Mason's Animal Ask

10/26/2020

🦇 🦇 It’s Bat Week 🦇 🦇

Did you know that bat populations are threatened & even endangered species? White nose syndrome has killed nearly 7 million bats since 2006 in North America.

Humans that enter caves & places where bats hibernate are, in part, to blame. Some biologists believe the fungus is transported to caves on human gear & clothing. The fungus causes bats to wake up during hibernation & use up fat reserves.

If you enter a cave or other area & observe sleeping or hibernating bats, leave immediately! Bats hibernate from about Oct. 1 - Apr. 30 in Northeast.

Bats are creepy but we need them to:

▪️Pollinate plants 🌸
▪️Eat pests 🦟
▪️Disperse seeds 🌱

Weird that bats actually go into hibernation around Halloween?!

In observance of Bat Week, an internationally recognized weeklong focus to raise awareness about the important role bats play in our environment, DEC urged outdoor adventurers to avoid visiting caves and mines that may serve as seasonal homes for hibernating bats.

10/17/2020

Halloween is fast approaching & there are many animals associated with Halloween like:

Bats 🦇
Snakes 🐍
Spiders 🕷
Owls 🦉
Wolves 🐺

But I have some suggestions for other animals you can include in your creepy Halloween decorations. They just might require a little DIY & creativity because you won’t find them at your typical Halloween decoration store:

Komodo dragon 🐉 🦎
King Cobra 🐍
Gila Monster 🦎
Dragon Fish 🐉 🐠
Tasmanian Devil 👿
Thorny Devil 🦎

I came up with this list as I hiked up to the top of Thomas Mountain last weekend.

10/12/2020

I hiked Thomas Mountain today (🥾3.8 mi, 2,031’). Good view of Lake George at the top. No good wildlife photos but a hawk flew over the summit & my dog gave a mouse a scare! Have you heard a mouse shriek? Yikes!

10/09/2020

Martin & Chris Kratt from Wild Kratts are two of my idols! I recently hiked Hadley Mountain with my friend Gavin & his mom made me a Wild Kratts vest! I hope to someday educate kids about wildlife just like the Kratt Brothers!

10/09/2020

When we came up on this large snapping turtle on the trail at Ausable Chasm I thought it was an Alligator Snapping Turtle (pictured on right for comparison). I was wrong! It was just a regular snapping turtle but it still seemed pretty angry at all the attention it was getting so we moved on quickly.

If you are out in nature and encounter wildlife, always keep your distance and respect animals. They are scared of you and from their view, you’re an intruder!

09/28/2020

This is an American Dagger Moth Caterpillar. They are found in forests in North America. We came across this guy on our way down from Cascade Mountain. We thought it might be poisonous because of all the daggers but we learned there’s no evidence that it has venom. It can cause skin irritation so it’s a good thing we didn’t pick it up.

09/28/2020

Hi 👋 it’s been awhile. We were trying to make a video of our adventure in the Adirondack High Peaks from a few weeks ago, and maybe we’ll eventually find time to finish it, but for now I’d like to share some highlights.

We climbed:
▪️Hurricane Mountain (🥾3,694’)
▪️Cascade Mountain (🥾4,098’)
▪️Porter Mountain (🥾4,059’)

We also walked the cliffs of Ausable Chasm, including some cable bridges. It’s the “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks.”

I didn’t see bear or moose but we saw tons of birds, a very large spider at the top of Hurricane Mountain, mice on the way up Cascade & Porter, and a HUGE snapping turtle. In fact, I almost tripped over the snapping turtle on the trail at Ausable Chasm.

Here are some photos of our hikes & wildlife encounters.

09/18/2020

I'm working with my parents on creating a video of my adventures in the Adirondacks last weekend. Until then, enjoy this article about the return of Bald Eagles in the Adirondacks. Not too long ago, they were rare due to the pesticide DDT and loss of fish due to acid rain. Now, they are back, healthy, and fishing many Adirondack lakes and rivers.

Bald Eagles are raptors, which are my favorite kind of bird 🦅🦖.

My new soccer team is called the Raptors!

“Look, mom!” My 6-year-old son points excitedly to a large raptor about 150 feet off the bow of our canoe. “It’s got a fish!” With its huge wings, dark body, and white head and tail, there’s no mistaking this bald eagle.

09/12/2020

I’m exploring the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks this weekend.

The Adirondacks may be known for the mountains, but there’s also lots of wildlife. The region is home to some of the most beautiful creatures on earth, including Moose, the Bald Eagle, and Great-Horned Owl! There are also dangerous animals like bears and even cougars.

I already saw a cricket 🦗 and some small fish 🦅🦉🦆🦇🐝🦗🐢🐍🐟🦨🦝🦦🐿🦌

09/11/2020

Did you know: the soft shell turtle 🐢 lays it’s eggs in Nile Crocodile nests to keep its eggs safe? Mama Croc 🐊 heavily guards the turtle eggs.

That’s pretty smart!

09/08/2020

If you look closely you can see a blue heron! 🐦