Montane

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Montane

• BY Mallory
• Haulman

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MontaneInformation
Elk

• Elevation 5,600 to 9,000
• Mean temperature 45 degrees
• Annual Precipitation 20.4 inches
• Disturbances
• Humans
• Fires

• Biotic Features
• Primary Plants
• Quaking Aspen
• Lodgepole Pine
• Blue Columbine
• Primary Animals
• Western Bluebird
• Golden Eagle
• Great-Horned Owl
• Coyote
• Elk
• Aberts Squirrel
• Colorado Tortoiseshell Butterfly
• Hawk Moths
• Spruce budworms

Colorado Tortoiseshell Butterfly
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Montane InformationReferences

• http//books.google.com/books?idG1Nm6gXX7u4CpgP
  A18lpgPA18dqColoradomontaneforestelevation
  sourceblotsAcpmoDpd7Ysig4dCEq8loM9z8v-mhhskTx
  mxFxrEhlenei6Ju3StDvA42KsgOigbGeDQsaXoiboo
  k_resultctresultresnum1vonepageqColorado2
  0montane20forest20elevationffalse
• neveryetmelted.com/categories/archery/
• forestry.about.com/.../bl_na_biomes_rockymt.htm
• http//www.gis.usu.edu/mikew/papers/PS_coniferfor
  est_2001.pdf

4
The Western Bluebird

• Description The male Western Bluebird has a dark
  purplish-blue throat with rust-colored shoulders
  and chest, and a gray-blue belly. The female
  Western Bluebird has blue wings with a gray-brown
  color on the head and back, and the chest is
  rust-colored. It shares resemblance with the
  Mountain Bluebird, but can be told apart because
  the Mountain Bluebird has no rust color and the
  Western Bluebird has a characteristic hunched
  posture. Length is from 6 ½ inches to seven
  inches.
• Habitats The Western Bluebird is not as common
  as the Mountain Bluebird in Colorado. In Colorado
  it is found in orchards, farmyards, pastures,
  forest edges, brushy country, desert areas, along
  roads, and in open areas with trees. It is found
  on both sides of the Continental Divide in
  Ponderosa pine forests between 5,000 and 8,000
  feet.

• Diet Like the Mountain Bluebird, the Western
  Bluebird eats insects, including caterpillars,
  grasshoppers, weevils, ants, and moths. It is
  often found in orchards where it eats fruit. In
  the winter season, it also eats berries, like
  mistletoe and juniper.
• Behaviors Western Bluebirds are often seen
  perching alone on fence wires, posts, snags, or
  tree branches by open meadows, pouncing on the
  ground to catch insects. They also fly out to
  catch aerial prey and grab insects from twigs and
  leaves.
• These birds are often seen perching along fence
  wires, posts, snags, or tree branches by open
  meadows, jumping on the ground to catch insects.
  They also fly out to catch prey in the air and
  grab insects from twigs and leaves.

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Western BluebirdReferences

• http//wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profil
  es/Birds/WesternBluebird.htm
• http//wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profil
  es/Birds/WesternBluebird.htm

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Aberts Squirrel

• Family Sciuridae
• Order Rodentia
• Characteristics The Aberts Squirrel is also
  known as the tassel-eared squirrel because of the
  long tassels of fur on its ears. Its fur is gray
  on the sides, reddish on the back and the belly
  is white. It has a bushy tail with white fur on
  the underside. The Aberts Squirrel has long rear
  paws and strong hind legs.
• Habitats The Aberts squirrel lives in
  coniferous forests with ponderosa pine trees.
• Behaviors Aberts squirrels are active all year
  long. They may stay in their nest in very cold
  weather, only leaving to find food. They are
  active in the day and sleep in their nests at
  night.
• Diets Most of the Aberts squirrel's diet is
  made up of parts of the ponderosa pine. In warm
  months, it eats the tree's seeds and buds. In the
  winter it eats the inner bark of the tree. It
  sometimes eats mistletoe and fungi.

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Aberts SquirrelReferences

• http//www.hunter-ed.com/wildlife/wildlife_specifi
  c_images/wildlife_photos/aberts_squirrel.jpg
• http//www.friendsofbandelier.org/images/abert.jpg
  
• http//www.nhptv.org/natureworks/abertssquirrel.ht
  m

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Blue Columbine

• Order Ranunculales
• Family Ranunculaceae
• Description The Blue Columbine is a herbaceous
  perennial plant that grows to about 20 to 60 cm
  tall. The flowers vary in color from pale blue to
  pink. They are commonly bicolored.
• Habitats It is native to the Rocky Mountains
  from Montana south to New Mexico and west to
  Idaho and Arizona.
• Special Adaptations As the Blue Columbine
  radiated down through the Rocky Mountains, it
  evolved into different colors and shapes in
  response to newly available pollinators, such as
  hawk moths and hummingbirds

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Blue ColumbineReferences

• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquilegia_caerulea
• http//2.bp.blogspot.com/_VP14pqbwFAg/R7c5EZnfwUI/
  AAAAAAAAAMU/HfYVwrCsrBc/S220/columbine_blue.jpg
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquilegia_caerulea