the smoky shrew ( sorex fumeus ) is a medium-sized north american shrew found in eastern canada and the northeastern united states and extends further south along the appalachian mountains .

smoky shrew

© copyright roger barbour . all rights reserved . sorex _ fumeus - - smoky shrew
north american least shrew , northern short - tailed shrew , and southern short - tailed shrew have shorter tails .
a shrew mole or shrew - mole is a mole that resembles a shrew . species with that name include :
other small mammals of maine include species of several different families . these include the following : hairy - tailed mole , star - nosed mole , water shrew , smoky shrew , long - tailed shrew , pygmy shrew , cinereus shrew , and the northern short - tailed shrew .
the smoky shrew , known for its 2 color molts , occurs in middle and eastern tennessee .
smoky shrew - sorex fumeus smoky shrews travel and forage in underground tunnel systems , but they usually nest in stumps or logs . # wildohio # ohiom… | pinterest
. it is also known as gibb ' s shrew mole and least shrew mole .
a mole shrew is a shrew that resembles a mole . species with that name include :
the asian house shrew (
suncus murinus
) grey musk shrew , asian musk shrew , or money shrew is a widespread , adaptable species of shrew found mainly in south asia but introduced widely throughout asia and eastern africa .
the eurasian pygmy shrew (
sorex minutus
) , often known simply as the pygmy shrew , is a widespread shrew of northern eurasia . it is the only shrew native to ireland .
the panay shrew (
crocidura panayensis
) is a species of shrew from the philippines .
the sibuyan shrew (
crocidura ninoyi
) is a species of shrew from the philippines .
the batak shrew (
crocidura batakorum
) is a species of shrew from the philippines .
compared with the cinereus shrew , the smoky shrew is more selective in habitat , favoring cool and moist sites , and is less often found in drier forested stands .
the arizona shrew (
sorex arizonae
) is a species of shrew native to north america .
the cinereus shrew or masked shrew (
sorex cinereus
) is a small shrew found in alaska , canada and the northern united states . this is the most widely distributed shrew in north america , where it is also known as the common shrew .
the eurasian least shrew (
sorex minutissimus
) , also called the lesser pygmy shrew , is the second - smallest mammal after the etruscan shrew .
the vagrant shrew (
sorex vagrans
) , also known as the wandering shrew , is a medium - sized north american shrew . at one time , the montane shrew and the orizaba long - tailed shrew were considered to belong to the same species .
the sardinian shrew (
asoriculus similis
) is an extinct species of shrew from europe ( sardinia ) .
like all shrew - moles , the stomach size of this shrew mole in inversely proportional to its body weight .
the cyrenaica shrew or alexander ' s shrew (
crocidura aleksandrisi
) is a species of white - toothed shrew in the family soricidae which is endemic to libya .
the long - tailed shrew or rock shrew (
sorex dispar
) is a small north american shrew found in atlantic canada and the north - eastern united states .
the african black shrew (
crocidura nigrofusca
) is a species of shrew . it is native to africa , where it is widespread . other common names include tenebrous shrew .
home range has not been reported for smoky shrews , and territory size also is unknown .
kozlov ' s shrew (
sorex kozlovi
) is a red - toothed shrew found only at the mekong river , tibet , china . this shrew listed as a
data deficient
.
mountain species of shrew found from southeastern canada west to the great lakes and south to the smokies is known as the smoky shrew . mainly nocturnal , the smoky shrew is active day and night and has a head and body that grows up to three inches in length . they are found in cool moist and shady birch or hemlock forests that have lots of leaf and fern growth .
the long - tailed shrew has a slender body , long snout , small eyes and a long , thick tail . its body averages to 2 . 75 inches in length , and its tail can be between 2 . 2 to 2 . 5 inches long . the long - tailed shrew is dark gray with slightly paler under parts . these shrews are often confused with the smoky shrew , but the smoky shrew has a wider body and a shorter , bicolored tail .
the smoky shrew lives in extensive burrows in the leaf mold of the forest floor and are active in even the coldest weather . they constantly twitter as they forage .
felix , z . , l . gatens , y . wang , c . schweitzer . 2009 . first records of the smoky shrew ( sorex fumeus ) in alabama .
when smoky shrews are disturbed , they release a high - pitched squeaking noise , throw themselves onto their backs , and wave their limbs . when searching for food , smoky shrews produce a faint twittering noise .
smoky shrews are insectivores who prey on many insects and their larvae . they are also prey for snakes , owls , weasels , hawks and larger shrews . smoky shrews are hosts to many parasites including mites (
smoky shrews molt their fur twice annually so they have brown with a hint of yellow coat in the summer and gray and white in the winter which provides cryptic coloration . smoky shrews dwell mostly on the forest floor , small enough to maneuver leaf and other vegetative matter . this habitat allows them natural camouflage . when disturbed , smoky shrews produce a high - pitched noise . the main predators of smoky shrews are bobcats (
laerm , j . , w . ford , b . chapman . 2007 . smoky shrew . pp . 95 - 98 in m trani , w ford , b chapman , eds .
whitaker , j . o . , jr . 1999 . smoky shrew . pages 22 - 23 . in : wilson , d . e . and s . ruff ( editors ) .
when smoky shrews are disturbed , they emit a high - pitched squeaking noise , throw themselves onto their backs , and wave their limbs . when searching for food , smoky shrews produce a faint twittering noise , which might be a crude form of echolocation . this has not largely been studied in smoky shrews , but other shrews in
is flat and it does not have an elongated crown , like shrew do .
the smoky shrew has brown fur in the summer and gray fur in the winter months . they have lighter gray under parts and a long tail that is brown on top and yellow underneath .
juvenile and adult smoky shrews are distinguished by weight and tooth , tail , and hair wear . because smoky shrews do not breed within the year they are born , they most often survive until the subsequent breeding season and live a total of 14 to 17 months . the lifespan on smoky shrews in captivity has not been reported and is not currently known .
the smoky shrew is primarily a northern and mountain species and is found throughout the northeastern united states and adjacent canada , south in the appalachian mountains to northern georgia , and west to central ohio and kentucky .
smoky shrews are listed as a species of “least concern” on the iucn red list . cites and the us federal list list smoky shrews as no special status . the michigan natural features inventory states that smoky shrews are
threatened ,
because there have been fewer than half a dozen captures of these individuals in the state . current management efforts are in place to maintain forest cover and leaf litter on the forest floor . it ' s likely that these efforts positively impact smoky shrews .
) . the smokey shrew is near the southern limit of its range in the park .
cinereus shrew is browner , has a smaller body , and has a relatively longer tail .
smoky shrews were named for their slate - gray or blackish - gray winter coat , which develops by the end of october .
: during the summer , the smoky shrew is a medium - sized , uniformly dull brown . during the winter , the pelage of the smoky shrew is usually a uniform gray . the bi - colored tail is brownish above and yellowish below . shrews possess long tapering snouts and tiny eyes and ears . hearing and smell are acute . the tips of the incisor teeth are dark chestnut in color . shrews have five toes on each foot .
smith , t . r . and j . m . mouzon . 1985 . small mammal survey in the spruce - fir zone of great smoky mountains national park . typewritten final research report . in library of great smoky mountains national park , gatlinburg , tennessee .
, which means that it lives in loosely organized communities of about 12 to 15 shrew moles .
smoky shrews prefer moist hardwood forests with decaying logs , thick leaf litter , and moss - covered rocks ; frequently found in higher elevations .
long - tailed shrew has a longer , thicker tail with more hair and is dark gray all year .
the long - tailed shrew is a mid - sized shrew with a slender body and long tail . it lives in cool , rocky , forested areas and can be found year - round in the appalachian mountains .
dig with their forepaws held directly below their body , but shrew - moles dig using lateral - strokes .
: smoky shrews are found at all elevations . they are most abundant in cool , damp woodlands with a deep layer of leaf mold on the ground .
: all plants and animals are protected within great smoky mountains national park . collection requires a permit which is usually granted only for research or educational purposes .
sipe , t . , r . browne . 2004 . phylogeography of masked ( sorex cinereus ) and smoky shrews ( sorex fumeus ) in the southern appalachians .
linzey , d . w . 1995a . mammals of great smoky mountains national park . blacksburg , virginia : the mcdonald & ; woodward publishing company , inc .
forsman , k . , m . malmquist . 1988 . evidence for echolocation in the common shrew , sorex araneus .
american shrew - moles are described to be
common
throughout their range ( wilson and ruff , 1999 ) .
due to these factors , it is common for shrew - moles to forage through tunnels that have been dug by other shrew - moles because it is more energetically efficient and more prey might be present in tunnels that have been abandoned .
only turns into bone in the adults and the roots of the upper molars are exposed in immature shrew - moles .
mr . animal helps you better understand the wild one animal at a time . this episode talks about the smokey shrew .
horvath , o . 1965 . arboreal predation on bird’s nest by masked shrew . journal of mammalogy , 46 : 495 .
the smoky shrew is active at all times during day and night throughout the year , though populations are at their peak between july and october . like many other small mammals , populations are cyclical from year to year and surveys should be conducted for several consecutive years to obtain the most reliable results .
whitaker , j . o . , jr . 1999 . smoky shrew ( sorex fumeus ) . pages 22 - 23 in d . e . wilson and s . ruff , editors . the smithsonian book of north american mammals . smithsonian institution press in association with the american society of mammalogists , washington .
smoky shrews are deemed in need of management by both twra and tennessee department or environment and conservation . they are uncommon in the state , but can be abundant in some areas .
it is believed by some that the sound that the wind produces as it goes through the bottle scares the shrew - moles away .
linzey , d . w . 1995b . mammals of great smoky mountains national park - 1995 update . journal of the elisha mitchell scientific society 111 ( 1 ) : 1 - 81 .
when underground shrew - moles can suffer from a low levels of oxygen , high levels of carbon dioxide , and high levels of humidity .
komarek , e . v . and r . komarek . 1938 . mammals of the great smoky mountains . bulletin of the chicago academy of science 5 ( 6 ) : 137 - 162 .
the average total length of smoky shrews is 111 . 4 millimeters , with an average weight of 7 . 6 grams . average tail length is 43 . 8 millimeters , and their hind feet are , on average , 13 . 2 millimeters long . both male and female shrews are similar in size . newborn shrews are blind , toothless , lack fur and weigh 0 . 14 grams . by one month old , they weigh 4 grams . smoky shrews have a generally flattened skull . like all shrews , the snout of smoky shrews is elongated , and they have ears that are often concealed within their fur . smoky shrews have 32 teeth with a dental formula of incisors 1 / 1 , canines 5 / 1 , premolars 1 / 1 , and molars 3 / 3 .
young born in the spring often breed later in the same year . the average life span of a masked shrew is less than 14 months .
the nest of the smoky shrew is the size of a baseball , created out of grasses and leaves about twenty inches below ground , in stumps and logs . adult females have two to three litters per year with five to six young in each litter . young leave the nest after about a month . most adults don ' t survive their second winter which is why juveniles are usually the only ones found in the wintertime . this highly aggressive shrew only has a lifespan of 14 - 17 months
using bait is another method used to control these shrew - moles . the bait usually consists of some type of cereal grain that is treated with chemicals .
very little is known about the ecology and population status of smoky shrews in minnesota . the preferred habitat of the species is currently not uncommon in northern minnesota , so it is possible that habitat is not a limiting factor for the species in the state . the minnesota biological survey targeted smoky shrews in their 2003 survey , and documented six new locations , expanding the known range of the species in minnesota west into lake county . it is not known , however , if smoky shrews inhabited this area historically and simply remained undetected until recently . future surveys are needed to determine the full extent of the species ' distribution and population in the state .
the shrew - mole makes permanent tunnels by digging with its forelimbs and using its forefeet to soften the soil that will be removed to make a hollow tunnel .
in order to cope with these conditions , shrew - moles contain lungs that can hold large volumes and sometimes even more than 20 % of their body weight .
the short - tailed shrew is the only north american mammal with a poisonous bite . that ' s a cool fact , but too bad for an unfortunate snake !
there are also many home remedies that are used to get rid of these shrew - moles , but whether or not these methods are successful are usually not evident .
the presence of smoky shrews is related to soil moisture and mesic habitats , with more individuals being found in larger ( mcshea et al . 2003 ) , older patches of habitat ( kuttner and malcolm 2001 ) . because of this and the fact that little is known about the species ' ability to recolonize areas after logging , the potential presence of smoky shrews should be considered when mesic forests in the vicinity of documented occurrences of this species are slated for harvest .
. males use high - pitched vocalizations to complete with other males when looking for mates . usually in groups of three , the male masked shrews will jump in a breeding chase . it’s likely that smoky shrews have a similar mating system .
laerm , joshua ; ford , w . mark ; chapman , brian r . 2007 . smoky shrew , sorex fumeus . in : trani , margaret k . ; ford , w . mark ; chapman , brian r . , eds . the land manager ' s guide to mammals of the south . durham , nc : the nature conservancy ; atlanta , ga : u . s . forest service : 95 - 98 .
the long - tailed shrew’s range extends from nova scotia , canada to eastern tennessee and north carolina . in the chesapeake bay watershed , they are particularly abundant in the appalachian mountains .
shrew - moles usually live in areas where it is difficult to cultivate so they are usually economically neutral , but there are some cases where they do damage people ' s homes .
the smoky shrew is a small mammal ( 4 . 3 to 5 . 0 in / 11 to 12 . 6 cm in length ) with an elongated head , pointed nose , tiny eyes , and short dark fur . the tail is two - toned , dark on top and yellowish - tan below , and is between 1 . 7 and 2 . 0 inches ( 4 . 2 and 5 . 2 cm ) in length .
throughout its range , smoky shrews occur in deciduous and coniferous forests , bogs , and swamps . moist habitats are important ( mcshea et al . 2003 ) and the preferred microhabitat includes a cool , damp forest floor with a thick litter layer , mossy covered rocks , and decaying debris ( owen 1984 ) . in minnesota , smoky shrews have been found in glacial boulder streams ; second - growth black spruce , fir , paper birch forests ( jannett and oehlenschlager 1994 ) ; mossy , talus slopes ; and sphagnum bogs .
smoky shrews are insectivores feeding on various invertebrates . a north carolina study reported that centipedes ( 36 . 5 % of stomach contents , by volume ) were the most common food item , followed by earthworms ( 19 % ) and adult lepidopterans ( 19 . 5 % ) , and ground beetles in the family scarabidae ( 10 % ) . insects ( adults and larvae ) , spiders , isopods , and some fungi are included in the diets of smoky shrews . in captivity , the shrews also could eat salamanders and snails .
the fact that males lack a scrotum and the female ' s vagina is sealed , makes it difficult to determine the sex of shrew - moles that are not breeding without performing a dissection .
linzey , d . w . and a . v . linzey . 1973 . notes of food of small mammals from great smoky mountains national park , tennessee - north carolina . journal of the elisha mitchell scientific society 89 ( 1 and 2 ) : 6 - 14 .
doucet , g . j . and j . r . bider . 1974 . the effects of weather on the activity of the masked shrew . journal of mammalogy , 55 : 348 - 363 .
as the shrew - mole continues to dig through the soil , the amount of prey in the soil is significantly less than the amount present in soil that has not been dug through by them .
the coloration of smoky shrews is an identifying feature among similar species . in the summer months , the dorsal fur is brown , with a yellow tint , and the ventral fur is pale brown . their winter coat is dark gray on the dorsal side with silver hues on the ventral side . smoky shrews molt twice annually , once in preparation for winter and again in preparation for summer . the molt for winter happens in october for a thicker fur as well as a change of color to accommodate surroundings ; the other in preparation for summer happens in april or may for a thinner coat with brown fur . the tail of smoky shews is consistently bicolored , following the different hues among the months . the tail is a light brown with yellows hues in the summer months , and dark brown with silver hues in the winter months .
us forest service . influence of elevation and forest type on community assemblage and species distribution of shrews in the central and southern appalachian mountains . none . none provided : international society of shrew biologists . 2005 .
smoky shrews typically either take over other small mammals burrows to make use of them for themselves , or build rounded nests ca . 5 . 08 centimeters in diameter on the forest floor , often underneath forest debris . nests are built using various mammal hair and vegetative matter on sheltered forest floors .
jannett , f . j . , jr . , and r . j . oehlenschlager . 1994 . range extension and first minnesota records of the smokey shrew sorex fumeus . american midland naturalist 131 : 364 - 365 .
smoky shrews are constantly active through all hours of the day , and throughout the year . colder temperatures do not semm to be limiting , as they have been captured in the snow . these shrews typically are not social , but clustering of captures suggest that they might live in colonies . they do not migrate .
is found in western north america , from mid - california to lower british columbia . it ranges from the pacific ocean to the cascade and sierra nevada mountains . shrew - moles are also found on destruction island , washington ( campbell , 2001 ) .
do have an effect on controlling bark beetles and other harmful insects in their own habitats . but this is of minimal economic benefit , because most areas where the shrew - mole is found are bad sites for logging or farming ( dalquest , 1942 ) .
shrews tend to have short lifespans , and it is estimated that long - tailed shrew live up to two years in the wild . they are active both during the day and at night throughout the year . they are generally solitary animals and spend almost all of their time foraging .
prefer soils that are easy to dig , and where there is plenty of organic matter . they are mostly found in the temperate rainforests of northwest north america , where soils are soft and deep . shrew - moles can also be found in areas that are moist and weedy or brushy ( campbell , 2001 ) .
due to their small size and active lifestyles , long - tailed shrews need to eat almost constantly , often consuming twice their body weight in a day . above , a long - tailed shrew in woburn , mass . , on may 11 , 2014 . ( photo courtesy sylvia scharf under a cc by - nc license )
dalquest ( 1942 ) observed that if a shrew - mole is scared into hiding , it will reemerge in search of food in less than a minute . this makes them an easy target for predators , though they are not the major diet of any species ( racey , 1929 ) . owls seem to be their biggest predator ( carraway , 1991 ) .
the long - tailed shrew’s major predators include snakes , weasels , other small mammals and birds of prey . in order to avoid predators , long - tailed shrews tend to feed at night and remain under forest debris . since they are small and can be confused for mice , they also have a distinct musky odor that could serve as a deterrent for predators .
smoky shews are often found in higher elevations , typically above 700 m , in or around deciduous montane forests . at the southern edge of their geographic range , it ' s been reported that they exists at elevations as low as 300 m . they occur in a variety of forest types , on talus slopes , and occasionally some wetter areas ( bogs , swamps , bankside of rivers ) . however , although it appears that they are more abundant in moisture - rich forests , they are much less common ( or absent ) in seasonally or permanently inundated wetland habitats .
the shrew - mole also makes shallow surface runways by moving the front part of its body 45 degrees to the right and then to the left . then back again to the right , then left , and so on . when it moves to the right , the left forepaw is thrust up rapidly lifting soil in the process and when it moves to the left , the right forepaw is thrust up to lift soil .
food and feeding behavior : little information is available about the food preferences of the rock shrew , but what is known suggests a diet of insects , spiders , and centipedes . activity and movement : the seasonal and daily activity patterns are unknown . reproduction : only a handful of specimens offer clues about breeding habits . these indicate litter size may vary from 2 - 5 , and that the reproductive season extends from early spring , april or may , until late summer , through august .
shrew - mole has a relatively long breeding season . reproduction happens once a year and lasts from late february to august . the length of the gestation period is unknown , but is assumed to be at least four weeks long ( yates , 1982 ) . the nests are built above ground , although one nest was observed in a stump about a meter off the ground ( dalquest , 1942 ) . the babies are born blind and weigh less than a gram ( wilson and ruff , 1999 ) .
the masked shrew displays characters typical of all shrews . the slender , cylindrical body has a short , velvety , directionless fur . the long , tapered head ends in a flexible , tubular snout , with the narrow nostrils located on the outer edges of the tip . the small external ears are barely visible or are completely hidden by the fur . the eyes are tiny , the tail scantily haired , and the limbs short . all are features adapting shrews to a semi - fossorial life between the interface of soil particles and plant debris .
is the smallest species of new world talpidae ( wilson and ruff , 1999 ) . its hair is black or blue - black and not as plush as other moles ( dalquest , 1942 ) . shrew - moles ' forefeet are slightly broadened , not webbed and modified for digging only ( wilson and ruff , 1999 ) . the external ears are absent . eyes are greatly reduced , and these animals have a flat , elongated nose ( carraway , 1991 ) . the tail is about half as long as the body and reasonably wide ( reed , 1951 ) .
social system - the social behavior of all north american shrews is little known . a few causal observations of a male near a pregnant or lactating female suggest the masked shrew may be monogamous . studies completes in other parts of the species’ range indicate a home range of 0 . 2 - 0 . 6 ha ( 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 acre ) which overlap conspecifics . densities vary from 2 . 5 - 100 per ha ( 1 - 40 per acre ) with 3 - 25 per ha ( 1 - 10 per acre ) being more common , and may change dramatically from one year to the next within any particular area .
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i thought you might be interested in this item at urltoken title : mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference author : don e wilson ; deeann m reeder publisher : baltimore : johns hopkins university press , ©2005 . isbn / issn : 0801882214 9780801882210 0801882389 9780801882388 0801882397 9780801882395 oclc : 57557352
wilson and reeder ' s mammal species of the world is the classic reference book on the taxonomic classification and distribution of the more than 5400 species of mammals that exist today . the third edition includes detailed information on nomenclature and , for the first time , common names . each concise entry covers type locality , distribution , synonyms , and major reference sources . the systematic arrangement of
information indicates evolutionary relationships at both the ordinal and the family level . this indispensable reference work belongs in public and academic libraries throughout the world and on the shelf of every biologist who works with mammals .
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a uniquely valuable compendium of taxonomic and distributional data on the world ' s living and historically extinct mammalian species . contributors and editors alike deserve the thanks of all
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wilson and reeder ' s mammal species of the world is the classic reference book on the taxonomic classification and distribution of the more than 5400 species of mammals that exist today . the third edition includes detailed information on nomenclature and , for the first time , common names . each concise entry covers type locality , distribution , synonyms , and major reference sources . the systematic arrangement of information indicates evolutionary relationships at both the ordinal and the family level . this indispensable reference work belongs in public and academic libraries throughout the world and on the shelf of every biologist who works with mammals .
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( cassola , 2016 ; hamed and laughlin , 2015 ; owen , 1984 ; felix , et al . , 2009 )
( cassola , 2016 ; choate , et al . , 1994 ; laerm , et al . , 2007 ; merritt , 1987 ; nowak , 1999 ; owen , 1984 ; webster , et al . , 2004 )
older shews tend to have fur with whiter tips . the younger shrews are distinguished from the older shrews not only because they are smaller , but also because they have long hairs on the tips of their tails that disappear once maturing to adults .
( best and dusi , 2014 ; choate , et al . , 1994 ; kurta , 1995 ; merritt , 1987 ; naughton , 2012 ; owen , 1984 )
( brown , 1997 ; elbroch and rinehart , 2011 ; laerm , et al . , 2007 ; merritt , 1987 ; naughton , 2012 ; owen , 1984 )
the mothers groom , nurse , and regurgitate food for their young . females take care of the young for up to a month after the young are fully weaned . young stay in the nest until the mother leaves to mate again . at this point , the young leave the nest to find new nesting sites . beyond mating , males have no parental investment .
are able to use echolocation to find objects up to 200 mm away . echolocation is especially helpful to shrews when they inhabit abandoned burrows , as it allows them to sense if the burrow is empty . it is also used to aid in finding protective cover when being pursued by a predator .
have been found to beat 800 - 1200 beats per minute . due to a high metabolism , shrews must feed day and night to support their appetites .
( choate , et al . , 1994 ; laerm , et al . , 2007 ; owen , 1984 ; sipe and browne , 2004 ; webster , et al . , 2004 ; whitaker jr . and hamilton jr . , 1998 )
( choate , et al . , 1994 ; clark , 2002 ; hamilton jr . , 1941 ; laerm , et al . , 2007 ; merritt , 1987 ; owen , 1984 )
( choate , et al . , 1994 ; laerm , et al . , 2007 ; merritt , 1987 ; owen , 1984 )
( dent , 2000 ; fryxell , et al . , 2014 ; whitaker jr . and hamilton jr . , 1998 )
makayla beckner ( author ) , radford university , karen powers ( editor ) , radford university , alex atwood ( editor ) , radford university , marisa dameron ( editor ) , radford university , tanya dewey ( editor ) , university of michigan - ann arbor .
living in the nearctic biogeographic province , the northern part of the new world . this includes greenland , the canadian arctic islands , and all of the north american as far south as the highlands of central mexico .
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state ; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth / hatching . in birds , naked and helpless after hatching .
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror - image halves . animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides , as well as anterior and posterior ends . synapomorphy of the bilateria .
a wetland area rich in accumulated plant material and with acidic soils surrounding a body of open water . bogs have a flora dominated by sedges , heaths , and sphagnum .
having markings , coloration , shapes , or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment ; being difficult to see or otherwise detect .
the process by which an animal locates itself with respect to other animals and objects by emitting sound waves and sensing the pattern of the reflected sound waves .
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature . endothermy is a synapomorphy of the mammalia , although it may have arisen in a ( now extinct ) synapsid ancestor ; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities . convergent in birds .
forest biomes are dominated by trees , otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality .
referring to a burrowing life - style or behavior , specialized for digging or burrowing .
offspring are produced in more than one group ( litters , clutches , etc . ) and across multiple seasons ( or other periods hospitable to reproduction ) . iteroparous animals must , by definition , survive over multiple seasons ( or periodic condition changes ) .
this terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains , either without vegetation or covered by low , tundra - like vegetation .
the area in which the animal is naturally found , the region in which it is endemic .
a wetland area that may be permanently or intermittently covered in water , often dominated by woody vegetation .
that region of the earth between 23 . 5 degrees north and 60 degrees north ( between the tropic of cancer and the arctic circle ) and between 23 . 5 degrees south and 60 degrees south ( between the tropic of capricorn and the antarctic circle ) .
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female .
cassola , f . 2016 .
sorex fumeus
( on - line ) . iucn red list of threatened species 2016 : e . t41396a22312838 . accessed september 12 , 2016 at urltoken .
choate , j . , k . jones jr , c . jones . 1994 .
clark , r . 2002 . diet of the timber rattlesnake , crotalus horridus .
hamed , k . , t . laughlin . 2015 . small - mammal mortality caused by discarded bottles and cans along a us national forest service road in the cherokee national forest .
hamilton jr . , w . 1941 . the food of small forest mammals in eastern united states .
maier , t . , k . doyle . 2006 . aggregations of masked shrews ( sorex cinereus ) : density - related mating behavior ? .
merritt , j . , s . vessey . 2000 . shrews - small insectivores with polyphasic patterns . pp . 235 - 251 in s halle , n stenseth , eds .
, vol . 141 . new york , new york : springer - verlag berlin heidelberg .
to cite this page : beckner , m . 2017 .
sorex fumeus
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 09 , 2018 at urltoken
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 .
biokids is sponsored in part by the interagency education research initiative . it is a partnership of the university of michigan school of education , university of michigan museum of zoology , and the detroit public schools . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation under grant drl - 0628151 . copyright © 2002 - 2018 , the regents of the university of michigan . all rights reserved .
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they eat leaf litter , insects , earthworms , centipedes , millipedes , snails and salamanders . because they travel in tunnels and runways created by moles and voles
search of their prey , they have a tendency to eat more worms than most shrews .
: cosby ccc camp ( 2 , 050 feet ) ; near cosby ranger station ( 2 , 500 feet ) ; indian camp creek trail ( 3 , 000 feet ) ; low gap ( 3 , 400 feet , 4 , 242 feet ) ; inadu knob ( 5 , 700 feet ) ; old black mountain ( 6 , 300 feet ) .
: foothills parkway ( 1 , 100 - 2 , 400 feet ) ; huskey gap trail ( 2 , 100 feet ) ; greenbrier ( 2 , 200 - 4 , 800 feet ) ; sugarland mountain ; newfound gap road ( 2 , 800 - 5 , 000 feet ) ; little river - elkmont ( 2 , 900 feet ) ; chimneys campground ; fort harry cliffs ( 3 , 200 feet ) ; eagle rocks creek ( 3 , 500 feet ) ; chapman prong ; grassy patch - alum cave parking areaa ( 4 , 000 feet ) ; west prong , little pigeon river ( 3 , 200 - 4 , 000 feet ) ; buck fork ( 4 , 200 - 5 , 000 feet ) ; walker prong ; rocky spring gap ; trillium gap trail ; indian gap ( 5 , 200 feet ) ; mt . guyot ( 6 , 300 feet ) .
: appalachian trail between low gap and mt . cammerer ( 4 , 700 feet ) ; dry sluice gap ; mt . kephart ; clingman ' s dome ( 6 , 400 feet ) .
: smokemont ; ekaneetlee creek ( 2 , 300 feet ) ; moore springs shelter ( 4 , 750 feet ) ; thomas ridge ( 4 , 800 feet ) ; newfound gap road ( 4 , 000 - 4 , 800 feet ) ; welch ridge ( 5 , 050 feet ) ; newfound gap ( 5 , 050 feet ) ; round bottom ( 5 , 400 feet ) ; hughes ridge ; forney ridge ( 6 , 000 feet , 6 , 400 feet ) .
streamsides , both in evergreen and deciduous forests , are favored . this species accouned for 12 . 6 % of all small mammals captured in a study in the spruce - fir forest (
two or three litters of 3 to 7 young are produced during the female ' s second year of life . the young are born in a nest of shredded vegetation located in a stump or beneath a log or rock .
pregnant and / or nursing females have been recorded in the park from march 30 through october 12 .
reproductively active
individuals were recorded for mid - august through september in the spruce - fir region (
stomach analyses of three females taken at 2 , 400 feet in cosby ( cocke co . ) during june and july revealed millipedes and arachnids comprising 98 . 6 % of the total volume of food (
the home range of shrews probably covers an area of 1 / 4 to 1 acre .
predators include snakes , owls , hawks , and carnivorous mammals such as opossums , foxes , bobcats , weasels , and skunks .
. blacksburg , virginia : the mcdonald & ; woodward publishing company , inc .
. mammalian species no . 215 : 1 - 8 . american society of mammalogists .
, and are active throughout the year , even in the coldest temperatures . as with other shrews , they echolocate , emitting a constant twittering sound as they forage .
miller , g . s . , jr . , 1895 . the long - tailed shrews of the eastern united states , p . 50 . north american fauna , 10 : 35 - 36 .
mammal species of the world ( opens in a new window ) . mammalian species , american society of mammalogists ' species account ( opens in a new window ) .
christian , d . p . , and j . m . daniels . 1985 . distributional records of rock voles , microtus chrotorrhinus , in northeastern minnesota . canadian field - naturalist 99 : 356 - 359 .
de vos , a . 1964 . range changes of mammals in the great lakes region . american midland naturalist 71 : 210 - 231 .
kuttner , b . g . , and j . r . malcom . 2001 . small mammal responses to clearcut logging in northeastern ontario . abstract of presentation given at symposium on old - growth forest in canada , october 2001 , sault ste . marie , ontario .
mcshea , w . j . , j . p . pagels , j . orrock , e . harper , and k . koy . 2003 . mesic deciduous forest as patches of small - mammal richness within an appalachian mountain forest . journal of mammalogy 84 : 627 - 643 .
timm , r . m . 1975 . distribution , natural history , and parasites of mammals of cook county , minnesota . bell museum of natural history occasional papers 14 . university of minnesota , minneapolis . 56 pp .
updated 5 / 15 / 2018 . information is summarized from mnfi ' s database of rare species and community occurrences . data may not reflect true distribution since much of the state has not been thoroughly surveyed .
this species inhabits northern hardwood and boreal forests with thick leaf litter over loosely packed soils . in michigan , it has only been documented on sugar island along the st . mary ' s river between ontario and mainland chippewa county . there it was found in a mesic northern forest dominated by sugar maple . in ontario , it is also known to inhabit ( but doesn ' t necessarily prefer ) cedar swamps , bogs , and other mixed coniferous forests with saturated soils .
for each species , lists of natural communities were derived from review of the nearly 6 , 500 element occurrences in the mnfi database , in addition to herbarium label data for some taxa . in most cases , at least one specimen record exists for each listed natural community . for certain taxa , especially poorly collected or extirpated species of prairie and savanna habitats , natural community lists were derived from inferences from collection sites and habitat preferences in immediately adjacent states ( particularly indiana and illinois ) . natural communities are not listed for those species documented only from altered or ruderal habitats in michigan , especially for taxa that occur in a variety of habitats outside of the state .
natural communities are not listed in order of frequency of occurrence , but are rather derived from the full set of natural communities , organized by ecological group . in many cases , the general habitat descriptions should provide greater clarity and direction to the surveyor . in future versions of the rare species explorer , we hope to incorporate natural community fidelity ranks for each taxon .
maintaining forest canopy cover and thick leaf litter would be beneficial to this species .
michigan natural features inventory . 2007 . rare species explorer ( web application ) . available online at urltoken [ accessed jul 9 , 2018 ]
baker , r . h . 1983 . michigan mammals . michigan state university press , east lansing .
kurta , a . 1995 . mammals of the great lakes region . the university of michigan press , ann arbor .
wilson , d . e . , f . r . cole , j . d . 1996 . measuring and monitoring biological diversity - standard methods for mammals . smithsonian institution press , washington d . c .
msu extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race , color , national origin , gender , religion , age , disability , political beliefs , sexual orientation , marital status or family status . .
a very small mammal with a cone - shaped nose , tiny eyes , cylindrical body , and short , slender legs . their short , dense fur is brownish in the summer and dark gray to blackish - gray in the winter ; belly is lighter in both coats . the long tail is distinctly bi - colored , grayish - brown above and yellowish or tan below .
consumes a wide variety of insects ; also eats spiders , earthworms , and centipedes .
mating season begins in march and by the end of the breeding season in october they can have up to 3 litters . nests of leaf litter are constructed in hollow logs or under rocks prior to the birth of the blind and furless young . females deliver 2 - 8 ( average 6 ) young after a gestation period of less than 3 weeks . the pair mates again as soon as the first litter is born .
best places to see in tennessee : moist woods with deep leaf litter and moss - covered rocks in the appalachian mountains . for more information : sources : owens , j . g . 1984 . sorex fumeus . mammalian species , 215 : 1 - 8 . whitaker , jr . , j . o . 1980 . the audubon society field guide to north american mammals . alfred a . knopf , inc . , new york .
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mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , 3rd ed . , vols . 1 & 2
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 .
in nc , it ranges throughout the mountains , but is absent farther to the east . unlike most northern shrews , it occurs only in the northeastern states and adjacent canada , south in the appalachians to northern ga .
common to very common within its range in the state , and not seemingly local .
favors cool coniferous or mixed forests , at mid - to high elevations , such as spruce - fir , spruce - hardwoods , and hemlock - hardwoods . areas with moss , logs , and rocks are favored within the habitat .
nc map map depicts all counties with a report ( transient or resident ) for the species .
click on county for list of all database records for species in that county .
in : trani , margaret k . ; ford , w . mark ; chapman , brian r . , eds . the land manager ' s guide to mammals of the south . durham , nc : the nature conservancy ; atlanta , ga : u . s . forest service : 95 - 98 .
note : this article is part of a larger document . view the larger document
check the northern research station web site to request a printed copy of this publication .
please contact sharon hobrla , shobrla @ urltoken if you notice any errors which make this publication unusable .
we recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article , to retain the full citation information .
this article was written and prepared by u . s . government employees on official time , and is therefore in the public domain .
from : saunders , d . a . 1988 . adirondack mammals . state university of new york , college of environmental science and forestry . 216pp .
this slender - bodied , slate gray insectivore named for its long tail or habitat , depending on which common name one chooses , holds center stage among some small mammal specialists . entire chapters of its basic life history remain unknown . the sketchy information that is available results from several hundred trapped specimens .
social behavior : the behavioral ecology , social organization , mating system , and means of communication are unknown , but are likely to exhibit some unique specializations for a life among dark , damp stones .


the sacramento perch ( archoplites interruptus ) is an endangered sunfish ( family centrarchidae ) native to the sacramento – san joaquin river delta , pajaro , and salinas river areas in california , but widely introduced throughout the western united states .

the sacramento perch 's native habitat is in sluggish , heavily vegetated , waters of sloughs and lakes .

it can reach a maximum overall length of 61 cm ( 24 in ) and a maximum weight of 3.6 kg ( 7.9 lb ) , and it has been reported to live as long as six years .

its adaptability to different habitats is high , and it can survive on a wide variety of food sources .

as young perch , they consume mainly small crustaceans and eventually move on to insect larvae and then smaller fish as adults .

sacramento perch

sacramento perch | photo : rené reyes , u . s . bureau of reclamation /
although called the sacramento perch , a . interruptus is not a perch strictly speaking ; the perches are members of the genus perca in family percidae .
vanicek dc ( 1980 ) decline of the lake greenhaven sacramento perch population . california fish and game 66 : 178–183
some of the ponds the perch lives in are within swimming distance of those islands . others live in maintained wetlands in the yolo bypass wildlife area , closer to sacramento . there are sacramento perch in ponds on the uc davis campus that occasionally escape into nearby putah creek , a delta tributary . the sacramento perch might just come back someday after all , given half a chance .
at least one sunfish family member seems to get along okay with the perch . at point reyes national seashore , both sacramento perch and largemouth bass thrived for some time at abbott ' s lagoons .
that ' s borne out by studies of ponds to which the sacramento perch has been introduced , often as a mosquito control method . ( juvenile perch are voracious eaters of mosquito larvae . ) introduce bluegill or green sunfish into a pond in which the perch are doing well , and the perch start to decline . in a research project in yolo county , bluegill drove a pond full of perch to extinction in just two years .
the sacramento perch ( archoplites interruptus ) is a sunfish ( family centrarchidae ) native to the sacramento – san joaquin , pajaro , and salinas river areas in california , but widely introduced throughout the western united states .
but one problem that seems specific to the perch is competition for habitat from introduced members of the sunfish family , such as the bluegill and green sunfish . such introduced sunfish tend to be more aggressive than the sacramento perch , and they chase the perch away from favored habitat , including spawning sites .
the sacramento perch eats primarily benthic ( bottom - dwelling ) prey , such at insect larvae , snails , and fishes . the species spawns throughout the spring and summer , and eggs hatch in about four days . the sacramento perch is not very aggressive , which often makes it difficult to catch .
sacramento perch ( archoplites interruptus ) are members of the sunfish family . they virtually disappeared from california ' s central valley rivers and delta , when their habitat was altered and non native sunfish were introduced . sacramento perch were unable to compete with the black bass , bluegill and crappie , which raided the perch ' s nest . they were first introduced into pyramid lake in 1877 . sacramento perch , unlike the introduced sunfish , do not protect their nests and were steadily replaced in the ecosystem by the bass , crappie and bluegill .
the sacramento perch ( archoplites interruptus ) , a sunfish ( centrarchidae ) native only to the central valley of california , has been eliminated from most of its native range . to examine the role of interspecific competition in this decline , a series of experiments were conducted to assess the growth , aggressive behavior , and habitat use of sacramento perch in the presence of bluegill ( lepomis macrochirus ) , an introduced centrarchid . the experiments indicate that ( 1 ) sacramento perch gain less weight and show reduced growth when placed with bluegill , but that this interaction only occurs with food limitation , and is not affected by overall fish density ; ( 2 ) sacramento perch demonstrate less aggressive behavior than bluegill , but become more aggressive when they are conspicuously larger than bluegill ; ( 3 ) sacramento perch shift their habitat use in the presence of bluegill . overall the results imply that sacramento perch and bluegill exhibit interspecific competition where the mechanism of interaction is aggressive dominance by bluegill . it is suggested that long term persistence of sacramento perch may require a habitat that is free of introduced centrarchid fishes , or one controlled by a naturally variable hydrological regime .
and yet only a few sacramento perch remain in the native delta habitat , at best . widely planted in stockponds and reservoirs outside its native range , the perch is functionally extinct in the delta and throughout the rest of its limited original range .
competition between the fry of the sacramento perch and several species of eastern centrarchids for food resources may be another factor in the decline of the species . studies have indicated that all young centrarchids have similar food preferences , but the eastern centrarchids have evolved more aggressive feeding techniques than the sacramento perch , and have been observed chasing the latter from feeding areas .
the sacramento perch ' s wide tolerance of water conditions includes temperature . the adults can survive in water far warmer than many other delta fish can tolerate : until the water reaches about 72° fahrenheit , adult sacramento perch do just fine . warmer than that , and the adults will decline in fitness , leaving to cooler waters if they can . the perch ' s larvae can tolerate even warmer water . that ' s a good thing , because heavily vegetated , shallow , and turbid waters are where sacramento perch tend to spawn . vegetation slows water currents , and suspended silt and organic matter absorb sunlight , both process warming the water .
today , native sacramento perch populations are waning in their natural habitats , but are paradoxically flourishing in habitats into which they have been introduced . despite the decline of the sacramento perch in its native range , it is not endangered , and is doing quite well in several locations outside its natural range . due to its ability to withstand high alkalinity , it has been introduced into several alkaline lakes in nevada , colorado , nebraska , and north and south dakota , and is flourishing where most other centrarchid species cannot survive and reproduce . it has also become established in several california reservoirs where it has been planted , or where young fish were transported through the california aqueduct system into holding reservoirs such as san luis reservoir and o ' neill forebay . in addition , the california department of fish & game has promoted the sacramento perch for introduction into central valley farm ponds . when other centrarchid species are introduced , they often reproductively out - compete the sacramento perch . when left alone in a pond , most centrarchids , sacramento perch included , will develop stunted populations due to overcrowding . these problems make it difficult to establish the sacramento perch in areas that also harbor other centrarchids , but with thriving populations of this fish in lakes outside california , the sacramento perch is far from lost .
eastern species are also more aggressive in their site - selection . with the increase in the population of eastern species in many habitats in california , the sacramento perch is most certainly losing preferred spawning areas to the more aggressive bluegill and other non - native centrarchids . in aquaria , it has been observed that eastern sunfish will actually chase sacramento perch away from preferred spawning areas .
website editor ' s note : the article below states that sacramento perch
don ' t bother to build a nest for the female to lay the eggs in nests .
that was true in the references listed for the paper . however , more recent evidence suggest that male sacramento perch can and do build nests for the female to lay eggs , similar to their eastern counterparts . observations were made in aquaria where repeated attempts to cover or bury the nest caused the male to re - build the nest after each attempt . successful spawning did occur . the male sacramento perch also showed some signs of nest guarding from the female . this is by no means to say all sacramento perch build and guard nests , but that the ability is there .
needs : see recovery plan for sacramento - san joaquin delta native fishes ( usfws 1995 ) .
there is no limit on the perch at crowley , but the population seems to be doing fine .
sacramento perch , adult male . captured from sindicich lagoon , martinez , california in may 2001 . sl = 238 mm . photo by chris miller , contra costa mosquito & vector control district , california .
the effects on the perch have been dramatic . a survey in 1898 - 99 cited a commercial perch fishery in the delta , with more than 400 , 000 pounds of the fish sold some years in san francisco markets . by the 1960s , they were nearly gone from the delta . one adult sacramento perch was caught in a sacramento river survey in 1992 , but fisheries biologists think it unlikely that a self - sustaining population of the species exists anywhere in the central valley . the perch is likewise gone from the salinas and pajaro rivers , and adults are found now and then in clear lake - - possibly escapees from farm ponds .
to catch the perch now , you have to go to one of three places - crowley lake near bishop , pyramid lake in nevada or lagoon valley lake between fairfield and vacaville . the largest recorded sacramento perch caught in pyramid lake weighed in at 4 lbs , 9 oz ( 1971 ) , which is the current state record .
perch were historically abundant predators throughout the central valley of california , where they occupied sloughs , lakes , and slow moving rivers . today they are rare in their native waters , but still exist in clear lake and alameda creek / calaveras reservoir , as well as in some farm ponds and reservoirs . they have been introduced through the state including the upper klamath basin , upper pit river watershed , walker river watershed , mono lake watershed , and owens river watershed , and may exist in sonoma reservoir in the russian river watershed . sacramento perch are most often found in warm reservoirs and ponds where summer temperature range form 18 - 28°c . sacramento perch are capable of surviving high temperatures , high salinities ( up to 17 ppt ) , high turbidity , and low water clarity . though sacramento perch are often found in clear water among beds of aquatic vegetation , they achieve greater numbers in turbid lakes absent of plants . typically they are found along the bottom of inshore regions . young - of - year perch form shoals in these areas where aquatic and overhanging vegetation provide cover . sacramento perch are most abundant where other
examination of 510 stomachs of sacramento perch from five localities showed that they feed primarily by picking insect larvae and snails from the bottom and aquatic plants or by capturing zooplankton , fish , or emerging insects in midwater . the diet varies with season and size of fish but no daily feeding rhythms were found . similarity of their diet to that of bluegill indicates that sacramento perch may have been eliminated from their native habitat through competitive interactions with bluegill .
intentional stocking for sportfishing . the earliest introduction of sacramento perch took place circa 1877 , into western nevada ( mccarraher and gregory 1970 ) . nebraska , north dakota , colorado , new mexico , texas , and arizona were all stocked in the 1960s ( mccarraher and gregory 1970 ) . sacramento perch were discovered in crowley lake , california in the late 1960s , but the exact date and reason for the introduction is not known ( mccarraher and gregory 1970 ) .
the perch are showing in 12 - 15 feet in leighton springs , sandy point , and hilton and whiskey bays .
essentially extinct in its native range since before passage of the u . s . endangered species act in 1973 , the sacramento perch is neither listed nor protected under that law . the remaining perch in clear lake , if any , are considered a california species of special concern , a status that prompts the state to enact management measures to protect the species .
sacramento perch , juvenile ( 170 days old ) . raised from wild brood fish from sindicich lagoon , concord , california . sl = 68 mm . photographed in january 2002 by chris miller , contra costa mosquito & vector control district , california .
habitat destruction has also contributed to the decline of the sacramento perch in its native habitat , the filling of sloughs in the california delta and the draining of lakes and general reduction of backwater areas have reduced the number of suitable spawning areas substantially .
sacramento perch , juveniles ( 107 days old ) . raised from wild brood fish from sindicich lagoon , concord , ca . average sl = 32 mm . photographed in october 2002 by chris miller , contra costa mosquito & vector control district , ca .
introduced sacramento perch , along with many other introduced fishes , may have contributed to the decline of the lost river sucker deltistes luxatus and the shortnose sucker chasmistes brevirostris in the upper klamath drainage in oregon ( u . s . fish and wildlife service 1993 ) .
discussion : the sacramento perch is the only sunfish native to the western united states . in its native range , it declined rapidly as exotic fishes were introduced and its habitat destroyed . it has been introduced into some western lakes that are too alkaline for other fishes .
more panfish : crappie fishing at irvine lake might not rival the perch at crowley , but it has been spectacular in its own right .
sacramento perch ( probably a breeding male , based on dark color ) . captured from sindicich lagoon , martinez , ca in may 2001 . sl = 221 mm . weight = 260 g . photo by chris miller , contra costa mosquito & vector control district , ca .
north america : sacramento - san joaquin , pajaro and salinas river drainages in california , usa . widely introduced elsewhere in western usa .
that seems to be part of the problem with the sacramento perch disappearing from the delta : introduced fish such as carp and catfish can chase the males off their nests to eat the eggs , and others move in to eat the larvae once the deadbeat dads leave home after hatching .
kyle , k . and r . kelsey . 2011 . results of the 2011 tricolored blackbird statewide survey . sacramento : audubon california . close
what can be done , if anything , to restore the perch to its native habitat ? a recovery plan for delta native fish species published nearly 20 years ago by the u . s . fish and wildlife service suggests that flooding islands in the delta to provide shallow water habitat might well be the answer , if it ' s done with careful attention paid to controlling the perch ' s competitors . while usfws admitted the sacramento perch has
low restoration potential ,
it suggested that reclaiming diked islands might provide the perch with some of its preferred habitat for spawning and just generally hanging out . the two islands it mentioned , liberty and prospect islands north of rio vista , have since been restored as tidal wetland .
. aquatic insect larvae and pupae become increasingly important as the fish grow . adult fish may begin to feed on other fish , including young - of - year perch . growth is variable and factors such as diet , overcrowding , and gender affect growth rates . females tend to be larger than males and adult fish grow more in weight than in length . sacramento perch reach sexual maturity in year 2 or 3 and generally spawn from march through early august when water temperatures range from 18 - 29°c . prior to spawning , perch gather in shallow areas abundant with filamentous algae and
the introduction of eastern sunfish species into california has exposed the sacramento perch to the complex world of centrarchid competition . eastern centrarchids generally build and vigorously guard a nest in a preferred spawning area . the female lays her eggs in the nest and is then chased away by the male , who guards the eggs from predators until they hatch and the fry are free - swimming . since the sacramento perch scatters its eggs on the substrate and may provide little or no protection for the eggs , they are left open to predation by introduced catfish , carp , or other centrarchids .
are absent . they feed by stalking , and prey items vary with time , availability , and fish size . sacramento perch are opportunistic and feeding occurs all day with peaks at dawn and dusk . their diet is more diverse in summer than in winter . young - of - year fish feed primarily on small crustaceans found on plants and in the substrate . juvenile perch in clear lake were found to feed mostly on copepods and later
the sacramento perch fishery is undeveloped , but those anglers who have done their homework to find these fish during late spring and early summer are often rewarded with lots of fish . because these fish compete with the trout for available forage , the tribal council has recently approved dropping the bag limit .
. these assembly areas may also have submerged roots , rock piles , and sticks . male fish begin defending territories along shore where they create shallow nests . they vehemently defend their space until the arrival of a female perch , at which time they begin courting . the male and female perch release eggs and milt simultaneously , and upon completion the female perch abandons the nest . females spawn with multiple males , producing a total of about 8 , 400 - 125 , 000 eggs . egg production varies with body size . male perch guard their nests and the embryos for several days . the emergent larvae are
the sacramento perch wasn ' t picky about that habitat . in addition to the streams of the delta and central valley , archoplites once thrived in the salinas and pajaro rivers in the monterey bay area , as well as in clear lake . though the perch did swim in clear , swift - flowing water , it seemed to prefer the other kind : stagnant pools and side - channels , sloughs viscid with algae , ponds choked with emergent vegetation .
sacramento perch , juvenile ( 5 months old ) . crowley lake strain , reared at contra costa mosquito & vector control district , ca . fl = 131 mm . photographed on 11 / 19 / 09 by chris miller , ccmvcd . note : this fish is a cannibal and grew very fast .
range : sacramento , san joaquin , pajaro , and salinas rivers and clear lake , california . introduced in utah , nevada , oregon , and california .
if any fish native to the delta seemed tailor - made to withstand the drought , it would have to be the sacramento perch . tolerant of a wide range of water quality , the perch can thrive in clear , cold water or warm water so stagnant and thick with algae it would choke a cow . it can survive in slightly brackish water , in water contaminated by runoff , and in muddy ponds only a few inches deep : perfect for the drought - era delta .
comments : opportunistic ; diet mainly benthic insect larvae , snails , mid - water insects , zooplankton , and fishes ( moyle et al . 1989 ) . young feed mainly on small crustaceans , but as they grow sacramento perch consume more aquatic insects larvae and pupae . large adults feed mainly on other fishes when available .
and as with just about every other species of fish - - and species of not - fish - - native to the delta , our massive reengineering of the region ' s waterworks plays a role as well . there are fewer stagnant sloughs with fringing , seasonally flooded wetlands in which the sacramento perch can spawn and grow .
the sacramento perch ' s native habitat is in sluggish , vegetated waters of sloughs and lakes . it can reach a maximum overall length of 61 cm ( 24 in ) and a maximum weight of 3 . 6 kg ( 7 . 9 lb ) , and it has been reported to live as long as six years .
schulz pd ( 1994 ) fish remains from yol - 182 : a prehistoric village in the lower sacramento valley . brienes , west and schulz , davis , ca
sacramento perch can be considered reproductive deviants in the centrarchid world . they become sexually mature by their second or third year and spawn during late may and early june when water conditions needed for egg development are at their best . the deviant part comes when the males ignore the standard pattern for eastern sunfish ; they don ' t bother to build a nest for the female to lay the eggs in . instead , several males converge near heavily vegetated shallow areas near favorable spawning sites . then each male stakes out a chosen territory for a female to lay eggs in . during the spawning act , the females simply scatter eggs over the territory as the male fertilizes them . some researchers have observed the sacramento perch vigorously guarding the eggs from potential predators , while others have noted little or no post - spawning care of the eggs . in the evolutionary absence of other , competing centrarchid species in california , the sacramento perch probably had no need to develop the complex nest - guarding behavior that sunfishes perform .
male sacramento perch are negligent fathers , at least by sunfish family standards . perhaps because they went at least 5 . 3 million years without competition from other sunfishes for nest sites , male perch don ' t guard their nests after the eggs hatch , leaving their larvae vulnerable to predation . they ' re also pretty easy to chase off their nests before the eggs hatch . ( to be fair in this application of human standards to fish childrearing practices , the females leave the nests immediately after spawning . )
sacramento - - san joaquin , pajaro , and salinas river drainages , and clear lake in lake county , california ( moyle 1976a ; page and burr 1991 ) .
as is so often the case with common names , the sacramento perch isn ' t actually a true perch . known to science as archoplites interruptus , it ' s a member of the sunfish family , centrarchidae , along with bluegills and largemouth bass . in fact , it ' s the only member of that family native to north america west of the rocky mountains , and has evolved without having to compete with other members of the sunfish family for food or habitat , perhaps since the miocene epoch , which ended 5 . 3 million years ago .
the sacramento perch is the only member of the family centrarchidae that naturally occurs west of the rocky mountains . evolving in isolation from the sunfish of the eastern united states , it kept the more primitive body form that closely resembles its fossilized forbears ' body plans . in the california that existed before the europeans arrived , these fish inhabited the sloughs , slow - water rivers , and small lakes of the central valley , as well as clear lake in lake county and the paiaro and salinas rivers . the sacramento perch evolved as one of the top piscivores ( fish - eaters ) in fish communities rich with prey , and in the past could be found in abundance throughout central valley waterways . for native californians , it served as a staple food fish , and , before game fish from the eastern united states were introduced into the state ' s waters in the late 1800 ' s , the sacramento perch was a primary food fish for the early settlers . variable water quality due to alternating periods of flooding and drought in california habitats selected for the ability of this fish to withstand extreme salinities , temperatures , and alkalinities that exclude other fish , including introduced centrarchids .
reasons : formerly widely distributed and common in much of california ; now restricted to just a couple remaining native populations in california , which are small but persistent ; native habitat is dominated by introduced species , which threaten sacramento perch through competition and predation ; reasonably secure in several watersheds outside native range . based on native populations , rank would be g1 ( g2g3 if introduced populations are considered ) .
the sacramento perch , archoplites interruptus , is the only sunfish native to the western united states , where it was historically found in northern and central california . only one native population of the species , located in clear lake , california , currently exists , however . the species is not native to utah , but it has been introduced to several reservoirs in the northern and western parts of the state , including pruess lake .
usually , the perch don’t come out to play until the summer months . but locals started catching them soon after trout season opened more than two weeks ago , and the bite has been as wide open as the trout .
an explanatory series focusing on one of the most complex issues facing california : water sharing . and at its core is the sacramento - san joaquin bay delta . stay with urltoken for all the project ' s stories .
the sacramento perch is different in several ways from other centrarchids . it takes advantage of different food resources during its life cycle instead of specializing in one certain feeding niche . feeding takes place at any time of the day , with peaks in the dusk and dawn hours . the adults are piscivorous , stalking their prey until they are close enough to inhale it by rapidly expanding their buccal cavities . they are most successful in habitats were they can take on the role of top predator . when stocked in small lakes and ponds , adults continue to feed on aquatic insects when small fish and crustaceans are scarce . nevertheless , sacramento perch will feed opportunistically when presented with an abundance of any type of food such as waterboatmen , aquatic beetles , or small fish . young fish feed primarily on small bottom or plant - dwelling crustaceans and move to larger insect larvae as they grow . extensive beds of emergent aquatic vegetation are important in providing food and cover for the young .
management requirements : management needed : maintain remaining genetic diversity ( moyle 2002 ) . propagate these fishes in ponds near clear lake and restock the lake with juveniles and adults . see recovery plan for sacramento - san joaquin delta native fishes ( usfws 1995 ) .
shore / boat fishermen can do well using light fly fishing gear , or 6 to 7 ft spinning tackle with 4 pound test line or less . the best lures include plastic minnows , tube baits , spinners , small jigs , and small streamers . the perch can be selective , so try different colored lures ( jigs ) until the bite is on . work lures in or around tufa rocks or off the bottom around submerged tufa rocks for best results . pyramid lake regulations : season is open year round for sacramento perch , from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset . there are no set possession limits for these non - native fish , which can compete with smaller native pyramid lake fish for the same food sources . only artificial lures with barbless hooks allowed when fishing in pyramid lake .
feeding can take place at any time of the day , with dusk and dawn hours being peak feeding periods . adult perch are mostly piscivorous ( fish eaters ) . however they are opportunistic , feeding on prey like amphipods , beetles , caddisflies , dragonfly / damselfly nymphs , or larger zooplankton ( daphnia , etc ) . during the day , they tend to hang in and around submerged tufa rocks off shore , or near shore tufa rocks ( or other structures ) . tufa rocks are ideal places for perch to set up where they can ambush tui chub minnows or other prey .
syntype ; paralectotype for archoplites interruptus catalog number : usnm 280 collection : smithsonian institution , national museum of natural history , department of vertebrate zoology , division of fishes collector ( s ) : a . whipple locality : sacramento river san francisco , cal . , san francisco county , california , united states , north america
management needed : maintain remaining genetic diversity ( moyle 2002 ) . propagate these fishes in ponds near clear lake and restock the lake with juveniles and adults . see recovery plan for sacramento - san joaquin delta native fishes ( usfws 1995 ) . review distribution and status at least once every 10 years ( moyle 2002 ) .
the perch spawn in loose schools , likely due less to any innate gregariousness than to multiple fish finding a location favorable . unlike other sunfish family members , the males don ' t spend time preparing a nest . instead , females lay their eggs in a likely patch of submerged , vegetated silt and one or more males will fertilize the eggs .
the sacramento perch is only native centrarchid west of the rocky mountains . it was originally widely distributed throughout the sacramento - san joaquin drainage , in the pajaro and salinas rivers , and in clear lake ( lake county ) , california ( moyle 2002 ) . persisting native populations exist in clear lake ( small population ) and alameda creek ( in gravel pit ponds adjacent to the creek and in calaveras reservoir ) ( moyle 2002 ) . however , the species has been introduced in other locations within the native range ( often upstream of native habitats ) ( moyle 2002 ) , and in several areas outside the native range in california , including the upper klamath basin ( california and oregon ) , pit river watershed , walker river watershed , mono lake watershed , and owens river watershed ; it may also persist in sonoma reservoir ( moyle 2002 ) . the species has been introduced and currently is established in nevada ( several drainages ) and utah ( garrison reservoir ) ( moyle 2002 ) . introduced populations in several other states apparently no longer exist ( moyle 2002 ) .
global range : ( 1000 - 5000 square km ( about 400 - 2000 square miles ) ) the sacramento perch is only native centrarchid west of the rocky mountains . it was originally widely distributed throughout the sacramento - san joaquin drainage , in the pajaro and salinas rivers , and in clear lake ( lake county ) , california ( moyle 2002 ) . persisting native populations exist in clear lake ( small population ) and alameda creek ( in gravel pit ponds adjacent to the creek and in calaveras reservoir ) ( moyle 2002 ) . however , the species has been introduced in other locations within the native range ( often upstream of native habitats ) ( moyle 2002 ) , and in several areas outside the native range in california , including the upper klamath basin ( california and oregon ) , pit river watershed , walker river watershed , mono lake watershed , and owens river watershed ; it may also persist in sonoma reservoir ( moyle 2002 ) . the species has been introduced and currently is established in nevada ( several drainages ) and utah ( garrison reservoir ) ( moyle 2002 ) . introduced populations in several other states apparently no longer exist ( moyle 2002 ) .
after reading ray katula ' s excellent article on the demise of some of california ' s native fishes (
eulogy for the san joaquin river ,
winter , 1993 ) , i thought i might try to continue the focus on california ' s finned fauna by highlighting one of the native species mentioned in that article , the sacramento perch . some of the information presented here was gleaned from an ichthyology class i took at cal state hayward under the guidance of one of my favorite professors , dr , sam mcginnes . the dearth of native california species inhabiting state waterways is a sad testament to the tremendous adaptive success of the many introduced non - native fish species in the state . after about nine weeks of seining a wide range of aquatic habitats in central california , our class ' nets brought up very few native species . ray katula isn ' t the only one with bad luck when it comes to fishing for california natives .
the conservation of the tricolored blackbird is a matter of increasing concern owing to population declines , and because the species ' habit of nesting in large colonies make it more vulnerable to nest failures that can affect thousands of nests at a single colony . studies in the 1970s reported that the overall population was greatly reduced from that observed during the 1930s . more recently , intensive population surveys in california identified a decline of 37 % between 1994 and 1997 , and a 63 % decline between 2008 and 2014 , followed by an increase of 22 % in 2017 . historically , this species was harvested as food for miners and residents of urban areas , and shooting by farmers attempting to reduce damage to rice and other grain crops in the sacramento valley has been documented since 2007 ( rjm , personal observation ) . the tricolored blackbird has experienced high annual breeding losses due to crop - harvesting activities ( except in 2016 ) and insufficient insect resources , and habitat loss resulting from conversion of rangeland to vineyards , nut orchards , other agricultural crops , and urban development .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
the only living member of the genus ; the most
primitive
living member of the centrarchidae ( lee et al . 1980 ) .
justification : this species is listed as endangered because remaining native extent of occurrence is less than 5 , 000 square kilometres , native area of occupancy is less than 500 square kilometres , only two native locations remain , distribution is severely fragmented , and habitat quality is likely to be declining .
this species is represented by only a couple of remaining native populations , plus several introduced populations . that may be reasonably secure ( moyle 2002 ) . most introduced pond and reservoir populations are not expected to persist over the long term because of changing conditions ( moyle 2002 ) . historically this fish was quite abundant . remaining native populations are small . no reliable population estimates are available . this species has been eliminated from more than 90 percent of the native range over the long term . only two native populations are maintaining themselves ( tenuously ) ; of the introduced populations , those in the upper klamath watershed , pyramid lake ( nevada ) , lower walker river , and owens river are reasonably secure ; most pond and reservoir populations will not persist indefinitely ( moyle 2002 ) .
native habitat included sloughs , sluggish rivers , and lakes with beds of rooted and emergent vegetation ; now this fish is found mostly in warm , turbid , moderately alkaline reservoirs or farm ponds , generally where other centrarchids are absent ( moyle 2002 ) . this fish is tolerant of a wide range in water turbity , temperature , salinity , and alkalinity , and large populations may occur in shallow , turbid reservoirs with no aquatic plants ( moyle 2002 ) . in moderately clear water , young stay in or close to submerged vegetation in shallow areas ( moyle 2002 ) . prior to spawning , males establish small territories in shallow areas ( 20 - 75 cm ) heavily vegetated with aquatic macrophytes , filamentous algae , or other cover ( moyle 2002 ) . eggs are deposited in shallow depressions constructed by males ( moyle 2002 ) .
formerly this fish was widespread and abundant in california , but the population declined rapidly probably due to factors such as habitat destruction , egg predation by non - native fishes , and interspecific competition with introduced centrarchids , especially black crappie ; competition may be the most important cause of the decline ( moyle 1976 , 2002 ) . most introduced populations are isolated and vulnerable to genetic bottlenecks and extirpation .
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deep bodied ( depth up to 2 . 5 times sl ) , laterally compressed , max . 61 cm tl ( 3 . 6 kg )
please note , watersheds are at the usgs 8 - digit hydrologic unit code ( huc ) scale , so they often include a lot of sub - watersheds . if a species occurs in any sub - watershed within the huc , the species appears within the huc . link to an epa page that shows hucs .
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the nonindigenous occurrences section of the nas species profiles has a new structure . the section is now dynamically updated from the nas database to ensure that it contains the most current and accurate information . occurrences are summarized in table 1 , alphabetically by state , with years of earliest and most recent observations , and the tally and names of drainages where the species was observed . the table contains hyperlinks to collections tables of specimens based on the states , years , and drainages selected . references to specimens that were not obtained through sighting reports and personal communications are found through the hyperlink in the table 1 caption or through the individual specimens linked in the collections tables .
moyle ( 1976a ) ; sigler and sigler ( 1987 ) ; page and burr ( 1991 ) .
table 1 . states with nonindigenous occurrences , the earliest and latest observations in each state , and the tally and names of hucs with observations† . names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records . the list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of archoplites interruptus are found here .
according to mccarraher and gregory ( 1970 ) , survival has been poor in most states . small numbers still persist in private lakes near fort collins , colorado ( walker 1993 ) . no longer present in walker lake , nevada ( sigler and sigler 1987 ) . probably extirpated in arizona . it was known to have reproduced at least once in that state after its introduction in 1968 ( minckley 1973 ) . extirpated in new mexico ( sublette et al . 1990 ) .
this is the only native centrarchid west of the rockies . it is declining in its native range due to competition with introduced species ( moore 1968 ; mccarraher and gregory 1970 ; minckley 1973 ) .
' s warm water fishing with public access . [ online ] . url at urltoken
rasmussen , j . l . 1998 . aquatic nuisance species of the mississippi river basin . 60th midwest fish and wildlife conference , aquatic nuisance species symposium , dec . 7 , 1998 , cincinnati , oh .
tilmant , j . t . 1999 . management of nonindigenous aquatic fish in the u . s . national park system . national park service . 50 pp .
u . s . fish and wildlife service . 1993 . lost river ( deltistes luxatus ) and shortnose ( chamistes brevirostris ) sucker recovery plan . u . s . fish and wildlife service , portland , oregon .
fuller , p . , 2018 , archoplites interruptus ( girard , 1854 ) : u . s . geological survey , nonindigenous aquatic species database , gainesville , fl , urltoken revision date : 4 / 11 / 2006 , peer review date : 4 / 1 / 2016 , access date : 7 / 9 / 2018
this information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision . it is being provided to meet the need for timely best science . the information has not received final approval by the u . s . geological survey ( usgs ) and is provided on the condition that neither the usgs nor the u . s . government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information .
the data represented on this site vary in accuracy , scale , completeness , extent of coverage and origin . it is the user ' s responsibility to use these data consistent with their intended purpose and within stated limitations . we highly recommend reviewing metadata files prior to interpreting these data .
citation information : u . s . geological survey . [ 2018 ] . nonindigenous aquatic species database . gainesville , florida . accessed [ 7 / 9 / 2018 ] .
contact us if you are using data from this site for a publication to make sure the data are being used appropriately and for potential co - authorship if warranted . for queries involving fish , please contact pam fuller . for queries involving invertebrates , contact amy benson .
greek , archo = anus + greek , hoplites = long shield ( ref . 45335 )
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 73 . 0 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 5723 ) ; common length : 30 . 0 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 12193 ) ; max . published weight : 1 . 4 kg ( ref . 40637 ) ; max . reported age : 9 years ( ref . 72491 )
adults occur in vegetated sloughs , pools of sluggish rivers and lakes ; now most common in ponds and impoundments ( ref . 5723 ) .
page , l . m . and b . m . burr , 1991 . a field guide to freshwater fishes of north america north of mexico . houghton mifflin company , boston . 432 p . ( ref . 5723 )
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 1 . 0000 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01259 ( 0 . 00749 - 0 . 02115 ) , b = 3 . 05 ( 2 . 90 - 3 . 20 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this species & ( sub ) family - body ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 6 ±0 . 5 se ; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : medium , minimum population doubling time 1 . 4 - 4 . 4 years ( tmax = 6 ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : high vulnerability ( 60 of 100 ) .
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pyramid lake fisheries , 603 sutcliffe dr . , sutcliffe , nevada 89510 ph : 775 - 476 - 0500 fax : 775 - 476 - 0558
when a young man is found dead in a bookshop at the eastern market , phryne fisher is plunged into the diverse worlds of jewish politics , alchemy , and poison .
doña teresa makes an offer to andrés he can ' t refuse . alicia asks alaya for help with a mysterious package left for her by benjamin .
the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in california as huell visits the roton rocket , an unsuccessful yet imaginative attempt by a private company to create the first single stage to orbit space vehicle .
hoping to determine the effect of volcanoes on climate change , george heads to the island nation of vanuatu where he rappels into the fiery crater of one of the world’s most active volcanoes .
off the coast of west africa , george heads to a remote volcanic island where a river of molten lava is engulfing a mountain village .
deep in the amazon , george is determined to retrace theodore roosevelt’s legendary expedition and witness first - hand how deforestation and climate change are affecting one of the earth’s most critical ecosystems .
professional storm chaser george kourounis goes on a global adventure , travelling to some of the most dangerous places on earth .
the two - mile pelican bluffs trail has recently opened along the sandstone bluffs of mendocino county .
in this episode , niklas travels by horse sleigh into the mountainous region of roros , where he enjoys the culinary treats and sites that this old mining town has to offer .
we have your guide to the thrills , chills , and spills of the five best county fairs that southern california has to offer .
this episode recounts president eisenhower ' s diplomatic confrontations against the soviet union during the early cold war years , crises prompted by aggressive kremlin - sponsored action around the world .
deportations , assassinations , and dictator nations : a timeline of u . s . intervention in latin america
a timeline of major events in history that have impacted the latino presence in the u . s .
kerry kennedy talks about our current political climate , how one person can make a difference in the world every day and her new book about her father , robert f . kennedy .
in a move that could transform the supreme court for decades , justice anthony kennedy has announced his retirement , giving president trump a chance to pick a second conservative on the high court .
on thursday , attorney general jeff sessions quoted the bible to justify his department’s immigration policies .
the epa is facing a major new scandal after it worked with the white house to bury an alarming federal study detailing widespread chemical contamination of the nation’s water supply .
from the carefree beaches of san diego through the rugged , dramatic coastlines to the north , california has been building a trail , over 1 , 000 miles in length , within sight , sound , or smell of the ocean .
vera is an experienced and brilliant murder investigator in the north east england county of northumberland .
earth focus
is an environmental news magazine that features investigative reports and in - depth stories about our changing environment and how it affects people around the world .
scanning the region , providing seeds of engagement through articles , videos , projects and partners , who are narrating the cultural stories of our region .
artbound
explores and illuminates the cultural issues of our times , providing critical in - depth analysis of how the arts and culture affects our society .
to learn the truth about his sister ' s mysterious disappearance , a young man infiltrates a hotel in the guise of a footman and begins an investigation .
the detroit river , still one of the busiest rivers in the world and a witness to the glory times of american industrialization , today sees desolation and the occasional sunflower field in downtown detroit .
the building closed in 1989 , marking the end of william randolph hearst’s empire in los angeles .
chris clarke was kcet ' s environment editor until july 2017 . he is a veteran environmental journalist and natural history writer . he lives in joshua tree .
but that ' s scant good news . bluegill in particular have been a problem . introduced to california waters in the 19th century , bluegill have spread throughout most of the waters of the state .
the species isn ' t extinct . aside from those farm ponds up and down the length of california , planted populations still survive in several large reservoirs , including the san luis reservoir in merced county , and alkaline lakes such as pyramid lake north of reno , nevada .
for ongoing environmental coverage in march 2017 and afterward , please visit our show earth focus , or browse redefine for historic material . kcet ' s award - winning environment news project redefine ran from july 2012 through february 2017 .
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the threatened delta smelt is famous , but there ' s another smelt in the bay delta whose decline is worrying wildlife partisans .
the splittail was once abundant . now its numbers are dwindling . but it isn ' t protected by either the state or feds .
it used to be so common that trawlers caught it to send to markets . now , it will likely be extinct in a few years . . . if it isn ' t already .
a q & a will immediately follow with star elsie fisher and writer / director bo burnham .
the trump administration has been battling in the courts and on the streets against jurisdictions that call themselves
sanctuaries ,
arguing that they threaten the rule of law and allow criminal immigrants to roam free .
a newspaperman from the 1950s dives into a legend from over 40 years prior , and identifies a manhunt . but history and legend battle each other and make this story a timeless mystery . did willie boy get away ? you decide .
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trout isn’t the only fishing action making news at crowley lake in the eastern sierra these days .
“it’s definitely at least a month early , and it’s probably twice as good as it’s been since i’ve been here , ” said lane garrett , in his fourth year at crowley fish camp .
“a couple of employees went out this morning and caught 63 in two hours . ”
marlon meade , a mini - jig specialist from anaheim , has been among the locals finding excellent action on the silver slabs for three months .
travis bozman , 32 , of orange discovered the crappie bite in mid - february while trout fishing and has been into the popular panfish since .
it was slower than usual saturday with he and his son scout , 4 , ending up with 12 . but most of the time , limits of 25 have been the norm , though he only keeps 10 .