how old? lifespans and aging in wildlife 14...so those are the reasons why we [re talking about...

How Old? Lifespans and Aging in Wildlife

Wildlife Center Classroom Series How Old? Lifespans and Aging in Wildlife

Wednesday, September 10, 2014 Comment From Melinda in NC Ready for class!!

Comment From Jakermo♥ ( *)> HI Raina. Hope class is great. Will have to scroll back.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Ok, ready?

Comment From BarbG ready

Comment From sue in Maine hi Raina! ready for class.

Comment From Melinda in NC Yes!!!

Comment From MH in SC Present and accounted for

Raina Krasner, WCV: Excellent!

Comment From David in VA. Hi Raina, Happy Wednesday..

Comment From CarolinaGirl Here and ready! Looking forward to this class. I might even have a question or two!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Great ... I'm hoping for questions.

Raina Krasner, WCV: I'm a little disappointed because, as you might know, it's traditional for us to switch our avatar for class ... but the module is being a little finicky, so mine will have to stay for now. We'll try later.


Raina Krasner, WCV: Ok.

Comment From Elaine-VB VA Ready!

Comment From Kathryn in Mi Ready and waiting.

Comment From Pat, NJ Ready!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Welcome to the September Wildlife Center Classroom Series! Raina Krasner, WCV: This month, we’re focusing on the topic of lifespans and aging in wildlife. There are a few reasons why I chose this topic … Raina Krasner, WCV: 1. A few months ago, Amanda asked for class topic suggestions from everyone on the moderated discussion. One of the suggestions was asking about longevity and ages of our animals. We couldn’t remember who it was who suggested that

topic, but if it was you and you’re here, let me know! I’ll totally give you credit. Raina Krasner, WCV: Honestly, at first I thought we’d never have enough material to create an entire class … but the idea stuck with me, and I thought it about it for a while before deciding to take on the topic. I thought it could be really interesting because …

Raina Krasner, WCV: 2. … “How old?” is definitely the most popular question I’m asked about our education animals and patients. Mostly, it’s children who really want to know how old an animal is and how long it will live. I cringe a little bit when I get to Jaz the

American Crow’s enclosure and I tell children that she is 21 years old … and they all say “Wow, she’s so old!” because …. Raina Krasner, WCV: 3. … my birthday is this weekend! September 13. Super excited. I already got a really awesome gift from a member of Critter Nation (thanks Lydia!) and my birthday is off to a great start. What better way to celebrate my birthday than talking

about the ages of wild animals? Really, I can’t think of a better way. Raina Krasner, WCV: So those are the reasons why we’re talking about lifespans and aging in wildlife today. Let’s get started!

Comment From Lois- Bath, NY Hi Raina, ready for some learning here today.

Comment From David in VA. My birthday is Friday Sept 12..

Raina Krasner, WCV: Hey! Very cool. Raina Krasner, WCV: Obviously there is A LOT of information around the lifespans of various wild animals. Age ranges vary greatly from different species of songbirds to amphibians to mammals and beyond.


Raina Krasner, WCV: Even within individual species, there are extremes.

Raina Krasner, WCV: We should probably start with the most obvious question ... so let’s talk about “how old” a few different animals can live to be.

Raina Krasner, WCV: I found some pretty interesting accounts of animals that lived record numbers of years, and I thought I’d share them with you!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Some of these are likely unique scenarios, extremes, anomalies … but it’s pretty fascinating!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Here are a couple of the lists and articles I came across:

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070619/full/news070618-6.html http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130730-aging-animals-fish-cats-science-primate-oldest-animal-clam/ http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/02/04/6-of-the-worlds-longest-lived-animals/

Raina Krasner, WCV: I’m not going to look at individual animals (because I could just talk about this forever) but there a lot of really long-lived animals, and interesting stories about how people determined their age. Raina Krasner, WCV: Some of the more famous animals included a flamingo that lived to be 83 years old ...a whale that was discovered to have a very old harpoon stuck near its blowhole ... an immortal jellyfish (seriously, it basically doesn’t die!) ... and clam that was

reported more than 500 years old. Raina Krasner, WCV: One of the most interesting animals in my opinion is Jonathan the Giant Tortoise. I first heard about Jonathan when this photo popped up during an internet search.

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070619/full/news070618-6.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130730-aging-animals-fish-cats-science-primate-oldest-animal-clam/

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/02/04/6-of-the-worlds-longest-lived-animals/


http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/

Comment From tinksmom/MO Wow! He is huge.

Comment From Pat, NJ Was he from the Galapogos

Raina Krasner, WCV: Not quite. Raina Krasner, WCV: He's from St Helena, an island off the west coast of Africa.

Comment From Pat, NJ Oh, I see now, the Seychelles

Raina Krasner, WCV: Yup!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Um, obviously that picture is pretty old – and I was shocked to learn that the tortoise in the photo – Jonathan – is allegedly still alive. I say “allegedly” because there is some deep speculation about the turtle’s true age.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Jonathan is believed to be 182 years old – well past the typical 150 year lifespan of a Seychelles Giant Tortoise.

http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/


Raina Krasner, WCV: I'll let that sink in for a minute.

Comment From Guest hope they taking good care till the end wow

Raina Krasner, WCV: You can read more about Jonathan here.

http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/378/+year-old+Seychelles+giant+tortoise+still+going+strong++meet+Jonathan,+the+worlds+oldest+animal

Raina Krasner, WCV: And learn about his skeptics here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7802301.stm

Raina Krasner, WCV: I thought Jonathan would be a good example of the difficulties surrounding the aging of animals. Raina Krasner, WCV: Record keeping for very old animals if often spotty at best, so it’s understandable that there are skeptics.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Keep that in mind when you hear about drastically long-lived animals. Raina Krasner, WCV: In the past, people would carve dates into the shells of box turtles they found. We now know this is rather cruel, but it was a form of crude “citizen science” – people were basically conducting research about turtle ages. They realized that the

same turtle (or what they thought was the same turtle) seemed to be around for many years, and this was their way of tracking that information.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7802301.stm


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140224/Turtle-boys-initials-carved-shell-father-47-years-later-backyard.html

Raina Krasner, WCV: The date on the shell says 1965. You can read more about the turtle in the link below the photo.

Comment From tinksmom/MO :(

Comment From Guest thats cruel

Raina Krasner, WCV: Yea, it probably felt pretty awful. But remember, a lof of people didn't (and still don't) know that turtle shell is made of bone.

Comment From CarolinaGirl Hope we have gotten past that form of ID!

Raina Krasner, WCV: I think it still pops up occasionally, but it was really very popular many years ago.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Because turtles and tortoises are well-known for having long lifespans, I chose Emma the Russian tortoise for the advertisement for this class. Look at her sweet face!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140224/Turtle-boys-initials-carved-shell-father-47-years-later-backyard.html


Raina Krasner, WCV: We don’t know how old Emma is, but some scientists have determined ways to age certain species of turtles by looking at their scutes – the plate on the turtle’s shell. They claim that the rings on the turtle’s scute is akin to rings in a tree trunk.

Comment From CarolinaGirl She is beautiful!

Comment From julia phx az awww wilson too has a cute face too

Raina Krasner, WCV: :) Raina Krasner, WCV: But this method of aging is not always accurate or reliable, and it hasn’t been used on all species of turtles. We love Emma no matter what age she is, so no worries here.

Raina Krasner, WCV: BUT … I’m going to address the question I know that everyone is dying to ask. How long COULD she live? In theory, Emma could live to be more than 40 years old.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Based on her size, we know that Emma was an adult when she came to us, but it’s still difficult to estimate her age. She could be 20 or 30 or 40 …


Comment From Pat, NJ Probably even longer than that in your care.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Perhaps!

Raina Krasner, WCV: That’s a decent lifespan for a little tortoise, but some animals have relatively short lifespans.

Comment From CarolinaGirl Let's go with 20!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Ha! Maybe!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Looking at the other end of the lifespan-spectrum ... I found a few animals that were especially interesting with relatively shorter lifespans.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/multimedia/photos/a-common-octopus-octopus-vulg/

Raina Krasner, WCV: The Common Octopus lives only one to two years in the wild, according to National Geographic.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/multimedia/photos/a-common-octopus-octopus-vulg/


http://www.worldwildlife.org/photos/sumatran-tiger--5

Raina Krasner, WCV: Surprisingly, Tigers have relatively short lifespans for an animal of their size. On average, a tiger will live eight to ten years in the wild:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Panthera_tigris/#lifespan_longevity

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Canis_lupus/

http://www.worldwildlife.org/photos/sumatran-tiger--5

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Panthera_tigris/#lifespan_longevity

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Canis_lupus/


Raina Krasner, WCV: Some of you might know that my favorite animal is the wolf, specifically the Gray Wolf. The average lifespan of the Gray Wolf is about five to eight years in the wild (depending on region), although they may live into their mid-teens.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Generally speaking, larger animals have longer lifespans., but we know that’s not a hard and fast rule. Raina Krasner, WCV: (oh hey, my avatar is changed!)

Raina Krasner, WCV: Texas Parks and Wildlife’s website says, “The wild lion’s age compares with that of a domestic cat; larger breeds of dogs have shorter life spans than smaller ones; and a Shetland pony can outlive a regular horse. However, larger animals, as a

rule, do live longer in the wild than smaller ones. One reason for this is that more dangers face the smaller creatures.” A small animal is more likely to be injured or killed by a moving vehicle or caught by a hungry predator than a larger animal. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/nonpwdpubs/young_naturalist/animals/animal_life_spans/

Raina Krasner, WCV: For some animals, there has been a great deal of research around their lifespans, but not all animals. Raina Krasner, WCV: Many species of migratory birds are banded when possible so researches can learn more about them. Some of this information is displayed in this online database. You can look up birds of different species and see the general age ranges.

http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBl/longevity/longevity_main.cfm Comment From rejoyce What is Buddy's expected life span?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Well, let's make this a little game ... use the database there to make a guess! Raina Krasner, WCV: You can look up the lifespan of several wild bald eagles in the database, and after I give you some more information, you can give us your guess rejoyce!

Raina Krasner, WCV: It's like homework.

Comment From Pat, NJ Without looking, I'd say 25/30 years.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Perhaps, perhaps. Raina Krasner, WCV: As far as I could tell, there wasn’t anything as comprehensive for mammals (Bird Nerds are so organized). And reptiles are truly challenging, as we discussed earlier – record keeping over a span of 100+ years can be difficult.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/nonpwdpubs/young_naturalist/animals/animal_life_spans/

http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBl/longevity/longevity_main.cfm


Raina Krasner, WCV: I want to quickly discuss the difference between lifespan in captivity versus lifespan in the wild.

Comment From CarolinaGirl Are these short lifespans due to too many predators?

Raina Krasner, WCV: CarolinaGirl, I hope that this next section mostly answers your question about lifespans in the wild. Raina Krasner, WCV: Generally speaking, in the wild, animals face many more dangers than they do in captivity. An animal in the wild faces disease, competition for resources, threats from humans and others animals, injury, illness, starvation … wild animals don’t

always have it easy. Raina Krasner, WCV: In captivity, a well-kept wild animal is guaranteed a meal, protection from the elements, and medical attention if needed. They do not have to worry about injury from hunting or fighting off predators, and there is no competition for territory or

resources.

Cages doesn’t just keep animal in – they keep other animals out! Grayson the Broad-winged Hawk

Raina Krasner, WCV: This means that captive wild animals with the appropriate care and habitat – with all of their natural needs met – will typically have a longer lifespan than their free-roaming relatives, with the exception of some species who generally do

poorly in captivity.


Raina Krasner, WCV: Some animals have natural history that does not lend itself well to life in captivity. There has been a great deal of debate recently about whether the needs of very large animals (such as orcas) can be adequately met in captivity. Some research

suggests that these animals face more stress in captivity and have decreased lifespans when cared for in zoos or aquariums.

Raina Krasner, WCV: In other cases, animals may live decreased lifespans in captivity, but scientists aren’t entirely sure of the reasoning. National Geographic reported several years ago about elephants in zoos living significantly shorter lives than wild

elephants. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081211-zoo-elephants.html

Raina Krasner, WCV: The articles states, “For African elephants, the median life span is 17 years for zoo-born females, compared to 56 years in the Amboseli National Park population.” Raina Krasner, WCV: But many animals do alright in captivity and actually have increased chances of long-term survival when cared for by humans.

Comment From Pat, NJ Wow, that is quite as gap.

Raina Krasner, WCV: yes, it is. They are trying to figure out why, but ... still don't know!

Comment From barbb, nj If Buddy hadn't been rescued, his life span would have been very short.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Very true!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Buddy is a good example, as a very specific case. Raina Krasner, WCV: The endangered Giant Panda, on the whole, is a great example as well. They can live to be more than 30 years old in captivity, and while scientists aren’t exactly sure how old a while panda lives, they know it’s significantly less than in

captivity. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/giantpandas/pandafacts/default.cfm

Raina Krasner, WCV: By the way, I'm giving lots of links here, and in the archived class I'll include all the links at the end so you can peek through at your leisure. There's a lot of information that I can't go into in great detail in this short-ish class.

Comment From Pat, NJ I think of our lovely oppossums when it comes to shorter spoans.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081211-zoo-elephants.html

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/giantpandas/pandafacts/default.cfm


Raina Krasner, WCV: Ahh yes. Opossums (who we will talk more about later) can more than double their average lifespan in captivity.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Some animals have very low survivability in the first few years of life. A prime example is the Red-tailed Hawk.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks have it rough. They are lower on the food chain than their adult counterparts – they are less experienced and they often have last pick of hunting territory, especially in the winter months.

Raina Krasner, WCV: A wild Red-tailed Hawk has a really, really slim chance of surviving past its first year. In fact, the mortality rate for Red-tailed Hawks is pretty shocking. Raina Krasner, WCV: The average Red-tailed Hawk will not live to see its third year, but if the bird makes it past those first few years it has a chance of having a long, healthy life. A wild Red-tailed Hawk can live into its twenties.

Comment From sue in Maine Pale Male, a redtailed hawk in NYC is like 29 or 30 yrs old.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Right!


Comment From CarolynSC What a beautiful bird that red-tailed hawk is.

Comment From Lydia, PA ♥ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ♥ Oh, I am late! Just got here..scrolling back!

Raina Krasner, WCV: But bird-banding data pulled together by the late Leonard Soucy of the Raptor Trust in NJ showed that only 31 of the 5,194 recovered birds survived 17 years or more, and only 11 birds lived to be more than 20 years old. That’s less than 1% of the

population reaching their potential maximum lifespan. https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/nabb/v020n01/p0026-p0029.pdf Comment From barbb, nj The links are so interesting and helpful. Its almost like taking another class!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Bird banding gives us great data about avians because it can be very challenging to know a bird’s age unless you know when it was hatched.

Raina Krasner, WCV: When the Center admits a Red-tailed Hawk patient, it’s not possible to identify the age of the bird unless they are in their first year and half.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks have different plumage than adults.

https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/nabb/v020n01/p0026-p0029.pdf


Raina Krasner, WCV: This photo (used to advertise the class) is a photo of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk and an adult.

Who knows which is which??

Comment From MH in SC juvie on right

Comment From CarolinaGirl Juvie on the left side.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Uh oh, already disagreeing!

Comment From Candice VaBch left juvie

Comment From Pat, NJ rightis the adult

Comment From Lois- Bath, NY Juvie on left

Comment From GN Juvie in the middle.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Clever.

Comment From barbb, nj Juvie on the left?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Cool! Yes! The bird on the right is the adult. The juvenile has a barred chest, light eyes, and a longer, brown-and-tan tail.

Comment From Pat, NJ good one GN

Comment From VA Kris Spotted one is the juvie

Raina Krasner, WCV: The adult has darker eyes, pale chest, obvious belly band, and darker back and primary feathers … and of course the signature red tail!

Raina Krasner, WCV: So in this case, it’s pretty easy to tell the different. But do you know HOW OLD the adult Red-tailed Hawk is? Raina Krasner, WCV: Any guesses?


Comment From VA Kris Two at least?

Comment From Pat, NJ Need to check his driver's license.

Raina Krasner, WCV: (you mean pilot's license? :) )

Comment From barbb, nj As old as GN?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Ha. Raina Krasner, WCV: Not quite that old, I'm sure.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Truth is, we don't really know! Except, like VA Kris said, we know he/she was at least two. I'll explain why in a moment.

Comment From MH in SC I guess you could say over 2, because of plummage but without knowing hatch day would be aguess

Raina Krasner, WCV: When it comes to Ruby, our own education Red-tailed Hawk, we’re asked very frequently how much longer she might live, and we can only venture a guess.


Raina Krasner, WCV: We know that Ruby was an adult when she came to us in February 2010, which means she was at least two years old (based on her adult plumage and the typical hatch time for Red-tailed Hawks),. Fast forward four years, and that means

that Ruby is at least six years old right now. But really, she could be anywhere between six and 25!

Comment From MH in SC She is a beauty

Raina Krasner, WCV: When it comes to wild animals, there are a few reliable ways to determine age. Aside from just asking for a birth certificate. :) Raina Krasner, WCV: For some animals, you can look at their fur or teeth or skeletal structure (we’ll talk more about some of this later)… but birds don’t have teeth, they molt many of their feathers each year and grow in brand new ones, and with their scaly legs, it

can be difficult to determine age by looking for wrinkles on their skin!


Can't see any wrinkles past those scaly toes!

Raina Krasner, WCV: But still, people are curious about aging birds. Being able to identify age could help with research about different species, so some scientists and bird handlers are looking to feathers to help with aging birds. Raina Krasner, WCV: One person looked to the amount of white on tail feathers and primary feathers of Golden Eagles to determine age.

http://jerryliguori.blogspot.com/2013/09/tails-of-golden-eagles.html

This is a series of photos … all of juvenile Golden Eagles. It shows the varying patterns of white on the tail and primaries.

http://jerryliguori.blogspot.com/2013/09/tails-of-golden-eagles.html


Raina Krasner, WCV: Read more about the photos here.

https://www.aba.org/birding/v36n3p278.pdf Comment From Pat, NJ Does that mean they "grey" as they age?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Hold that thought!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Understanding the molting pattern of birds helps to better determine the life-stage of an individual bird, as discussed in the above article and with this next research project about Barred Owls. Raina Krasner, WCV: This researcher looked to molting patterns to guide the aging of Barred Owls and also uses black lights to look for certain pigments in the primary feathers.

Raina Krasner, WCV

HY/SY indicates “hatch year, second year” http://gloriberry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/11/Aging-Barred-Owls-in-Rehabilitation-Settings-Autosaved.pdf

https://www.aba.org/birding/v36n3p278.pdf

http://gloriberry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/11/Aging-Barred-Owls-in-Rehabilitation-Settings-Autosaved.pdf


Raina Krasner, WCV: You can read more in-depth information about the techniques and projects by looking at the links provided.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Identifying age by feathers in complex and inexact.

Comment From CarolinaGirl Well, Junior was 28 I think. Did he have white tail feathers?

Raina Krasner, WCV: I never looked at the base of his tail, but I'd imagine not! Raina Krasner, WCV: Some animals make it a tiny bit easier for us.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Well, a TINY bit easier. You still have to look into a mouthful of sharp teeth! Some animals can be aged fairly accurately by looking at their teeth.

Comment From MH in SC What is the one about rings in a bear tooth or something?


Raina Krasner, WCV: Yes! We're getting there ...

Raina Krasner, WCV: Have you ever heard of the saying “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth?” Do you know what it means?

Comment From Pat, NJ Could be passing off an old guy rather than a young pony.

Comment From barbb, nj He needs expensive dental work?

Comment From tinksmom/MO ..same as don't count your chickens before they hatch?

Comment From David in VA. Since horses' gums recede as they age, which makes the teeth appear to grow long, checking the teeth of a horse given as a gift is a way of checking for old age.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Exactly! If you’re receiving a horse as a gift, it’s generally considered rude to check it’s age by looking in the mouth. Or it WAS considered rude way back in the day. The wear and growth of the teeth indicates certain age ranges.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Since we don’t treat horses at the Center, I figured I should probably focus on an animal we see rather regularly – Black Bears. Raina Krasner, WCV: I reached out to Jaime Sajecki, Black Bear Project Lead with the Virginia Depart of Game and Inland Fisheries (very long title!)

Raina Krasner, WCV: Jaime has joined us several times here on the moderated discussion, so you may be familiar with how cool she is. Apparently, part of her graduate research was determining the age of bears and bear diets by looking at their teeth! So

awesome. Raina Krasner, WCV: So I asked Jaime for some information about aging bears by teeth, and much of what I’m about to tell you is from her, her presentations, or her lovely and informative e-mails. Thanks Jaime!

Raina Krasner, WCV: You can look at a bear tooth with a microscope to find rings in the cross-sections of the root. Raina Krasner, WCV: But Jaime said, “For bears, the condition/wear of the canines and incisors are the best indicators of age. LeCount did the first paper on aging bears based on tooth wear. We used this as a model to start off until we got better at it.”

Raina Krasner, WCV: Here are some examples:


Raina Krasner, WCV: To make that comparable, think about looking into a puppy’s mouth. They have those cute little sharp razorblades for teeth, and then by about 6 months, they lose those teeth and start to grow in “real” teeth.

A similar principle is applied here, with the bears. Except the teeth are much bigger and the big pressure is a little scarier.

Comment From Pat, NJ where's GN?

Raina Krasner, WCV: i think he's afraid of bear teeth. I don't blame him. Raina Krasner, WCV: In this next photo, I think it’s somewhat easy to see what the caption is referring to …


Comment From David in VA. In that picture that bear may not have all it's teeth yet but I wouldn't want to see those coming at me.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Ha! True.

Comment From Doris I'm very late for class (work), I'm scrolling back now!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Beware of scary teeth!

Comment From tinksmom/MO My my, what big teeth you have!

Comment From Pat, NJ Thank you Jaime for the input.

Raina Krasner, WCV: She's so helpful, really. And knowledgeable.

Comment From VA Kris WOW


Raina Krasner, WCV: But it gets much harder. Here is a comparison of bear teeth from ages five, six, and seven years. It’s really hard to see the difference, but if you are an experience bear biologist, and if you have access to the right models and data, you can

determine fairly accurately a bear’s age.

Raina Krasner, WCV: The biologists have to understand the wear-and-tear on teeth due to the expected diet of the bear in that region.

Part of Jaime’s graduate research in the western United States was to better understand how diet can affect tooth wear and gum health, and how bears eating certain foods can be identified from bears that do not eat a certain food (such as bark from a particular species of tree).

Comment From Pat, NJ Will be steering clear of bears from now on.

Comment From barbb, nj That's cool!

Comment From CarolinaGirl The 7 year old

Raina Krasner, WCV: What about the seven year old?


Raina Krasner, WCV: Seriously big teeth?

Comment From tinksmom/MO That is amazing, teeth wearing down with age,

Raina Krasner, WCV: I just think this is so cool. But you won’t catch me peeking into the mouths of any wild bears I encounter, so I still won’t know a wild bear’s age if I happen to see him from a (safe) distance.

Comment From CarolinaGirl Darn...hit the wrong key....the teeth look more worn.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Gotcha, yes.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Preparing for this class, it made me think about animals whose general age can be determined just by looking at their coat, feathers, or skin. Raina Krasner, WCV: Bald Eagles can easily be aged within the first 5 years based on eye and feather color.


http://www.wilsonsociety.org/pubs/colorplates.html

Raina Krasner, WCV: We use the above chart to help us determine the age of our Bald Eagle patients.

Comment From Pat, NJ Jaime surely must love her job, bears are such amazing creatures.

Raina Krasner, WCV: I'm sure she does!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Some animals continue to change color as they age. Who can think of an example? Raina Krasner, WCV: I can think of one pretty obvious example ...

http://www.wilsonsociety.org/pubs/colorplates.html


Comment From CarolinaGirl Dogs get white muzzles.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Oh definitely!

Comment From Mrs. Matheson *sliding into back seat late as I just got my students started on their end of the quarter science test*

Comment From Pat, NJ Brain freeze here!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Well, humans is what I was thinking!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Typically, as we age our hair gets “lighter” … i.e. we go gray.

Comment From Pat, NJ Don't I know it!

Comment From CarolinaGirl Very true!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Lots of other animals go gray as well …

Comment From Lydia, PA ♥ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ♥ Humans--turn into grey hairs

Raina Krasner, WCV: This next example is probably my favorite aging transformation. Raina Krasner, WCV: Ready?

Comment From Pat, NJ Let's have it......

Comment From Dave in Missouri ready

Raina Krasner, WCV: The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center posted the following two photos of one of their non-releasable wolves, Akeela, on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grizzly-Wolf-Discovery-Center/113169862034661

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grizzly-Wolf-Discovery-Center/113169862034661


Akeela at one year old.

Comment From David in VA. OMG she is beautiful

Comment From Dave in Missouri awesome!

Comment From Candice VaBch Gorgous

Comment From Pat, NJ Takes my breath away

Raina Krasner, WCV: And ...


Akeela at six years old.

Raina Krasner, WCV: I can't decide which age she wears better!

Comment From tinksmom/MO Beautiful!

Comment From Pat, NJ even more gorgeous.

Comment From rejoyce How beautiful!!!!!


Comment From David in VA. Wow.. BIG difference

Comment From Dave in Missouri Beautiful!

Comment From tinksmom/MO Oh my!

Raina Krasner, WCV: They said that Akeela was actually all black when she was a pup!

Comment From CarolinaGirl Both are gorgeous!!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Wolves' fur will lighten/turn gray as they age. I think she's just so gorgeous.

Comment From Candice VaBch I would love to age that beautiful

Raina Krasner, WCV: Right? Let's all take a moment to be jealous of Akeela.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Some animals go a totally different route and actually get darker as they age.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17561461

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17561461


Raina Krasner, WCV: A study on certain species of giraffes showed that their spots will darken with age, thought to be a result of testosterone changes during puberty.

Comment From katiesmom Poodles change color - a silver poodle is black as a puppy - they prematurely age.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Cool! Some horses too.

Comment From rejoyce I've gone from all brown to all grey, but not as beautifully as she did!!!!!

Comment From Pat, NJ Wish society were as kind to us aging humans.

Comment From MH in SC She is a beautiful wolf......but in my book, most wolves are

Raina Krasner, WCV: Agreed.

Comment From Guest My hair didn't turn gray...it turned loose!!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Ha! Well, yes ... crazy hair or hair loss can be indicative of age as well.

Comment From Lois- Bath, NY My hair doesn't grey thank to the hairdresser.

Raina Krasner, WCV: I don't think wild animals typically have that luxury :)

Comment From GN I grew right through my hair.

Comment From Dave in Missouri giraffes turn darker for protection?

Raina Krasner, WCV: i don't think the researchers know for sure. If you read the article (which has more information than i can quickly provide) I think the generally theory is that the darkening is a side effect of bursts of testosterone at a certain age.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Of course, size can be a huge indicator of age as well, but even that can be deceiving. Raina Krasner, WCV: For example, my one year old dog is 20 pounds heavier than my two year old dog. His size tells me nothing about his age! Though they are the same species, the two dogs vary greatly in size due to gender, genetics, and probably even

environmental differences.


Raina Krasner, WCV: Hey David ... my puppy actually turns one on Friday, same day as you!

Comment From Melinda in NC Happy Birthday to Raina and Dave in VA.

Comment From tinksmom/MO Hi Raina...birthday tomorrow,72 is old, only if you think so!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Best birthday week ever! Raina Krasner, WCV: :) I might be a little biased.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Back to size as indication of age ... Raina Krasner, WCV: Who remembers the feisty cub admitted much later than her roommates? #13-2606.

Raina Krasner, WCV: She was the same age, but significantly smaller than the other bears, as shown in this video.

Comment From CarolinaGirl Oh yes!

http://youtu.be/scbxXfN4FbQ

Raina Krasner, WCV: Again, size was not a solid indicator of age in this case.

Comment From Doris She was my caring for bears -bear!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Sometimes, we’re able to determine a general age range based on size and physical characteristics. For example, when a Box Turtle is first hatched it is about the size of a quarter. The turtle will slowly grow, but if a human encounters that turtle

in the first few years, they will know it’s a relatively young turtle based on size and shell coloration.

http://youtu.be/scbxXfN4FbQ


Raina Krasner, WCV: Hatchling Eastern Box Turtles have poorly developed hinges on their plastron – a key identifier for box turtles. They may also have a more-defined ridge on their carapace (upper shell) and some spotting.

http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dfg/nhesp/species-and-conservation/nhfacts/terrapene-carolina.pdf

Raina Krasner, WCV: Many turtles are super tiny when they are first hatched.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Look at these little ones!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZB8lKvG_8YU

Raina Krasner, WCV: Watch carefully ... things get crazy in a minute ...

Comment From Dave in Missouri Follow me to the ocean, LoL!

Comment From barbb, nj We had a turtle nest hatch in our yard a couple weeks ago, not that many tho, but the next morning some were still hanging around the rocks on the shore line.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Because they are so small (and totally new to the world!), they suffer from predation. If anyone visited beaches along the east coast, there is a chance you came across sea turtle nests like the one in the video.

http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dfg/nhesp/species-and-conservation/nhfacts/terrapene-carolina.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZB8lKvG_8YU


Raina Krasner, WCV: The Virginia Department of Game has some great information about sea turtles in Virginia. Virginia is considered the northernmost nesting territory for a threatened population of Loggerhead turtles.

Raina Krasner, WCV: A female Loggerhead will climb on shore, dig a hole, and lay about 120 golf-ball-sized eggs, and cover them back up. Raina Krasner, WCV: "Once the eggs mature, the babies emerge and make the dangerous trek to the ocean." Raina Krasner, WCV: "It is estimated that only 1 out of every 5,000 eggs develops into an adult animal."

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/habitat/landowners/infosheets/sea_turtles.pdf Comment From Dave in Missouri wow!

Comment From CarolinaGirl Too many big fish waiting!

Raina Krasner, WCV: And birds! I watched a video earlier of a Black Vulture and some gulls picking off the slower ones.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Many of these baby turtles won’t even make it to the water, due in part to human interference or bird/mammal predation.

Comment From Pat, NJ Are their shells relatively soft when first born?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Not soft, no. But as with the Box Turtle, the skeletal structure of their shells may change with age or their shell may appear different. Raina Krasner, WCV: Speaking of birds stealing baby turtles … let’s circle back to our feathered friends.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Feather growth is another physical attribute that can help us to identify a bird’s age range, with limits (as we discussed).

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/habitat/landowners/infosheets/sea_turtles.pdf


Fledgling Bluebird

Raina Krasner, WCV: Something about baby birds makes me think they are grumpy. Raina Krasner, WCV: When it comes to identifying BABY birds, it can be challenging to figure out the species (remember Amanda’s class about Baby Birds? http://wildlifecenter.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/WCCS_Baby%20Bird.pdf

Comment From David in VA. Cuz they are always hungry., I get grumpy when I am hungry..

Raina Krasner, WCV: Ha.

Raina Krasner, WCV: But determining age versus species can be a little easier.

http://wildlifecenter.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/WCCS_Baby%20Bird.pdf


Raina Krasner, WCV: Amanda said in her class, “Fledgling birds are fully feathered on their bodies and wings –typically the last set of feathers to grow in all the way are the tail feathers. So if you see a bird hopping and making short flights –check out the tail feathers. If

they’re not fully grown in yet ... you’re probably looking at a fledgling.”

Raina Krasner, WCV: I must hear Kate and Leighann at the front desk say these things a million times a week to callers in the spring and summer – “Is it bigger than a dollar bill? Are its eyes open or closed? How is it behaving?” Raina Krasner, WCV: Baby animals. Age matters when it comes to these animals.

Those questions help the front desk coordinators determine age.

Raina Krasner, WCV: And with baby opossums, rabbits, and squirrels, information about their size, eyes, fur coverage, and behavior can help us to identify their age group and if rescue is necessary or not.

Raina Krasner, WCV: And it’s important to know their age when we’re determining a feeding schedule at the Center.

Raina Krasner, WCV: So, in the case of baby animals, knowing their age can help determine a course of action. Our advice to a caller would be different for a fledgling bird than for a hatchling, for example. And we need to know the age for proper care if they do end

up as patients at the Center. Raina Krasner, WCV: But what about adult patients? Generally speaking, knowing age doesn’t particularly help with creating a treatment plan for patients unless there is an extreme circumstance.


Raina Krasner, WCV: The treatment plan might not change between a three- or five- year old Red Fox, but it may change if the patient was geriatric (aged) or very young.

Raina Krasner, WCV: In one instance, the veterinary staff needed to know the age of our patient to determine if it was possible she was pregnant, which would change our plan for treatment.

http://wildlifecenter.org/critter-corner/patient-updates/black-bear-13-2664-january-1-update

Black Bear #13-2664

Raina Krasner, WCV: That teeth thing really comes in handy!

Comment From David in VA. 2664 fooled a lot of people

Comment From Doris She was a very small bear..

Raina Krasner, WCV: Another situation in which age might change the game-plan is with geriatric patients. Most of the time, our veterinary staff wouldn't know if they were treating an “elderly” patient. But with our education animals … we know some of their ages!

Raina Krasner, WCV: We only know the ages of a few of our education animals …

http://wildlifecenter.org/critter-corner/patient-updates/black-bear-13-2664-january-1-update


Raina Krasner, WCV: Buddy the Bald Eagle is six.

Comment From CarolinaGirl Isn't he beautiful???

Comment From rejoyce Buddy:


Jaz the American Crow is 21.

Gus the Barred Owl is 20.

Comment From Pat, NJ


Yeah Gus, he was my first caring for critters.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Grayson the Broad-winged hawk is four years old Raina Krasner, WCV: And Edie the American Kestrel is 10.


Comment From David in VA. Why did you say you cringe when people ask how old Jaz is?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Oh, I cringe when I tell children that she is 21 and they say, 'She's so old!!"

Raina Krasner, WCV: Makes me feel old, too.

Comment From David in VA. LOLOL

Comment From rejoyce I can't remember....who is the oldest critter at the center?

Raina Krasner, WCV: As far as we know, Jaz!

Comment From Pat, NJ Raina, just wait, you don't know what old is!

Comment From 33mama You should know Buttercup's age. He's been in captivity his whole life.


Raina Krasner, WCV: Yes! We do ... Raina Krasner, WCV: Let me get to his photo ...

Raina Krasner, WCV: I have a couple more animals ...

Raina Krasner, WCV: We know Keeya the Red-shouldered Hawk is around two.

Raina Krasner, WCV: (this is her BEFORE she got her adult plumage ... that photo is coming soon.)


Raina Krasner, WCV: Buttercup the Black Vulture entered double digits this year!

Comment From Pat, NJ Another beauty.

Comment From tinksmom/MO Raina, Was Jr the oldest animal,(bird) at the Center prior to Jaz?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Junior the Golden Eagle was oldest, yes.


Raina Krasner, WCV: He was nearly 30 years old.

http://wildlifecenter.org/news_events/news/junior-1983-2012

Comment From Doris So handsome!

Comment From tinksmom/MO Awww, Mr. Butters, love that nickname!

Comment From CarolinaGirl I am watching Mr. Cup right now. He is looking for visitors!

Raina Krasner, WCV: We also know the ages of our opossums … Thelma, Bert, Ernie, Pogo, and Phebe.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Pogo and Phebe are both about two years old.

Pogo

http://wildlifecenter.org/news_events/news/junior-1983-2012


Phebe

Comment From tinksmom/MO Sweet face!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Thelma, Bert, and Ernie are all … THREE years old! Now, that may not seem very exciting, but it is.


Thelma


Bert and Ernie Comment From rejoyce Such cute opossums!!!!!

Comment From Guest why?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Why is three years old exciting? Comment From VA Kris

They are old

Raina Krasner, WCV: Well ... yea, pretty much. Raina Krasner, WCV: It's kind of like a human living to be 98.

Comment From CarolinaGirl They are geriatric opoassums!

Comment From Pat, NJ Life expectancy is fairly short for them.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Opossums in the wild have very short lifespans. It goes back to all the things we discussed at the beginning of class. They have a really tough time in the wild. Raina Krasner, WCV: Opossums are prone to predation, frostbite, and starvation in the wild. Many of them have negative interactions with humans and domestic pets (usually ending badle for the opossum) and we all are too well aware of how many opossums

are sadly hit by cars each year.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Wild life for the Virginia Opossum is not easy. Beyond that, these cute little marsupials just have a really short lifespan, even when well cared for.

Raina Krasner, WCV: There is some debate about the record-holder for oldest living opossum (some say six, others say older!), but suffice it to say that three is pretty cool and worthy of celebration. Raina Krasner, WCV: And celebrate we did! With cake, naturally.

Comment From Mrs. Matheson Thelma. Bert and Ernie got special cakes for their 'birthdays.! (got a CFC update)

Raina Krasner, WCV: I voted for carrot cake, but the opossums won with a collective vote for ‘Possum Cake – frozen layers of fruit, insects, wet dog food, and mice!


Comment From David in VA. YUM!!!

Comment From VA Kris Oh Yum

Comment From CarolinaGirl Bet they loved that.

Raina Krasner, WCV: They did.

Comment From rejoyce Yes very special cakes!!!!

Raina Krasner, WCV: We threw the three three-year-old opossums a little party and they really enjoyed their treats. Here are some photos.


Thelma enjoying her cake!

Raina Krasner, WCV: She then tried to run away with it and hide it in her enclosure.

Comment From rejoyce Aweeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! appropriate


Comment From CarolinaGirl Smart girl!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Bert and Ernie, sharing a cake even though they both had their own. So sweet.


Comment From Doris I love her new hammock...

Comment From 33mama Was there a possum party? Did they ALL get to celebrate?

Raina Krasner, WCV: The birthday possums did! Raina Krasner, WCV: Pogo and Phebe got a treat too.

Comment From rejoyce Thelma didn't want to share!!!!!!

Comment From David in VA. Brotherly love

Comment From Lydia, PA ♥ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ♥ Darn! work called me away again. I see I am going to be very busy reading back on Raina's awesome class

Raina Krasner, WCV: Almost done, Lydia! I don't want to give you TOO much to read back through.


Comment From VA Kris Oh how interesting. I didn't realize that they were dark on the under part and light on top!

Comment From 33mama Nice!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Well, I think that lets us end of really happy note – cake! Raina Krasner, WCV: There are a couple of questions I'll answer ...

Comment From rejoyce Do you think newborn or aged patients are more difficult to treat?

Raina Krasner, WCV: Oh, you mean like ... is it harder to take care of a baby or harder to take care of a geriatric animal?

Raina Krasner, WCV: I'd guess baby.

Raina Krasner, WCV: They require a ton of work. If you mean, are babies and geriatrics harder than typical patients ... I'd say yes to that. My guess. Raina Krasner, WCV: I'd have to ask a veterinarian for his/her perspective.

Comment From CarolinaGirl So, I guess the staff didn't partake of these cakes! :-)

Raina Krasner, WCV: We did not.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Gross. :)

Comment From Mrs. Matheson And the cakes came complete with a mouse on top (guess they didnt' want a cherry on top. lol)

Comment From meems Another super class ~ sure can learn many facts about wild life ~ thanks Raina

Comment From rejoyce That s what I figured.

Comment From tinksmom/MO Thank you Raina. Lots of great info!


Comment From CarolynSC I know that I learned some new interesting things today. Thanks, Raina.

Raina Krasner, WCV: Great! That's the goal.

Comment From BarbG super awesome class-tons of great info and more to look up-thanks so much

Raina Krasner, WCV: Yes, and when this is archived, I'll be sure to include all those links so you can read even more!

Comment From David in VA. Had to step out of the office a minute but that's cool about your pup Raina.. :)

Raina Krasner, WCV: September birthdays are the best!

Comment From David in VA. Before I have to step out again thank you Raina. Wonderful class.. Very informative and fun as always..

Comment From Debbie - DE Thank you - learned a lot.

Comment From CarolinaGirl What a fun and informative class. Thanks Raina!!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Thank you all for sticking with me ... it went pretty long. But shhhh. We won't tell anyone.

Comment From Dave in Missouri Happy early birthday tinksmom, Raina and David!

Raina Krasner, WCV: Thank you! My birthday is Saturday, David's is Friday ... and tinksmom is tomorrow!

Comment From tinksmom/MO Thank you Dave!

Comment From BarbG and you thought you wouldn't have enough info for a class LOL

Raina Krasner, WCV: Boy was I wrong.

Comment From VA Kris Great class. I'll scroll back this evening so I can read all those links. Thanks Raina.

Comment From 33mama Great class, Raina! Thank you!


Raina Krasner, WCV: Thanks for joining us!

Comment From Lois- Bath, NY Thanks Raina, great class.

Comment From Pat, NJ Awesome class Miss Raina. Happy birthday to you, Dave, and tinksmom. What a great place we have here!

Comment From Dave in Missouri Thanks Raina, I have to scroll back tonight!

More Resources: http://news.discovery.com/animals/whales-may-turn-gray-with-age-stress.htm

http://www.livescience.com/19686-aging-male-giraffes-black-spots.html




http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/

http://news.discovery.com/animals/whales-may-turn-gray-with-age-stress.htm

http://www.livescience.com/19686-aging-male-giraffes-black-spots.html




http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/

how old? lifespans and aging in wildlife 14...so those are the reasons why we [re talking about...

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