INTRODUCTION
BLACKNESS WITH BIRD SOUNDS / TEASER WILDLIFE MONTAGE & TITLE MATERIALIZATION (CD#4/7)
TRANSITION TO KILLDEER DISPLAYING / TRISTAN LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS
Hi. I’m Tristan Howard. Welcome to Little Hot Springs Valley. Being a wildlife cinematographer who was born and raised here, I am familiar with the creatures that call this region home. And, I’ve spent the last several years of my life documenting them in their natural habitat.
KILLDEER CONTINUE TO DISPLAY / SCENERY
Named after the hot springs at its northern end, Little Hot Springs valley is located approximately six miles northeast of the nearby Fall River Valley in northeastern California. This puts Little Hot Springs Valley just east of the Cascade Mountains, in the transition zone where the Pacific evergreen forest region meets that of the Great Basin Desert. The valley is bordered by rugged lava beds to the west and forested mountains to the east. Just on the other side of these mountains, there is the edge of the Great Basin desert in arid Big Valley. And just west of the lava beds are the deep evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest. This unique geographic position places Little Hot Springs Valley in a zone of overlapping habitats that is rich in wildlife diversity.
BEAR AT TROUGH / DEER RUNNING
Join me now, and we’ll journey through the seasons to examine the wildlife of Little Hot Springs Valley.
TRISTAN WALKS ACROSS MEADOW / FADE TO WINTER SCENERY
WINTER
COLD ESTABLISHING SHOTS WITH SNOW SHOWERS (CD#9/27)
Winter is a cold time in the valley. With the arrival of heavy snow and rain, the seasonal ponds and streams are once again filled with nourishing water. To take advantage of the water, migratory waterfowl arrive in Little Hot Springs Valley. Wild ducks and geese become common once again on seasonal ponds and streams.
MALLARDS
Here, mallards feed in shallow water. Mallards are dabbling ducks. Dabblers are named after their signature dabbling feeding style. Also known as puddle ducks, dabblers typically inhabit smaller and shallower bodies of water than diving ducks. The legs of dabbling ducks are also more centrally located on their bodies in comparison to diving ducks. This makes them less skilled swimmers than divers but better walkers. Dabbling ducks are also omnivorous with a varied diet composed mainly of plant matter and invertebrates. Dabblers are gregarious and often gather in large concentrations during winter.
CANADA GEESE
In addition to mallards, some of the earliest arriving winter migrants are Canada geese. Canada geese are one of the largest species of waterfowl. These geese, also known as honkers because of their distinctive honking calls, commonly communicate with each other through vocalizations. This North American goose is noted for its wariness. At the sight of danger, its loud honks can easily alert other geese to take flight. Canada geese often use their long necks to feed on vegetation underwater. But, Canada geese primarily feed by grazing on land.
SWAN WALKING AWAY
Though commonly flying over the valley in winter and early spring, tundra swans very rarely land here. When I saw this one, it seemed as if it couldn’t fly. Perhaps it was sick or injured. It is likely that this swan recently got separated from a flock journeying toward its wintering grounds, which include the Central Valley to the south and the Great Basin to the east.
SHORT BIRD MONTAGE
Even in winter, Little Hot Springs Valley is a haven for bird life. There are migratory residents like waterfowl. Transient residents like these evening grosbeaks may also stop by. And, there are year-round residents like the California quail.
SHORT BUCK MONTAGE (CD#10/47)
Common in winter, are the deer of Little Hot Springs Valley. They are generally called mule deer. But more precisely, the majority of these deer are actually Rocky Mountain mule deer/Columbian black-tailed deer hybrids.
This hybridization is a result of Little Hot Springs Valley having a distinct geographic position between the coastal evergreen forest habitat of the Columbian black-tailed deer and the Great Basin habitat of the Rocky Mountain mule deer. Thus, the valley is located where these two species’ ranges overlap. The difference between the species can be most easily distinguished by viewing the tails of the deer.
Columbian black-tailed deer have tails that are mainly black. Rocky Mountain mule deer have tails that are white with a black tip. And, the mixed blood hybrids of these two species have tails that can be a varying combination of the tail characteristics that are reminiscent of both types of deer.
DEER FADE INTO SUNSET & SUNRISE (CD#4/11) / TRANSITION AMBIENCE / WILD TURKEYS
Present in the foothills of Little Hot Springs Valley during winter is the wild turkey. The subspecies of wild turkey that lives here is the Merriam’s wild turkey, which is well-adapted to pine and oak forests. Wild turkeys are not common in the valley year-round and during the summer, they can be found at higher elevations in the nearby Big Valley Mountains. Not native to the valley, wild turkeys colonized this region from nearby turkey populations, which were established through transplanting efforts.
Like other birds, turkeys will also often consume grit, which goes into their gizzards. The gizzard is a digestive chamber possessed by birds, in which food is ground up, often by small rocks in preparation for further digestion in the stomach. Though not capable of flying long distances, wild turkeys are adept runners and spend most of their time on the ground.
TURKEYS CHASE EACH OTHER (CD#7/6)
To be safer from predators, wild turkeys roost every night in a location that is roughly fifteen or more feet above the ground. Wild turkeys roost each night because they are diurnal animals, which means they are active only during the day. Turkeys also have poor night vision. Usually wild turkeys feed early in the morning, move to cover to rest, and then feed again in the afternoon until sunset. Wild turkeys are opportunistic feeders that prey on a variety of animals and plants.
Wild turkeys are tough birds and studies have shown that they can survive winter cold and snow for up to two weeks without eating. When turkeys do this they may stay on their roosts for days in order to save energy. Deep snow poses serious problems for wild turkeys because it can make it difficult for them to reach food on the ground. During winter, turkeys will often move to regions of disturbed snow, such as livestock or deer feeding areas, in order to more easily reach food. With eyes on opposite sides of its head, the wild turkey has a roughly 300 degree field of vision and can be quite wary of danger.
TURKEYS RUN OFF / TRANSITIONARY COLD SPRING SHOTS
SPRING
Springtime in the valley: the snow of winter is melting and wildlife is becoming more active.
SPRING WILDLIFE MONTAGE (CD#7/31)
TRANSITION SHOTS / GARTER SNAKE THRONGS
With the arrival of warmer temperatures at the beginning of spring, many species of wildlife come out of hibernation, including garter snakes. Garter snakes are the most common species of snake in the valley. These snakes may hibernate in large concentrations in communal dens located in rocky crevices. Garter snakes hibernate because they are cold blooded and sensitive to the cold temperatures of winter. Upon exiting their hibernation dens, garter snakes proceed with mating rituals and can be seen in writhing reptilian masses.
GARTER SNAKE SLITHERING MONTAGE (CD#9/17)
RING-NECKED DUCKS SWIMMING & DIVING
During the spring, waterfowl are engaged in the breeding season. Here, a band of ring-necked ducks takes part in courtship rituals. Named for the faintly visible dark brown ring around the drake’s neck, ring-necks are diving ducks that will often dive far under the water’s surface to reach their food.
BUFFLEHEADS
Another species of waterfowl inhabiting Little Hot Springs Valley during the spring is the little bufflehead. Also known as butterball and originally called buffalo heads, these ducks are skilled at diving. Buffleheads will often dive in groups with one or more individuals staying on the surface to watch for danger.
During the spring breeding season, drake buffleheads may undergo intense competition for mates. Buffleheads have even been known to attack each other underwater. These ducks nest in the hollow cavities of trees and a bufflehead hen can grip tree bark with skill similar to that of a woodpecker. Hens are capable of fitting through tiny 2 and ¼ inch tree cavities in order to nest. But, buffleheads may have to compete with other animals, such as starlings, squirrels, and other ducks, in order to get a nest site.
WOOD DUCKS
One of the most brilliantly plumaged species of waterfowl in Little Hot Springs Valley is the wood duck. Indeed, many consider it one of the most visually striking ducks in the world.
WOOD DUCK MONTAGE (CD#11/35)
Only the male wood duck, the drake, is prominently colored. This sort of gender-specific coloration, with males being more colorful than the females, is common in many wild duck species. The drake’s bright colors serve as an advantage to him for attracting mates during the breeding season, and therefore enable him to more successfully spread his genetics. On the other hand, the female wood duck, the hen, maintains a drabber, more camouflaged appearance, that is advantageous for avoiding predators, especially while rearing a brood of flightless ducklings.
One unique characteristic of wood ducks is the fact that they regularly use specific nocturnal roosting sites. These areas often have shallow water and low overhead cover. Also, compared to other waterfowl species, wood ducks are highly proficient at flying through the branches of dense forests. Additionally, out of any type of waterfowl, wood ducks have the largest eyes, which may help them to perceive the intricate details of the forest flight paths common in their habitat.
Wood ducks have evolved to nest in the hollow cavities of trees. Many human-made nesting boxes, such as this one, have been constructed across the country, to provide nesting habitat for wood ducks in regions that have been heavily deforested.
During the breeding season, wood ducks will pair up and choose a nesting site. The drake may stay with the hen until the final week of the incubation of her eggs. He stays with her during this time period partly to protect her from predators, but also to prevent other males from mating with her, thus preserving the integrity of his genetic legacy.
The hen will usually lay a clutch of about twelve eggs, which she will incubate for roughly 30 days.
SNOW SHOWERS / WILDLIFE & SCENERY IN SNOW
Though spring weather here is predominately mild, random snow flurries are not uncommon.
CANADA GEESE
Though interspecies conflict among waterfowl seems to be rare, this Canada goose appears to be irritated with the drake wood duck perched above.
Having first arrived in Little Hot Springs Valley during the winter, the Canada goose is especially common on wetlands during the spring.
When two male geese become attracted to the same female, violent skirmishes can occur.
SLOW MOTION HONKER FIGHT (CD#18/2)
When the loser flies away, the victor may gain a mate. Canada goose partners are very dedicated to each other and they typically mate for life. By the time the female is incubating her eggs, her mate will diligently keep guard near the nest site. The nesting sites of Canada geese vary widely. In the valley, these adaptable geese have been observed nesting on the ground, in artificial nest structures like this tire nest, and also in more unusual locations, like the tops of haystacks and lumber piles.
GOSLINGS & PARENTS
About a month after being deposited, Canada goose eggs hatch. Young geese possess a fluffy layer of down feathers and are known as goslings. Both the male and female parent care for the offspring.
GRAY SQUIRRELS
Common here in spring are western gray squirrels, which are often found in oak and pine forests. These squirrels are excellent tree climbers and build nests of branches and bark, in which they raise their young. Western gray squirrels primarily eat acorns, which they store in 3 to four 4 holes in the ground. Through the process of storing their food, gray squirrels also replant trees and aid in the maintenance and longevity of their forest habitat.
DEER & ANTLERED BUCK IN MARCH
Living within squirrel habitat, are the deer of Little Hot Springs Valley. Like all members of the deer family, mule deer possess antlers, not horns. Only male mule deer, the bucks, possess antlers while the female deer, known as does, do not. Antlers are primarily composed of bone and are shed annually and regrown each year.
WYOMING / BIGHORNS / BISON
Horns on the other hand, such as those possessed by creatures like bighorns and bison (seen here in Wyoming), are permanent attachments to the skull, and continue to grow throughout the life of the animal.
During February, most of the deer in Little Hot Springs Valley shed their antlers.
SHED ANTLERS
Usually bleached white by the sun after a period of months, fallen antlers will gradually decompose and be chewed upon by small mammals. Many creatures take advantage of the rich nutrient resources, such as calcium, that antler bone provides.
By early spring, the mature mule deer bucks, which normally separate from the does after the autumn breeding season, once again join the doe-led family groups.
Now without antlers, bucks resemble females and can easily blend into large doe herds where they will be safer from predators. This is because predators that would likely single out vulnerable bucks that were weakened by the rigors of the breeding season, will now find it difficult to identify them because the bucks have lost their antlers.
DEER GRAZING IN FIELDS
During late spring, mule deer are in the process of shedding their grayish winter hair coats, which will gradually be replaced by reddish summer coats. Mule deer bucks are also in the process of regrowing their antlers. Antler regrowth is triggered by photoperiodism, which involves cycles of light and darkness affecting the deer’s biology. Increasing levels of sunlight, which deer can sense through the retinas of their eyes, cause a release of hormones, which stimulate antler growth. At this stage, the antlers are covered in a soft layer of modified skin called velvet. Velvet is highly vascularized with blood vessels, which transport the minerals that are deposited for antler growth. Antler growth is one of the most rapid forms of tissue growth known. Deer antlers can often grow a quarter of an inch a day.
During the spring, yearling fawns can sometimes be found running freely through the open meadows. Through this type of play, young fawns practice predator escape tactics that are vital for survival.
FAWN HOPPING MONTAGE (CD#24/11)
WOOD DUCKS WALK ON LAND & EAT FROM GROUND
As spring progresses, some of the wood ducks have started walking about on dry land, even in rugged lava rock terrain. Acorns are a favored food of wood ducks and one of the main reasons they come ashore. Though especially common in spring, many wood ducks will nest in the valley and be around for most of the summer.
SUMMER
When the oak leaves bud out, spring fades away and summer begins.
SUMMER WILDLIFE MONTAGE (CD #12/46)
TRANSITION TO MOUNTAINS / OWL / VELVET-ANTLERED BUCK
During the summer, some of the waterfowl migrate further north and most of the deer in Little Hot Springs Valley migrate to higher elevations. Here, the bucks’ velvet antlers will continue to grow until September.
TRANSITION TO LAVA ROCKS / LIZARDS
In the summer, the little western fence lizard is common throughout the rocky environs of Little Hot Springs Valley. This lizard is a first-rate climber and can easily dart from rock to rock in order to avoid enemies or capture prey. The primary diet of the western fence lizard is insects, which it can pounce on with expert swiftness.
LIZARD DEVOURS DRAGONFLY (CD#6/44)
Becoming active in the morning, these lizards will eventually reside into the shade during the hottest portion of the day. Remarkably, the blood of the western fence lizard is known to kill the type of bacterium that causes Lyme disease. This bacterium is transmitted to people by ticks. But, ticks that carry the bacterium are cleansed of it after they bite a western fence lizard. This is one reason why Lyme disease is much less common in California compared to parts of the eastern U.S. where there are fewer lizards.
CALIFORNIA QUAIL
California quail can be especially visible during the summer near water sources. This is because these quail need to drink every day during dry, hot weather.
California quail are non-migratory, year-round residents that nest from April to August after pairing up in the spring. Throughout the summer, the female quail will incubate an average of 14 eggs for approximately 23 days with the male quail being nearby. During favorable years, female quail may even lay another clutch of eggs while the male takes care of the original offspring. Quail young are precocial, which means they are capable of independent activity at birth and don’t stay in the nest long. As a result of this and the wide timeframe for nesting, quail of all ages can be found during the summer. Multiple quail broods can also sometimes mix together and be tended by several parents at a time.
Within the quail family unit, the male quail serves as a sentry and he often roosts above the other quail in order to spot predators and signal danger to the rest of the covey. Sometimes, male quail will even attack a threatening animal. There have been reports of quail attacking mice, a snake, an owl, and remarkably also a dog.
ESTABLISHING SHOTS / TURTLES
With the coming of warmer temperatures in summer, the turtles of Little Hot Springs Valley become more visible. The species of turtle that lives in the valley is the western pond turtle, which commonly basks in the morning sun.
Seizure of animals for the pet trade, habitat loss, and pollution are some of the major threats to the western pond turtle. But, the turtles in this pond seem relatively comfortable. That is until challengers try to take control of desirable basking sites. Larger turtles will often lunge or bite at smaller individuals in order to exert their dominance and attain entitlement to popular basking locations.
BASKING AGGRESSION & TURTLE LOGROLLING (CD #16/25)
Like all reptiles, western pond turtles are cold blooded. This term doesn’t mean their blood is always cold, but rather it indicates that their blood temperature fluctuates based on the temperature of the environment in which they live. By midmorning, western pond turtles will usually be basking in the sun to warm their bodies.
This log has become, perhaps, the most desirable basking location in the valley. Turtles often prefer to bask on floating branches or logs because these sites give them a better chance to spot and avoid predators than they would have if they were on land.
Where basking sites are scarce, turtles have sometimes been observed piled up to two or three layers high. But, based on the balance this log is lacking, little more than three or four turtles can bask here simultaneously.
When they are not basking, western pond turtles will often be foraging under water for plants, small aquatic invertebrates, or insects.
PIED-BILLED GREBES
An aquatic bird rarely seen in Little Hot Springs Valley is the grebe. These are pied-billed grebes, which prefer secluded nesting habitats, like this lava rock pond. Grebe fossil remains date back to the Miocene epoch of the Tertiary period 25 million years ago. These ancient birds have legs located far back on their bodies and they also possess flattened, lobed toes. As a result, grebes are helpless on land and can’t even stand up. But, they are excellently adapted to water and are powerful swimmers.
Grebes build floating nests, which are made of aquatic plants and often anchored to emergent vegetation. After an incubation period of 23 days, the young are hatched. The chicks are cared for by both parents and are not immediately good swimmers. For the first 10 days of their lives, young grebes respond to danger by climbing onto the back of one of their parents.
When alarmed, grebes often dive under water. If not sure about a potential threat, grebes may gradually sink rather than dive. Grebes can also gradually surface with only their heads visible. Food of the pied-billed grebe includes insects, crustaceans, fish, amphibians and aquatic plants. These birds commonly hunt their prey underwater. A unique characteristic of the grebe is that, in addition to food, they also eat their own feathers. These feathers form a lining on their gizzards and ornithologists speculate that the feathers act as strainers for hard substances such as fish bones, holding them back until they are more digestible.
GARTER SNAKES
After coming out of hibernation in the spring, garter snakes are especially prevalent during summer. Garter snakes are one of the few types of snakes able to coexist with humans relatively well and are often present in yards and gardens. This is partly because the bite of a garter snake is fairly harmless. Unlike other snakes, which lay eggs, garter snakes give birth to large litters of live young. The diet of garter snakes primarily consists of cold blooded animals, including, worms, frogs, and fish.
Garter snakes can easily slither across varied terrain with streamlined movement and are also skillful swimmers. Though they may seem to be one of the more primitive reptiles, scientists believe that snakes evolved from lizards relatively recently (geologically speaking) during the Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago. This is partly evidenced by the fact that some snake species still retain residual traces of hind limbs.
CANADA GEESE ENTER ROCK POND
Unlike many other species of waterfowl, northern wild geese, such as these Canada geese, possess family units that do not separate after the breeding season. The young born just a few months earlier now closely resemble their parents.
DUCKLING WOOD DUCKS
By summer, several broods of wood duck ducklings have hatched. After hatching, ducklings will leap out of their nest box or tree cavity upon hearing the call of their mother below. Though fortunate wood ducks may nest over water, nesting sites can be limited and many ducklings have to leap onto land. Ducklings can fall as far as 50 feet onto the ground without receiving injury. One prominent biologist once recalled seeing a duckling drop 26 feet onto a concrete sidewalk before bouncing a foot into the air. Wood duck broods also often have to engage in a danger-filled journey of up to a mile or more in order to reach water.
Once ducklings reach water, their mother will care for them for most of the time period before they can fly. With the presence of danger, wood duck hens will often lead their broods to cover for hiding. Wood duck mothers may also distract predators from their young.
Sometimes mothers need to provide their offspring with protection against unfavorable weather. Young duckling wood ducks are very sensitive to exposure and especially to getting too cold. As a result, they will spend a lot of time out of the water and often huddle under their mother for warmth.
Wood ducks are opportunistic omnivores that will eat a wide variety of foods. Rapidly growing ducklings will consume low-fiber plants and high protein animal matter. It is not uncommon to see ducklings chase bugs through the water or snatch insects out of the air.
BULLFROGS (CD#16/18)
One of the more charismatic amphibians inhabiting Little Hot Springs Valley is the bullfrog. Not native to California, bullfrogs are the largest frogs in the U.S. and originally inhabited eastern North America, but were introduced to many regions west of the Mississippi early in the 1900s. Bullfrogs are expert jumpers and their jumps can carry them to distances that are up to 9 times their own body length. This is roughly equivalent to a person jumping 50 feet.
Bullfrogs are also accomplished swimmers and when danger threatens, they often head to the bottom of a water source to hide. Here, they can breathe through their skin by performing cutaneous respiration.
Bullfrogs are famous for their distinctive croaking calls, which they use to attract mates during the breeding season. During the breeding season, bullfrog males are also quite territorial and sometimes fight each other.
Females may produce up to 20,000 eggs, which will develop into tadpoles. In warmer climates, tadpoles can metamorphose into bullfrogs within a year but in cooler regions, it can take up to two or three years. Bullfrogs primarily feed on invertebrates but have also been known to eat fish, ducklings, mice, snakes, other bullfrogs, and young turtles. In some western pond turtle populations, bullfrog predation on juveniles has prevented significant recruitment of the young.
Many of the summer residents of this pond are at risk of bullfrog predation. In some regions, the opportunistic diet of introduced bullfrogs has caused serious ecological damage. But, bullfrogs, and especially their tadpoles do serve as important prey to many native species, including wading birds, fish, and garter snakes.
ACORN WOODPECKERS
The most common type of woodpecker in Little Hot Springs Valley is the acorn woodpecker, which is also known as the California woodpecker. These sociable birds live in groups, in which all individuals aid in raising the offspring of a single nest. Each acorn woodpecker group defends a territory, which contains one or more of their valuable granaries. Acorn woodpecker granaries consist of a series of holes that the birds bore into wood to store acorns, which are an important food source during winter. These granaries are enlarged over generations of woodpecker use.
DRAGONFLIES
Dragonflies are commonly found near water during the summer. These predatory insects come in a variety of colors and their immature nymph stages are aquatic. Adult dragonflies can be quite beneficial to humans by eating large amounts of mosquitoes and other small flying insects.
Dragonflies possess an armor-like exoskeleton and are survivors of a bygone era. The largest known dragonfly lived during the Carboniferous and Permian periods over 270 million years ago. This extinct dragonfly had a wingspan of nearly two and half feet. Noted for their territorial behavior, male dragonflies will patrol a region waiting for a potential mate. While on patrol, the male dragonfly will often chase other males out of his territory.
RATTLESNAKES
Present, but rarely seen in the valley, is the rattlesnake, also known as the rattler. These snakes are named after the rattle on the end of their tail, which they shake to warn off intruders. Rattlers are part of the pit viper family of snakes, which can detect warm-blooded prey by using heat-sensitive pits located on the sides of their heads. Rattlesnakes are ambush hunters, which coil themselves along well-used animal routes and wait, sometimes days, for prey to come into striking distance. Rattlers primarily feed on rodents and serve as effective controllers of rodent populations, which can sometimes reach pest proportions.
One of the most feared animals in Little Hot Springs Valley, rattlesnakes, if discovered, are often savagely slaughtered by overzealous locals who fear its poisonous bite, which can sometimes be fatal. But, the chances of an intelligent person dying from a rattlesnake bite are very slim. Less than twelve deaths a year are caused by rattlesnakes in the United States.
TURKEY VULTURES
A common summer scavenger in Little Hot Springs Valley is the turkey vulture. These large birds primarily eat carrion but are also known to eat live birds, mammals, and eggs. Turkey vultures, with a wingspan of about 6 feet, can often be seen soaring high above the valley on thermal air currents while they search for food below. This vulture also possesses very well developed olfactory lobes in it brain, which give it a keen sense of smell that is useful in locating rotting carcasses.
CT scanning technology has recently revealed that the olfactory passages of a vulture and a Tyrannosaur skull are very similar, supporting the idea that the infamous dinosaur Tyrannosaurus Rex, which lived during the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, primarily fed by scavenging. Not always abundant in Little Hot Springs Valley, many of California’s turkey vultures fly to Central America for the winter each year by using traditional migration routes in the fall.
SUMMER SUNSET SCENERY / TRANSITION TO FALL SCENERY
FALL
As summer fades into fall, a chill strikes the morning and evening air of Little Hot Springs Valley and some species of wildlife hibernate or migrate. But, autumn in the valley does not lack in wildlife abundance.
FALL MONTAGE (CD#10/17)
TRANSITION TO SNIPE
By fall-time, the seasonal ponds in Little Hot Springs Valley have dried up significantly, exposing regions of muddy pond bottom. It is in this mud, that the snipe, a bird often heard but rarely seen, uses its long beak to probe for insects, worms, crustaceans, and mollusks. The beak of the snipe is flexible and contains sensory pits to help it locate its prey.
MULE DEER
The mule deer that migrated out of the valley in the summer return from the high country in the fall. In addition to the advantage of lower snow levels and a milder climate, mule deer return to the valley for the fall acorn crop, which is an important source of food. By now, increasing levels of the hormone testosterone have caused mule deer bucks to shed their velvet, exposing hard antlers. Velvet shedding takes only a few days and the dried velvet is scraped off on shrubs or trees. Once velvet is shed, bucks will then proceed to polish their antlers on saplings or brush, which through substances like tree sap can cause the bloodied white bone to take on a darker colorization.
MULE DEER STOTTING & ESCAPE TERRAIN
One thing that distinguishes the mule deer from its common relative, the white-tailed deer (seen here in Texas), is its unique approach to predator evasion. When confronted with danger, a white-tailed deer will typically gallop away or run downhill. This is not the case with the mule deer. When mule deer escape danger, they hop away with a rapid series of jumps. This behavior is called stotting. Mule deer use stotting rather than even-level galloping for escaping predators because this behavior fits with the landscape of their habitat. Through stotting, mule deer are able to move uphill quickly and put obstacles between themselves and pursuing danger. This is one reason mule deer are only found in western North America. For compared to the East, the West has much more broken up terrain.
Here in Little Hot Springs Valley, the lava beds, and their peninsulas of rock that extend into the neighboring meadows form ideal mule deer habitat. Meadows and agricultural fields serve as feeding grounds for the deer while the nearby lava rock is effective escape terrain.
MULE DEER BUCKS
Not long after deer hunting season has ended, the mature bucks of Little Hot Springs Valley become more visible. Mixing with doe herds during the breeding season in November, fully developed mule deer bucks are impressive examples of their species.
BUCK MONTAGE (CD#16/47)
MULE DEER RUT
The mule deer breeding season is in late fall. This time period, also known as the rut, showcases much of the mule deer’s complex social behavior when bucks compete with each other for the privilege of breeding does. During the rut, bucks may engage in an action called horning, in which they scrape their antlers against shrubs, saplings, or unfortunate fruit trees. Horning is sometimes used by large bucks to locate each other for confrontations. After scraping vegetation, bucks may stop and listen for the sound of another buck’s antlers, in order to find and intimidate potential rivals. Bucks may also engage in horning in order to eat bark and for no other apparent reason than perhaps enjoyment of the activity.
During the fall, bucks will also engage in sparring matches. To some, these deer may appear to be fighting, but they are actually taking part in bonding games and forming friendships with each other. For example, if a small buck is on sparring terms with a larger buck, he may enlist the help of his larger friend to insult or displace bigger bucks.
DOMINANCE DISPLAY WITH HANGER BUCK
Often the largest antlered bucks in a region will dominate over other bucks and control the privilege of breeding a group of does. Large antlers are an indicator of a buck’s genetic success because it takes years of successful survival to grow sizable antlers. When a large buck in control of a breeding area, spots a new rival, he will approach the newcomer with a dominance display. The rival will often respond with a similar display. When this occurs, the bucks will walk stiffly toward each other with their tails and hairs raised and their ears laid back. When the bucks are near each other, their movements will slow and a fight can be prevented if one buck grunts and blows sharply through his nose, making a rut-snort, which can intimidate his rival into fleeing. However, if a rival buck ignores the rut-snort of the buck he’s challenging, a fight is likely to happen.
Intense and violent combat among mule deer bucks is very rarely seen, but all-out fights do occur.
MULE DEER BUCKS LOCK ANTLERS IN CLIMACTIC BATTLE
When the rival is defeated, the winning buck escorts him out of the breeding range. Mule deer buck fights happen so fast, it is hard to comprehend everything in one viewing. Let’s back up and watch the fight again in slow motion.
SLOW MOTION BUCK FIGHT (CD#12/13)
SLOW MOTION ENDS / BUCK RUNS BACK TO DOES
This type of fighting may seem wrong, but it helps ensure that the stronger buck will pass on his genetics to another generation. This will therefore endow his offspring with genetic potential for the strength and power he possesses. This buck has traits which have allowed him to successfully avoid predators and access good nutrition long enough to live to a mature age in a healthy condition. Though the buck is solely concerned with passing on his own genetic legacy, his actions are beneficial to the mule deer species as a whole.
MULE DEER / FADE TO SUNSET
As the sun sets over Little Hot Springs Valley, autumn eventually fades into winter and wildlife is abundant in the twilight glow.
DEER SILHOUETTE MONTAGE (CD#22/8)
The air cools even further and it’s not long before the snows of early winter arrive, signaling the end of one year among the wildlife of Little Hot Springs Valley.
CONCLUSION
PARTING MESSAGES WITH VARIOUS LANDSCAPE SHOTS
Though Little Hot Springs Valley is still rich in natural splendor, it may not stay this way for long. The majority of the valley is privately owned and is therefore vulnerable to the whim of private landowners. And like most places on Earth, one of the greatest threats to its well-being is the rapidly growing human population of our planet. It took hundreds of thousands of years from the beginning of humankind to 1800, for the population to reach 1 billion people. Since 1900, the Earth’s population has detonated from about 1.7 billion to over six and a half billion people at present. Keep in mind that there are one thousand millions in a billion. This is a tremendous amount of people: an amount the Earth has never seen before. Current human population growth rates cannot continue forever without inevitable self-destruction. Though the majority of this growth is in less developed countries, people in the developed world make the most intensive use of the planet’s resources and any addition is still a major impact.
Vastly increasing numbers of people cause a rise in detrimental effects that can be felt across the world, including Little Hot Springs Valley. These effects include increasing levels of resource consumption, pollution, and land occupation, which can ultimately lead to habitat loss. Recently, there has been a large increase in sub-division construction and related human activity at the valley’s forested edges, subsequently destroying habitat and displacing wildlife. If private land in Little Hot Springs Valley is not protected for conservation purposes, and if housing developments do not slow soon, the valley’s wildlife populations could significantly decline in the near future.
ENDING STATEMENTS WITH WILDLIFE MONTAGE (CD#18/2)
Being attentive to the natural world is crucial because without preventative action, whatever destruction happens to it could eventually happen to us. From the air we breathe to the food we eat, we ultimately depend on the natural environment for our own survival. Nature is the source of humanity, so if we value ourselves, we must also value the natural world and the biodiversity of living things it contains. From the most imperceptible insect to the mightiest mule deer, all wildlife species play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the healthy ecosystems that both animals and ourselves depend on for our continued existence. With human awareness and responsibility, we could strike a sustainable balance between these ecosystems and our exploitation of them. There may be a long-term future for the wildlife of Little Hot Springs Valley . . .
END CREDITS
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