#deciduous forests

Blakiston's Fish Owl (Bubo blakistoni)

Blakiston's fish owl is a species of owl found in north-east Asia, including northern China, the Korean Penninsula, and the northern islands of Japan. They require large tracts of old-growth deciduous and mixed fores, and reside near fast moving waters, including rivers and coastlines, though during the winter they may settle for slower-moving creeks and lakes.

As their name implies, Blakiston's fish owl feeds mainly on fish, especially pike, trout, salmon, and catfish. In the winter B. blakistoni will also hunt for mammals such as martens, rodents, and bats; in the spring spring they will also readily prey on crayfish and frogs. Blakiston's fish owl hunts very similarly to other wading birds like herons; individuals will choose a perch close to the bank, or even stand directly in the shallows, and wait for prey to pass by before striking. They are active at both dusk and dawn, although they may be seen in daylight in their breeding season. Neither adults nor juveniles have any notable predators.

B. blakistoni breeds once every 2-3 years, typically when food is at its peak abundance. Courtship begins in January or February, and once a male and female are paired they remain together for most or all of their lives. After pairing, the couple chooses a hollow, and the female lays a clutch of 1-3 eggs around March. She remains responsible for brooding them, while the male brings her food, for the 35 days that the eggs take to hatch. Both parents continue to provide food until the fledgelings hatch, which takes about 7 weeks; the young typically remain in the area under the supervision of their parents for an additional year and a half. Individuals usually become fully mature at 3 years old, and may live anywhere from 8-15 years in the wild.

Blakiston's fish owls are noted as the largest owl species in the world. Adults can reach up to 4 kg (8.81 lb) in weight and nearly 2 m (6 ft 3 in) in wingspan. Adults are brown or tan in color, with brown streaking, and a white mask around the eyes and beak. They also have two long tufts of feathers much like horned owls.

Conservation status: B. blakistoni is considered Engangered by the IUCN. The main cause of decline is the disappearence of its habitat due to deforestation, damming, and river pollution. The Japanese population is estimated at 100-150 individuals, while the global population is estimated to be 1,000–1,500 individuals.

Photos

Jonathan C. Slaght

Bradley Hacker

Let me take this opportunity to remind all fic writers about deciduous forest environments. Of course, this is just for practical purposes, fiction is fiction, you don’t have to adhere to this. But it’s just something to keep in mind, for accuracy. Also, thank you @elvish-sky for checking this over!

1) trees create echoes. I once lived on a 42 acre woodland, and it went straight back, very far away. There was a small airport that was near where our property ended, and once i could hear a concert all the way from my house. Sound carries FAR. So if you have any number of characters seeking a private conversation, or having a yelling match, and have them go off into the forest, simply going farther away won’t really help with privacy much. Unless they are talking rly softly, or there’s other noise that will drown them out (ex, a river or stream, people farther away are talking loudly, construction work... you get the picture.)

2) When characters go off into the forest at night without a source of light. Movies portray this pretty unrealistically, since the audience needs to see the characters, so lighting is used, but it’s dark af. Even walking 10 feet away from the fire, i can hardly see a thing. If moonlight is out, that won’t help much in forest settings, because tree branches grow thick leaves, and moonlight is much weaker than sunlight. It’s still going to be dark. 

3) Undergrowth. There’s crunchy leaves EVERYWHERE. Random patches of thorn bushes, vines that will cause you to trip if you aren’t careful, fallen trees that you have to climb over, mud spots near water that WILL cause you to loose a shoe if you aren’t careful. If a forest you’re writing for is truly wild and untouched by man (no paths, nothings been cleared out basically), your characters are going to have a tricky time navigating that.

Orb photography in the deep woods of the Illinois River floodplains

To Walk A Thousand Miles with the American Giant Millipede

The American giant millipede, also known as the worm millipede or the iron worm (Narceus americanus) is a species of millipede found throughout eastern North America, from the Atlantic coast through to the Mississippi River basin. They can inhabit a variety of environments, but primarily reside in deciduous forests and agricultural areas with high humidity.

American giant millipedes spend most of their time buried in leaf litter or burrowed underground, and only emerge at night to feed. Their diet consists mainly of decaying wood and leaves, especially those which also harbor fungi. They have a variety of predators including foxes, racoons, opossums, passerine birds, lizards, frogs, salamanders, beetles, and centipedes. N. americanus' main deterrent is the irritating and foul-smelling liquid they can secrete from their pores, as well as rolling up into a ball to protect their vulnerable underbelly.

The iron worm is the largest millipede species in North America. Adults regularly reach up to 2.5 g (0.08 oz) in weight and 10.2 cm (4 in) in length. Like all millipedes, their bodies are divided into segments, with two legs per segment. These segments are typically black, with a red edge; the legs are also red. Males have longer antennae than females, but otherwise the two sexes are indistinguishable.

Mating for N. americanus begins in the spring and continues through most of the summer. Males attract females via pheromones, and once a female is located they climb atop her to deposit a packet of sperm called a spermatophore. Both sexes typically mate with several individuals over the course of the season, and females can store sperm for long periods of time. After mating, the female lays a single egg in a leaf liter nest and guards it until it hatches several weeks later. Hatchlings are fully dependent upon emerging from the egg, and reach full maturity by the time they're a year old. Individuals can live up to 11 years in the wild.

Conservation status: The IUCN has not evaluated the American giant millipede. Their population is considered relatively large and stable, although they are frequently targeted as agricultural pests.

Photos

Patrick Coin

Kyle Klotz

More on the Mountain Beaver

Despite its name, the mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is not actually a beaver, and is actually more closely related to squirrels! They also don't typically live in high mountain environments; instead they prefer deciduous and coniferous forests in the lower levels of the Cascade mountains in western North America.

As a member of the rodent family, A. rufa shares many traits with rats and squirrels. They have a small, but compact body, small ears, large central incisors, and a small nubby tail. They are covered with thick brown fur, with a small white spot at the base of each ear, and have a number of long whiskers around their muzzle. Males and females are nearly identical, averaging 800 g (28.19 oz) in weight and 50 cm (19.65 in) in length.

Mountain beavers spend most of their time alone, and only emerge from their burrows at night. They feed almost exclusively on ferns, and can even consume bracken ferns, which are toxic to other animals. Their diet is also supplemented with pine needles, deciduous leaves, grasses, and mosses. Due to their small size, A. rufa are prey for many species including coyotes, foxes, weasels, racoons, and birds of prey.

Breeding for mountain beavers can start as early as February and extend to May. It is unknown how males and females find each other, or whether they exhibit any courting behaviour, but females typically give birth to two or three young about a month after conception. The pups are hairless, blind, and deaf, but grow quickly and are weaned after 6-8 weeks. At this time they leave the burrow and venture out to establish their own territories. They reach full maturity at about 2 years of age, and it is believed that they can survive for up to 6 years in the wild.

Conservation status: Mountain beavers are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, they are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation; one subpopulation in particular, the Point Arena mountain beaver (A. r. nigra) is considered endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Photos

John M. Reagan

Tim Donner

Addressing the Asian Giant Hornet

The Asian giant hornet, also known as the northern giant hornet or the Japanese giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is a species of hornet native to eastern and southeast Asia, including the island of Japan. They are primarily associated with deciduous forests and low mountain areas, although they will also occasionally build nests in green urban areas such as parks, gardens, and agricultural plots.

The northern giant hornet holds the place for the largest species of hornet. Queens may be over 5 cm (1.9 in) in length, while males and workers are typically between 3.5 to 3.9 cm (1.3 to 1.5 in) in length. Both sexes are virtually identical, aside from their size and the fact that males lack stingers. They have a bright yellow head, a black thorax, and an abdomen that alternates in black and yellow stripes.

The nests V. mandarina builds are typically underground, especially at the base of trees. Their nesting habits follow a cycle which begins with a queen emerging from hibernation in mid-April. Fertilized queens then seek out a suitable nesting site and begin laying their eggs. A typical colony begins with about 40 workers, and can grow to over 100 workers by July. During the summer, the queen will continue laying eggs; fertilized eggs hatch into females, while unfertilized eggs hatch into males. In the fall, the original queen dies and the remaining males and females abandon the nest. During this time, they also mate, and the queens then bury themselves in the soil to hibernate over the winter, while the males die off.

The Asian giant hornet is a major predator of other insects including bees, beetles, hornworms, and preying mantises. They are known for their unique method of attacking beehives as a group; up to 50 workers are capable of wiping out an entire hive in a matter of hours. The remains are usually carried back to the nest to feed the queen and emerging larvae first, and the rest of the workers after. Adults will also feed on tree sap, especially when first emerging from hibernation. V. mandarina is only predated upon by honey buzzards, or by other members of their own species. Both to deter predators and take down their prey, Japanese giant hornets have an extremely painful sting.

Conservation status: The Asian giant hornet has not been rated by the IUCN. Within their native range, they are widespread and have a robust population. From 2019-2021 nests were identified along the Pacific northwest coast of the North America; however, the nests were eradicated, and no new nests have been reported since 2022.

Photos

Thomas Brown

Alastair Macewen