Favorite
Misfits
The animals that
I have included in this section are unlikely heroes. They are
often maligned by the general masses because they are considered
to be a nuisance or just plain ugly. But a closer look reveals
creatures that are quite useful and unique. It is hard not to
admire any animal whose adaptations are so perfected that they
thrive in this difficult world we have left for them. The species
that follow are a few of my personal favorites. I hope to help
people see the positive side of these unpopular creatures.
Andean Condor
Male Condor (left)
and Female (right)
I sometimes wonder
if I have an affinity for the ugly. Or, perhaps there is no such
thing as ugly. In nature, I believe the latter is true.
The Andean Condor
is the largest vulture species in the world with a wingspan stretching
nearly eleven feet across. These magnificent raptors can effortlessly
coast on supersonic thermals at 15,000 feet. Like all vultures
they possess the ability to digest carrion well past the edible
stages for any other bird or mammal. It is a worthy investment
of human medicine to study and understand the elements within
the digestive systems of all the vulture species that can kill
bacteria at such elevated levels. If this ability could be emulated
in human medicine, the possibilities for curing bacterial infections
would be limitless.
The male Andean
Condor differs in appearance from the female. Similar in size
he has a paler skin color on his head and neck and sports a fancy
adornment on his face. His eyes are hazel in color in contrast
to the females which are red. Both are alert and very watchful.
The Andean Condor is every inch a quintessential sharp eyed raptor.
Female Andean Condor
The California condor
may owe its come back from the brink of extinction in part to
the Andean Condor. The Condor Recovery Team first used the slightly
more abundant Andean Condor to learn how to breed and raise the
species in captivity. Release programs were successful with the
Andean Condor which set the California condor up with a renewed
hope for survival in the future. With numbers of California condor
critically low, risks could be more easily taken with its larger
cousin. The knowledge gained in these early experiments with
the Andean Condor was the critical link for the survival of a
related species.
The Coyote
Being a canid lover
I could not omit the Coyote from this list of favorites:
An arid valley high
in the Rockies can look at first glance to be lifeless. But a
trained and patient eye can spot life of all kinds there. While
driving through one of these valleys east of Buena Vista, Colorado,
I spotted a coyote trotting through a sage field busying himself
with the dilemmas of his day. Clever, tireless and resourceful,
lazy, irresponsible and frivolous, a coyote always wins the toss
because he is BOTH sides of the coin. The three dimensional character
of this mythic trickster positions him as one of my personal
favorites.
In the farm and
suburban areas of the West and Midwest coyotes thrive. They can
live right under your nose and never be seen. They are often
wrongly accused of taking livestock, but the truth tells a different
tale. Coyotes are fabulous mousers and are not typically effective
at bringing down stock animals of any size. If they are guilty
of anything it is their ability to survive despite rampant persecution.
Few animals in nature can outmatch the coyote’s resourceful
knack for survival.
The Crow
The common crow
is just that, common. But the amazing intelligence of this beautiful,
sleek bird is anything but common. Crows and Ravens have perhaps
the most developed brains of any bird species. I have enjoyed
spending time with a hand raised captive crow and her cleverness
must be experienced to be believed. In her beak she possesses
the dexterity of a surgeon, directed by an extraordinary mind
complex enough to guide that beak into doing amazing things.
I have found that people either
seem to love or hate crows. Very few people are ambivalent about
them. Their harsh, brash calls echo through both wooded areas
and city streets. I get a kick out of the clever ones in my neighborhood
that outmatch the brainpower of some of their human neighbors
while they extract trash out of the most “crow proof” of
cans. With trash strewn all about to the delight of these sleek
smarties, it makes me wonder who has really outsmarted whom.
But with all antics
aside, crows fill a valuable niche in the eco system. They are
a tireless clean up crew for the many unfortunate animals whose
lives have been cut short by automobiles. They help to keep songbird
populations in check. They heckle Great Horned Owls mercilessly,
awaking the entire woods to the owl’s presence. And most
importantly, they add color and dimension to our wild world which
just wouldn’t be the same without them.
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