Dispatches from the Forest

Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes and greenback cutthroat trout in the news, and a weird rumor about groundhogs - find out what's been on my mind in this episode of Dirt Dispatches!
 
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For being the smallest members of the  weasel family, Least weasels are heavy metal bad-asses!  Even ancient people thought so - some of the myths around them lean into their reputation for punching above their weight class.  Learn more about these intense little mustelids on this episode of the podcast!
 
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Swainson's hawks have been described as "a classic species of the open country of the Great Plains and the West".  But this is no ordinary raptor - Swainson's hawks are amazing and unique among hawks.  Learn more on this Dirt Dispatch!
 
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Dragonflies and damselflies are one of my favorite insects, but I think that we don't really give them too much thought.  But I think they deserve more love.  I mean first of all, they eat a lot of insects like mosquitos - both as adults and as larvae - but secondly, the adult form that we see flying around is the end of their life cycle.  By the time we see them, they're on a short timer.  Learn more about these amazing insects on this episode of the Dispatches from the Forest Podcast.
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I was recently gifted a book from the Michigan Depart of Natural Resources that was published in 1972.  Tune in to hear what the Michigan Department of Natural Resources had to say about Opossums 50+ years ago - you won't be disappointed!
 
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Giraffes are the tallest terrestrial animal and largest ruminant on the planet.  But what the heck are ossicones?  And what does "necking" mean when it comes to giraffes?  Find out all this and more on this episode of the Dispatches from the Forest Podcast!
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Prairie dogs are a keystone species - as a source of denning and nesting sites, regenerating soil, and as food.  And when plague comes to town, it can wipe out 98% of a colony in a matter of weeks.   And there's no species more dependent on Prairie dogs than the critically endangered Black-footed ferret.  Tune in to learn how scientists are using drone technology to combat plague in Prairie dogs in order to save Black-footed ferrets.
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A bird that was born to run, the Greater Roadrunner is faster than a human, eats scorpions and rattlesnakes and survives in the harsh desert landscapes of the southwest United States and Mexico.  Learn more about this bas-ass avian on this episode of the Dispatches from the Forest Podcast!
Support the podcast!
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