The August Photo of the Month, submitted by volunteer Andrew Logan, features a bobcat approaching a trail camera. Take note of the incredible eyes bobcats have! Like most felines, bobcats have vertical slit shaped pupils that assist them with depth perception and help them in low-light conditions, such as hunting in the night or early morning! Larger cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars have round eyes, as they tend to do a lot of hunting in the daytime. 

For any more mammal sightings, submit any photos to the form here!

Reminder to anyone with a Ring camera or similar security system installed; these systems help us collect important data on the presence and absence of mammals in your area. We welcome you to join our team of registered volunteers who submit photos once a month. Having regular reports from a fixed location allows us to learn even more about mammals in your area than individual sightings.  New volunteers can register here 

Photo Courtesy of Clean Water Action 

On July 29th, a surprising stranger appeared in the waters of Mashpee, Massachusetts. A paddleboarder spotted a manatee in the water grasses, and the manatee was spotted again by others in the Mattapoisett area, temporarily stuck on the tidal flats, but then was able to return to deeper waters once the tide came in. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Protected Species Program confirmed that the manatee safely returned to the waters and requested that reports be made if future sightings occur! 

Manatees (Trichechus manatus) live in coastal and riverine systems. They cannot tolerate water temperatures below sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit for long periods of time, so they mainly live in southern areas, with an estimated 8,350 manatees in Florida and 7,000 manatees living elsewhere. Manatees consume seagrasses and other aquatic plants, giving them their popular name of sea cows!  

For more information about Manatees, visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service  

We are back in school and back on Campus and we are so excited to have another great year of engaging with our Massachusetts community to bring you more information about Mammals and grow our project and accomplish new goals! 

Meet Charlie!

What is your class year? 

Sophomore

What is your major? 

Biology/ Environmental Studies

What is a fun fact about you? 

I have been in a rodeo

Why did you join MassMammals? 

I joined the MassMammals because interacting with passionate scientists inspired me to follow my passions. I wanted to be able to have this same impact on other young aspiring scientists.