Oaxaca Cave Sleeper

Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and Louisiana State University have identified a new genus and species of cavefish from Mexico, the Oaxaca cave sleeper (Caecieleotris morrisi).

The species is the first cave-adapted sleeper goby to be found in the Western Hemisphere. The fish, identified from museum specimens, has not been seen alive in more than two decades and lives in a cave system threatened by damming.

The Oaxaca Cave Sleeper occurs in a single cave system beneath Presa Miguel Alemán reservoir, which is formed by a dam on the Tonto River, a tributary of Mexico’s second largest river.

There are only 13 known individuals, all collected at the same time. Thomas L. Morris, a renowned cave diver and cave biologist who works to protect caves and their inhabitants, collected the fish in 1995.

Morris gave the specimens to the Florida Museum of Natural History where Stephen Walsh, now a researcher with the USGS, recognized the distinctiveness of the new species while in the process of conducting taxonomic research and digitizing the museum’s fish collection.

Walsh and colleague Prosanta Chakrabarty of Louisiana State University compared the specimens to other sleepers, and determined that they represent a new genus and species.

The researchers gave the Oaxaca Cave Sleeper the scientific name Caecieleotris morrisi to honor Morris for his discovery and his dedication to conservation.

Discovery of the new species afforded an opportunity for the USGS to partner with the natural history museum community in designating a scientific name for this unique cavefish.

The paper, A new genus and species of blind sleeper (Teleostei: Eleotridae) from Oaxaca, Mexico: first obligate cave gobiiform in the western hemisphere, was recently published in the journal Copeia, a widely-cited journal that publishes original research on fishes, amphibians and reptiles.

source: U.S. Geological Survey

2015-16 Kentucky Waterfowl Forecasts

Kentucky duck numbers are expected to be strong during the 2015-16 winter season, according to Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

“This year, we’ve had the highest counts of ducks as a whole by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service,” said John Brunjes, migratory bird coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “It is the highest counts ever with 49,522,000 ducks as well as 11,643,000 mallards, also a new record.”

Green-winged teal populations are at their all-time high with just over 4 million birds and numbers of gadwall numbers are also exceptionally high with 3,834,000 birds.

Cold weather could push northern duck populations into Kentucky. “The migration maps show many ducks in the upper Plains and upper Midwest,” Brunjes explained.

Popular areas for viewing waterfowl in Kentucky include Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, numerous state parks, and private refuges.

Wildlife Themed Gift Ideas

Featured in this post are a variety of wildlife and nature themed products which are suitable as holiday gifts.

Calendars are popular for winter holiday gifts:

Nature Calendars

This collection of calendars includes gift ideas for birdwatchers, beach combers, shell collectors, and other nature enthusiasts

A popular accessory is wildlife themed wrapping paper:

Wildlife - Nature Wrapping Paper

Wildlife and nature themed wrapping paper in this collection are suitable for Christmas, birthdays, and other occasions. Designs feature birds, fish, mammals, floral patterns, foliage, and others.

Wildlife and nature theme doormats are another possibility:

Nature Doormats

A doormat can be a practical gift while also serving as an accent or decor piece. Nature doormats depict beautiful landscapes, native plants, floral prints, tree bark, animals, birds, fish, and others.

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Chesapeake Bay Waterfowl

Mallard Drake

Many of North America's best known waterfowl can be found on the Chesapeake Bay. Located along the Atlantic Flyway, the estuary is an important stopover and wintering area for waterfowl.

During spring, mallards, black ducks, green-wing teal, and Canada geese nest in saltwater marshes of Chesapeake Bay. Farther up the watershed, wood ducks raise their young.

In summer, some waterfowl become secretive and move into backwater hideaways where abundant vegetation conceals their presence. In contrast, mallards and Canada geese often remain in areas where human activity occurs.

As days shorten and nights become cooler, flocks of migratory Canada geese appear in the skies over the watershed. By late fall, surf scoters and long-tailed ducks appear on the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

By mid winter, waterfowl populations increase as residents and early season migrants are joined by Atlantic brant, snow geese, and tundra swans.

Despite cold temperatures, many of the watershed's creeks and rivers become feeding areas for common mergansers, red-breasted mergansers, and hooded mergansers.

In spring as temperatures begin to rise and daylight increases, many species begin to move out of the Chesapeake Bay as the migrate towards their summer breeding grounds.

Some waterfowl remain on the estuary year round. The marshes, swamps, and other secluded habitats of the Chesapeake Bay watershed provide important nesting and nursey areas for black ducks, wood ducks, teal, Canada Geese, and other waterfowl.