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1. Mild winter lures armadillos north in Missouri
2. Conservation Commission raises permit fees
3. Alert citizens needed to ward off gypsy moth
4. Commission to meet July 29 in Jefferson City
News contact: Jim Low, Jefferson City, Missouri, (573) 751-4115
"Perhaps both Woodchuck and Ground Hog are misnomers-it doesn't chuck wood, and it isn't a hog-and the animal should be called the Overstuffed Ground Squirrel."-John Kieran, "Mammals Within the City Gates"
A live armadillo is a rare sight in the Show-Me State, but "opossum on the half shell" is an increasingly common sight along roads as far north as Jefferson City.
JEFFERSON CITY--It isn't often that Jim Braithwait is baffled by a wildlife damage inquiry, but a recent call from a Jefferson City homeowner had him stumped. The homeowner described damage that looked as if a herd of cattle or horses had been walking in her backyard.
In his five years experience as a wildlife damage biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Braithwait has developed an uncanny knowledge of animal behavior that usually enables him to identify nuisance animals by simply hearing about the type of damage they are causing. But he had no idea of what was destroying the caller's property.
"Looking around the yard I saw holes an inch to an inch-and-a-half in diameter that looked like damage from cattle or horses," says Braithwait. "As I continued looking, I found a larger hole where a den was located and some droppings. That's when I knew what was causing the damage. Armadillos."
Braithwait says unusually mild winters Missouri has had in recent years, coupled with accidental transportation of animals from other regions account for the Show Me State's population of nine-banded armadillos. He says like any other animal armadillos expand their range when habitat conditions are favorable. Braithwait also believes that some of the animals may have entered the state in cargo from areas where armadillos are well established. He speculates that central Missouri is as far north as the animals will travel because winter conditions farther north are too harsh for the animals.
"Armadillo" is Spanish for "little armored one." Armadillos are native to South America. They first appeared in the United States in the early 1800. Charles W. and Elizabeth R. Schwartz's "Wild Mammals of Missouri" documents the first sightings of armadillos in Missouri in the mid-1970s. The nine-banded armadillo is the only species found in the United States.
The armadillo's method of reproduction and ability to adapt to a variety of habitats likely helped it expand its range. Unlike other mammals, the armadillo produces four genetically identical offspring virtually every time it gives birth. This is caused by a process called polyembryony, in which a single fertilized egg splits into quarters. Armadillos have been referred to as mini submarines for their ability to fill their intestines and stomachs with air and float across large bodies of waters or walk across the bottom of shallow, slow-moving streams.
The animal's nocturnal diggings for food and shelter account for damage caused to lawns and gardens. They use their long claws to root for grubs and other insects, which make up about 90 percent of their diet. An armadillo eats an average of 200 pounds of insects a year. It is one of the few species that eat fire ants. Armadillos create burrows by loosening soil with their noses and forefeet, pushing it beneath their abdomens and thrusting it backward with their hind feet. While dens are the most common homes for armadillos, they will nest above ground in flood-prone areas and where limestone cavities are available.
Homeowners have the right to protect their property from armadillo damage. Braithwait says the Conservation Department should be contacted for permission to destroy an armadillo. Those wanting information on cage-trapping and relocating nuisance armadillos can call the Conservation Department for information on trapping equipment and techniques. Those who attempt to trap armadillos are advised to use gloves while handling the animals. Armadillos are the only animals that can contract Hansen's disease, or leprosy, and there is a slight possibility that the animals could pass the disease to humans.
Braithwait says humans need not fear an attack from armadillos. The animals are not aggressive. When disturbed, armadillos will either run away or jump straight up into the air to scare away an enemy.
That defense mechanism probably contributes to the abundance of armadillos seen prone along highways. The animals' poor eyesight and hearing make them unable to detect approaching objects until they are a few feet away. By the time a startled armadillo reacts to a speeding automobile, its jump only results in contact with the oil pan.
- Arleasha Mays -
Prices will go up for many permits, down for some. Other permits will be eliminated, and a few new ones created.
JEFFERSON CITY--The Missouri Department of Conservation will combine the Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Permit with the regular Firearms Deer Hunting Permit and add a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit and a Managed Deer Hunting Permit for the 1999 hunting season. Increases in some permit fees and decreases in others also are among changes in permit fee structure approved by the Conservation Commission at its June meeting.
Conservation Department Director Jerry Conley said the reshaping of Missouri's hunting and fishing permit fee structure addresses suggestions from the public about resident and nonresident permits.
An example is muzzleloader deer hunting permits. Conley says elimination of these permits in 1999 is in response to muzzleloader hunters who asked to have their permit and season combined with the regular firearms deer hunting permit.
Also in response to popular demand, the Commission created a $15 Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit. At present, the only youths under age 11 who can hunt deer and turkey are those whose families qualify for Landowner Deer Hunting Permits. The new permit corrects this inequity by allowing hunters 10 and younger to hunt under the direct supervision of an adult who has passed a hunter safety course and possesses the required deer or turkey hunting permit.
The largest fee increases that will take effect next year will be for nonresident hunting and fishing permits. Resident 1999 permit fee increases approved by the Commission include:
--Fishing from $9 to $11;
--Combination Hunting and Fishing from $15 to $19;
--Spring Turkey Hunting from $11 to $15;
--Archery Hunting from $15 to $17;
--Firearms Deer Hunting from $11 to $15.
The increase in the Firearms Deer Hunting Permit fee comes with a restructuring of the season that will enhance opportunities for deer hunters. For 1999, the muzzleloader and firearms deer seasons will be combined into a consolidated firearms deer season that eliminates the need to choose between hunting with muzzleloaders and modern firearms during the November portion of the deer season.
The firearms deer permits will entitle holders to use either modern firearms or muzzleloaders during the November and January portions of the deer season, but use of muzzleloaders still will be required during the December portion of the new firearms deer season. Resident and Nonresident Muzzleloader Deer permits will be eliminated for the 1999 season.
The price of a 1999 Resident Second Bonus Deer Permit will drop from $11 to $7 for 1999. Resident First Bonus Deer Permits will remain $11 next year. Other permits that will remain at their current price include Small Game Hunting ($9), Trapping ($10) and Fall Firearms Turkey Hunting ($11).
Trout and Migratory Bird permits, which are the same for residents and nonresidents, will increase from $6 to $7 and from $4 to $6, respectively in 1999. While the cost of the migratory bird permit will increase, the Conservation Department will eliminate the $5 daily fee currently charged for waterfowl hunting at conservation areas.
Similarly, the Commission voted to establish a new Managed Deer Hunting Permit with a fee of $15. Hunters no longer will have to use their regular deer hunting permits for managed hunts in 1999. This means that buying a Managed Deer Hunt Permit will add a deer to the purchaser's season limit.
The Commission approved increases in all nonresident permit fees except the Nonresident Fall Firearms Turkey Hunting Permit. It also voted to offer Nonresident Bonus Deer and Managed Deer Hunting permits.
The fee increases will help keep the portion of Conservation Department funding that comes from permit sales in balance with costs associated with improving programs and services for the public, while keeping the price of resident hunting and fishing permits well below those of neighboring states.
Conservation Department Director Jerry Conley said additional revenue generated by permit increases will be plowed back into on-the-ground improvements for hunters and anglers. "Private landowner assistance programs, stream access areas, habitat management and development of department areas will continue to benefit from fees paid by Missourians," said Conley.
Don't take chances. Check vehicles, campers and other items for gypsy moths that may have hitched a ride from the eastern or north-central United States.
JEFFERSON CITY--Would you risk bringing home a hitchhiker who would move onto your property and then destroy it? That's exactly what happens when you don't ensure that your belongings are free of gypsy moth egg masses before returning home from vacations in moth-infested areas. Inadvertent importation of gypsy moths could help establish the insects in the state, enabling them to damage or destroy many trees.
The risk of inadvertently importing the forest pests has increased, according to Missouri Department of Conservation Entomologist Robert Lawrence. That is because the moths have expanded their range in the past year, moving the front of the infested areas closer to Missouri. Huge increases in the gypsy moth populations occurred last year in Wisconsin, Indiana and the Chicago area.Missourians vacationing out of state in July and August should be on the lookout for gypsy moth egg masses. Gypsy moths lay eggs on anything in their paths during those prime vacationing months.
Travelers to Chicago and the northeastern and north-central regions of the country should check all items that have been outdoors, looking for velvety, sandy brown masses .5 to 1.75 inches in diameter. Any that are found should be scraped off before returning home.
Those finding egg masses after returning to Missouri should contact the nearest Missouri Department of Conservation office or call the Missouri Department of Agriculture Plant Industries Division at (573) 751-5505.
The insects are harmful because of their insatiable appetite for foliage. Each gypsy moth caterpillar can eat a square yard of leaf surface before it goes through metamorphosis into an adult moth. With each female laying 100 to 1,000 eggs, damage from caterpillars defoliating trees often is severe.
Missouri's forests would likely suffer particularly serious damage because much of the state's forest is dominated by their favorite food, oak trees. Lawrence says repeated defoliation can kill trees, cause food shortages for wildlife and create erosion problems.
"When the gypsy moth gets here it is going to have a major impact on our forests. We will lose many of our oak trees. The change in the makeup of the forest will have a great impact on the health of the forest and wildlife. That's why we need to continue doing everything we can to put off their arrival for as long as possible," says Lawrence.
The insects also pose a potential health risk to humans. Lawrence says at epidemic levels the caterpillars create large amounts of waste that can contaminate water sources. Hairs from the caterpillars cause problems for allergy sufferers.
The Missouri Departments of Conservation and Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Missouri cooperate to set more than 10,000 traps each year to detect the presence of gypsy moths. The traps, which contain chemicals that mimic female moth pheromones, or sexual attractants, are designed to capture males. Egg-laden females can't fly.The traps are not intended to control gypsy moth numbers, but to detect infestations. They are placed across the entire state, especially in areas with high risk of infestation, such as state parks and popular tourist destinations.
The first moth appeared in Missouri in 1974. Gypsy moths accidentally transported into the state have been trapped every year since 1980. Last year, traps picked up nine gypsy moths in St. Louis and four near Branson. Areas such as those, with high interstate traffic, are particularly at risk of having gypsy moths transported to them.
Originally from Europe, gypsy moths escaped into the wild in Massachusetts in 1869. Since then, they have slowly moved west, causing severe damage as they make their way across the nation. The moths are expanding their range by about 13 miles per year. At that rate the main body of the gypsy moth infestation could reach Missouri around the year 2015.
- Arleasha Mays -
JEFFERSON CITY--The Missouri Conservation Commission will meet July 29 at Conservation Department Headquarters, 2901 W. Truman Blvd., Jefferson City. The meeting will begin at 10:15 a.m., following a closed executive session.
Commission meetings are open to the public. Items to be placed on the agenda for a presentation or other business should be sent in writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180; fax (573) 751-4467. Requests must be received by July 16. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements at the same address, or by phone at (573) 751-4115.
Commissioners are: Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg, chairman; Randy Herzog, St. Joseph, vice-chairman; Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, secretary; and Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, member.
-Jim Low-
News Services Coordinator
(314) 751-4115, ext. 243
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