Wildlife Wednesday -- Celebrating Motherhood
By Andy Ames
This week we celebrate motherhood. Motherhood takes on many different forms and requirements depending on the needs of the young. For some, like the frog or salamander, the mother’s job is done once she lays her eggs. For others, like the Terrestrial garter snake, the mother’s duty goes one step further by retaining her eggs in her body. Once hatched, her young are on their own. For most others, however, motherhood is much more of an investment. Below are just a few examples of the wide ranging parenting strategies of animals in the Estes Valley.
Bear cubs are nearly inseparable from their mothers from the time of their birth during hibernation until dispersing a year and a half later. Black bears are opportunistic omnivores with a very diverse diet. This requires an intimate knowledge of their environment to allow them to take advantage of different foods as they become available throughout the year. The cubs are like little sponges gathering information as they mimic their mother by turning over rocks or opening logs to find bugs, or tasting various plants as mother forages. By winter they are ready for hibernation and will den together with their mother. When they emerge the following spring, they will use that knowledge they gained the previous year to set out on their own. Thanks Mom!
Mountain lions share a similarly long investment to Black bears, often 18 months or more. In their early days and weeks, mother will set off to hunt on her own often leaving her cubs behind for long periods of time. After making a kill she will lead her cubs to her cache to dine together. Eventually the cubs will accompany mother on the hunts and observe what it takes to bring down prey often many time larger than themselves. This can be a risky business and takes a great deal of skill to stalk and ambush prey successfully and safely. When the cubs are ready to make it on their own, males will usually disperse a long distance while females often stay close and may even share a territory with their mother.
The village approach. Elk cows (females) leave their herd to give birth in seclusion. The mother will clean her calf and even consume dirt soiled by afterbirth. After nursing she will consume her calf’s feces all to ensure a scent free environment. How is that for dedication! The mother will leave her calf hidden behind while she heads off to feed. This could be for hours at a time but will keep an eye on the area from a distance and fend off any potential predators. Once strong enough, mother and calf will return to their herd. Calves will band together watched over by an older cow. This allows the other mothers to feed without the worry of having to watch after their young
Birds as well as mammals show a wide range of development at birth. Precocial animals are relatively mature and independent. Precocial birds lay eggs rich in yolk (pre packaged nutrition) with a long incubation period. Precocial birds include ground nesting birds such as turkeys and grouse as well as waterfowl like ducks and geese. Chicks hatch fully feathered with eyes open and can walk and feed on their own in short order. While mother only has to look after her young, her offspring don’t actually fledge for several weeks.
The alternative is altricial young who are naked and blind at birth. Altricial birds include the song birds and others such as hummingbirds. Incubation is short, about 10 to 14 days and development rapid at less than 2 weeks until fledging. Parenting is short and intense but allows time a second brood if anything happens to the first.