I hope it isn't true that Alexa keeps track of where I am and everything I ask her. If she does, as my in laws believe, than I wonder under what list she files questions like, "Alexa, how many kinds of rodents are in VT? Perhaps she files them under Norma's odd character traits.
"I don't know that; I know of 2,368 species and 1,759 subspecies; There are more than 2000 species of mammals in the world today making them one of the most diverse animal groups" were some of her responses. Let's just be thankful that Alexa doesn't record some of my feedback to her answers. Alexa you are my best friend, "Thank you, that makes me smile from speaker to speaker." (just in case)
It's strange to think of all of the members of the rodent family here in Vernon as they range from adorable, to peculiar to yuck. On the one end of the spectrum we have the beloved Eastern Chipmunk with its racing stripes, black marble shaped eyes and full cheeks, then we have the North American Porcupine with it's loping gait, poor eyesight and built in quill defense system, finally in my estimation and on the yuck side, we have the mollusk eating, fleshy nosed, oversized footed Star Nosed Mole.
I have previously posted pictures of the handiwork by Vernon's resident engineer and largest rodent, the North American Beaver. Yesterday while out walking near Plain road, I came upon our second largest rodent grazing in an open field like a Holstein. Seeing that American Porcupine in an open field caused me to question; except for the fact that they are vittles, what do these critters share that binds them together into an order? As it turns out, the Tooth Fairy is going to love this answer! They all have incisors that never stop growing. Rodent comes from the Latin word Rodere which means "to gnaw." So whether or not they live most of their lives in water, forest, field, earth, in stone walls or between basement walls, these small mammals must wear down their front teeth. -Norma Manning
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| A porcupine has been dining on this tree near the Vernon Hatchery |
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| Like the beaver, porcupines strip the bark from trees to eat the sweet inner bark |
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A tree this damaged probably won't survive
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| Porcupines are nocturnal herbivores but this one was grazing in the afternoon near Plain road |
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| Porcupines weigh around 20 pounds are 2 to 3 feet long and have 30,000 plus quills |
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| American Porcupine predators include bobcat, cougar and fisher. This one wasn't worried about me. |
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