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.