the eurasian jay ( garrulus glandarius ) is a species of bird occurring over a vast region from western europe and north-west africa to the indian subcontinent and further to the eastern seaboard of asia and down into south-east asia .

across its vast range , several very distinct racial forms have evolved to look very different from each other , especially when forms at the extremes of its range are compared .

the bird is called jay , without any epithets , by english speakers in great britain and ireland .

it is the original ' jay ' after which all others are named .

eurasian jay

today we proudly introduce the birdorable eurasian jay ! the eurasian jay , known simply as jay by english - speakers in its . . . read more
description : eurasian jay is a beautiful corvidae easy to identify thanks to the bright blue wing patch .
habitat . the eurasian jay thrives in coniferous forests . the nest is often located in the densest part of the forest , in either a young spruce or pine tree . unlike other bird species , the eurasian jay also nests in young plantations .
there are around 40 species of jays in the world . jays are found everywhere , except the high arctic , antarctica , the tip of south america and new zealand . the u . s . has eight species : the gray jay , perisoreus canadensis ; green jay , cyanocorax yncas ; pinyon jay , gymnorhinus cyanocephalus ; steller’s jay , cyanocitta stellen ; blue jay , cyanocitta cristata ; florida scrub - jay , aphelocoma coerulescens ; western scrub - jay , aphelocoma californica ; mexican jay , aphelocoma wollweberi .
alert : the western scrub - jay was split into the california scrub - jay and woodhouse ' s scrub - jay . for 18 days we ' re adding a . . . read more
general information . the eurasian jay nests sparsely in finland’s coniferous forests . research has indicated that the nesting population has increased somewhat over the last 22 years . during the nesting season , the eurasian jay remains hidden , in silence , often remaining undetected in bird censuses .
our camera at that time was not the best for shooting birds ; still it was good enough to help me identify the eurasian jay .
eurasian jay performs anting , remaining passive while ants run over its body . after anting , the bird often bathes , then shakes itself and preens .
gray jay feeding on roadkill snowshoe hare , fairbanks , ak , 8 march .
the jay is a colourful crow that is about the same size as a jackdaw .
hand - rearing of crows , jay , magpie etc . ( wildlife casualty management )
i have never seen the eurasian jay before but this week i have had 2 visit the garden everyday they are so beautiful . i love to watch them and listen to them .
the main goals of this study were 1 ) to investigate whether wood warbler response to rodent outbreaks is a general rule and occurs at a broad geographical scale , 2 ) to investigate whether wood warblers respond to population fluctuations of eurasian jay , and 3 ) to investigate whether wood warbler’s response to eurasian jay ( if any ) depends on the abundance of rodents .
many of us have first - hand experience of a parakeet mimicking even a human voice with perfection . eurasian jay is no less , as can be seen in the below video .
social cognition by food - caching corvids . the western scrub - jay as a natural psychologist
eurasian jay’s song reflects her mood . she can also be noticed whistling , singing notes that become softer finally producing a subdued warbling voice . in her life - time a eurasian jay learn a wide varieties of notes and not all of them are to scare others , scientist believe that she mimics the voices according to the mood in which she might have heard and learnt them .
seen my first jay in strangford , beautiful creature , am well pleased . ? ? ? ?
distribution in vaasa . the eurasian jay was recorded during nesting season in vaasa in approximately 100 survey blocks . it generally avoids built up areas but is still a commonly occurring nester in dense spruce copses nearby . the eurasian jay begins lekking in march and can be observed in great numbers residing in areas suitable for its required habitat , such as farmlands by the forest edge . this was demonstrated when a total of 22 eurasian jays were observed in a small forest area in vanha vaasa 17 . 3 . 2007 .
apart from the food courtship , a male jay tries also to attract its better - half by singing , dancing and displaying its wings . the wings of eurasian jay reflects uv rays and the beauty of different shades of violet in its wings are visible only to their mates making them blind in love .
the jay is a very abundant breeding resident in the uk with over 160 , 000 pairs . the jay occurs in all counties throughout england and wales but is less well distributed in scotland and ireland .
voice : sounds by xeno - canto eurasian jay’s common call is a loud , raucous screech “skaaak - shraaak” which be often repeated if the bird is threatened . it also gives wide variety of notes often based on mimicry . these notes usually become softer , forming a subdued warbling song . it is able to imitate the eurasian buzzard call !
many people will tell you about a bird they’ve seen , pink and blue etc etc…it’s nearly always a jay .
“gertie , ” a brainy eurasian magpie . ( prior , h . , et al . / journal . pbio )
is genetically very distinct from the other eurasian ( and even the north american ) forms . either the north american , korean , and remaining eurasian forms are accepted as 3 or 4 separate species , or there exists only a single species ,
we did not find support for the hypothesis that the nomadic behavior of the wood warbler correlated with fluctuations in eurasian jay numbers . in fact , there were no significant differences in eurasian jay densities between years with low , moderate , and high rodent abundance . this may suggest that jays respond to mast peaks in a different manner than rodents or do not exhibit a numerical response at all . however , eurasian jay constitutes a serious threat for nests of many forest - dwelling songbirds , including the wood warbler ( wesołowski 1985 ; schaefer 2004 ; stevens et al . 2008 ; weidinger 2009 ; mallord et al . 2012 ) . therefore , it would be profitable for wood warblers to avoid settling in areas with high densities of jays . in fact , we found that wood warbler densities were negatively correlated with densities of eurasian jay , however , only in years with low rodent numbers , and this relationship vanished in years when rodents were more abundant .
, eurasian jays have complex social behavior . they exhibit play behaviors , mostly chases that resemble their fleeing response to hawks (
eurasian jays perform many functions which benefit the ecosystems they inhabit . their alarm calls alert other species , including red squirrels (
flight : eurasian jay usually flies fairly low and between trees . in flight , the white rump is very conspicuous . it performs undulating flight . during migrations or movements in flocks , they climb high and move out with steady wing beats .
as an insectivore jay eats various pests , being therefore useful for forestry . also it helps to spread various plants .
in flight the jay obvious features are is very dark rounded wings and tail which contrast with its gleaming white rump .
diet : eurasian jay feeds on insects during the breeding and nesting seasons . it takes eggs and nestlings of several other bird species . in autumn , it feeds on acorns which excess is buried in soil and dug up when needed . the jay opens acorn by holding it with the feet against the perch and then , it levers bits of shell with the bill .
reproduction : breeding season varies according to the range . eurasian jays have long - term pair - bonds and are solitary nesters .
but now ingenious experiments with eurasian jays have revealed that the birds are able to envision the point of view of another individuals .
2009 .
birdguides
( on - line ) . jay garrulus glandarius . accessed january 15 , 2009 at urltoken .
cwmpengraig , carmarthenshire a jay . it will be here soon enough , once it’s finished its taunting of some poor tawny owl
protection / threats / status : eurasian jay is common or locally abundant . they were heavily persecuted in the last century , but today , populations are increasing throughout the most part of the range and are stable . the species is not threatened at this moment .
in the real bad world , eurasian jay is known to exhibit several combative styles in tackling an attacking predator . if a predator is around , but not yet spotted the jay , she simply flies off her nest and sits quietly in another corner . if she has even slightest of doubt about her abode , her nest being spotted by the predator bird , she simply abandons it forever .
the eurasian magpie is believed not only to be among the brightest of birds but among the most intelligent of all animals . along with the
marc bekoff , at the university of colorado , argues that eurasian magpies are capable of feeling complex emotions , including grief . [ 43 ]
ms cheke is currently investigating eurasian jays ' social abilities - finding out if the birds are able to understand how other birds are feeling .
recent work using miniature nest cameras identified the eurasian jay garrulus glandarius as an important wood warbler nest predator ( mallord et al . 2012 ) . therefore , it would be profitable for wood warblers to avoid settling in areas with high densities of jays with assumed high nest predation risk . it is not known , however , whether eurasian jays respond to mast peaks in a similar manner as rodents . acorns serve as a primary food during autumn and winter for eurasian jays ( bossema 1979 ) , and thus , it is possible that an enormous production of acorns may increase numbers of jays in the following spring , for example , due to increased overwinter survival . if this was true , the nomadic behavior of wood warblers may actually be driven by fluctuations in eurasian jay numbers that only coincides with rodent outbreaks during the same mast peaks .
while two eurasian jays are eating peanuts one of them gossip a little . then the chatterbox flies away with a leap over the . . .
species , eurasian jays hold their tail rather high . for this reason the tail feathers incur less damage than in the other genera . unlike other
experiments with eurasian jays have shown that the birds store food that they will want in the future -
planning
for their impending needs .
tomorrow’s breakfast ? western scrub - jay ( coloeus monedula ) . ( aaron maizlish / flickr ; cc by - nc 2 . 0 )
, eurasian jays have two plumage phases : juvenile and adult . other corvids can be aged by a sequence of plumages , but ageing is more difficult in eurasian jays . they lose their juvenile plumage by autumn of the first year , so birds seen in autumn all appear to be adults .
trees . eurasian jays eat most of the acorns they take , but they also bury acorns and forget about them , leading to oak regeneration . eurasian jay prefer collecting and burying viable acorns over infertile , dead , or damaged acorns , making them excellent dispersal agents . they preferentially store acorns on the edges of clear spaces , which is the best place for seedlings to get the right amount of light for germination . oak trees , including
seen my very first jay today whilst walkimg the dog in the woodland section of redburn country park , co . down . stunning looking bird !
eurasian jays are preyed on by many animals , including cats , birds of prey , and small terrestrial predators . eggs and young are taken by martens (
the jay can raise its crown feathers to a crest when excited or displaying . perhaps for this reason , novice birdwatchers sometimes confuse jays with hoopoes .
shaw rc & clayton ns ( 2014 ) . pilfering eurasian jays use visual and acoustic information to locate caches . animal cognition , 17 , 1281 - 1288 .
generalized additive mixed effects model smoothing curves representing the modeled effect of wood warbler density from the previous breeding season ( a–c ) and eurasian jay densities ( d–f ) . all effects were modeled by separate fits for years with high , moderate , and low rodent population numbers . shaded regions represent standard errors for smoothers .
you can see jay all year round , but often more obvious in autumn when they travel most in search of acorns , beech mast and hazelnuts to bury .
the following habitats are found across the jay distribution range . find out more about these environments , what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them .
the jay feeds on mixed food . it eats plants - acorns and all kinds of berries - mainly in autumn , especially in winter . it stores acorns , sometimes quite large quantities , for winter as well . there can be up to four kilograms of them in a repository . some of the stores are left unfound and the acorns begin to germinate in spring . the eurasian jay feeds on insects , including pests , for instance cock - chafers , and other beetles in spring and summer . it sometimes eats other animals , several small rodents , birds and their eggs , lizards and frogs . the jay is a very useful bird for forests by eating pests and spreading acrons and it is not comparable with the damage it does by devastating the nests of the passerines . the jay is not under protection .
eurasian jays are primarily arboreal but also forage on the ground . they are sedentary unless acorn crops fail , when they must migrate to other areas for food . like other
the food plays an important role in forming and maintaining a pair bond . the male eurasian jay has to win the heart of her sweetheart by offering her what she likes to eat . a eurasian jay is a caching bird and so she would not say no to anything offered to her ; but the one that impresses her and finally wins her over is the lover boy who really understands her needs , her desires , what she has eaten last time and what if offered , she might enjoy the most ; in nut - shell the chosen - fellow is the one who is ready to tolerate and pamper her tantrums . this shrewdness in the search for a loving and caring partner is a must as the courtship feeding is one of the main source of food for the female jay during laying , incubation and feeding of their young ones .
eurasian jays are important in the regeneration of oak forests through acorn dispersal . oaks are important to people because of their wood , beauty , and ability to enhance biodiversity . one study from a park in sweden estimated how much money it would cost for humans to do the same job as eurasian jays . the researchers determined it would cost between 1 and 6 million kroners ( about 125 , 000 to 751 , 000 u . s . dollars ) to replace eurasian jays with people planting acorns in the 2700 hectare park .
range : eurasian jay is mainly resident from w europe and nw africa to e asia and into se asia . it is absent in iceland . the birds from western and southern parts are sedentary , whereas the eastern and northern populations migrate southwards for food during winter . they sometimes travel in flocks . some of them also perform altitudinal movements .
eurasian jays have long been counted among the world ' s smartest corvids , and they are expert mimics . another impressive finding : they possess the ability to empathize with others .
) , potentially to intimidate or deter the pilferer . watching caches being pilfered likely engaged the subjects ' attention , further making it unlikely that vocalization suppression when watching caching was only due to the jay ' s attentiveness differing between conditions . instead , these results suggest that when observing caching , eurasian jays may avoid disturbing the cacher by suppressing vocalizations .
researcher nicky clayton runs behavioral experiments with captive eurasian jays in the aviaries at cambridge university . her research has vastly expanded scientists ' understanding of avian intelligence . photo : trevor ray hart
shaw rc & clayton ns ( 2012 ) . eurasian jays , garrulus glandarius , flexibly switch caching and pilfering tactics in response to social context . animal behaviour , 84 , 1191–1200 .
eurasian jay is secretive and wary , often heard rather than seen . it remains hidden into the dense foliage , but sometimes we can see it easily in city parks . this bird is usually solitary or in small family groups . several unmated birds often gather in spring to attract a mate . in late summer and autumn , they form large communal roosts .
just saw a jay in my garden in clonroche co wexford , i live around alot of trees and woodland , what a fabulous amazing looking bird 5 . 5 . 15 maureen
permanent range of the gray jay . this species has never been recorded outside of north america . sources of distributional information used in compiling this map are available from the authors .
eurasian jays prefer dense foliage , with plenty of trees , bushes , and undergrowth . trees are essential due to their arboreal lifestyles , though they also forage on the ground . high levels of biodiversity are important so they can enjoy varied diets . eurasian jays store and eat acorns , so oak trees are important features of their habitat . deciduous oak forests are preferred for foraging , but coniferous forests provide the best nesting places . eurasian jays do not like open areas and will avoid entering them if possible . they are most vulnerable to predators in open areas .
during mating season , male jay gets transform into territorial - monger . it is not ready to accept any competition in its territory . even the younglings it might be rearing comfortably few days back , would be chased away during this period . in case there is another macho - jay in the area who stubbornly refuses to move , fight becomes inevitable . during the showdown and exhibition of power , the two jay grapple each other with their feet and peck on their opponents with their semi - open beaks to hurt other as much as possible .
ostojić l , shaw rc , cheke lg & clayton ns ( 2013 ) . evidence suggesting that desire - state attribution may govern food sharing in eurasian jays . pnas , 110 , 4123–4128 .
one specific characteristic of the jay is their habit of hoarding and storing acorns for the winter period . such behaviour has been linked to their high capacity and intelligence for anticipating different situations i . e . foresight and planning , a behaviour which distinguishes the jay from other common garden birds . research has shown that jays can hoard and retrieve several thousand acorns over winter .
anyway there is always a hope against hopes and luckily we spotted the garrulous eurasian jay sitting quietly on a tree , seemingly in no mood to chirp that day , unlike of her usual self ; as otherwise the bird is famous for its noisy chattering . its scientific name is corvus glandirus , where corvus in latin means garrulous and glandirus refers to her favorite food – acorn .
with its rasping screech , the colourful jay attracts attention almost all the year round . it behaves more secretively only during the breeding season . it is always extremely alert . its warning call is mostly heard before the bird itself is detected , and it does not only warn members of the same species of impending danger but also other birds . in autumn , the birds collect acorns and nuts and hoard them carefully for the winter . since not all these food caches are recovered , seeds begin to germinate . this way the eurasian jay contributes to the propagation of seeds .
the cognitive abilities of the eurasian magpie are regarded as evidence that intelligence evolved independently in both corvids and primates . this is indicated by tool use , an ability to hide and store food across seasons ,
shaw rc , plotnik jm & clayton ns ( 2013 ) . exclusion in corvids : the performance of food - caching eurasian jays ( garrulus glandarius ) . journal of comparative psychology , 127 , 428–435 .
eurasian jay is paranoid about cleanliness . she hates parasites living and thriving on her wings . so it is often seen lying over with her wings spread and remaining passive on ant - hills , allowing ants to run over her body . the ants apparently kill the parasites in its feathers with the formic acid . after anting , the bird baths , shakes itself and then clean itself with its beaks .
shaw rc & clayton ns ( 2013 ) . careful cachers and prying pilferers : eurasian jays ( garrulus glandarius ) limit auditory information available to competitors . proceedings of the royal society b , 280 , 20122238 .
the jay is famed for its sharp rasping voice , which is pronounced when flitting from tree to tree in dense woodland areas . should you hear it , look also for a white rump moving through the air , as this is usually a clear sign of a jay . in the garden , jays sometimes display an alarm call , which can be heard as a kind of “krar , krar” sound .
habitat : eurasian jay frequents all kinds of woodlands and forests , but mainly beech ( fagus ) , hornbeam ( carpinus ) and its preferred oak ( quercus ) . the birds of the northern parts of the range frequent conifers and birch forests . this species is commonly seen in parks and large gardens and orchards . it may be seen from sea - level up to 4000 metres of elevation according to the range .
a study in germany found oaks regenerated in pine forests at a rate of 2 , 000 to 4 , 000 trees per hectare . since mother oak trees were largely unavailable , they attributed this regeneration to eurasian jays . the area was clearcut about 30 years before the study was performed and mostly pines regenerated . oak trees were not recruited into the regenerating forest until eurasian jays moved into the pine forest and began caching acorns .
the jay can be found in a number of locations including : asia , china , europe , mediterranean , russia , united kingdom , wales . find out more about these places and what else lives there .
together , our experiments reveal that eurasian jays attempt to limit the transfer of some types of auditory information to competitors both as cachers and as pilferers , potentially using cognitive strategies for the former and learned rules for the latter . a coevolutionary arms race , therefore , may shape cache - protection and pilfering tactics in the auditory domain in eurasian jays . ultimately , such an arms race could result in the emergence of the ability to attribute knowledge gained through auditory perception to other individuals [ 7 ] . investigating the extent of the jay ' s use of auditory information and determining the distribution of similar abilities in other corvids therefore remain exciting avenues for future research .
eurasian jays have an extensive range , populations are estimated in the millions of individuals , and there are no detected declining population trends . as a result , the iucn red list has determined they are
least concern .
the eurasian jay breeds in coniferous , mixed and broad - leaved forests preferring forests with thick vegetation on the ground . at nesting time the jay mainly lives in spruce - dominated mixed forests as the nest is most frequently built in a spruce in the height of up to 10 metres . both parents build it into a hardly noticeable place . it is rather flat consisting of twigs outside and softer material , mosses and grasses inside . the eggs are greyish - green with brownish pattern . the young are altricial and they leave the nest at the age of three weeks . parents take care of the young until autumn . at that time they wander around together .
robinson , r . 2005 .
birdfacts : profiles of birds occurring in britain & ireland
( on - line ) . jay garrulus glandarius [ linnaeus , 1758 ] . accessed january 09 , 2009 at urltoken .
like other crows , the jay was persecuted by gamekeepers in its traditional habitat where it took the eggs and young birds of game birds , but also by fishermen who used its brightly coloured feathers for fly - fishing .
behaviour : eurasian jay feeds primarily on invertebrates such as caterpillars and beetles during the breeding and nesting seasons . it gleans from foliage in trees . but as other corvidae , it also takes eggs and nestlings of several bird species . during autumn and winter , it feeds on seeds and berries , chestnuts and acorns . one jay often caches acorns in winter ( up to 3000 a month ) , by burying each acorn in the leaf litter or beneath low vegetation . it has learnt to know the green shoots of oak produced by the buried acorns . the next summer , it easily finds them and feeds the germinated acorn . it is a prolific planter of oaks !
ostojić l , legg ew , shaw rc , cheke lg , mendl m & clayton ns ( 2014 ) . can male eurasian jays disengage from their own current desire to feed the female what she wants ? biology letters , 10
like in human - beings , in jay - word also , कोई हसीना पहले कदम बढ़ाती नही मजबूर दिल से ना हो तो पास आती नही | so most of the time it is the male jay who has to win the heart of her sweet - heart . but sometimes opposite happens as well . and she too follow the same ritual of wining the heart by bring food to her macho - boy . if the boy - jay is also interested in the girl , the couple keep on exchanging the food , passing it back and forth in a typically luckhnavi andaaj of पहले - आप पहले - आप , till it vanishes in one of the mouths .
[ … ] did you know ? eurasian jay ( garrulus glandarius ) july 5 , 2011 by calvin leave a comment # leftcontainerbox { border : 1px solid # 808080 ; float : left ; position : fixed ; top : 40 % ; left : 60px ; z - index : 1 ; background - color : # f0f4f9 } # leftcontainerbox . buttons { float : left ; clear : both ; margin : 4px 4px 4px 4px ; width : 55px ; height : 60px ; padding - bottom : 2px ; } # bottomcontainerbox { border : 1px solid # 808080 ; float : left ; height : 30px ; width : 100 % ; background - color : # f0f4f9 } # bottomcontainerbox . buttons { float : left ; height : 30px ; width : 85px ; margin : 4px 4px 4px 4px ; } tweet in the spotlight this week it’s our most colourful crow… the eurasian jay . [ … ]
jay is an omnivorous bird . in spring and in summer it feeds mostly on insects , worms , eggs and nestlings of smaller birds . at the end of summer it starts feeding also on seeds , berries and acorns .
the eurasian magpie or common magpie ( pica pica ) is a resident breeding bird throughout northern part of eurasian continent . it is one of several birds in the crow family designated magpies , and belongs to the holarctic radiation of
monochrome
magpies . in europe ,
magpie
is used by english speakers as a synonym for the european magpie : the only other magpie in europe is the iberian magpie ( cyanopica cooki ) , which is limited to the iberian peninsula .
near human habitation the main predator of the common blackbird is the domestic cat , with newly - fledged young especially vulnerable . foxes and predatory birds , such as the sparrowhawk and other accipiters , also take this species when the opportunity arises . however , there is little direct evidence to show that either predation of the adult blackbirds or loss of the eggs and chicks to corvids , such as the european magpie or eurasian jay , have an impact on population numbers .
madge , s . , christie , d . a . & kirwan , g . m . ( 2018 ) . eurasian jay ( garrulus glandarius ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
nevertheless , there are times when she is helpless . for example , she is able to confuse a tawny owl during the daytime , but in nights , the owl makes no mistake in identifying , attacking and killing the jay .
the cambridge animal alphabet series celebrates cambridge ' s connections with animals through literature , art , science and society . here , j is for jay – a surprisingly clever corvid with the ability to mimic human voices and much more .
the eurasian magpie is believed not only to be among the most intelligent of birds but among the most intelligent of all animals . along with the jackdaw , the eurasian magpie ' s nidopallium is approximately the same relative size as those in chimpanzees and humans , significantly larger than the gibbon ' s . [ 2 ] like other corvids , such as ravens and crows , their total brain - to - body mass ratio is equal to most great apes and cetaceans . [ 41 ] a 2004 review suggests that the intelligence of the corvid family to which the eurasian magpie belongs is equivalent to that of great apes ( chimpanzees , orangutans , and gorillas ) in terms of social cognition , causal reasoning , flexibility , imagination and prospection . [ 42 ]
though i have posted the above video , but birds in captive does not interest me , nor do i promote such behavior . this is just to show its art vis - a - vis a parakeet . just like the above video , i have also seen parakeets tutored by humans , but i am not sure how much they use their capabilities during a real combat . eurasian jay on the other hand is an expert in using this brahmastra . in the below video a free jay can be seen imitating a cat ; knowing the reputation a cat enjoys in the avian world , it is easy to understand that how effectively this bird is able to warn other birds not to disturb her and let her enjoy her solitude .
home range sizes in eurasian jays vary with season and habitat type . home ranges in winter and spring were smaller than home ranges in summer and fall . larger home ranges are found in areas with higher habitat heterogeneity . home ranges overlap substantially among individuals .
the eurasian magpie is almost identical in appearance to the north american black - billed magpie ( pica hudsonia ) and at one time the two species were considered to be conspecific . [ 4 ] [ 9 ] in 2000 , the american ornithologists ' union decided to treat the black - billed magpie as a separate species based on studies of the vocalization and behaviour that indicated that the black - billed magpie was closer to the yellow - billed magpie ( pica nuttalli ) than to the eurasian magpie . [ 10 ]
like most crows , the jay is intelligent and , after a few weeks practising and watching smaller birds , the jays mastered extracting peanuts from a red peanut bag hung from a clothes post . the peanuts were either eaten straightaway or carried away in their crop to stash away for later when times are hard ; we have seen a jay take as many as twenty - one peanuts in its crop . the red peanut bag has eventually been replaced with a wire basket , see photo below .
jays have been recorded attacking crows , owls , hawks and other birds that could pose a threat by mobbing them repeatedly whilst mimicking the other birds’ calls to raise the alarm . they also exhibit another unusual behaviour known as “anting” . a jay will sometimes seek out and actively disturb an ants nest . once the insects are suitably riled the bird will stand in the middle of the disturbed nest allowing the ants to swarm all over its body – a sensation that your average jay seems to thoroughly enjoy !
in previous studies on eurasian jays ' distant relatives , scrub jays , prof nicola clayton from the university of cambridge showed that when the birds were offered so much of one food that they became sick of it , they would still store it away in their cache .
although acorns form the bulk of a typical jay’s diet , they are also known to feed on grains , invertebrates , beech nuts and sweet chestnuts . jays also raid other birds’ nests during the summer if they get the opportunity , taking eggs and young .
we found that there was a strong negative relationship between wood warbler densities and rodent index values ( effective degrees of freedom [ edf ] = 1 , f = 15 . 88 , p < 0 . 001 ; figure 2a ) . eurasian jay densities negatively correlated with densities of wood warbler , but only in years with low rodent numbers ( edf = 1 , f = 3 . 93 , p = 0 . 048 ; figure 3d ) . when considering years with high ( edf = 1 , f = 0 . 11 , p = 0 . 738 ) or moderate ( edf = 1 , f = 0 . 57 , p = 0 . 443 ) rodent abundance , the negative correlation between eurasian jay and wood warbler densities vanished ( figure 3e , f ) . at the same time , eurasian jay densities did not vary between years with different rodent abundance ( kruskal–wallis test , χ 2 2 = 0 . 06 , p = 0 . 973 ) . we found a positive relationship between densities of wood warbler in years t and t − 1 ( figure 3a–c ) , irrespectively of whether rodent numbers were high ( edf = 2 , f = 18 . 50 , p < 0 . 001 ) , moderate ( edf = 2 , f = 19 . 26 , p < 0 . 001 ) or low ( edf = 2 , f = 41 . 76 , p < 0 . 001 ) . moreover , the temporal trend was also significant ( edf = 1 , f = 8 . 76 , p = 0 . 003 , figure 2b ) .
ostojić l , cheke lg , shaw rc , legg ew & clayton ns ( 2016 ) . desire - state attribution : benefits of a novel paradigm using the food - sharing behaviour of eurasian jays ( garrulus glandarius ) . communicative & integrative biology , 7 , e34412 .
aside from this , another aspect of intelligent behaviour is the jay’s ability to mimic quite closely the sound of other birds ; these mimics have been noted to be so similar to that of other bird species’ calls , it is almost impossible to tell them apart .
jays are corvids – members of the crow family . the jays we see in britain are eurasian jays . with their pinkish plumage , and characteristic flash of blue , they will be familiar to many people as woodland birds that are increasingly seen in gardens , even in cities .
the jay is about of the size of the jackdaw . it is easily distinguished by its pinkish - greyish upper - and underparts and a black edged bright blue patch on its wings . when the bird is nervous , a tuft can be noticed on its head .
have had a jay at the bottom of the garden for the past couple of days , lodging in the trees that overhang the stream . a welcome addition to our normal residents ! excellent and informative website , and thanks for posting the information on this colourful bird .
, a nest predator ) and mimic the crow’s own calls . eurasian jays sitting on a nest can also sit quietly or sneak away rather than draw attention to their nest . a valuable defense measure is to simply avoid open spaces , where they are more vulnerable to avian predators .
) , are available . a jay will jump down onto the mass of ants and rub its body , tail , and wings against the ground so that the ants are soon crawling all over the bird’s body . the jay will shudder and sit upright , often with its tail under its body and between its legs . they probably do not eat the ants which crawl on them . they prefer to ant no more frequently than every other day , possibly two days in a row on occasion . they will bathe in water several times a day .
eurasian jays are omnivores and opportunistic , eating pretty much whatever they can find . acorns represent the largest part of their diet . they crack the shell by biting it and using their beaks to lever the shell pieces open until they can get the meat out . they collect the acorns of
i feel the eurasian jay is curiously english in character , and yet i know that this is silly - as its name suggests , the bird - a sometime summer migrant - is found across a vast variety of countries , and there are populations of garrulus glandarius as far afield as africa . but i am not alone in often having to look twice just to be sure that the sassy flashes of glittery blue which go swooshing through the woods are indeed jays . as bill oddy put it , in his bbc 4 series bill oddie ' s top 10 birds :
hi roslyn , could be… although a jay would be more pink than red… if you’re on facebook , and have a photo , head over and post it to the ireland’s wildlife page , or send it by email to info @ urltoken ( without the spaces ) and i’ll take a look .
the eurasian magpie is one of the most intelligent birds , and it is believed to be one of the most intelligent of all non - human animals . [ 1 ] the expansion of its nidopallium is approximately the same in its relative size as the brain of chimpanzees , orangutans and humans . [ 2 ]
in contrast to previously tested western scrub - jays [ 12 ] , eurasian jays did not prefer to cache in the noisy substrate when visible to a conspecific . this contrast in the amount of noise produced by cachers when in the presence of a competitor that can both see and hear caching could be influenced by differences in the ecology of these two corvid species . in the wild , western scrub - jays are relatively conspicuous , whereas eurasian jays are secretive and frequently difficult to detect even when in close proximity [ 21 ] . this secretive disposition may result in eurasian jays being averse to drawing attention to themselves whenever a competitor ( which for wild jays may be either conspecific or heterospecific [ 21 ] ) is present , resulting in a general preference for quiet substrates . testing more species will elucidate the extent and distribution of cache - protection and pilfering strategies and how these interact with the ecology of species to create such behavioural differences .
scrub jays are the only animals besides humans that plan their actions based on how they’ll feel in the future . they plan for tomorrow’s breakfast : studies have shown they plan what kind of food they’ll want for breakfast the next morning , how much and where they’ll consume it . then they store away the right amount , in the right place . another example of jay intelligence is a captive blue jay who used a scrap of paper from the bottom of his cage as a tool to reach a pile of food outside his cage . other jays who watched him soon were using the same method .
my favorite example of social intelligence occurs in eurasian jays , relatives of our blue jays and scrub jays . these birds seem to understand the mental states of their mates . a male eurasian jay brings food to his mate . it’s a way of courting . but here’s the cool thing : he makes choices about what he thinks she may like , based not on his own appetites but on what she has eaten before . ( “she’s had too many doughnuts ; i’ll bring her some fruit ! ” — only the food in question here is meal worms and similar goodies . ) he appears to understand that she has a mind with desires that differ from his own . this is a critical component of the social intelligence called “theory of mind , ” which is the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs , knowledge , desires—to others . and to understand that these states may differ from your own , which some consider the foundation of empathy .
the jay is one of ireland’s most striking birds with its brightly coloured pink , black , white and blue plumage . although they are the most colourful member of the crow family , jays can be surprisingly difficult to see . they are shy , and secretive woodland birds that rarely venture far from cover .
the eggs of the jay are about 32 mm by 23 mm in size , and are smooth , glossy , and pale blue - green or olive with buff - coloured speckles . the duties of incubating the eggs are performed by the female . the newly - hatched young are fed by both adults .
the eurasian magpie has an extremely large range . the european population is estimated to be between 7 . 5 and 19 million breeding pairs . allowing for the birds breeding in other continents , the total population is estimated to be between 46 and 228 million individuals . the population trend in europe has been stable since 1980 .
once the lady love is won , rings are exchanged , pledges of long term caring , love and sharing are taken ; the pair builds a nest . female jay eats the parasites in the nest to clean it up . she lays around three - ten eggs at a time , and incubates alone for sixteen to nineteen days . this is the period , when her judicious selection of her life - partner matters as in this duration she is very dependent on her male partner . eurasian jay also feeds on insects during nesting and breeding . she is also known to eat young birds and the eggs , bats and small rodents . though they do not show cannibalism normally , but they are observed to become aggressive if they are stressed by presence of a predator in their surroundings during nesting and rearing the young ones . during this time in such a stressed situation , they may end - up eating their own young ones as well .
eurasian jays possess a range of jay - specific calls . one of these , the “appeal note , ” is used by birds of all ages when they want something . in young birds , the call is directed to the parents as a request for food , but adults have been heard to utter the same notes while foraging on their own , as if talking to themselves . they use alarm calls to signal the presence of predators . the alarm call is a loud screech emitted once or twice . they also vocalize to express anger , playfulness , affection , warnings about predators , and a myriad of other emotions , intentions , or observations .
) , perhaps in an effort to frighten the attacker . another use of mimicry in predation defense is when eurasian jays fly out of sight of a threatening bird and then call it using its own species’ call notes . for instance , they have been observed to fly away from their nest in the presence of a carrion crow (
an rf model with the 18 most contributing variables achieved the highest fit . this model explained 94 % of total variance for the wood warbler density ( estimated on training data ) . the explained variance estimated on oob samples was lower and exceeded 42 % . because we were not interested in studying the habitat use of the wood warbler , we do not explore this model in detail here . interpretation of it can be found in kuczyński and chylarecki ( 2012 ) . for the purpose of this study , predictions from the habitat model were necessary as an explanatory variable to account for the habitat effect when testing the influence of both rodent and eurasian jay abundance on wood warbler population densities .
the kids are cared for around seven to eight weeks , but they are chased away after this much of pampering . by this time they are considered fit to face the world and to feed themselves . this birds lives in a patriarchal society , however dominant female jay’s are also seen especially with long term partners and the molting ones .
as well as the nuts , jays enjoy a wide diet . they are also rather partial to berries , fruits , insect , eggs , young birds , bats and small rodents . in turn , they are predated by owls , goshawks and peregrines . however , when they spot one of these predators , they will still go in for the attack , imitating the call of the bird ( jays are fantastic mimics ) and drawing more jays to the mobbing . predators like to have the advantage of surprise – thus if a jay spots it first then that jay is usually safe , but it still prefers to have a few buddies help to drive the danger from the area .
click here to watch “gertie , ” a eurasian magpie look at herself in a mirror , notice a spot on her throat put there by a researcher , and try to remove it . magpies have complex emotions and are known for holding “funerals” for a fallen friend , including “bouquets” of grasses . and , here’s rooney , an adorable and very verbal magpie .
we don’t think of corvids as song birds but current research is just beginning to reveal that they are skilled mimics , able to reproduce familiar sounds . as the accompanying film shows , a jay called romero enjoys mimicking clayton when she talks to him in one of the cambridge university aviaries where she and colleagues are transforming our understanding of bird cognition .
a recent study involving eurasian jays found that the birds , related to blue jays and crows , demonstrate an aspect of intelligence previously thought only to exist in humans . male eurasian jays present their mates with gifts as part of their natural pair - bonding behavior . in the study , male jays were given the option to present their mates with a gift of a mealworm larvae or a moth larvae . the male would observe the female bird eating either moth larvae or mealworm larvae , and depending on which the female had been eating , the male would offer her the other . the idea is that a
jay that’s gorged on moths will generally prefer to eat mealworms afterwards , and vice versa , just as a [ human ] satiated by chocolate will next take a slice of cake .
this type of awareness of the feelings of others is called
theory of mind
and it was once believed that only humans had this kind of knowledge . you can read more about the study and see a short video of the experiment here : gift - giving birds may think much like people .
the gray jay is a widespread resident of north america ' s boreal and sub - alpine coniferous forests . occupation of permanent all - purpose territories in such climatically hostile biomes is made possible by this bird ' s scatter - hoarding and recovery of seemingly perishable food items fastened in trees under bark scales and lichens with the assistance of copious sticky saliva from enlarged salivary glands .
you can find jay across most of the uk , except northern scotland . lives in both deciduous and coniferous woodland , parks and mature gardens . likes oak trees in autumn when there are plenty of acorns . often seen flying across a woodland glade giving its screeching call , it becomes more obvious in autumn when it may fly some distance in the open in search of acorns .


alexander 's bush squirrel ( paraxerus alexandri ) is a species of squirrel native to the democratic republic of the congo and uganda .

it is arboreal and lives in tropical moist forests , especially undisturbed mature forests .

alexander ' s bush squirrel

alexander ' s bush squirrel | squirrels chipmunks etc . | pinterest | squirrel and chipmunks
paraxerus cepapi ( a . smith , 1836 ) – valid – smith ' s bush squirrel
paraxerus poensis ( a . smith , 1830 ) – valid – green bush squirrel
the alexander ' s bush squirrel is listed as least concern . does not qualify for a more at risk category . widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category , on the iucn red list of threatened species
a young / baby of a alexander is called a ' pup , kit or kitten ' . the females are called ' doe ' and males ' buck ' . a alexander group is called a ' dray or scurry ' .
the african bush squirrels are a genus , paraxerus , squirrels of the subfamily xerinae . they are only found in africa . the 11 species in this genus are :
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
thorington , richard w . , jr . , and robert s . hoffman / wilson , don e . , and deeann m . reeder , eds .
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
justification : listed as least concern in view of its wide distribution , presumed large population , it probably occurs in a number of protected areas , and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category .
this species has been recorded from northeastern democratic republic of the congo and uganda , ranging from the lualaba river to the nile river ( victoria ) , and from the mbomou river to the lukuga river ( north to south ) , at altitudes of up to 1 , 500 m asl .
this species is commonly seen in mature forests . it is rare or absent in young forests regenerating after felling .
this species is found in lowland tropical moist forest , where it preferably occurs in tall relatively mature forest , although it has also been recorded from fallow plantations ( rahm 1970 ) . it is arboreal and usually encountered as a single animal or in a pair .
there are no major threats to this species overall . in parts of its range it is presumably threatened by habitat loss due to the conversion of land to agricultural use .
this species occurs in several protected areas ( e . g . kibale national park ) .
this errata assessment has been created because the map was accidentally left out of the version published previously .
( errata version published in 2017 ) . the iucn red list of threatened species 2016 : e . t16203a115131561 .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en
urltoken
kari pihlaviita added the finnish common name
kongonpensasorava
to
paraxerus alexandri ( thomas and wroughton , 1907 )
.
eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .
to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !
this article is issued from wikipedia - version of the 10 / 7 / 2016 . the text is available under the creative commons attribution / share alike but additional terms may apply for the media files .
confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , 3rd ed . , vol . 2
thorington , richard w . , jr . , john l . koprowski , michael a . steele , and james f . whatton
mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , 2nd ed . , 3rd printing
with contributions by bernadette n . graham , adam p . potter , and mariana m . upmeyer
html public
- / / softquad software / / dtd hotmetal pro 6 . 0 : : 19990601 : : extensions to html 4 . 0 / / en
hmpro6 . dtd
xerus erythropus erythropus ( é . geoffroy saint - hilaire , 1803 ) – valid
philoxerus vermicularis ( l . ) r . br . ex sm . – not accepted
right now the scientific names on some species do not show on the site - we are working to fix this problem which should be solved after the back - up this morning .
upload tip : if your photo does not get uploaded properly , try to resize it to less than 3 mb .
would you like to see your friends photos in the igoterra gallery ? invite them and get 2 months free subcription extension for every new friend who joins . click here to get to the invitation page


philenora omophanes is a moth in the arctiidae family .

it was described by meyrick in 1886 .

it is found in australia ( new south wales and victoria ) .

the wingspan is about 10 mm .

adults are brown with faint dark markings , including two vague jagged lines across the forewings .

the hindwings are brown .

philenora omophanes

philenora omophanes ; hampson , 1900 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 2 : 512 ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
scaeodora omophanes meyrick , 1886 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . ( 2 ) 1 ( 3 ) : 731 ; tl : victoria , melbourne
philenora micra bucsek , 2012 ; malaysia inst . zool . : ( 1 - 170 )
philenora cataplex turner , 1940 ; proc . r . soc . qd 51 ( 6 ) : 108
philenora malthaca turner , 1944 ; trans . r . soc . s . aust . 68 : 6
philenora ypsilon rothschild , 1916 ; novit . zool . 23 ( 3 ) : 331 ; tl : dampier i .
philenora convergens toulgoët , 1956 ; ann . mag . nat . hist ( 12 ) 9 ( 101 ) : 343
philenora dissimilis toulgoët , 1956 ; ann . mag . nat . hist ( 12 ) 9 ( 101 ) : 345
philenora septentrionalis toulgoët , 1956 ; ann . mag . nat . hist ( 12 ) 9 ( 101 ) : 343
philenora pteridopola turner , 1922 ; proc . r . soc . victoria 35 : 31 ; tl : queensland , national park
philenora murina rothschild , 1916 ; novit . zool . 23 ( 3 ) : 331 ; tl : manus , admiralty is .
philenora malagassa strand , 1912 ; archiv naturg . 78 a ( 7 ) : 193 ; tl : sw . madagascar , andranohinaly
philenora asuraeformis strand , 1912 ; archiv naturg . 78 a ( 7 ) : 195 ; tl : lindi hinterland , e . africa
philenora transfascia rothschild , 1913 ; novit . zool . 20 ( 1 ) : 217 ; tl : upper aroa river , british new guinea
philenora nudaridia hampson , 1900 ; cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 2 : 511 , pl . 33 , f . 4 ; tl : queensland , cairns
philenora brunneata daniel , 1965 ; zs . wiener ent . ges . 50 ( 9 / 10 ) : 123 ; tl : afghanistan , nuristan , 25km n of barikot , 1800m
philenora chionastis ; hampson , 1900 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 2 : 510 , pl . 33 , f . 12 ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
philenora elegans ; hampson , 1900 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 2 : 510 , pl . 33 , f . 19 ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
philenora placochrysa ; hampson , 1900 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 2 : 511 , pl . 33 , f . 27 ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
philenora tenuilinea hampson , 1914 ; cat . lepid . phalaenae br . mus . ( suppl . ) 1 : 789 , pl . 41 , f . 11 ; tl : formosa , kanshirei
philenora undulosa ; hampson , 1900 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 2 : 510 , pl . 33 , f . 25 ; [ nhm card ] ; [ aucl ]
the moth of this species is brown with faint dark markings , including two vague jagged lines across each forewing . the hindwings are plain brown . the wingspan is about 1 . 5 cms .
series 2 , volume 1 , part 3 ( 1886 ) , p . 731 - 732 ,
if you have images for this taxon that you would like to share with atlas of living australia , please upload using the upload tools .
meyrick , e . 1886 ,
revision of australian lepidoptera . i
, proceedings of the linnean society of new south wales , ser . 2 - n . s . , vol . 1 , no . 3 , pp . 687 - 802
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : da58757b - 4d87 - 4ff9 - b536 - b35cf0221adc
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : f453d85b - 5d8c - 4650 - 91fc - 1a52318dc23d
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : b21e4198 - 266d - 4900 - 825f - fbecb09f9fca
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 473788
explore species occurrence records in the context of their environment . find records and model species distributions . export reports , maps and data .
find out how you can contribute to a citizen science project in your area , or explore one of the many citizen science projects supported by the ala .
did you see something ? photograph something ? contribute your sighting to the atlas of living australia .
the atlas of living australia acknowledges australia ' s traditional owners and pays respect to the past and present elders of the nation ' s aboriginal and torres strait islander communities . we honour and celebrate the spiritual , cultural and customary connections of traditional owners to country and the biodiversity that forms part of that country .
comarchis irregularis lucas , 1890 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . ( 2 ) 4 ( 4 ) : 1082 ; tl : brisbane
schistophleps aroa bethune - baker , 1904 ; novit . zool . 11 ( 2 ) : 426 ; tl : aroa river
pallene elegans butler , 1877 ; trans . ent . soc . lond . 1877 : 334 ; tl : australia
scaeodora placochrysa turner , 1899 ; trans . r . soc . s . aust . 23 : 18 ; tl : queensland , cairns
ochrota nigrolimbata toulgoët , 1965 ; bull . soc . ent . fr . 70 : 227
madagascar , somaliland , e . africa , mozambique , mashonaland , natal , cape . see [ maps ]
[ afromoths ] de prins , j . & de prins , w . , 2013
[ maps ] warning ! the maps are automatically generated from the textual information , and the process does not always produce acceptable result ; see about maps for more info .
on a collection of lepidoptera made in british east africa by mr c . s . betton
österreichische entomologische iran - afghanistan - expeditionen . beiträge zur lepidopterenfauna , teil 4 . ( weitere beiträge zur bombyces et sphinges fauna )
hr peter übergab die fortsetzung von diagnosen der neuen von ihm in mossambique gesammelten und von hrn hopffer bearbeiteten schmetterlinge . . .
die schmetterlinge in w . c . h . peters , reise nach mossambique in peters ,
on the lepidoptera in the tring museum sent by mr . a . s . meek from the admiralty islands , dampier and vulcan islands
walker , [ 1865 ] ; walker , 1866 list of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the british museum list spec . lepid . insects colln br . mus . 31 : 1 - 322 ( [ 1865 ] ) , 32 : 323 - 706 ( 1865 ) , 33 : 707 - 1120 ( 1865 ) , 34 : 1121 - 1534 ( [ 1866 ] ) , 35 : 1535 - 2040 ( 1866 )
if you have corrections , comments or information to add into these pages , just send mail to markku savela keep in mind that the taxonomic information is copied from various sources , and may include many inaccuracies . expert help is welcome .
. each record tells when . see dataset links for citations & terms of use .
authors : british museum ( natural history ) . dept . of zoology ; hampson , george francis , sir , 1860 - 1936
click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book .
please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work .


the blue ridge gray-cheeked salamander ( plethodon amplus ) is a species of salamander in the family plethodontidae endemic to the united states .

it is one of 55 species in the genus plethodon and one of the last to be described of its cogeners .

its natural habitat is temperate forests .

it is threatened by habitat loss .

blue ridge gray - cheeked salamander

salamander - the blue ridge gray - cheeked salamander is a species of salamander in the plethodontidae family . blue ridge two - lined salamander - the blue ridge two - lined salamander is a species of salamander in the plethodontidae family . more
no critical habitat rules have been published for the blue ridge gray - cheeked salamander .
purpose : organize information and collaborate on research and management of blue ridge gray - cheeked salamander ( plethodon amplus ) .
the blue ridge gray - cheeked salamander is classified as vulnerable ( vu ) , considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild .
blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders may contact southern gray - cheeked salamanders ( p . metcalfi ) , although their geographic and genetic interactions have not been analyzed ( highton and peabody , 2000 ) .
pin files or bookmarks to this project for web pages and files of summary and assessment documents about blue ridge gray - cheeked salamander . there are often very detailed reports published by states and other institutions for many . . .
pin files or bookmarks to this project for web pages and files describing survey protocols used to inventory and / or monitor blue ridge gray - cheeked salamander . to pin content to this project : register for griffin groups log . . .
4 . conservation . blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders are not protected in north carolina , the only state within their range . among members of the p . jordani complex , blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders have one of the smallest distributions . within this range there are a few federal and state properties that contain suitable habitat for these salamanders .
e . adult habitat . blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders are reported from crevices in metamorphic rock and from the forest floor ( adler and dennis , 1962 ; rubin , 1969 ) .
white - spotted slimy salamanders are widely sympatric throughout the range of blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders . there is no evidence of hybridization between these species ( highton and peabody , 2000 ) .
g . territories . at least some members of the plethodon jordani complex aggressively defend territories ( thurow , 1976 ) , but it is unknown whether blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders establish and defend territories .
yonahlossee salamanders ( p . yonahlossee ) are widely sympatric throughout the range of blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders . there is no evidence of hybridization between these species ( highton and peabody , 2000 ) .
r . parasites . blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders from a cliff face population in rutherford county , north carolina , were infected with dermal mites ( probably hannemania hegeneri ; adler and dennis , 1962 ) .
miscellaneous : when threatened , grey - cheeked salamanders release noxious , sticky skin secretions which are used to deter predators . although grey - cheeked salamanders are often the most commonly found species across much of their range , the blue ridge grey - cheeked salamander and the south mountain grey - cheeked salamander are at risk due to their extremely small distributions . both species lack protected status in the state of north carolina , the only state in which they are found .
3 . life history features . because blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders have been described only recently ( highton and peabody , 2000 ) , little specific information is known about their life history and natural history features . as a portion of his larger research program , r . highton has collected basic life history and natural history information on blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders and has plans to publish these data in a monographic treatment .
organize information and collaborate on research and management of weller ' s salamander ( plethodon welleri ) .
1 . historical versus current distribution . blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders ( plethodon amplus ) are known from blue ridge mountain sites in buncombe , rutherford , and henderson counties in north carolina . with the exception of local extirpations due to habitat destruction and modification , their current distribution is likely similar to their historical distribution , but there has been no documentation of their historical distribution .
description : the jordan’s salamander , red - legged salamanders , and grey - cheeked salamanders were formerly considered a single species . this single species has since been divided into a complex of seven closely related species . there are four species of grey - cheeked salamanders , all of which are dark grey with lighter grey cheek patches . there are no white or red markings anywhere on the body . the four species of grey - cheeked salamanders appear essentially identical and are best identified by location . southern grey - cheeked salamanders and northern grey - cheeked salamanders have the widest ranges and are essentially separated by the french broad river . blue ridge grey - cheeked salamanders are found in a small area to the east of the southern grey - cheeked salamander . south mountain grey - cheeked salamanders occur only in the south mountains and are found in just two counties in north carolina .
information on blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders and has plans to publish these data in a monographic treatment . a . breeding . reproduction is terrestrial . i . breeding migrations . unlikely ; breeding migrations are unknown in any plethodon species . ii . breeding habitat . unknown . more
as with all species of plethodon , blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders do not migrate to breeding grounds and they do not have large home ranges . thus , they can exist in habitats of smaller size than many other amphibian species . conservation activities that promote mature closed - canopy forests should benefit this species .
reproduction : nests of grey - cheeked salamanders have never been found . it is likely that they lay their eggs in underground cavities during late spring or early summer . females of most closely - related species will guard their eggs until hatching and it is thought that grey - cheeked salamander females probably do the same . grey - cheeked salamander hatchlings do not go through an aquatic larval stage . instead , when young salamanders emerge from their eggs they look like miniature adults .
k . interspecific associations / exclusions . the following species were found on a cliff face with blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders in rutherford county , north carolina : green salamanders ( aneides aeneus ) , yonahlossee salamanders ( p . yonahlossee ) , white - spotted slimy salamanders ( p . cylindraceus ) , and ocoee salamanders ( desmognathus ocoee ; adler and dennis , 1962 ; rubin , 1969 ) .
the range has not yet been clearly delineated for this recently split species , but as currently understood it occurs in blue ridge mountains in the north - eastern part of the blue ridge isolate of the plethodon jordani complex , buncombe , rutherford , and henderson counties , north carolina , usa ; elevations range at least 1 , 109 - 1 , 116m asl ( highton and peabody 2000 ) .
n . feeding behavior . the stomachs of four blue ridge gray - cheeked salamanders ( average size 57 . 4 mm svl ) from rutherford county , north carolina , contained millipedes ( 32 . 5 % ) , ants ( 18 . 8 % ) , lepidopteran larvae ( 16 . 3 % ) , spiders ( 13 . 8 % ) , and centipedes ( 5 . 0 % ; rubin , 1969 ) .
because this species was recently described , there are no specific population data available . highton and peabody ( 2000 ) listed two sampling localities . based on the proximity of these localities to the transects worked by petranka ( 1999 ) , this salamander might have been sampled in the latter study , in which it was the second most abundant salamander in the study .
habitat / range : grey - cheeked salamanders are generally found only in forests in mountainous terrain . this highly - terrestrial species is often found under rocks , logs , or debris on the forest floor . these salamanders are most easily detected at night , especially under wet conditions , as individuals wander the forest floor in search of food . in some parts of their range , grey - cheeked salamanders may also be found in rock crevices .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
gland , switzerland , 5 july 2018 ( iucn ) – australia’s unique reptiles – including lizards and snakes – face severe threats from invasive species and climate change , with 7 % of th . . .
the value of medicinal and aromatic plant trade has increased three - fold in the past 20 years , but traditional harvesting practices are being replaced by less sustainable alternatives . . . .
a recently released iucn technical brief recommends increasing investments in sustainable land management practices , as well as better cooperation between agriculturalists and conservationists to conse . . .
this species was recently separated from plethodon jordani ( highton and peabody 2000 ) .
justification : listed as vulnerable because it is known from fewer than five locations .
it can be found in mesic forest , often under leaf - litter , logs , or mossy rocks . it is a terrestrial breeder that breeds by direct development .
clear cutting has been reported as a cause of the declines of local populations of the p . jordani complex ( petranka , eldridge and haley 1993 ; petranka 1999 ) . data presented by petranka might or might not apply specifically to p . amplus .
it probably occurs within several protected areas ( e . g . , bat cave ) and probably also receives some protection on lands in the pisgah national forest where the forest cover is maintained ( d . beamer pers . comm . , 2003 ) . conservation activities that promote mature closed - canopy forests should benefit this species . it is not listed on state or federal endangered species lists . there is a need for continued close monitoring of the population status of this species .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
the following account is modified from amphibian declines : the conservation status of united states species , edited by michael lannoo ( ©2005 by the regents of the university of california ) , used with permission of university of california press . the book is available from uc press .
i . breeding migrations . unlikely ; breeding migrations are unknown in any plethodon species .
i . egg deposition sites . unknown , but likely to be in underground cavities .
i . brood sites . unknown , but probably include underground cavities or chambers .
ii . parental care . unknown , but it is likely that females brood , as with other species of plethodon .
d . juvenile habitat . unknown , but likely to be similar to adults .
f . home range size . unknown , but small home ranges are typical for plethodon species .
h . aestivation / avoiding dessication . conditions are almost always wet all summer , so aestivation is unlikely ( r . highton , personal communication ) . as with all plethodon , their response to dry conditions is to move to moister ( deeper ) subterranean sites .
i . seasonal migrations . unknown other than vertical movements from the forest floor to underground sites to avoid seasonally dry summer conditions and cold winter conditions .
j . torpor ( hibernation ) . unstudied , but in response to cold conditions , animals likely move to warmer , deep , subterranean sites .
l . age / size at reproductive maturity . unknown . females may be larger . the two largest animals ( 73 mm svl ) from the type locality were females ( highton and peabody , 2000 ) . the holotype is a male 63 mm svl , the allotype a female 70 mm svl . other animals from the type locality ranged from 50–72 mm svl .
o . predators . unknown , but likely to include small mammals , birds , snakes , and perhaps large predaceous invertebrates .
p . anti - predator mechanisms . nocturnal . secretive . all members of the genus plethodon produce noxious skin secretions ( brodie , 1977 ) .
acknowledgments . thanks to richard highton , who reviewed this account and gave us the benefit of his insight and experience .
> university of california , berkeley , ca , usa . accessed 9 jul 2018 .
- - natureserve explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50 , 000 plants , animals and ecological communtities of the u . s and canada . natureserve explorer provides in - depth information on rare and endangered species , but includes common plants and animals too . natureserve explorer is a product of natureserve in collaboration with the natural heritage network .
itis reports - - itis ( the integrated taxonomic information system ) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants , animals , fungi , and microbes of north america and the world .
fws digital media library - - the u . s . fish and wildlife service ' s national digital library is a searchable collection of selected images , historical artifacts , audio clips , publications , and video .
refer to the description section of the text for explanations of the species ' ranges .
this website created by : j . aardema , s . beam , j . boner , j . bussone , c . ewart , i . kaplan , k . kiefer , s . lindsay , e . merrill , w . moretz , j . roberts , e . rockwell . m . reott , j . willson , a . pickens , w . guthrie , a . young , y . kornilev , w . anderson , g . connette , e . eskew , e . teague , m . thomas , a . tutterow
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
the right side bar - > on this page contains buttons to access your group ' s content and a box to search for content within the group . - >
under
my status
, click
group add contacts off
to change it to
group add contacts on
if you want to add all group members as contacts , including new group members when they join the group . clicking this button again will turn off the automatic addition of group members to your contacts .
by default , group members are sent a notification email when new content or comments are added to their groups . learn how edit notification settings here .
griffin groups™ is a conservation collaboration , developed and administered by connecting conservation™ and site members .
griffin groups and the griffin logo are trademarks of connecting conservation . © connecting conservation 2012 - 2018 .
connecting conservation and the cc logo are trademarks of connecting conservation . © connecting conservation 2012 - 2018 .
we parsed the following live from the web into this page . such content is managed by its original site and not cached on discover life . please send feedback and corrections directly to the source . see original regarding copyrights and terms of use .
a variety of organizations and individuals have contributed photographs to calphotos . please follow the usage guidelines provided with each image . use and copyright information , as well as other details about the photo such as the date and the location , are available by clicking on the
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en
urltoken
frost , darrel r . 2004 . amphibian species of the world : an online reference . version 3 . 0 ( 22 august , 2004 ) . electronic database accessible at urltoken american museum of natural history , new york , usa
amphibian species of the world : an online reference v5 . 3 , database ( version 5 . 3 )
frost , darrel r . 2009 . amphibian species of the world : an online reference . version 5 . 3 ( 12 february , 2009 ) . electronic database accessible at urltoken american museum of natural history , new york , usa
banks , r . c . , r . w . mcdiarmid , a . l . gardner , and w . c . starnes
checklist of vertebrates of the united states , the u . s . territories , and canada , draft ( 2004 )
crother , brian i . , jeff boundy , frank t . burbrink , et al . / moriarty , john j . , ed .
scientific and standard english names of amphibians and reptiles of north america north of mexico , with comments regarding confidence in our understanding , sixth ed .
crother , brian i . , jeff boundy , jonathan a . campbell , et al . / moriarty , john j . , ed .
crother , brian i . , jeff boundy , jonathan a . campbell , k . de queiroz , et al . / moriarty , john j . , ed .
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .