KLUANE NATIONAL PARK

AND ITS WILDLIFE

~ C A R D 21
Kluane National Park in the Yukon is larger than Massachusetts.
This pristine wilderness of spruce forest, tundra, and ice fields
includes Canada's highest peak, the 19,524-foot Mount Logan.
KEY FACTS
----;"'1---
'L 7ENERAL FEATURES
.-----------
Lying in the southwest corner
of Canada's Yukon Territory,
Kluane includes a broad valley,
through which the Shakwak
River flows. It is flanked on the
east by the Kluane Range and
on the west by the high and
rugged Icefield Range. Kluane's
landscape stills bears many signs
of the last continental ice sheet,
which dwindled away only ap-
WILDLIFE OF KLUANE
The wooded valleys and bare
mountain slopes of Kluane are
home to the most impressive
concentration of large mam-
mals in North America. Grizzly
and' black bears, lynx, wolves,
moose, barren ground caribou,
Dall's sheep, and mountain
goats all live in the park.
A variety of arctic birds nest
in Kluane, and many of them
spend the whole year there.
Ravens manage to find food
even in the harshest winter
weather. ptarmigans-small,
tundra-loving grouse-move
up and down the slopes with
the changing seasons.
proximately 10,000 years ago.
Even today, more than 2,000
alpine glaciers remain in Kluane
National Park.
The floor of the valley and the
lower slopes of the mountains
are covered with a white spruce
forest. Above this forest there is
bleak alpine tundra that has li-
YUKON
PACIFIC OCEAN
Above: The highest peaks in Klu-
one National Park are in the Jce-
field Range. Many of these peaks
are covered with snow all year.
this, on the summits of the
chens, mosses, and a variety of highest mountains, there are
ground-hugging herbs. Beyond only rocky crags.
The rivers and lakes of Kluane
are home to a variety of fish,
including whitefish, sockeye
salmon, lake trout, arctic gray-
ling, and northern pike. The
salmon migrate up rivers from
t he Pacific Ocean, which is just
40 miles way.
Below: Soon after the male sock-
eye salmon migrates to the Yukon
and mates with a female in a Klu-
one stream, he dies.
,Cj MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLI FE FACT FILpM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 01 60200991 PACKET 99
Located only 400 miles south of the Arctic Circle,
Canada's Kluane National Park offers an unparalleled
cross section of the wildlife of the Far North. The park's
8,500 square miles are inhabited by almost every animal
that is native to North America's polar regions-from
the stately Alaska moose to the agile Dall's sheep.
~ THE ALASKA MOOSE
The approximately 500 moose
living in Kluane National Park
all belong to the subspecies
called the Alaska moose. This
animal is the largest moose in
the world. Some bulls (males)
stand over seven feet high at
their shoulders and weigh as
much as 1,800 pounds. Their
great spreading antlers may
exceed six feet from tip to tip
and weigh 85 pounds.
Front cover: Kluane is located on
Canada's border with Alaska.
Front inset: Young grizzly bears
do not stray from their mother's
side during their first year.
Above: By late September the bull
moose's antlers are fully grown,
and he is ready for combat.
The Alaska moose spends the
winter in the wooded valleys.
When warm weather comes, it
moves up the mountain slopes
to browse on willows and oth-
er shrubs. The moose may also
feed on aquatic plants when it
can find them.
Mating occurs in the fall, and
at times there are violent con-
tests between rival bulls. The
next spring the female gives
birth to a single calf, which re-
mains with its mother for ap-
proximately a year.
In Kluane the chief enemy
of the moose is the gray wolf.
About 50 wolves range widely
in the park, and moose make
up fully half of their diet.
~ PTARMIGANS OF KLUANE
All of the world's three ptarmi-
gan species nest in Kluane. The
white-tailed ptarmigan, which
lives only in the high moun-
tains of western North Ameri-
ca, is found on the tundra of
the Kluane and Icefield ranges.
The rock ptarmigan also pre-
fers the high country, while the
willow ptarmigan lives at lower
elevations in open, but more
sheltered, areas. All three ptar-
migan species move into the
edges of the spruce forest for
protection during very severe
winter weather.
Ptarmigans are remarkable
for the way they change their
colors to match the seasons. In
summer they are mainly rusty
brown or dark gray, but in win-
ter their plumage turns white
in varying degrees to match
the snow-covered background.
As in other grouse species,
female white-winged and rock
ptarmigans raise their broods
without help from the males.
In contrast, willow ptarmigan
pairs stay together, and both
parents find food and protect
the young from predators.
Left: For much of
the year the rock
ptarmigan has a
mottled brown-
and-white color.
Below left: The
willow ptarmi-
gan is the largest
of the three ptar-
migans. In spring
it molts from its
mostly white win-
ter plumage into
its rusty brown
plumage.
~ DALL'S SHEEP
The most abundant of Kluane's
large mammals is Dall's sheep.
Nearly 5,000 of these smaller
and more delicate relatives of
the bighorn sheep live within
the park's boundaries. Kluane
is one of the few places where
these arctic sheep are found
close to roads, so they can oc-
casionally be seen from a car.
Left: Most Dall's
sheep are white,
although in some
parts of the spe-
cies' range they
are gray. These
sheep are agile
and can climb
easily over their
rugged moun-
tain terrain.
Like the bighorns that live in
mountains farther south, Dall's
sheep move up and down the
slopes of Kluane with the sea-
sons. The rams (males) live in
separate herds from the ewes
(females) and their young from
spring until late fall. Then the
rams and ewes come together
in order to mate. Six months
later, the ewe gives birth to
one or two lambs.
During the winter, the entire
herd feeds together. They for-
age on woody plants such as
willows, crowberries, and cran-
berries. The diet of Dall's sheep
changes during summer, when
the two different herds (the
rams and the ewes with their
offspring) feed separately on
grass and herbs.
Left: Only the white-tailed ptar-
migan is entirely white in winter.
Both the rock ptarmigan and the
willow ptarmigan have black on
their tails.
TIDAL FLATS 22
AND THEIR WILDLIFE
\ GROUP 9: NORTH AMERICAN HABITATS '\
Along the coast, from Cape Cod to Mexico, millions of acres of mud
flats appear when the tide falls. These flats may look barren, but
they are home to more wildlife than the nearby sandy beaches.
KEY FACTS

___________________
Tidal mud flats form only in the
quietest coastal waters, where
fine particles of silt and mud
can sink to the bottom, In areas
where the water moves more
rapidly, these particles are car-
ried along with it. The surf on
the coast, for example, holds
fine mud in suspension, even
though larger particles such as
grains of sand can settle out
and form a beach.
Tidal mud flats always devel-
Left: At low tide
on the North
Carolina coast,
ripple marks
made by the
waves are vis-
ible in the mud.
This mud may
look firm, but
it is a very soft
ooze. If you try
to walk on it,
you will sink.
op behind a barrier beach, in a
protected environment that is
not battered by surf. They form
in shallow bays and lagoons, in
estuaries (wide lower portions
of rivers that flow into the sea),
and in winding channels and
creeks of salt marshes.
Ecologically, t idal flats are im-
portant because they provide
a calm habitat for crab and fish
larvae to develop. The rich mud
supports a variety of wildlife.
DIFFI CULTIES OF LIFE ON THE TIDAL FLATS
Tidal flats are a difficult place
to live. When the tide is out,
the creatures that live on them
are exposed to the sun's heat,
drying winds, and predators
such as gulls and sandpipers.
Even when the tide is in, the
soft, shifting mud provides few
sites where an animal can at-
tach itself.
The wildlife of the tidal flat
has found two ways to meet
these challenges. Many ani-
mals, including a variety of
snails and crabs, live a life on
the move, traveling freely over
the flats when the tide is in,
but returning to deeper water
or seeking shelter in tide pools
or under debris when the tide
goes out again.
Other animals, such as clams
and worms, solve t he problem
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of a changing environment by
burrowing. Their burrows pro-
tect them from the hazards of
low tide, providing a stable re-
treat so they can avoid expo-
sure to the sun and wind.
Left: A hermit
crab does not
have a hard
covering, so it
dwells inside
an abandoned
snail shell. If it
outgrows this
shell, it finds a
new one and
swiftly changes
from one shell
to the other.
0160200881 PACKET 88
Vegetarian fiddler crabs, predatory sandpipers, and
many other creatures, some of them too small to see, live
on tidal flats. The interrelationships of these animals are
complex, but all have at least one simple requirement:
they need a clean and unpolluted mud flat to survive.
~ FIDDLER CRABS
To survive the rigors of life on
a tidal flat, some animals live
in a burrow but scurry around
on the mud flat when the tide
is out, searching for food. The
most familiar of these creatures
are two species of fiddler crab
-the mud fiddler, which likes
pure mud, and the sand fiddler,
which prefers sand or a mixture
of mud and sand.
Fiddler crabs get their name
from the oversize claw of the
male, which vaguely resem-
bles a fiddle. Despite its size,
Above: Each fiddler crab species
distinguishes itself by waving its
big claw in a different way.
Front cover: Tidal mud flats occur
in Chesapeake Bay's quiet waters.
Front cover inset: Sanderlings are
one of many shorebird species that
find their food on tidal mud flats.
this claw is not dangerous. It is
used mainly during courtship,
when the male waves it to at-
tract passing females.
Fiddler crabs are vegetarians,
surviving on a diet of algae and
bits of seaweed. They pick up
their food with their claws and
examine it with their mouth-
parts before eating it.
Fiddler crabs usually live in
colonies. They emerge from
their burrows to feed on the
flats during the day and when
the tide is out, but they dart
back into their burrows when-
ever any danger threatens. At
night or when the tide comes
in, fiddler crabs retreat into
their burrows and plug the
entrances with mud or sand,
trapping a bubble of air inside
and keeping water out.
~ SHOREBIRDS
Of all the wild creatures that
inhabit tidal flats, the easiest
to see are shorebirds. About
two dozen species of plovers
and sandpipers scan or probe
the mud for food. The dunlin,
red knot, and greater yellow-
legs are common sandpiper
species. Black-bellied and semi-
palmated plovers are also fre-
quently seen.
These shorebirds have sever-
al adaptations that help them
forage in tidal flats. They have
long toes, which allow them
to' walk on the soft mud, and
long legs, which permit them
Left: The greater
yel/owlegs is one
of the largest bird
species that feeds
on mud flats. Be-
cause of its long
legs, it can also
wade in relative-
ly deep water,
where it catches
tiny swimming
crustaceans.
to wade in shallow water. The
birds' bills vary from one spe-
cies to the next, so each species
searches for food in a different
way and avoids competition
with others.
For many thousands of years,
shorebirds have migrated up
and down the coast, traveling
to and from their Arctic nest-
ing grounds. Some species fly
as far south as the plains in the
southern part of Argentina. For
these migrating birds, the tidal
flats are important stopping
points, where the birds are
able to find food and rest.
~ CONSERVATION
Few natural environments are
as vulnerable to pollution as a
tidal flat. The results of an oil
spill are easy enough to see,
but less obvious forms of pollu-
tion can be equally disastrous.
Tidal mud flats form when
fine sediments settle on the
bottom of quiet water. If the
water contains sewage, deter-
gents, insecticides, herbicides,
or heavy metals from industrial
waste, these settle out as well.
The result is that the tidal flat
becomes a dangerous deposi-
tory of toxic substances.
Left: The black-
bellied plover
does not probe
the mud for food
as sandpipers do.
Instead it uses its
keen eyesight to
spot prey on the
mud's surface.
Right: In June
thousands of
horseshoe crabs
gather to mate
and lay eggs. A
month later tiny
baby horseshoe
crabs hatch.
These toxic materials quick-
ly enter the bodies of small an-
imals that live either on or in
the mud. As smaller creatures
are eaten by larger ones, these
poisons work their way up the
food chain and accumulate in
ever-increasing quantities un-
til they reach very large preda-
tors. Too often it is only when
the big birds of prey, such as
ospreys or bald eagles, begin
to disappear that people re-
alize that something is wrong.
By that time it may be too late
to save most of the wildlife.
Left: Probably
the most com-
monmammal
on tidal mud
flats is the rac-
coon, which
visits them in
search of crabs
and clams. Con-
trary to popular
belief, the rac-
coon does not
wash its food
before eating.
THE FLORIDA KEYS
AND THEIR WILDLIFE
"" CARD 23
Less than 1 00 miles from Cuba, the Florida Keys have more in
common with the Caribbean than with most of mainland Florida.
The wildlife of this chain of small islands is largely tropical.
KEY FACTS
E KEYS
The Florida Keys extend in a
150-mile arc into the Gulf of
Mexico. They are low-lying is-
lands made of limestone. The
narrow eastern islands, from
Sands Key to Loggerhead Key,
are the remains of a coral reef
that was a living colony until
the Pleistocene epoch, less than
one million years ago. When
the corals died, they left their
limestone skeletons.
The western islands, such as
Big Pine Key and Key West, are
The Florida Keys' forest is es-
sentially tropical, containing a
number of plant species that
are common and widespread
in the West Indies. Among the
Caribbean trees are the gum-
bo limbo, whose light wood is
used to make fishing floats; the
mahogany, known for its fine
wood; the false-mastic, with its
foul-smelling flowers; and the
poisontree, which causes a rash
like the related poison ivy.
also made up of limestone, but
they were not part of the coral
reef. Instead, they were formed
when the seafloor, which was
rich in calcium deposits, rose
above the water.
A few miles off the shores of
the Keys, on the Atlantic side,
there is a living coral reef with
many Caribbean coral species
and colorful tropical fish. This
reef, however, is in great dan-
ger because of pollution and
damage from boats and divers.
Left: A brome-
Iiad "clamps"
onto the tree
bark. It obtains
minerals from
the bark and
moisture from
the air.
Right: The ze-
bra butterfly is
the only mem-
ber of the heli-
conians (a big
group of tropi-
cal butterflies)
that lives in the
United States.
Vibrant orchids grow on the
tree branches. Similarly, brome-
liads, which are related to the
pineapple, grow in trees rather
than soil. The tree trunks pro-
vide homes for beautifully col-
ored tree snails, and bright
tropical butterflies fill the air.
Some of these butterflies can-
not be found in any other part
of the United States.
In addition to tropical yeg-
etation, the Keys also have
'c' MCMXCIl IMP BV/ IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILE' M PRINTED IN U.S.A.
temperate-zone trees. Big Pine
Key, for example, is named for
the slash pine-a tree that is
widespread in southeastern
states. The Keys are the south-
ern limit of this tree's range.
0160200861 PACKET 86
Like many islands around the world, the Florida Keys
support a distinctive assortment of animals. Many of
these island creatures, including the tiny Key deer and
the great white heron, now depend for their survival on
reserves that have been set aside especially for them.
~ THE KEY DEER
The Key deer is the smallest va-
riety of the white-tailed deer.
This delicate creature is about
the size of a large dog, and it
weighs only 50 pounds-an
eighth the weight of the larg-
est buck on the mainland. It is
found only in the western Keys.
The Key deer was hunted so
extensively that by the middle
of this century fewer than 40
were left. In 1954 the Key Deer
National Wildlife Refuge was
established on Big Pine Key,
Front cover: The Florida Keys ex-
tend for more than 100 miles.
Front cover inset: The brown pel-
ican was once endangered but is
now common again in the Keys.
No Name Key, and a few oth-
er islands. With this protection,
the Key deer population now
numbers in the low hundreds.
But even with the federal ref-
uge, the future of the Key deer
is not secure. In many places
the islands' scrubby pineland
habitat is being replaced by
condominiums. As a result, the
tiny deer are having trouble
finding fresh water, which is
available only where it collects
in small pools in depressions in
the islands' limestone. In addi-
tion, many deer are killed by
the increasing numbers of cars
that invade the Keys during the
tourist season.
Left: The small Key deer lives only
on islands where rainwater col-
lects in pools.
~ BIRDS
Birds are abundant in the Flor-
ida Keys. The brown pelican is
seen perched on pilings or div-
ing into the water for fish. The
magnificent frigatebird cruises
through the air and steals food
from gulls and terns, while the
brilliant pink-and-white roseate
spoonbill wades in the shallow
ocean water.
Above: The great white heron is
the largest heron in North Ameri-
ca. It feeds on fish and frogs.
Above: The white-crowned pigeon
flies from the Caribbean to the Keys
each year to breed.
All 12 North American her-
ons and bitterns can be found
in the Keys. The largest is the
great white heron, an all-white
form of the great blue heron.
Basically a Caribbean bird, the
great white heron has its main
North American home in the
Keys, where the Great White
Heron National Wildlife Refuge
provides protection. It breeds
from December to January and
usually builds its nest in a man-
grove tree.
Another Caribbean bird is
the beautiful white-crowned
pigeon, which was first found
in the Keys by John James Au-
dubon. Every spring a large
number of these birds arrive
from the south to raise their
young and feed on the bright
red berries of the poisontree.
The black-whiskered vireo is
a migratory bird that spends
summers in the Keys. It is not
shy and may venture into gar-
dens. In contrast, the man-
grove cuckoo remains hidden
in its mangrove habitat.
~ REPTILES
Left: The Florida
Keys mole skink
spends most of its
time hidden in a
burrow or under
dead leaves. It
feeds on insects,
spiders, and oth-
er invertebrates.
The American crocodile and the like cockroaches under debris
American alligator are found in
the Keys. Reaching a length of
12 feet, the crocodile is usually
smaller than the alligator and is
distinguished by its long, slen-
der snout. Unlike the alligator, it
regularly feeds in salt water. The
only other place where the croc-
odile lives in the United States is
mainland Florida's southern tip,
but it also lives in the West In-
dies and from southern Mexico
to northern South America. The
Florida population is now con-
sidered endangered due to de-
velopment and illegal hunting.
One of the distinctive lizards
of the area is the secretive Flor-
ida Keys mole skink, which can
be found hunting for insects
on the beach. Another native
subspecies is the Florida reef
gecko, which feeds mainly at
dusk and is frequently found
near buildings.
Two other species-the yel-
lowhead gecko and the ocel-
lated gecko, were introduced
from the West Indies and are
now common in the Key West
region. Although most geckos
forage at night, the yellowhead
hunts for insects in broad day-
light. It can be seen climbing
on the docks along the water-
front in Key West.
Below: The American crocodile
has an enlarged tooth on its low-
er jaw that is still visible when its
mouth is closed.
DEATH VALLEY
AND ITS WILDLIFE
'" CARD 24
Once the floor of a shallow lake, Death Valley is now the driest and
harshest desert in the United States. It contains the lowest spot
in the entire Western Hemisphere-282 feet below sea level.
KEY FACTS
HISTORY OF DEATH VALLEY
About 20 million years ago, a
block of the earth's crust broke
loose and sank a full two miles
below sea level. Silt from the
surrounding mountains grad-
ually filled this depression, but
even today over 550 square
miles lie below sea level. Bad-
water Basin in Death Valley is
282 feet below sea level, but it
is still not the lowest spot in the
world. The Dead Sea between
Israel and Jordan is even lower,
at 1,312 feet below sea level.
During the last Ice Age, when
rainfall was much heavier than
it is now, the valley held Lake
Manly, whose ancient beaches
are still visible on the slopes of
nearby hills. This lake finally
dried up at the end of the Ice
Age, leaving a carpet of sterile
salt and alkali deposits on the
valley floor.
When gold prospectors tried
to cross this forbidding place
in the Gold Rush of 1849, they
named it Death Valley. In 1933
Death Valley National Monu-
ment was established. It now
encompasses 2,067,628 acres.
CLI MATE OF DEATH VALLEY
On July 10, 1913, the air tem-
perature in Death Valley reached
134
0
F-the highest tempera-
ture ever recorded in North
America and the second high-
est ever reported in the world.
In the middle of summer, the
average high temperature is
about 120
0
F, and at ground
level it is even worse. Baked by
the sun, the valley floor some-
Above: Badwater Basin is all that
remains of Lake Manly. Along its
shores and in nearby hills, traces
of ancient beaches can be seen.
,
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The average annual rainfall is
only 1 .6 inches, and the relative
humidity has dropped as low as
3 percent. A person without a
supply of water would sUNive
for only two days at the height
of summer.
Right: Since Death Valley dried up,
the wind has gathered much of the
sand into dunes.
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0160200811 PACKET 81
"-
Despite its lifeless appearance and hostile climate,
Death Valley is host to more than 600 different kinds
of plants and to a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles,
and even fish. Some of these highly adapted desert
creatures cannot be found anywhere else on earth.
MAMMALS
Although it takes some search-
ing to find them, mammals do
exist in Death Valley. There are,
for example, about 500 desert
bighorn sheep that still live in
the area. Small bands of these
bighorns roam the slopes above
the valley floor, constantly look-
ing for green plants. They are
agile climbers, but they never
Front cover: Devi/'s Golf Course is
made of crystallized salts that ap-
peared after Lake Manly dried up.
Front inset: Like many animals in
dry areas, the desert cottontail is
pale to match its background.
Below: Surprisingly, the desert big-
horn, a vegetarian, finds enough
food in Death Valley's barren hills.
stray far from the few springs
and pools of fresh water.
Competing with bighorns for
food are burros, which are de-
scendants of the donkeys that
were used by the early settlers.
Burros eat more than bighorns
do, and they are probably at
least partly responsible for the
decline in bighorns during the
last several decades.
Other mammals that can be
found in Death Valley include
the spotted skunk, kit fox, and
ringtail. The desert cottontail
and black-tailed jackrabbit are
relatively common. In addition
there are many kinds of mice
and even an occasional moun-
tain lion.
BIRDS
More than 300 species of bird
have been recorded in Death
Valley National Monument.
Most of these birds, however,
are merely passing through
during migration.
On the sterile flats, little be-
sides turkey vultures and com-
mon ravens can be seen. But
left: The large ..
earsofthekitfox "IIIIIIII REPTILES &: AMPHIBIANS
give it acute hear-
ing and enable it
to find small ro-
dents and insects
at night.
Below: The tur-
key vulture gets
its name from its
turkeylike bare,
red head.
near brushy streambeds, there
are greater roadrunners, Costa's
hummingbirds, mockingbirds,
and lesser goldfinches.
The area has a few oases with
palm trees, where hooded ori-
oles, northern orioles, mourn-
ing doves, Gambel's quail, and
house finches nest.
left: The great-
er roadrunner, a
ground-dwelling
cuckoo, catches
many lizards and
small snakes. It is
so fast that it can
even grab a swift
when that bird
darts down to
drink from a
desert pool.
Like all the deserts in the west-
ern United States, Death Valley
has its share of snakes and liz-
ards. Two rattlesnake species
can be found there, as well as
15 other kinds of snakes. Most
snakes stay under cover during
the heat of the day and hunt
at night.
Nineteen species of lizard
live in Death Valley National
Right: The desert
pupfish, a close
relative of the
Devils Hole pup-
fish, is one of sev-
eral species that
live in the south-
western United
States.
FISH
Death Valley seems a strange
place for fish, but there are five
kinds of pupfish that live in this
area. These fish are descendants
of fish that swam in Lake Man-
ly during the last Ice Age, and
they have survived in springs
that are remnants of that an-
cient body of water.
The endangered Devils Hole
pupfish lives in a single spring
Monument. Among these is the
chuckwalla, which feeds on the
leaves of desert shrubs. To es-
cape from predators, this lizard
slides into a crevice. It then in-
flates itself so a predator can-
not pry it out.
Three frog species, including
the bullfrog, can be found in
the few permanent sources of
water in Death Valley.
left: The side-
winder is named
for its peculiar
sideways method
of moving across
..Il .. '-A the sand. It hunts
pocket mice, kan-
garoo rats, and
lizards at night.
in Nevada. In order to protect
these creatures, President Harry
Truman added Devils Hole to
Death Valley National Monu-
ment in January 1952. During
the 1970s, when the pumping
of underground water threat-
ened the spring, the Supreme
Court ruled that the water level
had to be maintained in order
to preserve this rare species.
THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY
AND ITS WILDLIFE
'" CARD 25
Between EI Paso, Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande
forms part of the southern border of the United States. Its lower
portion, the Rio Grande Valley, is a haven for Mexican wildlife.
KEY FACTS
THE BORDER COUNTRY
Rio Grande is Spanish for "big
river." RIO Bravo del Norte, the
river's name in Mexico, means
"swift river of the North." But
along its lower reaches, from
Big Bend National Park to the
Gulf, the Rio Grande is neither
big nor swift. At times the riv-
er nearly dries up as it slowly
winds its way through a broad
desert landscape of mesquite,
THE RIVERSIDE FOREST
A dense forest of red elms, ash,
Texas ebony, tepaguaje, and
hackberry grows on the U.S.
and Mexican sides of the Rio
Grande. Here and there this
forest is interrupted by resocas
(oxbow lakes that mark old
bends in the river).
Several Mexican animal spe-
cies live in this forest, which is
the only place where they are
found in the United States. For
many, the Rio Grande Valley is
as far north as they ever get.
Since the 1920s, the Valley
has largely been converted to
croplands. Citrus trees, cotton,
yucca, cacti, and desert grass-
an area called the Rio Grande
Valley. Finally the river flows into
the Gulf of Mexico at Browns-
ville, Texas.
Since 1845, when the Lone
Star State was annexed by the
u.S. Congress, the lower Rio
Grande has been the bound-
ary between Mexico and the
United States. But this is only
and vegetables now occupy
thousands of acres that were
once covered by cactus and
mesquite or by the riverside
forest. The forest in particu-
lar has suffered. Today, undis-
'P MCMXCII IMP BV/ IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.
I I
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NEW
MEXICO : : I
!
TEXAS-' -- \
'""'\_ ...- ... ~ - - - - ... j-"j
f--- Big Bend !
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a political division-the same
mesquite and cacti grow on
both sides. In fact "The Valley,"
as residents call it, is part of a
habitat that lies mostly in Mex-
ico. Recent development and
habitat destruction in Mexico
have caused animals from ever
farther south to flee to refuges
on the U.S. side.
Left: The nine-banded armadillo
is protected from predators by its
armor-plated skin.
Left: In early
morning, mist
rises off the Rio
Grande in Bent-
sen State Park
in Texas. This
park is one of
the few remain-
ing areas of
undisturbed
riverside forest.
turbed remnants of the old
forest are found only in a few
places, such as Bentsen State
Park, Laguna Atascosa Nation
al Wildlife Refuge, and Santa
Ana National Wildlife Refuge.
0160200911 PACKET 91
{
Laguna
Atascosa
Refuge
Naturalists come to the Rio Grande Valley to look for
Mexican species. Even though this area is still a refuge
for animals from south of the border, it is no longer the
paradise it once was. Agriculture has taken over much of
the habitat, making some Mexican species hard to find.
~ BIRDS
Every year thousands of bird-
watchers visit the Rio Grande
Valley in order to see Mexican
birds without ever leaving the
United States. In the surviving
patches of riverside forest, the
plain chachalaca, a distant cous-
in of pheasants, feeds on ber-
ries as well as other vegetable
matter beneath the trees. In
the morning and the evening,
it is most likely to give the loud
call that gives it its name.
The green jay is one of the
most colorful birds in the Val-
Front cover: Santa Ana National
Wildfife Refuge is one of several
reserves on the Rio Grande.
Front cover inset: The great kis-
kadee is the largest U.S. flycatcher.
ley. It has been seen "bathing"
its feathers in smoke, presum-
ably to groom them.
The great kiskadee, a large
flycatcher with a yellow breast,
can be heard calling from the
trees near the river. It says its
name, kiskadee, over and over.
The long-billed thrasher, ol-
ive sparrow, and black-headed
oriole are found in the Valley
all year. Other birds migrate
north from Mexico to nest and
then travel south again in the
fall. These migratory birds in-
clude the hook-billed kite, red-
billed pigeon, rose-throated
becard, varied bunting, buff-
bellied hummingbird, and
hooded oriole.
~ MAMMALS
Many small rodents inhabit the
Rio Grande Valley, but several
larger mammal species also live
there. The coyote, bobcat, col -
lared peccary, and nine-banded
armadillo are all found in the
Valley, as well as other parts of
the United States. In addition, a
few members of the cat family
that are considered vulnerable
or endangered in the United
States may sometimes be seen
in the Valley.
The ocelot at times leaves its
tracks in the mud beside the
river. In fact, the best place to
see this cat in the United States
Left: The ocelot is occasionally seen
in the forest along the Rio Grande.
It hunts mainly at night.
is in Santa Ana National Wildlife
Refuge. Slightly larger than a
bobcat, the ocelot has a long
tail and spots in neat rows. The
related jaguarundi is occasional-
ly seen in thickets. It looks like
a slender, short-legged house
cat and may have either a gray
or reddish coat.
Two other cat species have
become even scarcer. The mar-
gay, which resembles a minia-
ture ocelot, may make a rare
appearance in the riverside for-
est. The jaguar, the largest cat
in the Americas, used to live in
the Valley but has now disap-
peared from much of its range
even in Mexico. It is no longer
seen in the United States.
Left: The green
jay usually trav-
els in small par-
ties. Like other
jays, it is noisy.
Below: The
plain chacha-
laca finds most
of its food by
scratching in
the soil, but it
also climbs into
trees to eat ber-
ries and seeds.
Left: A distant
relative of pigs,
the collared pec-
cary travels in
small herds. The
young are ready
to join the herd
soon after birth.
Below: The Texas
coral snake is dis-
tinguished from
other coral snakes
by the black spots
in the bands of
red on its body.
Its strong venom
can kill a person.
~ REPTILES & AMPHI BIANS
Exceeded in size only by the
eastern diamondback rattle-
snake, the western diamond-
back grows to seven feet. It is
the largest and most danger-
ous venomous snake in the
Valley. Smaller snakes in the
area include the desert massa-
sauga (another rattlesnake)
and the Texas coral snake.
Several reptiles can be found
only in the Valley, including the
Laredo striped whiptail lizard,
black-striped snake, and speck-
led racer. Another snake that is
unique to the area is the north-
ern cat-eyed snake, which has
elliptical pupils much like those
of a rattlesnake.
The Valley is basically desert
country, so there are not very
many amphibians. But several
Mexican species do live in this
habitat. These include the giant
toad, which can grow to nine
inches in length; the Mexican
burrowing toad, which is seen
only after heavy rains; and the
Mexican treefrog, which is a
common animal in the Amer-
ican tropics. The Rio Grande
chirping frog is abundant in
this area, but it is not native
anywhere else.
THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
AND THEIR WILDLIFE
",,"CARD 26
The group of volcanic islands that make up Hawaii are located in the
northern part of the Pacific Ocean. They are home to many species of
animal and plant life that are found nowhere else in the world.
KEY FACTS
ORIGINS AND FEATURES
Above: The silvers word plant grows
only in the crater of Haleakala, the
dormant volcano on Maui.
Set in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii
is a chain of 122 islands about
2,300 miles from the mainland
United States. The islands were
settled by Polynesians 1,500
years ago. They were originally
named the Sandwich Islands by
the English navigator Captain
James Cook, who discovered
them in 1778. Hawaii became
a U.S. territory in 1900 and the
r? 0 KAUAI
NIIHAU
MOLOKAI
Honolulu L:::::.7
50th state of the Union in 1959.
Today, only 14 islands are in-
habited. The largest, the island
of Hawaii, is less than a million
years old. Kauai, another major
island, is over five million years
old. The northwestern part of
the chain includes smaller unin-
habited islands, which are most-
ly submerged. Capped by coral,
these islands have become atolls
Left: The Hawaiian goose has par-
tially webbed feet that enable it to
walk on volcanic slopes.

LANAI LJ
c::l
KAHOOLAWE
Left: Hawai-
ian volcanoes
have gently
sloping sides
with broad
bases. In an
eruption like
that of Kilau-
ea, where lava
flows into the
sea, the event
is generally
more spectac-
ular than
dangerous.
that encircle shallow lagoons.
Hawaii is at the center of the
"ring of fire," which is a ring of
volcanic activity that stretches
around the Pacific. Huge quan-
tities of molten rock below the
ground have given rise to four
active volcanoes on the island
of Hawaii: Mauna Loa, Mauna
Kea, Kilauea, and Hualalai. Mau-
na Loa rises about 29,500 feet
from the ocean floor and is one
of the most active volcanoes in
the world.
:9 MCMXCII IMP BV/ IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILE'M PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200871 PACKET 87
Hawaii consists of eight major islands and a great many
small islets. The two largest islands each have an area of
outstanding natural beauty that is recognized as a national
park. In both of these places spectacular waterfalls cascade
over stark volcanic slopes in the midst of lush tropical foliage.
~ LIFE IN THE WATER
Hawaii's volcanic islands are sur-
rounded by coral reefs. Shallow
coastal waters and living corals
at the reefs' outer edges support
a rich variety of marine life.
Brilliantly colored rudderfish,
squirrelfish, and soldierfish swim
in huge schools, dashing in and
out of the coral. Also abundant
is Hawaii's national fish, the Pi-
casso triggerfish. Two dwarf
species of angelfish-Potter's
angelfish and Fisher's pygmy
angelfish-are found only in
Hawaii. Lemon butterfly fish
gather in schools of over 100
in the more shallow waters.
Gray reef sharks over six feet
Front inset
left: Although
it can fly, the
Laysan duck
prefers to re-
main on the
ground.
Frontinset
right: Butterfly
fish ~ bright col-
ors and vibrant
patterns proba-
bly help species
members recog-
nize each other.
Some butterfly
fish species dis-
play brighter
colors at night
when they feed
on the reef.
long patrol the waters around
Hawaii and have been known
to attack humans. Other deadly
fish include two species of ham-
merhead shark and the scorpi-
onfish, which has venomous
stingers in its grooved fin spines.
Surgeonfish such as the convict
tang and the yellow tang are
caught for food.
Green and hawksbill turtles
live in the deep water surround-
ing some of the small, uninhab-
ited islands. Like all of Hawaii's
turtles, they are protected.
Right: The yellow tang is one of
hundreds of spectacular fish that
attract divers to Hawaii.
~ ISLAND WILDLIFE
The Hawaiian monk seal and
one bat species are the only
native mammals on the Hawai-
ian islands. Introduced mam-
mals like goats have depleted
many native plants, especially
the silversword. This plant takes
up to 20 years to mature before
sending up its spectacular three-
and-a-half-foot spike of flowers.
The islands are rich in bird life
and noted for their many spe-
cies of Hawaiian honeycreeper.
These birds are thought to have
evolved over thousands of years
from a single species. They have
long, tubular tongues for feed-
Left: The Hawaiian goose inhabits
the area between the volcanoes of
Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
Left: The green
turtle migrates
distances up to
2,800 miles. It
spends almost
all its life in the
water, coming
ashore only to
lay its eggs.
ing on nectar. The different spe-
cies of honeycreeper display a
variety of adaptations, ranging
from short beaks for pecking at
fruit to heavy bills for crushing
seeds. Some species have suf-
fered from habitat loss. Others
have become extinct due to
overhunting for their feathers.
The Hawaiian goose has long
legs with partially webbed feet
for walking on lava slopes. Al-
though it can fly, this bird pre-
fers not to travel very far. The
same is true for Hawaii's two
duck species, the koloa and
the Laysan duck.
Right: A friendly mammal, the
Hawaiian monk seal was easily
exploited by hunters in the 1800s.
Left: P o t t e r ~
angelfish is one
of two angelfish
species common
in Hawaiian wa-
ters. It feeds on
algae as well as
the debris from
dead coral.
~ THE ARRIVAL OF WILDLIFE
Because the Hawaiian islands
are so remote, the species that
inhabit them must have arrived
by flying or drifting through the
air, swimming or floating across
the ocean, or being transported
with settlers. It is estimated that
only one new species successful-
ly settled on the islands every
10,000 years during the millions
of years since they were formed.
There are no native reptiles, am-
phibians, or freshwater fish.
Many of Hawaii's insects lost
their ability to fly, probably be-
cause they had few predators to
escape from. Most of the plants
shed defenses like thorns and
spikes because they were not
threatened by grazing animals.
Polynesians arrived on the is-
lands in AD. 400 and Europe-
ans about 1,400 years later. Both
groups introduced domestic an- -
imals such as goats, dogs, and
rats, as well as other species like
snails, cane toads, and fallow
deer. Today, many native spe-
cies are threatened with extinc-
tion because they lack natural
defenses for protection from
introduced animals. Also, native
species are being forced out of
lowland habitat, which is used
for housing or for growing pine-
apples, flowers, and sugarcane.