Comments on: Crocodile Nomadism: Size Matters

By: Douglas C Alder

Douglas C Alder — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:48:51 +0000

Spring is coming earlier and winter later up here. It’s warmer at the higher altitudes. I’ve lived in the West Kootenays since ’97 and I’ve noticed a trend to milder winters, earlier springs and hotter, drier summers. My garden was at least a week, possibly two weeks early this year. Maybe it’s a cyclical pattern but I’d be more likely to bet on global warming affecting the local weather patterns maybe the shift in the jet stream that pushed all that arctic air down your way – I don’t know. The change in climate is probably affecting denning. Waking up too early and struggling to put on enough fat reserves to make it through the winter.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:25:31 +0000

Good point.

Why are the crops finishing earlier?

By: Douglas Alder

Douglas Alder — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:07:46 +0000

There is also hunger. While it is not unusual to find a bear in our neighbourhood in late fall – early winter, we’ve been seeing them earlier and earlier each year. This year there have been 4 maulings (luckily no deaths) by grizzlies just over the hill (Monashee Mountains) from here as unwary hikers came across bears that were feeding. The berry crops up in the mountains has been finishing earlier and earlier in the year for quite some time and the bears have not had enough time to put on sufficient fat reserves for winter denning.

While this isn’t the same as what you are discussing Greg it is in the sense of unexpectedly seeing wildlife in place but out of time.

By: StevoR

StevoR — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 15:21:36 +0000

Well that’s a croc! 😉

(Also good article, interesting,. Thanks.)