Creature Feature: Let’s Get Together!
Written by: Zachary Mork, JNC Naturalist and Guide
Welcome back to this year’s Creature Feature series, where we are exploring the name origins of each month, and connecting them to creatures found in nature! We are approaching the end of Spring and the beginning of Summer, which falls in the month of June.
June is a fairly easy month to trace its origins to, as it is a reference to the Roman goddess Juno, patroness of marriage and childbirth. Furthermore, the name for June can also be derived from the Latin word “juvenis”, meaning a young person (juvenile, anyone?). Using the themes of marriage and families, this month’s edition to the Creature Feature will highlight some of the local animals that mate for life.
Trumpeter Swan pair
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)
Our first feature is not only one of the heaviest species of flying birds native to North America, it is also the largest of all the waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans) in the world! As adults, trumpeter swans are characterized by their white feathers, long necks, and an entirely black bill, which separates them from other swan species.
Courtship and nest building is a long and complex process that can take anywhere from a few weeks to over a month to complete.Trumpeter swans often mate for life, and both parents will take care of their young after hatching. Due to their size, the ideal habitat for swans such as these are large and shallow lakes, ponds, and rivers, or large wetlands, such as a marsh. The reason is that they need the space to take off during flight, similar to how a plane runs on a runway before flight.
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Red Fox pair
One of the most widespread carnivores found throughout the world, red fox form mating pairs, where the males are called “tods” and the females are called “vixens”. With 45 different subspecies of red fox, their appearance is highly variable depending on the region the fox is identified in. In Michigan, red foxes typically have soft, silk-like long hairs with reddish-orange coloration, giving the fox its name. Their main targets for hunting include rodents, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and small hoofed animals, such as fawns.
When it comes to a home, a fox den is mostly used for either raising kits, or to avoid bad weather. If it is not the breeding season, red foxes will instead prefer to rest outside in areas with a lot of vegetation, as a way to remain concealed.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Our last feature for mated pairs is our very own national bird! Bald eagles are birds of prey that typically hunt for fish along large bodies of water and nest in old-growth tree species that are capable of holding their nests, which are the largest built by any North American bird species. The “bald” name is only a reference to their white-feathered heads, while the rest of the body is brown excluding the tail feathers, which are also white.
Bald Eagle pair
It takes approximately five years for a bald eagle to reach maturity. Once mature and ready to begin courtship, bald eagle couples undergo a flight display that culminates with the pair locking talons and free-falling towards the ground, letting go at the last moment. This takes the trust-fall to a whole other level!