vamessyvlogs - animals

The american bison are the national mammal of the United States and are also the largest mammal in North America! The males can weigh up to 2,000 lbs and reach 6 feet in height. (My chevy spark is 5ft in height and 2300 lbs).
What these hefty boys lack in sight (they are nearsighted) they make up for in speed! They can reach speeds up to 35 mph.
Yellowstone National Park is the only place bison have continuously lived since PREHISTORIC times. In 1824 there were around 325 wild bison left with only 24 remaining in all of Yellowstone. Today due to conservancy efforts there is an estimated 500,000 bison in the US! (You can even order bison burgers at many of the local restaurants in the area).
Prehistoric Bison traveled across the land bridge around 400,000 years ago, but were much larger in size than the ones we know today. The prehistoric bison had horns measuring 9 FEET from tip to tip.

Sources: https://www.doi.gov/blog/15-facts-about-our-national-mammal-american-bison , https://www.flatcreekinn.com/bison-americas-mammal/

Sighting: Yellowstone

BIG HORN SHEEP

Sighting: Montana

Bighorn sheep are pretty incredible animals. While I have yet to see some of the "classic" fully grown adult big horns, I can no longer withhold facts about how funky these guys are!!

An adult sheep's horns weigh more than the rest of all of the bones in their body
Males run at each other at speeds up to 40mph to fight each other for female mating rights
Rocky mountain bighorn sheep are the largest wild sheep in North America with males reaching weights over 300 lbs.
Lambs are preyed on by GOLDEN EAGLES
Bighorns swallow their food, regurgitate it, then chew it up more before swallowing again

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/bighorn_sheep.htm , https://www.visitbigsky.com/get-inspired/big-sky-stories/interesting-facts-about-bighorn-sheep-1 ,

Sighting: Yellowstone

Sighting: Montana

Sighting: Badlands

BEAR: grizzly & black

Bear with me here I've been beary crazy about learning about the bears ;)

My favorite bear fact? They generally do not urinate or defecate for the entirety of their hibernation.

How do you tell the difference between a grizzly bear and a black bear? The grizzly is identified by its signature hump between the shoulders, rounded ears, and a shorter snout. Black bears have a longer snout and pointier ears. These bears can't always be identified by their colors because Grizzlies coats range from black to brown to even blonde. Black bears even range from black to brown in color too.
Black bears and grizzlies have very similar diets of plants, insects, fish, and animals. Plant foods make up the majority of both bear's diets, however grizzlies opt for more fish and animals than black bears.

Sources: http://grizzlyencounter.org/ , https://grizzlyctr.givecloud.co/, https://www.bearsmart.com/about-bears/food-diet/ https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/denning.htm#:~:text=Grizzly%20bears%20and%20black%20bears,metabolic%20waste%2C%20bears%20recycle%20it.

Black Bear: Teton

Black Bear: Yellowstone

As my brother is always quick to inform me the Alaskan Grizzlies are a lot bigger than what I'll likely see in Montana. He is definitely right because Alaskan Grizzlies can reach up to 900 lbs and the ones in Montana max out at around 500 lbs. The Alaskan bears get much larger because their diets consist of more protein with the plentiful salmon runs.
There are no grizzlies left in the state of California, but they still rock the tough bear upon its state flag. The grizzlies in California were driven to extinction due to increased conflicts between humans and bears. Interestingly enough the bears were brought to death by being roped up by multiple horseman and even used in bear vs bull fights.
Grizzlies are just as speedy as bison reaching top speeds of up to 35 mph. Grizzlies can become aggressive when threatened if came upon suddenly, cubs are nearby, or when defending a nearby carcass. Since I definitely can't outrun these beasty boys I always have my bear spray at the ready that sprays 40ft in distance.

Sources: http://grizzlyencounter.org/ , https://grizzlyctr.givecloud.co/,

Grizzly: Yellowstone

Grizzly: Glacier

Grizzly: Yellowstone

Bear: Yellowstone

CANINE: coyote

Wolf & Coyote writeup coming soon -vdawg Jan'23

Coyote: Yellowstone

DEER

Sighting: Sequoia

Sighting: Glacier

Sighting: Yellowstone

ELK

Sighting: Yellowstone

FOX

Sighting: Yellowstone

MARMOT

Sighting: Glacier

MARMOT FAMILY: chipmunk & squirrel

Squirrel: Glacier

Chipmunk: Glacier

Chipmunk: Yellowstone

Chipmunk: Teton

Chipmunk: Yellowstone

MOOSE

new pics!

Sighting: Teton

My goal for my birthday was to see a moose and Grand Teton NP allowed me the honor! Enjoy some fun moose facts:

Moose use their sharp hooves as their first line of defense against predators. Their hooves are more than capable of mortally wounding even animals such as wolves or bears.
Their big fancy antlers, otherwise known as Paddles, are reserved for fighting and displaying. Paddles can reach weights up to 40 lbs
Moose are fantastic swimmers and can swim at speeds up to 6 mph as well as dive and stay up to 50 seconds underwater while feeding
Moose are HUGE with typical shoulder heights up to 6.5 feet and weights up to 1,800 lbs.

Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59461/10-gigantic-facts-about-moose , https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/moose

Sighting: Yellowstone

Sighting: Teton

MOUNTAIN GOAT

Sighting: Yellowstone

Sighting: Glacier

PRAIRIE DOGS

new pics!

Sighting: Badlands

PRONGHORN

"That's a weird looking deer" - my mother

Despite what many people think, including my mother, the Pronghorn is not a deer and is actually more closely related to goats and antelopes.
They are the fastest North American mammal reaching speeds up to 60 mph. While Pronghorn may not be faster than cheetahs (fastest animal on the planet), they can hold their top speeds for a much longer period of time than the fast feline.
Pronghorn are the second most North American migratory mammals behind Caribou. Herds of pronghorn migrate up to 300 miles round trip a year (about the distance from Troy, NY to Saranac, NY one way).
Both the females and males can have horns, but the females horns are more like stubs and the males have horns that reach up to a foot in length.

Sources: https://www.nwf.org/educational-resources/wildlife-guide/mammals/pronghorn

Sighting: Montana

Sighting: Yellowstone

Sighting: Montana

Sighting: Yellowstone

SEA TURTLE

Sighting: Cancún

RIVER OTTER

Sighting: Yellowstone