Cape Cod Wildlife

by Barbo, Theresa Mitchell

• ISBN13: 9781609492250
• ISBN10: 1609492250
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-06-19
• Publisher: History Pr

Summary

It's hard to imagine the abundant environment that faced the first Europeans when they arrived on Cape Cod, but the New World was ripe with flora and fauna. Ages before, the melting glaciers had left behind moraines-huge piles of sand and gravel that had been pushed up in front or them. Some of these piles now have names like Martha's Vineyard and Cape God. Author Theresa Mitchell Barbo explores our relationship to Cape Cod's wildlife, examining the varied environs-from the windswept coast to intertidal salt marshes-found here. Over the centuries there have been extinctions, such as the mighty Atlantic population of the gray whale, and invasive species, such as gypsy moths and coyotes. Today, there is better awareness in our attempts to balance a sustainable local economy weighed against conservation of Cape Cod's priceless wildlife. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 9
Introduction: The Evolution of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program	p. 21
Author's Preface	p. 29
Acknowledgements	p. 31
The Context of Wildlife on Cape Cod	p. 33
Wings Above Cape Cod	p. 61
John Wing's Island	p. 67
Fins of Salt- and Freshwater	p. 73
At Home in the Woods	p. 91
Listening for the Creatures of the Night	p. 99
Bunny Hoppinings	p. 103
The Humpback Whale	p. 113
Wildlife Along the Gape God Shoreline	p. 115
Herring Runs in Yarmouth History	p. 119
Wildlife Habitat of Barnstable County, Massachusetts	p. 123
Bibliography	p. 129
Index	p. 135
About the Author	p. 143
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

For hundreds of years, before English settlers permanently colonized what is now Cape Cod, bears and wolves were the top predators on this peninsula of Massachusetts. The Cape actually became an island when the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges were completed. This book details the history of wildlife on Cape Cod, at near shore, such as whaling and whale migration, and inland, like bears and wolves. It also contains essays on human interactions between animals and humans on this landscape for over 400 years, and how peoples' attitudes and behaviors toward animals have evolved.