Hello from
Fisi Camp!
My
name is Rebecca LaFleur, and I’ll be your new RA joining our dear Talek West
hyenas for the next year. A little about me to start off… I grew up in Traverse
City, Michigan, and I just recently graduated with a degree in zoology from
Michigan State University. At the university, I was an undergraduate research
assistant for the Mara Project for 2 years, but working with conservation and
behavioral studies of carnivores is something I’d been fascinated by long
before that. I joined the project coding behavior during Julie Turner’s Target
trials project. This gave me a head start in the department of recognizing
specific behaviors and interactions in my time on the Mara; however, individual
identification (despite being at least half of the whole equation) is an
entirely different story.
It’s
an exciting time for Talek! Shortly before my arrival at Fisi Camp, an entirely
new group of cubs was found! Unfortunately for those of us who were almost
entirely new to the ID process, this meant more individuals to memorize, but I
was not daunted. In addition to the den, the clan seems to be in the process of
fissioning into three distinct groups which we’re now calling KCM, Main Doc,
and Pond. While it may seem to shorten the list of who to expect where, two
problems arise. First of all, the separation is not complete, and some hyenas
like to bounce between groups, so it’s important to always be prepared for the
unexpected. Secondly, for someone new to large parts of the almost 200-member
clan, memorizing who goes where is a task in and of itself!
With
these two facts in mind, I often find myself practicing by taking the best side
photo of a hyena’s unique spot pattern whenever I can find it, and flipping
through our large folder of hyena pictures (hopefully in a smaller section if I
manage to age and sex them correctly) to try to ID them as best I can. While
some photos like the one above of TAMI turn out beautifully, most at first turn
up more like one of the ones shown below.
And
that’s hoping that the hyena you see isn’t wet or covered in mud!
When
I first see a hyena (and manage to get a recognizable picture), I look for
unique patterns and shapes in the spots. Several people here have likened the
process to a Rorschach test, and they’re not wrong. It’s entirely possible that
everyone could see something different! I’ll share my process with the example
below. My first “landmark” to identify this individual was a dark line of 4
spots on her left hind leg (1).
Once
I found someone (or several someones) in our ID book with a matching pattern, I
looked for the next best landmark I could find. For me, that was what we here
in camp often call an “eyeball” on her back: a circular pattern of spots with
one or multiple in the middle (2). From there, I moved to her shoulder. If you
look closely, you can see a swooping semi-circle with a dot in the middle starting
at the spot I indicated and extending up and around towards her back (3).
The
consensus? Our mystery hyena is none other than Twister!
Tips to keep
in mind:
1. Count the
spots! A lot of hyenas may have similar patterns, but the number of spots in
the pattern must match exactly. Remember that they may look different at first
glance as the hyena grows up or if it is muddy, but the number and pattern of
spots will not change.
2. Look for
other clues. You can often ID an individual by other characteristic landmarks
on their body. Fur coloration or length (for example the black paws and faces
we often see on cubs and subadults) may work for a time, but will change as the
hyena matures. Ear damage is another permanent landmark that we often use.
Little notches and nicks which develop are easily seen and can be used in
addition to spots if you’re having trouble ID-ing someone.
3. Spots are
not always as they appear! Juvenile hyenas have longer coats of fur than
adults, and spots may appear to change in size or mold together. Remember to
always look closely at patterns to make sure the pattern you’re seeing matches
the ID in the book.
Happy spotting!
2 comments:
Hope you're having the time of your life becca. So proud of you love you bunches dad.
Wow we should save these tips in camp for future RAs! These are great. I actually don't know Twister yet but now I think I'll remember her based on that excellent characterization of her spots.
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