Raccoon Update V - All Are Welcome In the Critter Cafe!

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Profile Angela Special Project $75 donor
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Message 1025395 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 22:11:20 UTC

Welcome friends to installment 5 of the Critter Cafe.

Just a reminder that there is no such thing as "off topic" in here. Wherever the thread meanders is clearly where it was meant to go.

I really enjoy hosting this thread. It is always a pleasure to chat with critter people!
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Message 1025397 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 22:16:46 UTC - in response to Message 1025395.  

First! Even though I am currently critterless.
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Message 1025398 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 22:20:27 UTC

I am also without, but could I interest you in a little tiffin?


I know that beating egg whites poses no problem....I know from experience that a swift wrist action can make almost anything stand up stiffly.
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Message 1025400 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 22:26:05 UTC

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Message 1025405 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 22:40:22 UTC
Last modified: 15 Aug 2010, 22:43:26 UTC

Here's a story for Your Sunday afternoon.



'Jarhead' the bear out of tight jam

But just as biologists were giving up, they caught a glimpse of the family and shot the protective female with a tranquilizer gun.

They scooped up the little cub, and after a brief tussle, they were able to grab the container off his head.

But the tough little bear lived up to his U.S. Marine moniker and did not give up without a fight, the biologist who uncorked the cub said in a statement.

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Message 1025407 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 22:43:40 UTC

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Message 1025414 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 22:58:11 UTC
Last modified: 15 Aug 2010, 23:06:26 UTC

Sorry, didn't know it would be that big. :-)

OK, try again here... Hey ES99



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Message 1025418 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 23:22:13 UTC

What a wonderful start to the new Critter Cafe. Thank you all!

As for those who claim to be without critters, take my advice...
"If you feed them, they will come."
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Message 1025419 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 23:24:58 UTC - in response to Message 1025398.  

I am also without, but could I interest you in a little tiffin?




Why Mrs. Miggins, you must be psychic!
Eric returned recently from four days away and we did, in fact, enjoy a little tiffin upon his return!
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Message 1025420 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 23:31:12 UTC

Here's a few more a bit older...




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Message 1025421 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 23:34:59 UTC

Just to update you, while Eric was away I amused myself by working on training Rufus and Artemus to approach me. Artemus is definitely the most social of the clan. He comes consistently up to my feet now and he has generalized this behavior to Eric. Last night Artemus put a little muddy paw print on Eric's shoe and he left a darling little nose print there as well. I'm pretty sure that if I left my back door open and called him, Artemus would run right into the house... not that I really WANT a baby raccoon running all over my kitchen.

Rufus is still the most dominant sibling. He continues to snarl at and roll poor Artemus at every opportunity, but Artemus has vastly surpassed Rufus in raccoon-human social skills training. Izzy remains coy and Spirit remains downright elusive.
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Message 1025423 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 23:41:22 UTC - in response to Message 1025421.  

Just to update you, while Eric was away I amused myself by working on training Rufus and Artemus to approach me. Artemus is definitely the most social of the clan. He comes consistently up to my feet now and he has generalized this behavior to Eric. Last night Artemus put a little muddy paw print on Eric's shoe and he left a darling little nose print there as well. I'm pretty sure that if I left my back door open and called him, Artemus would run right into the house... not that I really WANT a baby raccoon running all over my kitchen.

Rufus is still the most dominant sibling. He continues to snarl at and roll poor Artemus at every opportunity, but Artemus has vastly surpassed Rufus in raccoon-human social skills training. Izzy remains coy and Spirit remains downright elusive.


I love hearing about the raccoons. Thank you for the update!

Steve
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Message 1025425 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 23:44:46 UTC - in response to Message 1025421.  

Just to update you, while Eric was away I amused myself by working on training Rufus and Artemus to approach me. Artemus is definitely the most social of the clan. He comes consistently up to my feet now and he has generalized this behavior to Eric. Last night Artemus put a little muddy paw print on Eric's shoe and he left a darling little nose print there as well. I'm pretty sure that if I left my back door open and called him, Artemus would run right into the house... not that I really WANT a baby raccoon running all over my kitchen.

Rufus is still the most dominant sibling. He continues to snarl at and roll poor Artemus at every opportunity, but Artemus has vastly surpassed Rufus in raccoon-human social skills training. Izzy remains coy and Spirit remains downright elusive.


Spirits can be that way. ;)
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Message 1025426 - Posted: 15 Aug 2010, 23:49:59 UTC - in response to Message 1025421.  

Just to update you, while Eric was away I amused myself by working on training Rufus and Artemus to approach me. Artemus is definitely the most social of the clan. He comes consistently up to my feet now and he has generalized this behavior to Eric. Last night Artemus put a little muddy paw print on Eric's shoe and he left a darling little nose print there as well. I'm pretty sure that if I left my back door open and called him, Artemus would run right into the house... not that I really WANT a baby raccoon running all over my kitchen.

Rufus is still the most dominant sibling. He continues to snarl at and roll poor Artemus at every opportunity, but Artemus has vastly surpassed Rufus in raccoon-human social skills training. Izzy remains coy and Spirit remains downright elusive.

Well at least Arte is staying to type, He's a lady killer. ;)
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Message 1025427 - Posted: 16 Aug 2010, 0:01:18 UTC - in response to Message 1025421.  

Just to update you, while Eric was away I amused myself by working on training Rufus and Artemus to approach me. Artemus is definitely the most social of the clan. He comes consistently up to my feet now and he has generalized this behavior to Eric. Last night Artemus put a little muddy paw print on Eric's shoe and he left a darling little nose print there as well. I'm pretty sure that if I left my back door open and called him, Artemus would run right into the house... not that I really WANT a baby raccoon running all over my kitchen.

Rufus is still the most dominant sibling. He continues to snarl at and roll poor Artemus at every opportunity, but Artemus has vastly surpassed Rufus in raccoon-human social skills training. Izzy remains coy and Spirit remains downright elusive.

My, I haven't been in here for awhile. Looks Great Mrs. K.!

Angela, it almost sounds like they/(with your human intervention) are breeding almost a certain domesticity with each generation. Don't know though, just MHO.
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Message 1025448 - Posted: 16 Aug 2010, 2:16:18 UTC
Last modified: 16 Aug 2010, 2:19:43 UTC

An interesting thought Karen, but in my opinion that is not what is going on.

The dominant mama raccoon in our backyard used to be Old Threesie, until she passed away. Old Threesie had a really people-friendly temperament much like Artemus does in this litter. Yet all of Old Threesie's larger litters showed a range of raccoon temperaments much like Interloper Mama's litters do.

We gave Interloper Mama her name because she was a "sneak in the back gate" human-shy raccoon who came around when Old Threesie wasn't looking. Interloper Mama's temperament is much like Izzy's. Yet all of her litters so far have had a wide range of baby temperaments.

The primary working hypothesis I have right now (and I am, afterall, the Jane Goodall of raccoons!!!) is that a range of temperaments in larger litters is highly adaptive for the species.

In every large litter there is typically a bold-aggressive one. Raccoons who fit this profile include Rufus, Cilantro, Mask and Bravesy (my avatar picture - one of Old Threesie's babies years ago.)

There is typically a slightly less aggressive raccoon who is rather people-friendly. Raccoons who fit this profile include Old Threesie, Wednesday, Artemus and my beloved Runtsy (my profile picture and a baby from the same litter as Bravesy.)

There is often a shy but observable raccoon. Interloper Mama, Tweedle-Dee from Interloper Mama's litter last year and Izzy from this year's litter seem to share this behavioral profile. Arthur, a lone male, is much like them as well.

There also seems to typically be a very shy baby. Little Cat A showed this temperament last year; Spirit shows it this year.

Old Threesie and Interloper Mama have had very different temperaments, yet the composition of their litters shows the same range of temperaments. Although my sample size is small and highly localized (my backyard!), I cannot help but hypothesize that birthing a range of temperaments each generation is somehow adaptive for the species. If the environmental conditions favor a mean, bold, nasty, aggressive raccoon - that is the baby most likely to survive and perpetuate the species. If the environmental conditions favor a reserved, shy temperament - that is the baby most likely to survive and perpetuate the species. If the environmental conditions change, favoring one temperament extreme over the other, having a range of temperaments across litters (despite the temperaments of the parents) ensures that there will be raccoons that survive, despite the environmental changes.

It is also possible that this range of temperaments is somehow adaptive if the Mama Raccoon doesn't survive. If the Mama Raccoon passes away after the babies are old enough to leave the nest, the most aggressive baby goes out and finds food, and then the more shy raccoons follow their leader/mama substitute and eat. Several years ago Little Orphan Adrian and Little Orphan Adrian II demonstrated this behavior.

Another theory, I suppose, is that the range of temperaments could simply be an artifact of being born in litters. When all the babies are very young, the most aggressive infant raccoon is most likely to find a nipple regularly. He/she then becomes larger. The least aggressive infant raccoon is least likely to find a nipple and is consequently a smaller raccoon. Then when the babies are old enough to leave the den and follow their mama around, their size influences their behavior outside of the den.

I don't really know. I suppose I will never really know for sure. The hypotheses above are simply based on observations of my little backyard friends over the years. We should get Miep (Carola) to weigh in on this subject, as she is actually a biologist and I am simply a Crazy Raccoon Lady.

Gotta love science though!!!
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Message 1025449 - Posted: 16 Aug 2010, 2:24:47 UTC - in response to Message 1025448.  

Or a Raccoon Wrangler or a Raccoon Whisperer maybe. :D

And yeah Miep would possibly be useful.
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Message 1025452 - Posted: 16 Aug 2010, 3:05:32 UTC - in response to Message 1025427.  

Angela, it almost sounds like they/(with your human intervention) are breeding almost a certain domesticity with each generation. Don't know though, just MHO.


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Message 1025455 - Posted: 16 Aug 2010, 3:20:04 UTC


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Message 1025460 - Posted: 16 Aug 2010, 4:00:14 UTC - in response to Message 1025455.  


What the?!?! It looks like it traded legs with a grasshopper and got cheated out of a butt!
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Message boards : Cafe SETI : Raccoon Update V - All Are Welcome In the Critter Cafe!


 
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