(BPT) - By Jason Bittel, author of Grizzled: Love Letters to 50 of North America's Least Understood Animals
North America is home to some huge and awe-inspiring creatures, from 800-pound alligators and surf-cracking great white sharks to rumbling herds of bison and mountain lions — the largest cat on Earth that is able to purr.
kAmqFE 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 42?VE 86E E@ 2 ?2E:@?2= A2C< @C D62D9@C6[ E96C6 :D DE:== A=6?EJ @7 H@?56C H2:E:?8 E@ 36 5:D4@G6C65 @? 2 324<J2C5 D272C:]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8ms62E9\s62=:?8 wF>>:?83:C5Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 2G6C286 9F>>:?83:C5 H6:89D 23@FE 2D >F49 2D 2 DE:4< @7 496H:?8 8F> 2?5 =2J 688D E96 D:K6 @7 ;6==J362?D] p?5 J6E[ :7 E96J H6C6 E96 D:K6 @7 2 9F>2?[ E96 E:?:6DE 3:C5D @? t2CE9 H@F=5 92G6 E@ 4@?DF>6 2C@F?5 `_[___ 42=@C:6D 6249 52J E@ A6C7@C> E96:C 26C:2= 24C@32E:4D]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ E96 9F>>:?83:C5VD ?665 7@C 2 4@?DE2?E DFAA=J @7 6?6C8J :D D@ DEC@?8[ AFEE:?8 2 =:EE=6 DF82C H2E6C :? 2 DA64:2= 76656C :D 2== :E E2<6D E@ 5C2H E96 =:EE=6 H@?56CD ?62C] p?5 :7 J@F H2E49 2 76656C =@?8 6?@F89[ J@F >:89E ;FDE D66 E96 >2=6D 5@ 32EE=6]k^Am
kAm(:E9 DA665D 2AAC@249:?8 e_ >:=6D 2? 9@FC 2?5 3:==D D92A65 =:<6 D92CA6?65 DE:=6EE@D[ >2=6 9F>>:?83:C5D 92G6 366? <?@H? E@ 8F2C5 E96:C E6CC:E@C:6D H:E9 :C:56D46?E 76C@4:EJ] %96 3C:89E=J 4@=@C65 DAC:E6D 92G6 6G6? 366? 5@4F>6?E65 2EE24<:?8 8@=56? 628=6D[ 2 AC652E@C E92E @FEH6:89D E96> 3J 23@FE 2 E9@FD2?5 E:>6D]k^Am
kAmp>2K:?8=J[ H96? 9F>>:?83:C5D 32EE=6 6249 @E96C[ 2 362< E@ E96 962CE 42? 6G6? C6DF=E :? 72E2=:E:6D]k^Am
k5:G DEJ=6lQ>2I\H:5E9i e__AIj H:5E9i e__AIjQmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^:>286D^fgef`agf\he6`\cd_e\hh_d\b6`3e3c25baa];A8Q 2=ElQr=@D6\FA @7 2 A@DDF> H:E9 323:6D @? :EUR_bhjD 324<]Q H:5E9lQe__Q 3@C56ClQ_Q ^mk^5:Gm
k5:G 4=2DDlQ{:DE:4=6r2AE:@?Q DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i ``AIjQmk^5:Gm
kAmkDEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 ~A@DDF>VD ~D42C\(@CE9J !6C7@C>2?46k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmr@>>@?=J DA@EE65 D4FCCJ:?8 2H2J 7C@> 2 E:AA65\@G6C EC2D9 42? @C H255=:?8 2=@?8 E96 C@25H2JD 2E ?:89E[ @A@DDF>D 2C6 23@FE E96 D:K6 @7 2 9@FD6 42E 2?5 2AA62C C2E96C F?4@?46C?65 23@FE >F49 @7 2?JE9:?8]k^Am
kAm%9:D >2J 36 3642FD6 E96J 92G6 2? 6G@=FE:@?2CJ EC:4< FA E96:C 7=F77J =:EE=6 D=66G6D]k^Am
kAm(96? 4@?7C@?E65 3J 2 AC652E@C[ @A@DDF>D 42? <66= @G6C 2?5 A=2J 5625] $4:6?E:DED 42== E9:D 562E9\76:8?:?8[ @C E92?2E@D:D] *@F >:89E <?@H :E D:>A=J 2D QA=2J:?8 A@DDF>]Qk^Am
kAmqFE @A@DDF>D 2C6 ?@E =:<6 72:?E:?8 8@2ED[ 72==:?8 @G6C 6G6CJ E:>6 D@>6@?6 D9@FED k6>mq~~Pk^6>m %96:CD :D 2 =2DE\5:E49[ 2==\@C\?@E9:?8 42D4256 @7 3:@=@8:42= C6DA@?D6D]k^Am
kAmu:CDE E96 2?:>2= 72==D @? :ED D:56 2?5 :ED =68D 2?5 E2:= 8@ DE:77] %96 4@C?6CD @7 :ED >@FE9 E:89E6? 2?5 5C@@= DE2CED 8FD9:?8 @FE] %96 @A@DDF> 2=D@ A@@AD :ED6=7 2?5 6>:ED 2 DE:?<J 8C66? 8@@ @FE @7 :ED 2?2= 8=2?5D] %96 6J6D C6>2:? @A6?[ H9:=6 E96 C6DE @7 E96 4C62EFC6 2AA62CD E@ 8@ A@D:E:G6=J 42E2E@?:4]k^Am
kAm*@F 42?VE 96=A 3FE 25>:C6 E96 >@I:6 @7 E96 @A@DDF>VD 562E9 52?46]k^Am
kAm(:E9@FE 3:8 72?8D @C 4=2HD E@ 7:89E @77 2 7@6[ ?@C E96 23:=:EJ E@ @FECF? 2 9F?8CJ AC652E@C[ E96 @A@DDF> 5@6D?VE 7:89E @C 7=66 — :E 7@F=D[ 364@>:?8 D@ E9@C@F89=J :?65:3=6 E92E E96 2EE24<6C EFC?D :ED ?@D6 FA 2E 2? @E96CH:D6 7C66 >62=]k^Am
kAmqC2G@[ :?5665]k^Am
k5:G DEJ=6lQ>2I\H:5E9i e__AIj H:5E9i e__AIjQmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^:>286D^ae4ah_66\3h65\c454\2h55\66c7_675_4cb];A8Q 2=ElQr=@D6\FA @7 2 7:C67=J]Q H:5E9lQe__Q 3@C56ClQ_Q ^mk^5:Gm
k5:G 4=2DDlQ{:DE:4=6r2AE:@?Q DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i ``AIjQmk^5:Gm
kAmkDEC@?8mk^Am
kAmu:C67=:6D pC6 $64C6E $2G286Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$4:6?E:DED 92G6 5:D4@G6C65 2 H9@AA:?8 a[___ DA64:6D @7 7:C67=:6D @? E9:D A=2?6E[ 2?5 E96:C 8=@H:?8 =:89ED 42? 4@>6 :? 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> A2=6 3=F6 2?5 ?6@? 8C66? E@ 3C:89E J6==@H 2?5 6G6? 3FC?E @C2?86]k^Am
kAmp=D@ <?@H? 2D =:89E?:?8 3F8D[ 7:C67=:6D EJA:42==J FD6 E96:C 7=2D96D 2D 2 D64C6E 4@56 E@ 7:?5 2?5 H@@ >2E6D] qFE @?6 EJA6 @7 7:C67=J 92D 7@F?5 2 H2J E@ FD6 E92E 4@56 E@ :ED @H? 5:23@=:42= 25G2?E286]k^Am
kAm|66E E96 76>>6 72E2=6 7:C67=:6D] u6>2=6D @7 E96 k6>m!9@EFC:D G6CD:4@=@Ck^6>m DA64:6D 4@>A=6I >:>:4 E96 7=2D9 A2EE6C?D @7 @E96C 7:C67=:6D] p?5 H96? 2? F?DFDA64E:?8 >2=6 E@F496D 5@H? ?62C3J[ E96 76>>6D 72E2=6D A@F?46 7C@> E96 D925@HD 2?5 E62C E96> =:>3 7C@> =:>3]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ 82:?:?8 2? 62DJ >62=[ 6G:56?46 DF886DED E96 76>>6D 72E2=6D 2=D@ DE62= 5676?D:G6 4@>A@F?5D 7C@> E96 76==2D — ?2DEJ\E2DE:?8 496>:42=D E96J 42??@E AC@5F46 E96>D6=G6D] p?5 E96 76>2=6D 24EF2==J =246 E96:C @H? 688D H:E9 E9@D6 4@>A@F?5D 2D 2 H2J E@ AC@E64E E96> 7C@> AC652E@CD]k^Am
kAm$@ E96 ?6IE E:>6 J@F D66 2 D@7E EH:?<=6 :? E96 ?:89E[ :E 4@F=5 36 2 =:89E?:?8 3F8 =@@<:?8 7@C =@G6] ~C :E >:89E ;FDE 36 2 76>>6 72E2=6 =@@<:?8 7@C 3=@@5]k^Am
kAmqFE 3@E9 2C6 324<J2C5 >28:4]k^Am
k5:G DEJ=6lQ>2I\H:5E9i e__AIj H:5E9i e__AIjQmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^:>286D^7c7a6f4_\_afa\chfe\ghg3\4a37`dbah274];A8Q 2=ElQr@G6C @7 s:D?6J }2E:@?2= v6@8C2A9:4 3@@< 42==65 Q H:5E9lQe__Q 3@C56ClQ_Q ^mk^5:Gm
k5:G 4=2DDlQ{:DE:4=6r2AE:@?Q DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i ``AIjQmk^5:Gm
kAmk^Am
kAm#625 >@C6 23@FE E96D6 >28:42= 324<J2C5 2?:>2=D :? k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3@@<D]5:D?6J]4@>^3@@<^8C:KK=65^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmvC:KK=65k^2mk^6>m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.