Eskimo Curlew

Never heard of the eskimo curlew? Perhaps the reason is that it is only here during their spring and fall migrations. Maybe the reason you have not seen this beautiful bird is because it is nearly extinct. This speckled bird has various habitats. They range from grasslands and pastures to marshes and mud flats. The eskimo curlew feeds mainly on grasshoppers and other small insects.

This bird has been enlisted as endangered since 1967. The main endangerment to this bird is habitat loss. They use their habitat here in South Dakota for their nesting time. The nests are on the bare ground, not in a tree like most birds. Another major endangerment to this animal is hunting.

The Marten

People rarely ever see the Marten, due to its extreme shyness and hiding in dense forests. Marten are not well known, even though they are very active on the ground. The Marten is a carnivore and feeds on small prey, such as mice and squirrels. They have slender bodies and a bushy tail, almost like the squirrel, but with the body of a fox. They have small paws with retractable claws. The fur of these animals used to be very valuable in the Middle Ages.

 

 

The Marten has really dense fur, which is the main reason this animal is endangered. Hunters trap the mammal to take just the fur. With trees being constantly cut down or dying, it is causing the Marten to lose it's habitat. In 1980, this animal was reintroduced to the Black Hills and the breeding became successful. Certain areas are being blocked off and trees prohibited from being cut down for the survival of the Marten.

Fringe-Tailed Myotis

The Fringe-Tailed Myotis is a bat and very rare, for I have not heard of this bat before. Myotis means mouse-eared, which is the main characteristic of the bat. The Fringe-Tailed Myotis also has reddish-brown hair with being more pale underneath. Being September, the bats are preparing for hibernation, by using their wings as a blanket, and will become more active again when may arrives.

This bat is located in Caves in the southern Black Hills. The main reason this bat is endangered is from people killing them out of fear. Many people do not realize how important bats are to the world. The bat also has an unusually slow reproductive rate and is limited to geographic regions, which does not help the endangerment of this mammal. Posting and restricting access to caves where they live is the majority of steps taken to help remove the Fringe-Tailed Myotis from the endangered animals list.

Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

This wildlife sanctuary is made to be a permanent home for unwanted, neglected and abused animals. The sanctuary covers about 200 acres of forested land. It is home to more than 300 animals with more than 40 different species.These animals include bears, domestic animals such as dogs, farm animals, mountain lions, ducks and parrots.

The Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary only source of income to help the animals is from tour fees, donation from local businesses and a volunteer veterinary. Their programs include Education and Demonstration tours, outdoor learning center, National Forest clean-up and various animal education. The sanctuary's next event is Family Fun Day on September 22, 2012. The cost per adult is $15, senior $10, college students $10, youth $7 and free for 3 and under children.

The Black Bear

An endangered animal is one who is so limit in numbers that the animal is at risk of extinction. An animal in the Black Hills that few known as endangered is the Black Bear. This animal is endangered because people felt the bear was a threat and hunted them. A bear's habitat is mainly a forest, but people cut down trees and this destroys their habitat. The bears then run away and have no place to live.

The Black bear is on average about five five feet long, two-three feet in height and 270 pounds, with males being larger then females. The average lifespan of the Black bear is ten years. Being omnivores, it is accustomed to eating grass, berries and nuts and when scarce, they eat small animals and fish, making the Black Hills an ideal place for the bear. The Black Bear's fur is commonly black, although it can come in other colors such as brown and blonde.

First Post!

This blog will be about the endangered animals located in the Black Hills. This will include where the animals are located such as the Parrot Sanctuary and the Wildlife Sanctuary. The blog will tell of why the animal is there and the characteristics of the animal.