ARCTIC HARE (LEPUS TIMIDUS L.) RESOURCE SITUATION IN THE RYAZAN AND TULA REGIONS

The Arctic hare is a traditional favorite hunting object in Russia. One of the main tasks of ecology is the study of populations. The most important quantitative parameter for a biological community is the change in the number of its specimen. On the basis of official data on animal counts over the past 25 years, we have established some characteristics that provide information on the state of the Arctic hare resources in the Ryazan and Tula regions. The aim of this work was to carry out a population analysis of the Arctic hare resources in the south of the Moscow region in the Ryazan and Tula regions over the past 25 years. The population analysis included studying static (the number and density of the hare population, the volume of prey, as well as the long-term average value of the number) and dynamic (the dynamics of the number and volume of prey, the absolute and relative rate of change in the population size) indicators. Primary data on the population of hares were collected using the winter route accounting method. The population density of hares was determined on the total territory of the hunting grounds in the corresponding territory. Basing on the data obtained, it was revealed that over the past quarter of a century, the number of Arctic hares in the Ryazan region has a tendency to decrease. The population density of Arctic hares in 1995 and 2019 in the Tula region remained practically at the same level. The indicator of the Arctic hare kill in both Ryazan and Tula regions tends to decrease.

The Origin of Day and Night by P.I. Rumbolt

Rumbolt, Paula Ikuutaq. The Origin of Day and Night. Iqaluit, NV, Inhabit Media, 2018. This book is another in Inhabit Media’s collection of works that document traditional Inuit stories. Origin stories, which explain why things are the way they are, are common in Inuit storytelling. This one tells us how night and day came to be. In the time when animals and words had special powers, the Tiri, the Arctic fox, and Ukaliq, the Arctic hare, both want to hunt. The fox can see in the dark, so he uses his words to keep the world dark. The hare needs light to see, so she uses her words to bring light. They change night to day and day to night, frustrating each other, until they agree to give each other “enough time to find a meal or two” before changing the light. As a result, we have night and day. Lenny Lishchenko’s illustrations are simple, but support the story effectively. They are mainly in blacks, blues and whites, appropriate to night and day. The animals are outlined in black on white or white on black, with a few details added. There are a few reds and yellows, for the animals’ eyes, the sun, meat and berries. This rendition of the story will capture the interest of the young children, who are the intended audience. Highly recommended for public and elementary school libraries, as well as collections that specialize in polar children’s literature. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Sandy Campbell Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

Exploring the diet of arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos) at their northern range limit

The grey wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most widespread large carnivores on Earth, and occurs throughout the Arctic. Although wolf diet is well studied, we have scant information from high Arctic areas. Global warming is expected to increase the importance of predation for ecosystem regulation in Arctic environments. To improve our ability to manage Arctic ecosystems under environmental change, we therefore need knowledge about Arctic predator diets. Prey remains in 54 wolf scats collected at three sites in the high Arctic region surrounding the Hall Basin (Judge Daly Promontory, Ellesmere Island, Canada, and Washington Land and Hall Land, both in northwestern Greenland) pointed to a dietary importance of arctic hare (Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819; 55% frequency of occurrence) and muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus (Zimmermann, 1780); 39% frequency of occurrence), although we observed diet variation among the sites. A literature compilation suggested that arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos Pocock, 1935) preferentially feed on caribou (Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)) and muskoxen, but can sustain themselves on arctic hares and Greenland collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus (Traill, 1823)) in areas with limited or no ungulate populations. We suggest that climate change may alter the dynamics among wolves, arctic hare, muskoxen, and caribou, and we encourage further studies evaluating how climate change influences predator–prey interactions in high Arctic environments.

Sweetest Kulu by C. Kalluk

Kalluk, Celina. Sweetest Kulu. Illus. Alexandria Neonakis. Iqaluit, NU: Inhabit Media Inc., 2014. Print.“Kulu” is an Inuktitut term of endearment for babies and small children. In this work, traditional throat singer and author, Celina Kalluk, shows all of the gifts that nature brings to a newborn baby. The images show the baby cradled and adored by many creatures. Each creature brings a character trait as a gift for the baby. “Caribou chose patience for you, cutest Kulu. He gave you the ability to look to the stars, so that you will always know where you are and may gently lead the way”. With each gift, Kalluk uses a different adjective to describe the baby – happy Kulu, admired Kulu, beloved Kulu. Illustrator, Alexandria Neonakis has created an image for each animal in rich and deep colours. The images spread over two facing pages with text over-printed. Each image is gentle and tender. The baby is shown nestled between the front hooves of a musk-ox, curled up against a polar bear or snuggled up in the paws of an Arctic hare. The baby is reflected in the water when the Arctic char brings a gift of tenderness.This book is a beautiful representation of a mother’s love for her baby reflected in the traditional Inuit connection to the land and nature. It is a calming and peaceful book, which will become a bedtime read-aloud favourite. Highly recommended for elementary school libraries, public libraries and babies’ rooms everywhere.Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

A Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) delivers live prey to a pup

A two-year-old sibling Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) carefully captured an Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus) leveret alive on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, and delivered it alive to a pup 28–33 days old. This appears to be the first observation of a Gray Wolf delivering live prey to a pup.