Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Post by **WQ Project Coordinator** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:54 am

The Detroit Free Press ran an interesting article yesterday. The interactions between wolves and moose on Isle Royale (an island in Lake Superior between the US and Canada) have been historic. The unique ability to watch two populations affect each other in an isolated location has produced numerous scientific papers.

Unfortunately, the moose population on Isle Royale has dropped from 1,100 in 2002 to 385 recently. Since moose are the primary prey of the wolves, the wolf population has also dropped. The reason for the decline in moose numbers has been traced to global warming. Warmer summers and falls have allowed winter ticks to breed more. The ticks live on the moose and suck their blood weakening the moose. Also, the moose will rub up against trees and bite at themselves reducing their hair, which is very necessary in the winters there. Scientists have found that up to 100,000 ticks can infest one moose! All of this can make it hard for the moose to be strong through the winter, which makes them easy pickin's for the wolves, but doesn't help their population grow.

So right now it appears that the wolf's chances of survival on Isle Royale depend on ticks...

Just a good reminder of how species depend on each other in way you wouldn't expect.
Link to the article: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 1048/COL08

ChocolateRain · Post by **ChocolateRain** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:49 pm

Cool article, thanks for the link

Whitefang2331 · Post by **Whitefang2331** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:03 pm

Spottedpelt · Post by **Spottedpelt** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:55 am

Fangs of Fire · Post by **Fangs of Fire** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:39 am

Amazing.

Ghostsong · Post by **Ghostsong** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:05 am

Wow. Would of never known that.

shadow8545 · Post by **shadow8545** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:19 pm

wow i would have never gussed that

Kodiak · Post by **Kodiak** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 3:32 pm

Poor moose!

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:37 pm

Kodiak that's life, which my brother has not found out yet, sorry yeah im staying on topic. Wow i never would have known that those ticks suck blood out of the mooses. I never even knew ticks were on mooses. Woah that was an interesting article. thank you for sharing that was good info.

( yeah my brother does not know life, if he finds out some fox killed a rabbit he'll like say " i'll take a gun and shoot that fox ahh

and it's like annoying, you can ask Kodiak, she should know!!! right)

sorry i was of topic sorry!!

sorry bye anyway

- Aurora
(Kodiak is my friend, in real life the one who introduced this to me, thanks)
yeah i love animal, poor moose

Silveriver · Post by **Silveriver** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:04 pm

Mooseys D:

Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????

Re: Their survival on Isle Royale depends on ticks????