Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
July 2005

Alaska’s Marmot is an Ice Age Colonist

By Riley Woodford

The shrill whistle of the hoary marmot is a familiar sound to Alaskans. But on the hot, calm afternoons that can grace Alaska in the summer, the green alpine slopes can be pretty quiet. The alarm call of the marmot colony is silent.

Marmots are designed for cold, with thick fur and ample body fat. They can't sweat or pant to dispel excess body heat, so they avoid overheating on summer afternoons by retreating to the cool, mosquito-free darkness of their burrows, the same burrows that shelter ...   Alaska's Marmots ArticleContinued

Poisonous Newts Establish Beachhead on Baranof
Newts are Harmless - Just Don't Eat Them

By Andrew Miller

A science project gone awry has resulted in the introduction of a new species of amphibian to wetlands around Sitka.

Last fall, a Sitka High School student collected about 50 roughskin newts on neighboring Kuiu Island and brought them back for a school project. The small, poisonous creatures later were kept in science classroom terrariums, but many escaped when a terrarium was knocked over while being cleaned outside the school in September.

When newts were observed near the school ...   Roughskin Newts ArticleContinued

Pre-Taxidermy Field Care of Trophy Fish
Better Trophy Fish

By Charlie Livingston

Field care for fresh and salt water fish is similar. Most freshwater anglers who are freshwater fishing often have the room, storage facilities/containers to facilitate the temporary preservation of the trophy. However, I have found in my years of being involved in the taxidermy/ wildlife artistry business that most anglers are seldom prepared to assist in the process of field care.

Here's what usually happens. First, it's sort of a scramble to initially dispatch the fish by whatever means ...   Better Trophy Fish ArticleContinued

The Best Job in Alaska:
A Conversation with Commissioner Campbell

By Nancy Long

“I've always believed that fish and wildlife are the soul of Alaska. In Alaska there is just a connection to our resources. Whether it's sport hunting and fishing, wildlife viewing, or the commercial aspects of fishing and tourism, there is this tremendous, direct use relationship. It affects almost every aspect of our lives! If you open a newspaper, any newspaper in the state, and look at the Alaska stories, a sizable percentage will be about fish and game.

Commercial fishing is the ...   Campbell on F&G ArticleContinued