains. They also secrete a very distinctive, white, jelly-like substance. Both are a means of communication among otters, and are often left near areas where otter must exit the water to get around a dam or other obstacle, or to travel overland to reach another pond or creek, and on points of land that jut into a waterway. Biologists refer to these places as otter latrine sites. Otter scat can be analyzed in a lab to determine how many individual otters are using a particular latrine site, and to estimate the otter population of a particular region. We need your help! Please report sightings or sign of River Otter to Mike Bottini Phone: (631) 267-5228 E-mail: mike@peconic.org — posted by mike on 1/30/2008River Otters on Long Island The River Otter was once common on Long Island but its valuable pelt made it a prime target during the fur trade (1650-1850) and, according to a report published in 1842, it was extirpated here by the early 1800s. It is not clear if that report was accurate, but otter have certainly been very rare on Long Island over the past two hundred years. Between 1875 and 1969, eight otters were trapped or shot on Long Island. Naturalist Roy Latham and others reported a handful of otter sightings from 1920-1957. These sightings as well as a few captured individuals were at the Peconic River (1920s and1930s), Shelter Island (1920s, 1941 and 1955), and Lake Montauk (1925 and1928). The last survey of otters on Long Island was done by Paul Connor as part of a general survey of Long Island’s mammals over the years 1960-1963. No otters or otter sign were encountered at that time. In his report, Connor noted several reliable sightings of single otters made by others in the 1950’s on Shelter Island, the Peconic River, on the north shore of Nassau County, and at two locations on the Great South Bay. Connor surmised that these sightings were of individuals that had swum across Long Island Sound from Connecticut, which had a relatively large and healthy population of otters at that time. In the years since Connor’s survey, an otter was caught in a fish trap in Montauk (1969), one was caught in a muskrat trap in Water Mill (early 1990s), another was trapped in Greenport (2001), and two road-killed otters were found in the 1990s (one near Cold Spring Harbor and another in Brookhaven). This project’s goal is to document the population and distribution of River Otter on Long Island, which are currently unknown. — posted by mike on 1/30/2008River Otters The River Otter (Lontra canadensis) was once found in every state in the continental U.S. and every Canadian province. By 1900, its highly valued fur, the lack of conservation laws during the Fur Trade (1650-1850), water pollution, and habitat loss resulted in the extermination of the otter from many parts of its former range, including 11 states and one Canadian province. Since the 1970s, 21 states (including New York State in 1995) and 1 Canadian province have implemented re-introduction projects. Despite its common name, the River Otter inhabits lakes, ponds, swamps and marshes as well as rivers. It is also found in coastal areas, including the saline waters of tidal estuaries such as the Peconic and Gardiners Bays and the Great South Bay. Unlike the Sea Otter found on the Pacific coast, saltwater reduces the insulative value of River Otter fur, requiring a freshwater rinse after fishing in the bay. Although considered an aquatic mammal with specific adaptations for swimming, River Otters spend 75% of their time on land. Their diet includes fish, shellfish, frogs, snakes, turtles, birds, large aquatic insects and the occasional muskrat, but fish comprise the bulk of their prey. They forage in shallow water, diving to depths of 50 feet but concentrating fishing efforts in water less than 10 feet deep, including intertidal and shoreline areas where they can hunt on foot. Females seek remote den sites to have their young in late winter and spring. The most commonly used River Otter dens are abandoned beaver lodges, of which there are none on Long Island. If there are breeding otters on Long Island, fox and woodchuck dens may serve as den sites. Otters exhibit a remarkably long period of parental care. Pups remain in the den for 3-4 months, are fed by their mother for up to 9 months, and are taught fishing skills until 1.5 years of age. Sightings of three or more otters may be a family unit, and evidence of a breeding population. — posted by mike on 1/30/2008SEAL OBSERVATION WALKS Join Mike on a 3 mile (round trip) hike to view seals and learn about their habits, behavior, and population trends in the Long Island region. Dress warm and wear comfortable hiking shoes; we will be outdoors for 2.5 hours. Binoculars recommended but not necessary. Mike will bring a spotting scope that everyone will get a chance to use. This program is sponsored by New York State Parks, and is scheduled to coincide with low tide, when seals are most likely to be basking on the rocks. Meet at the Montauk Point concession area. FEE: $5/person ($3 for children) plus a $6 vehicle parking fee. Call 631-668-5000 for reservations and additional information. DATES&TIMES: January 5th (10am); 19th (10am); and 21st (noon); February 2nd (9am); 16th (9am); 18th (11am);and 23rd (1pm); March 2 (9am); 8th (noon); 16th (10am); and 22nd (1 pm); April 5th (noon); 13th (8:30am); 19th (11:30am). — posted by mike on 1/02/2008
|
|
About Mike:
